Last week's
announcement by the US Transportation Secretary that traffic fatalities have reached the lowest levels in 60 years overlooked an important contributor: EMS. NHTSA Administrator David Strickland cited increased seat belt use and tougher drunk driving enforcement as key contributors to the decline in traffic deaths. There was no mention of EMS. This is a grim reminder that we need better methods of documenting the…
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Added by Mike McEvoy on September 13, 2010 at 2:03pm —
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I can't say enough about how much I admire wildland firefighters!! We do brush/field fires in my area, but nothing on a large, hundreds of acre, scale. My hat is off to the men and women who do this day in and day out - stay safe Brothers and Sisters!
To see more of my work or to purchase…
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Added by Paul Combs on September 2, 2010 at 7:31am —
2 Comments
Hello All,
I am very aware of the issue of not being able to turn of a solar panel. What's the answer to this issue? I have two buildings that I want to put solar on the roof. What about firesafety after a earth quake or during a fire what do you do with the solar?
Added by Stephen Craig Cutler on August 27, 2010 at 2:28am —
3 Comments
There has been a lot of questions concerning ISO ratings in our area. I've compiled some information written from reading everything I could find on the subject. The ISO website is very good and the information is easy to find.k Check it out on my Blogspot:
http://ning.it/b9VKoh
Added by Robert Rhoades on August 24, 2010 at 2:01am —
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To see more of my work or to purchase prints, visit:
www.artstudioseven.com
.
Added by Paul Combs on August 19, 2010 at 9:38am —
9 Comments
Remembering Firefighter Tom Stapleton, Eastside Rescue Fire & Rescue (WA). Tom, my friend and firefighting brother, passed away last week after a courageous fight against cancer.
May you go with God and we will always remember you as you continue to live in our hearts and in our lives.
Added by John K. Murphy on August 18, 2010 at 4:31pm —
3 Comments
How Ironic that evil should enjoy our freedom. Evil seeps into our society in many forms. We can lockup evil people and lockout those whom we assume or perceive to be evil, but history has proven over and over evil is an abstact entity that cannot be locked away. Only evildoers may be imprisoned or prohibited in any society. Isn't it ironic that our military service men and women are forbidden to encourage Christianity or to possess a bible in an Islamic nation yet, we as Americans are forced…
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Added by Jon D Marsh on August 18, 2010 at 11:02am —
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Let's get something straight before the hate mail begins to fly; I am not an Islamaphobe, and I DO support Islam's Constitutional right for Muslims to worship where they choose, though very reluctantly in this case. Just because you CAN put a Mosque at Ground Zero, doesn't mean you SHOULD put a Mosque at Ground…
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Added by Paul Combs on August 17, 2010 at 1:40pm —
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Champion EMS EMT-trainee Casey Steenland, aged 33 died on Friday, August 13th in Texas, an apparent victim of Carbon Monoxide poisoning.
Three other Champion EMS members were treated, two required HBO (hyperbaric oxygen) according to local news sources. All four were apparently exposed to CO from an ambulance…
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Added by Mike McEvoy on August 14, 2010 at 12:13pm —
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I am trying to find out where I can get training videos/DVD's that I can use to train drivers of road tankers. The drivers that I train, travel through 3rd world countries that do not have the resources to act in the event of an incident and the countries seldom care (unless they can issue a spot fine) many of these drivers are semi literate. The material therefore needs to focus primarily on safety and prevention. Thanks. Kind regards, Chris.
Added by Chris Melly on August 11, 2010 at 1:51pm —
2 Comments
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Technical Committee on Ambulances balloting this week failed by one vote to move a draft “NFPA 1917, Standard for Automotive Ambulances” forward into the review and public comment process that would have rolled an ambulance design standard out the door during mid-2012.
At issue was inclusion of several AMD (Automobile Manufacturers Division of the National Truck Equipment Association) testing standards incorporated into the draft document…
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Added by Mike McEvoy on August 5, 2010 at 9:43pm —
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Just when I thought it was a good time to put down my pen and take a vacation, Congress goes and does something so asinine, so incredibly self-serving, that I couldn't let it go without commenting.
This past week our elected leaders shot down the 9/11 Health Bill, 255 to 159, which lacked the 2/3 votes needed…
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Added by Paul Combs on August 1, 2010 at 4:00pm —
5 Comments
Chief Halton, I was made to smile as I could feel the anger generating from your thoughts thru your pc keyboard. It is a sad fact that so very, very few of today's politicians from the local level to state and federal levels have zero to little knowledge of how the actual agencies they are elected to oversee, function and/or operate. Equally sad are "appointed" heads of such agencies, specifically police, fire, and public safety, who have no prior experience in the specific agency they are…
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Added by Jon D Marsh on July 30, 2010 at 11:14pm —
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Paul Comb's illustration reminds me of the actions one might witness in so many of the nations firefighters ...when the alarm sounds the old adrenaline rush kicks in, and unfortunately it sometimes erases all memory of the hundreds of hours we've invested in training to be safe; suddenly our driving skills are comparable to to those of Earnhardt or Foyt while our knee crams our foot to the floorboard while it is on top of the gas pedal. Adrenaline turns due regard into first due, regardless…
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Added by Jon D Marsh on July 28, 2010 at 10:06am —
1 Comment

'Nuff said!!!
To see more of my work or to purchase prints, visit:
www.artstudioseven.com
Added by Paul Combs on July 27, 2010 at 10:30am —
10 Comments

Sorry, forgot to post this month's magazine commentary. Thanks for the gentle nudge by Chief Murphy:)
Not sure what else to say about this piece other than it's a "sign of the times". The fear of litigation may be pushing many Dept policies, but I'm not sure what choice the policy makers have. Lawsuits,…
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Added by Paul Combs on July 24, 2010 at 11:17am —
4 Comments
The title of this article may sound pretty basic, but there are too many times in which critiques narrow down to a couple of events or even a single action during an incident. The result is a misguided but well-intentioned lesson that doesn’t focus on the overall incident.
This has occurred on more than one occasion during my career with the MFD. One particular incident occurred in December 2008.
We had a structure fire which resulted in a Mayday with two firefighters…
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Added by Christopher Drake on July 24, 2010 at 9:36am —
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Hello all. I am new to the Fire Engineering community and am looking forward to sharing information which will not only help us stay safer, but maybe even put a smile on our face.
As a 24-year veteran of the fire service, I have had the opportunity to work as both a volunteer and career firefighter. In the US Coast Guard, I practiced maritime firefighting as well. No matter where I've worked, lessons are there for the taking. As a career firefighter, I've never forgotten where I came…
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Added by Christopher Drake on July 23, 2010 at 3:34pm —
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The following are links to the FDA press releases distributed yesterday by the Federal Drug Administration regarding seizure of the Cyanide Antidote Kits (CAK) from Keystone Pharmaceuticals. Do not confuse the CAK with Cyanokit and/or Hydroxocobalamin.
According to the FDA, the Cyanide Antidote Kits (CAK):
1.have not proven safe or effective for their intended use;
2.the kits are also misbranded because their labeling does not contain adequate directions…
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Added by Shawn Longerich on July 23, 2010 at 12:35pm —
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Hey, Gang: If you're in the NW Ohio area, please come join us for the 4th annual Blazin' Race 5k (July 31st, Bryan, Ohio) - an event sponsored by firefighters, for firefighter wellness. All proceeds go to the Bryan Fire Department (my Department) to purchase fitness equipment and programs to help keep us ready to serve our community. It's also a great way to promote wellness and positive relations with the general public. If you'd like more…
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Added by Paul Combs on July 21, 2010 at 9:30pm —
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