Featured Blog Posts – December 2015 Archive (5)

2015 has not been a good year for Firefighters and EMTs working at roadway incidents. As of today there have been nine (9) firefighters and/or EMTs struck and killed by vehicles in 2015. That is the highest number of fatalities from struck-by-vehicles that I have tracked over the last 15 years. "D" drivers are hitting our personnel and our fire apparatus with surprising frequency. "D" drivers are distracted, drunk, drugged, drowsy, disgruntled and/or just plain dumb. They outnumber…

            There are many times throughout the year that we respond to structure fires in both residences, and commercial occupancies that have garage or overhead doors. These doors can challenge crews that are gaining access into them if they’re not familiar with how they work, how they’re made, and what cuts to make. Regardless of whether we’re gaining access for interior operations, defensive operations, or just to open it up for means of egress; we need to know how they operate, how…

Evolution of Health and Wellness in North Carolina’s Fire Service

North Carolina has always strived to deliver the highest quality of fire training to its emergency service family. Year after year, we remain among the top states for offering IFSAC accredited fire and rescue certification programs. The folks at the North Carolina Office of State Fire Marshal (NCOSFM) have worked diligently to provide…

If you were to walk into any firehouse on any given Sunday, most dayroom TV's will probably have the big game on.  Firefighters have their share of die hard football fans who rep the team hats, sweatshirts and jackets of their favorite team.  It seems the recent turmoil over NFL officiating has soiled the game most of us love. Sports networks and talk radio shows are a buzz over the…