All Blog Posts (3,173)

  Lately , it's been hard for me to talk shop , but while standing at my Sister's Wake , a few days ago , something had struck me , and that was how much of an Influence she had been as an educator for over 33 years . Watching and listening to her former students and…

Never, ever lose your rookie enthusiasm and passion for the greatest calling in the world. Approach each day like a wide-eyed child who wants to soak in every experience and can never learn or do too much. Personally, I never want to look back on my career and say “I wish I would have done more”.



Do, love, share, enjoy, and experience - it all goes by so…

So much attention is given to the "vacant structure" being the killer of firefighters when  decisions are the culprit in most cases. Some LODD's are just an unfortunate association with the risk of the profession. We cannot eliminate ALL risk without eliminating the job itself. Many of these fatal decisions were made long before the fire that led to the tragedy…

Ever onward.  

Here is the next simulation.  This is of a victorian house.  It is approximately 4000 sq. ft. (not including the third floor).   

There are six bedrooms. The fire occurs at 0630 hours on a saturday morning.  What you see in the video is what you get.  

You are on your department riding your apparatus and are assigned Search by Command.  An engine company has arrived before you and is stretching a line to the front door.

1) What type of…

A place at the table

Some years ago, I worked on a family farm. The people I worked for treated me like a part of their family, even though I was only distantly related by marriage. Every morning before sunrise everyone would meet at the farm house and enjoy a large breakfast. The same applied during hunting season.

When my personal life came on a very rough time, I remember not wanting the family to feel uncomfortable or to put them in a bad predicament with my presence in…

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%,…

You laugh, but you know you've thought about it!!!



Have a safe and blessed Thanksgiving, everybody - and for Heaven's sake, clean your chainsaw after the carving.

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

“Never Forget” is a slogan that the American fire service enjoys using. People never forget major events, brothers that have gone before us, or historical fire service moments, though it often drifts far from a firefighter’s daily thoughts over time. Sometimes a small show of brotherhood is delivered in a way that makes it difficult for one to have an important memory far from their thoughts. I have questioned over the past few years if true brotherhood is a dying breed. All too often it is…

I have spent a significant amount of time lately talking about and finding examples of utilizing speed on the fireground. It is my belief (and the belief of many others) that the surest way to increase our survival and the survival of the people we serve is to operate with a high level of tempo. I am not advocating blindly sprinting around and tripping over ourselves. I am talking about the kind of speed which is a product of high quality/fidelity training and a thorough knowledge of fire…

I completed my Instructor several years ago and at the time I was only interested in teaching short, hands-on classes if any at all.  I always liked passing on information to my members at the station.  I started teaching (assisting) some basic firefighter classes and quickly found how much I enjoyed it.  Not only was it fun and fulfilling to see a new firefighter go from learning to don gear to making actual fire attacks; but it is also a great way to stay current on basic skills and new…

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,…

We…

Chief Ron Kanterman

I have a re-visiting guest blogger this month. My good friend and associate Captain Rob Beattie of the North Plainfield (NJ) Fire Department has returned, infiltrated my Journal and penned an amusing analogy of team work and the firehouse coffee pot. Show this to your probies/rookies/new guys and where applicable, your old guys. Thanks Rob for your insight. I enjoyed this one! Ronnie K …

Watch your giblets - it's budget time!

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

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.…

Training is not just for the drill ground or the classroom. We need to look for learning moments and practice opportunities whenever we can.

We recently responded to a fast-food joint for a fire in the kitchen. I was on overtime and we were on the engine that was second in. The first in company used a Type-K extinguisher to put out the small grease fire on the grill.

The first due captain indicated that the fire was small enough that the suppression system above the grill did…

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.…

In September I began writing a web column for fireengineering.com titled "Modular Concerns".  My goal is to generate a discussion among fire service members on the hazards inherent in certain construction techniques used by the prefabricated (modular) construction industry.  The first submission was designed to frame the discussion; modular construction is everywhere, these buildings are nearly impossible to distinguish from traditional stick built construction, they often utilize…