September 2015 Blog Posts (63)

Hope He’s Had His Shots!

Episode #11

“Sid; what the hell is going on? We gotta get done so they can get water on this fire or we’re gonna lose her. Sid? Sid! Goddammit, Sid, Jake thought out loud.

As he turned the…

Individual commitment to a group effort – that’s what makes a team work.

~Vince Lombardi

Firefighters are athletes.                                       

                                                                                                                                                                            Specifically, we are tactical athletes. With that…

Retirement, it’s a word that is used to formally say you’re transitioning from the active duty as a firefighter to “civilian” life.  For some it’s a dream, for others it may be a curse.  Sadly, some will never see it.

When I started out, I know it would happen someday.  That someday was far off in my dreams.  I wanted to do this job for as long as I can and they would have to force me to go.  That was…

It's Really The Only Time You Have

"We know that the SCBA is our only protection against the products of combustion. It protects our respiratory system from harm. There is a big difference, however, between wearing your SCBA and using it. We would never go into a fire without wearing one on our

backs, but sometimes, perhaps for a small incipient fire or in the overhaul stages, we don’t wear it. How many times have you been at a job where once one firefighter takes his or her mask…

When I attended the Illinois Fire Fighter Peer Support (ILFFPS) 3 day training in September 2015, it started as any training would. The instructor began by introducing himself but after that, it was clear that this was different from other classes. This was a training for those who wanted to learn what it meant to be a Firefighter Peer Supporter.

Primary Instructor Lt. Matt Olson began sharing his story; a story that involved multiple difficult calls and traumatic incidents at work…

Many of the legal failures found in departments related to discipline, employee terminations, EMS response and documentation or other departmental events is due to the failure to document those events carefully with consideration that you may be challenged in those personnel decisions, in the provision of medical care or on a fire response.

It seems like a no brainer that on EMS or Fire events, there are templates…

When we train for responding to structure fires, the focus is often on hose deployment and nozzle advancement. While doing this, the goal…

It is not uncommon for me to occasionally hear firefighters say “we don’t need to ventilate, its already venting”. In some cases, yes, this remains true. Maybe there is no more property to save and we can get away with saying that. One thing that I hope doesn’t get missed is that we ventilate the buildings to control the way that fire behaves inside that structure. We want to make that fire do what we tell it to do; especially given certain types of building construction. Yes we also…

DO YOU KNOW THE MONSTER WITHIN?

You’re a hard charging, fire eating, “truck-ape”. You’re not scared of anything. As a matter of fact, you fight what we fear. You tell your friends your job is snatching lives from the jaws of death. You’re a firefighter’s firefighter, and you’re damn proud of it.

 …

When it comes to extrication, there are as many techniques as you can possibly think of, each with a fancier name than the next. This week’s quick tip is covering tunneling vs. cracking the egg. In both situations, the vehicle is roof resting and you will have extremely limited access to the vehicle sides. The better technique is all in personal opinion. Through extensive training on both I have chosen what works best for me and here is why.…

In my Department's "Rookie Book" process, probationary firefighters have a 6-month series of monthly tests.  These tests consist of written questions & knowledge and skill-based material.  The goal of course is to insure and guide their growth after the fire academy, so that when they come off probation they are well versed in "fire department life" and well capable on the fireground.

The 1st month evaluation is conducted by the rookie's battalion chief. There are 18 questions and…

Listen in Wedenday evening 9/16/15 at 7:30pm for the latest edition of Fire and Training .

          When leading a team through change, people often encounter adversity. I firmly believe that if you ever lose your will to fight someone with fight still inside of them will control your life. The “will to fight” can sometimes be described as stubbornness, and for that reason stubbornness can sometimes be a good thing.

           Leaders need to stand their ground when…

What will you do when it's your turn to build onto what those who came before us started? Will you make it better? Will you have the courage to say "yes"?



Be the leader and build for the next generation to follow and exceed our progress.

Click link below to see more of Paul's work or to buy prints:…

Good news: any guilt we feel about our collective hesitancy to modify our tactics can instead be laid upon our ancestors!  Well, not technically, since you can’t inherit stubbornness.  Still, even if we aren’t actually related to those who preceded us in this great endeavor, like them, we continue to face new challenges and debate the best solutions.  As with many walks of life, taking a look at our history can sometimes provide insight regarding current conditions, and at times help to…

A Keen Eye

"Remember that we are all in this together. We must consistently watch out for each other. Only a firefighter truly knows what it is like to be a firefighter... When things go wrong, only more firefighters like us are coming in after us." (pg. xi)

With the 14^th anniversary of 9/11 here I felt the need to tell my 9/11 story.

I signed up for the local volunteer fire department in June 2001. In July of 2001 I had to participate in the department’s physical agility test. The part that I hold close is that I was the last member of that department to have this fond memory. While climbing to the top of the 100 foot aerial stick I heard the operator’s voice speak on the speakers mounted at the top of the stick. After I…

Honor and remembrance...