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October 2015 Blog Posts (47)

Another Night Club Fire

http://www.fireengineering.com/articles/2015/10/romanian-nightclub-fire-kills-27.htmlWhat are you up to?

Again another Night Club Fire this time in Romania, has claimed the lives of those seeking a night of fun. Pyrotechnics are believed to be a contributing factor, but the fire is still under investigation. It will be interesting to read the investigation findings to see if there…

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Added by Wm. Lance Smith, BSFS on October 31, 2015 at 10:46pm — No Comments

Trick or Treat... Why Sugar is Bad

If your firehouse (or house) is anything like the one I work in its full of leftover candy and sweets. Now I must admit, I like a good treat now and then but often I have a very difficult time stopping with just one.  Why?  Sugar.  Its everywhere in almost everything and too much of it can cause some serious health issues. Some foods, such as fruits and carrots, naturally contain sugar, but watch out for foods with added sugars, such as baked goods, cereals, crackers, even sauces and many…

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Added by Aaron Zamzow on October 30, 2015 at 10:50pm — No Comments

HEADLESS LEADERSHIP



What is scarier, a headless horseman terrorizing a small New York farming village, or knowing that your proud department is ran by a headless leader? In this Halloween season of ghouls, goblins, ghosts, and Lady Gagas, perhaps we should look inward to our own demons and excise those who torment and haunt our hallowed bays. Leadership should be clear, concise, and…

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Added by Paul Combs on October 30, 2015 at 8:26am — No Comments

Where's OSHA?

I recently had the honor of speaking to the NFPA Forum in Indianapolis.  The NFPA Forum is made up of three representatives from all of the major fire service organizations for the purpose of solving complex issues and moving the fire service forward.  It really is an powerful group with an awesome purpose! I sat in the morning session to listen in while I waited for my turn at the podium.  

The morning session focused on cancer presumption in the fire service.  I expect my knowledge…

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Added by Eddie Buchanan on October 29, 2015 at 6:30pm — 2 Comments

A Different Kind of Courage

When speaking of public servants like firefighters, police officers and our military, courage is a word that many use to describe our actions.  After all we are running in when others are running out.  If you were to ask a firefighter about the courage it takes to run into a burning building, odds are that they will tell you that they don't feel courageous at…

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Added by Jason Hoevelmann on October 28, 2015 at 2:23pm — No Comments

Halloween III; The Season of the Jake

A Jake and Vinnie Halloween Special

 

In 1906, at the top of the bluff overlooking the scenic river valley, bank president Cyrus Edelstein built a beautiful, three-story, brick mansion for his young bride, Samantha.…

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Added by Art "Chief Reason" Goodrich on October 28, 2015 at 1:00pm — No Comments

The Definition of Insanity

The Definition of Insanity

Albert Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.  In the fire service we often use this definition to conveniently fit certain situations or our own agendas, especially when it comes to health and fitness.  We see it every day in many of our firehouses.  We make comments to one another; and maybe, just maybe, we express our…

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Added by The First Twenty on October 28, 2015 at 9:00am — No Comments

Fire & Training on FE Blogtalk Radio

Cancer is the most dangerous and unrecognized threat to the health and safety of firefighters. Multiple studies have demonstrated the connection between firefighting and cancer.



Join host Douglas Cline and a diverse group of fire service professions as they discuss the scary realities of firefighter cancer risks, their personal experiences, how to protect yourself, looking at the need for protective legislation and changing the culture in an effort to minimize the potential exposures… Continue

Added by Douglas K. Cline on October 28, 2015 at 6:06am — No Comments

Breaking the silence, what I have to say

I have PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome).  There, I said it; I admitted it to the world. 

How I came to have it? I’m not sure.  It’s not something I want; it’s not easy to deal with.  After all, I was a suburban firefighter for my entire career.  Not that the suburbs are immune from bad calls.  But I’ve heard stories from friends who work for busier urban departments.  Unbelievable stories of human carnage.  Yet I…

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Added by Stephen Raclaw on October 27, 2015 at 9:05pm — No Comments

EXTRICATION "QUICK TIP" #47 (THE REALISM APPROACH)

In relation to EXTRICATION, are you practicing/drilling for a "A" Plan door pop on an undamaged vehicle...or are we truly preparing our crew for the "real" extrication scene? Most of the time a extrication drill consists of a vehicle and 25 responders, each holding a tool while anticipating…GO!!! While that technique works “ok” for general…

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Added by Isaac Frazier on October 27, 2015 at 9:00am — No Comments

Victim Removal from Confined Area

We recently conducted drills in an old dormitory/clinic building built around the turn of the century and in use through the 1990's. The challenge presented was victim removal, both civilian and firefighter, through the basement windows. The question is, what challenges do anticipate having when removing a victim or firefighter in a confined area? There is only one interior stairwell into the basement, making a…

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Added by David Topczynski on October 26, 2015 at 7:42pm — No Comments

COMPLACENCY'S LITTLE ANGEL



Be afraid... be very afraid if this is your training program! Don't let the complacency monster grow within your agency. Be enthusiastic, be passionate, be creative, be proactive, and train, train, train.

