All Blog Posts (3,147)

STAY FIRED UP, and don't mess with the coffee!

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October magazine illustration.



STAY FIRED UP, and stay dedicated to the craft!

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Recently, I found myself in the unenviable position of Incident Commander at a house fire that resulted in a civilian fatality. We arrived to find heavy fire from multiple rooms and witnesses telling us that people were inside. An aggressive interior attack and search operations were begun with the 2 first arriving units and supplemented with later arriving companies. One victim was pulled unresponsive from the home and transported by the ambulance provider. The individual later died, the…

In case you missed some of the news stories, this week of October 7^th is National Fire Prevention Week. There’s a lot of history behind this week. I encourage you to read how and when it all started. Many fire stations nationwide hold open houses, provide station tours, respond to requests of visiting this school or that school and for some, at the end of the week, those events are tucked away until next year. I’ve stated as well as many others have, that Fire Prevention…

This month a vehicle fire video out of Kenner, Louisiana was circulated on a number of social media pages including Fire Engineering https://www.facebook.com/58419320350/posts/10156655908095351/ and Stop Believing Start Knowing (SBSK)…

The brotherhood of the fire service is unparalleled, understood only by members of this exclusive club.  Firefighters train alongside each other, rise through the ranks, and entrust our lives to each other’s hands. We understand without explanation what other firefighters are experiencing, even when located halfway around the world.  We know the rush of adrenaline when the pager goes off, comprehend feelings of pride and accomplishment, and understand…

In the 17 years that have passed since the horrible events of September 11^th, 2001, nearly 10,000 heroic firefighters, police officers, EMTs and others who rushed to Ground Zero in the hours, days, and weeks after the attacks have been diagnosed with cancer. More than 2,000 deaths have been connected to a range of 9/11-related illnesses and cancers caused by…

September 20, 2018

I can't tell you how often I have heard, "This is the way it has always been done." Does this mean they are unable to make any other decisions when faced with an emergency?

Every firefighter wants to be a good firefighter but sometimes we must ask ourselves, is good enough really good enough? Let’s talk vacant structures for a second, is a vacant structure vacant because you know nobody has lived in it for weeks or months and it looks run down? The answer…

Contrary to the action-oriented, fix-it, can-do attitude of firefighters that make us so effective in most fire suppression and rescue situations, sometimes the best thing we can do to protect the lives and property of those we are sworn to serve is let some things alone. What makes this “hands-off” approach even more difficult is that the tactic I am here addressing - Ventilation - is one that we had been taught and believed was not only helpful and necessary, but a priority for…

It pains me to have to write an article about this issue, but with the recent widely viewed broadcast of a Supreme Court nominee accused of sexual assault when the perpetrator and victim were both in high school and the current state of affairs related to women and minorities in this country; it is an article that needed to be written addressing the elephant in the room.

As a father of five (5) daughters, all adults with their own families and lives, I feared for their safety as young…

Two steps forward and one step back. Ever use that phrase to describe the progress with yourself, your relationships, or your workplace? It is generally used as a negative. You are in essence saying that you are not accomplishing your goals. But is this really the case?

Shouldn’t we really be using this phrase in a positive light? Two steps are greater than one step. Going forward is certainly preferred and going backward is seen as being a failure. However, isn’t the important part…

©September 2018JimWick

There Are No Chief Size Fires!

By

Jim Wick

Whaaat? Absurd! You’re kidding?   My reactions when I heard the words in the title. But - I was about to learn something significant.

A small town 2 station VFD I joined in the…

My life has recently taken on a new role: Junior High volleyball parent. I have two daughters playing this sport for the first time. In fact, 98% of their team is playing for the first time. Which is to say, the team isn’t very good. Success is not being measured in wins but in the improvements of technique and fundamentals.

In addition, I’ve had the opportunity to start “serving my time” as a line judge for some of the games. The chance to be on the court and see the game from a…

The news channels, commercials, and social media often emphasize the crisis that is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder that plagues our veterans of the past and warfighters of the present, but how often does the PTSD among firefighters publicize? Although the media is beginning to recognize the importance of stress after traumatic events, the first responders rarely seem to get the attention needed to progress in treatment options and solutions. However, even…

The problem with some leaders is they assume all criticism is an attempt to discredit or insult them. Nobody likes criticism, but we can't be so paranoid that we'd rather be ruined by praise instead of being built stronger by constructive criticism from people we trust. 



STAY FIRED UP, and accept, learn, apply, and move forward.

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This week I learned something new that I preach about but didn’t fully understand the value of its meaning until this week; Reliance. Such a powerful thing reliance, the ability to rely or depend on someone else exposes so many amazing qualities as a leader.

The first quality is TRUST, proving that you can depend on others shows that you trust them, people will work harder at accomplishing the mission if they know that they are trusted to execute it.

Second would be…

DEALING WITH METAL AWNINGS

Have you ever tried to ladder a building in the 'middle of the row' with metal awnings over the porch and every window? If so, you know what a real pain in the a** it can be. Whether aerial devices or ground ladders, metal awnings can complicate proper ladder placement when the…

So let's talk about...power.  Power is a gift we are given by either the formal recognition from an organization,  the informal recognition of our peers, or at times from both.  Power often has a negative connotation, perhaps because we often see leaders using it for selfish reasons.  We've all seen a boss or two throw their weight around hiding behind their badge.  This is usually accompanied by the likes of "do it because I said so".

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Fire departments nationwide are known for being able to fix almost any problem, respond to calls at all hours of the day, and help others in their times of need but think of how much we do that the community has no idea about. We live in the day of Social media and online advertising. Newspapers are a thing of the past for a majority of us, when we want news or to find information they go straight to the smart phone. Now let’s look at the Fire service and where it can take place in all of…

A very dangerous trend is happening in the fire service, profiling a structure to decide if we "think" there is someone alive inside. We all have our opinions on the topic but if you ask me its not our job to stand outside for several minutes and debate on whether or not we think someone could survive. Most will never be in the situation to "make a grab" but to me that is why we need to talk and train about it more often than we do. We find ourselves picking our training based on frequency…