All Blog Posts (3,173)

Ego eats much more than brains - it devours everything that is good within your department! Unfortunately the people afflicted with this domineering behavior rarely notice they're the one with the problem. Everyone else, however, can see the shark! Very…

All My Rowdy Friends

While at the "Combat Ready" Class last week many of my fellow firefighters gave me a hard time about some things while we were there, including one of the instructors.  It was a great presentation that I took a lot away from including things that I can implement and live out at all of the fire departments I am associated…

Modesty is a personal trait among many in the Fire Service. Taking the time to view the profiles just in this community you can find this. "Area of expertise: Always a student, expert of none, always learning" are a few examples. There may be those who still "high-five" each other on the front lawn after a good job, but for the most part we are humbled to serve our fellow man.

A…

Today I wanted to piggy-back on my post about inflammation and heart disease (keep the comments and emails coming).  I know that in health and fitness sometimes the best results are obtained from the simplest advice.  So here goes, in my opinion the absolute best thing you can do to lose weight, get healthy, or live a life full of energy is to eat by this ONE RULE:…

I get asked frequently by up and coming firefighters all of the time about what they

should concentrate on in order to be prepared for promotion. Of course, there are the

typical replies about certain types of training and education along with career

development paths. Most are enthusiastic and really into the job and others want an

easy way to a gold badge.

In recent months I have started to offer some new suggestions after witnessing

firefighters jockeying…

Last week, I received notification that I would have an article I submitted to the Carolina Fire Rescue Journal published.  It is a topic that I am very passionate about and feel we all should address.  Here is the link to it on the Carolina Fire Rescue Journal Web site.

Plan for What you can't control

INFLUENCE, every day we have an opportunity to influence those around us. Some days, even if unintentional, the impact of our posture could be negative. Always must we stay vigilant and maintain good attitudes. “Good?” you may be asking yourself. We need to be honest; we are not our best every single day. Although we may strive to, life is dynamic which could keep us from having our best day - everyday. Enter the mighty power of influence. Can you recall a time when you just were in a “blah”…

Anyone have any information on rules that all firefighters should follow and obey?  I need them to show my first year firefighters and what is expected of them.

Well, as promised, I will be posting sketches created during this year's FDIC. I will update this post as I complete the drawings in turn - enjoy! And if you recognize yourself, don't send hate mail - remember, it's all in good fun:)

Sunday, April 15th, 2012

This gentleman had just checked in at the registration desk and was obviously VERY excited…

Self Improvement must be driven from within to have an effect. Outside influences may affect one’s ability to improve but for change to last, one must change for them self.

The Fire Service, by our virtue, has a culture to improve. The tools we use to complete emergency scene tasks are an example. Even today, companies modify tools based on issues unique to their…

Its been very well documented that the leading cause of firefighter-on-duty deaths is related to heart disease. Therefore any information regarding decreasing the chances of heart disease are very valuable to the firefighting community. I've recently been researching the correlation between cholesterol and heart disease and have found some interesting correlations.

The long-established dietary recommendations…

Check out this short video on fire behavior that Arlington County recently conducted for their recruit class...department's are starting to "get" this stuff!

Video can be seen on firefightingdynamics.com

What's your take on a firefighter having a mohawk haircut? Does it matter? Why or why not? 

While at FDIC, many instructors weighed in on the importance of our appearance. Most of it surrounded the topic of the generation gap (Baby Boomers-Millennials). The newest generation (Millennial Generation) was cited by one instructor as being disrespectful and lazy. He went on to say "They can't even change a spare tire."

Another instructor pushed back on this saying we (Baby Boomers…

I became interested in military death and calling cards when my brother was presented with an ace of spades from a retired door gunner. The gunner kept the card on his person during the Vietnam war. 30 years later, my brother Waylon was a door gunner from the same squadron (HCS-84). For him, it was a huge honor to be handed the card understanding who it came from and what it meant. It's now framed and proudly hangs on his wall at home.

It is about 1030 am. In about 2 hours, I will get in my truck and head south. A four-hour drive filled with anticipation and curiosity. My destination; FDIC 2012. It has been roughly 55 weeks since the last time we did this. Each week I put aside just a few dollars to pay for the 7 days of life at the convention, living in the hotel, eating at the restaurants and sharing stories with a few thousand of my brothers and sisters.

I always mentally prepare for an event. Whether it is the…

This video is a great training tool for size-up, radio comms & Command presence.  This FD sounds very professional despite difficult fire conditions.  This week we've got heavy fire & smoke on an upper floor w/ standpipe ops in progress and a Mayday called while transitioning to Defensive Ops.   Compare this FD's ops to your FD and  give us your RECEO VS considerations.  Enjoy!…

Hat tip to Billy G. Details from the Philly Fire Commish Ayers:

It is with deep regret that the Department announces the death of Lieutenant Robert Neary, assigned to Ladder 10, Platoon "C".  Lieutenant Neary, a veteran with over 37 years of service, died in the line of duty Monday, April 9, 2012.



All off-duty officers and members are invited to attend the services in uniform.  Uniform of the day will be Class "A" Dress, with blouse coat and cap.



VIEWING AND…

FDIC is a very special event! It brings together the best instructors, best hands-on training, best classroom seminars, and the absolute best experience in the fire service! If you're serious about your training and have a passion for knowledge, this is the place to be.



Looking forward to catching up with friends, too! I will be there all week…

Take a look at the pictures and think about getting water on the fire to the upper floor and/or making rescues.  This building is one that is old and not sprinklered.  It sits off of the road and aerial access is extremely limited, almost ineffective.…