Featured Blog Posts – November 2013 Archive (8)

CDC Current Intelligence Bulletin 67: Fire Service Epidemic

        There's an epidemic in the American fire service, and terrifyingly little is known about it. Some estimate that as many as 1% of your brothers and sisters might already be infected, while others claim that number is as high as 10%,…

Why the Quint works for us.

By Lou Comenale and Justin Ientilluci

In many firehouses across the country you mention the word “Quint” and you might have well just insulted that firefighters favorite football team.  Even in our own department some guys still wish we would run just a Ladder Truck.  Slowly the culture is changing and the reality is setting in that running a Quint actually works in our department.…

Looking for a fun Christmas gift idea? Well, pre-orders for my new book Drawn By Fire, Too are now being accepted on the PennWell bookstore. Over 150 cartoons in a beautifully bound hard-cover book. A link for personalized copies will be available on my webstore by tomorrow. Thanks,…

This post was Co - Authored by Ryan Royal

Commercial outward swinging doors can be some of the most difficult forcible entry situations due to the locking systems and added fortification but what is often overlooked in training is access challenges. The outward swinging door below was on the back of a commercial building. You can see this situation has a half wall on the hinge side and the jamb side…

Units from my department and other companies in Prince George's County, Maryland responded to this second alarm fire last week. It involved a strip of two-story, attached, ordinary constructed, garden style apartment buildings.

Companies on the initial alarm had a well advanced fire in an entire apartment unit with substantial extension to the attic space.…

The term two-hatter has traditionally been used in the fire service to recognize firefighters who work for a career fire department, as well as volunteer for another. However, on this Veterans Day, I would like to recognize another two-hatter - the men and women who serve as firefighters in their communities, and serve our country as warriors here at home and abroad.…

Multiple rescues from vacant home and commercial structure

Fire crews in Buffalo, New York and Sacramento, California responded to fires in vacant, abandoned buildings and rescued squatters from each.

Buffalo

Video courtesy of Don…

WET YOUR SPONGE

I looked at my original fire coat today. Copper rivets repaired broken clips and canvas patches covered cuts in the coat. Although it shows some wear and tear it certainly brings back some fond memories. I remember the pocket wedges, sprinkler stops, pliers, screw drivers and a pocket knife and in which pocket they were kept and why. I physically touched each tool every morning.

Back in the day Rookies like me were given a small sponge by the veterans and told…