All Blog Posts (3,173)

Making Yourself Hard to Kill, Second annual conference put on by Leadership Under Fire. October 25-26, 2013 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philly, PA. You don't want to miss this conference!

Give it rest will you? You’re not perfect.

My coworker, so to speak, Ray McCormack and I were having one of our regular discussions on all things fire and most things disturbing in the fire service and we were on the subject of internet and Facebook experts. Ray’s sharp with writing and came up with the Safety ADHPD (Attention Deficit Hyper Photography…

It’s not just drunks and drug addicts in these joints

An 8-year old Columbus boy is in critical condition after having been rescued from a vacant house fire. Columbus firefighters responded to the Hamilton Road home and saw one young boy running from the structure. Inside they found the injured boy under a sheet. He was transported to Nationwide Children’s…

We have all worked with those that just don't care, we discussed it in an earlier post.  

We exhaust ourselves to make the fire service, our fellow firefighters and us better and safer by training and mastering our craft.  

We are asked "why" continually and it is easy to think about giving up.  It would just be so easy to ensure that I know what I'm doing and leave you to your own mediocrity.

I know you just want to push me and those like me…

By: Brian Brush

In most settings window bars are more deterrent than actual fortification.  There are places where window bars and coverings can be substantially built and designed as an obstacle, for example commercial occupancies or vacant property systems.  For the…

Again...and again...and again..., if you don't repeat it, you won't be ready!

A University of Cincinnati Cancer study showed Firefighters compared to the (GP) general population are 102% more likely to develop Testicular Cancer, 53% more likely with Multiple Myeloma, 39% more likely with Skin Cancer, 32% more likely with Brain Cancer and 22% more likely to develop Stomach Cancer....

Join Tap the Box with FETC as we dedicate this show to Firefighter Cancer Awareness.... and learning how to reduce the odds of getting this dreadful disease.…

Visited a mentor of mine today after running a box alarm in Suitland, Maryland. Alva M. "Butch" Wilson III, passed away over 10 years ago. He ultimately retired as a Lieutenant with the District of Columbia Fire Department. But, will always be remembered as a legendary "Truck Driver" and fireman assigned to Truck Company No. 3 at 1018 13th Street, NW. He was hired by the D.C.F.D. after serving in the Vietnam War and was featured in the Channel 7 "Part Of Your…

A valuable report, with valuable lessons for all of us...http://headsupfirefighting.blogspot.com/2013/06/pgcfd-wind-driven-fire-report.html

Do you really know how hard your body is working on the fireground? http://headsupfirefighting.blogspot.com/2013/06/firefighter-physiological-monitoring.html

So, you want to sell real estate?  You want to pour concrete?  You want to be the next top seller in a multilevel marketing scheme?  You want to build houses? You want to sell insurance? Well, then go do it and get out of my fire serivce!…

Oh, there's always that one firefighter who must put the "fire" in firehouse chili!

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

As the company officer we have an obligation to ensure that our crew stays safe. Wearing seatbelts, traffic vests, headsets on the apparatus and making sure that our PPE is worn appropriately are all important, no doubt.  But, imagine being given a map with no starting point and no idea where you are and being told to get to a destination. It would be almost impossible because we have no starting point, we…

http://www.fireengineering.com/articles/2013/05/a-fire-officer-s-dozen.html

Last year a firefighter emailed me, saying he was recently elected as a fire officer for the first time in his volunteer fire company, and asked if I had any advice for him. While I do not profess to know or have seen everything, he's good guy, so I wanted to give him honest advice that I thought may help. I've…

Photos I took at FDIC while reporting and climbing. - Bill

Scott, Padgett, Wes Little, Brandon Morris, Ted Horvath (left to right) Southern Pines Fire Rescue, Southern Pines, NC

Paul Rank, Mike McMonigal (Inverness Heights, MN) Rick McLay (Eagen, MN), Doug Pearson (Falmouth, VA) (left to right)…

Old post; working through the various functions and views on the FE page. - Bill

Quick grab after arrival on the scene

On the scene in Indianapolis with the first-in engine company at a working apartment fire. Video posted to YouTube by Joel Harsin, "Apartment fire with entrapment. Indianapolis Fire Department".…

What are people's thoughts on vacant/unoccupied structures? Check out Go/No Go on HeadsUpFirefighting and chime in on what you feel works for your department.

This is going to be short and to the point: Don't make training a threat in relationship to punishment.

I have heard, and have used this phrase myself, "I'll just make him/her train all day."  This in response to a firefighter that is a problem.  Negative attitudes, lack of interest, or any other behavior can be attempted  to be changed by making them train, but in wont work.  It will only make them hate training all that much more.

As an officer we need to…

I have been told that reverse lays are a thing of the past, and in suburban America for the most part, they are. With an increase in the use of LDH with storz connections, increased tank capacities, automatic aid and codes requiring hydrants, the need for many departments to utilize the reverse lay has been diminished. However, like so many tactics that have been ignored or forgotten, this is one that needs your consideration if your running with quints.



Since the…