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

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Added by Paul Combs on October 26, 2015 at 2:54pm — No Comments

Activist Judge Sends A Message with Arsonist’s Sentence

The definition of arson: criminal setting of fires, deliberate burning of property, destruction of property by fire, fire-raising, firing, incendiarism, malicious burning of property, set conflagration, willful burning of property.

The sentence for arson: As of 2011, in the United States, the minimum sentence for Arson in the third degree, which encompasses fires intentionally set to vehicles, buildings or homes…

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Added by Art "Chief Reason" Goodrich on October 26, 2015 at 11:45am — 1 Comment

MFA #15: Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda - Re-assessing past performance using current knowledge

My first test as an incident commander, occurring some 30 years ago, was a room-and-contents fire in a two-story dwelling situated on a corner.  Adding to the pressure was that this was the first structure fire our department had fought since the retirement of our prior Chief of 25 years.  Flames were showing out of a picture window in the rear of the home upon our arrival, and firefighters stretched a hoseline to the location of the flames as I did my walk-around.  I ordered them to not…

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Added by Mark J. Cotter on October 26, 2015 at 6:09am — No Comments

We the Fire Service...

We the Fire Service have a debt of gratitude. One generation shall praise your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. I know that as a fire service member I have a large debt of gratitude to many people who have paved the way for me and others like me to have the opportunities we currently have. There have been many fine brothers and sisters who have given their hearts and souls to the fire service, working tirelessly to make it better, stronger and safer. For all of you whom… Continue

Added by Douglas K. Cline on October 25, 2015 at 11:01am — No Comments

THE SUNDAY PREACH

Don't be knotted up when seconds count!

Today we share the simple tip that can save you seconds when the portable ladder is needed to be quickly deployed and utilized for rescue or access. 

"When a life hangs in the balance, the extra time it may take to untie this knot is absolutely avoidable

and unacceptable. The rope likely has a memory and has been sitting out in the elements, making it even

harder to…

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Added by Dan Shaw on October 25, 2015 at 10:00am — No Comments

Search Skills for the Short Staffed RIT

It is especially important for the understaffed RIT to start searching for the down firefighter as close as possible to their location. The quicker the down firefighter is located the more energy and air supply the understaffed RIT will have to remove them. This is important because usually understaffed departments don’t have extra firefighters on the fireground to form a second, replacement RIT right away. The understaffed RIT needs to save time, their energy, and their air to give the down…

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Added by David Topczynski on October 24, 2015 at 6:53pm — No Comments

The Servant Leader

"It is amazing what you can accomplish when you don't care who gets the credit." - Harry Truman

I recently listened to a podcast interview with man who I consider to be a fire service hero. I refer to him as such because he has been at the forefront of leadership, travels both nationally and internationally championing the cause of the firefighting, and serves as the head of multiple organizations that disseminate fire service information to the masses. Upon concluding the…

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Added by Jonathan Brumley on October 23, 2015 at 8:30am — No Comments

Firefighter Nutrition: 3 Quick & Easy Tips when there’s no Time to Cook

Firefighter Nutrition:

3 Quick & Easy Tips when there’s no Time to Cook

Let’s face it; as firefighters, you don’t have loads of time to spend on meal prep. Yet, there aren’t many jobs that have higher energy demands than firefighting,…

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Added by The First Twenty on October 21, 2015 at 1:30pm — No Comments

Thank you to the Brotherhood

I want to take this time to personnally thank the fire service brotherhood. It is amazing how many phone calls, emails, text messages, facebook messages and comments that I received during our recent flooding disaster and firefighter death. It was so amazing what these messages did for the Horry County fire rescue Department and me personnally. The friendship, compasion and support shown is greatly appreciated and will never be forgotten.



We are returning to normal and expect the… Continue

Added by Douglas K. Cline on October 20, 2015 at 7:54pm — No Comments

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