All Blog Posts (3,147)

For years nearly every nozzle manufacture has been attempting to bring some type of new and attractive technology to the tried and true smooth bore. In my short career I have seen countless variations of integrated, variable choice, or adjustable diameter tips/nozzles, none of which have gained much traction beyond the exhibition floor.

Some would stop the…

Displacing vehicle dash assemblies can be a challenging task at times. Many options are available when a vehicle is sitting upright. However, displacement options can quickly diminish when vehicle orientation changes or the involved vehicle is pinned against various objects. Todays "Quick Tip" will show an alternative technique that is quick, and many times can provide enough displacement to free trapped patients. I have used this method many times when a…

Gentlemen,

The 360- Degree Check

Whatever you call it - "The Lap", "360", "Walk around", it does not matter but what does matter is that you, or depending upon the size of the structure, have someone complete it and rely the information learned to the people going into harms way.

“In this incident, the first arriving engine crew was met by an excited homeowner who informed them that the fire was in the basement and directed them to the front door and down the stairs.…

“MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY”. That is a sequence of words that we hope to never hear on the fire ground, and we hope individually, to never have to say. I think in the end, when firefighters perform the task they’re supposed to do, which is putting themselves between life and fire; we may end up in situations and events that could lead to a MAYDAY transmission. The MAYDAY transmission is one thing I believe firefighters need to perfect. We may only get one shot at calling it, and when that shot…

May Fire Engineering magazine editorial cartoon: Mental Readiness.

We all bring our personal issues to the firehouse from time to time - that's being human. But when it's a constant distraction and interfering with day to day, safety, or tactical considerations then you've got a problem. Try to leave home at home, and the firehouse at the…

By Mark vonAppen

Let's be real.  After all, that's what this whole Fully Involved idea is predicated on - honesty and trust. Without it, we have nothing. …

This week’s extrication quick tip will be covering a method that I refer to as the “Junkyard Cut”. It was discussed heavily during Tactical Extrication NJ this weekend. When training on dash displacements the statement was made, “I was taught you have to cut the front support to get a good dash lift.” This…

The CAN (Conditions Actions Needs) report has become a pretty normal thing to hear on fire radios, especially when a division or group are providing a return (update) to Command when asked (hence the return- a return transmission to a request from da boss). 

I've added a O and E to CAN (making my CANOE) to provide information my IC is going to ask me for as that division or group supervisor. The O is for occupant status and the E is for extension.

The "trust but verify"…

The Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) is the premiere event for the nation’s fire services, bringing together the best of the best in fire training events and instructors. This year there was over thirty thousand firefighters from the United States and 52 countries. One of the striking and noteworthy observations was the number of families who were accompanying their firefighter parents and there were many young firefighters also in…

The Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) is the premiere event for the nation’s fire services, bringing together the best of the best in fire training events and instructors. This year there was over thirty thousand firefighters from the United States and 52 countries. One of the striking and noteworthy observations was the number of families who were accompanying their firefighter parents and there were many young firefighters also in…

Its not very often that your suburban or rural community gets the chance to spec out or build a new piece of fire apparatus. Especially in recent years with all of the economic hardship, many organizations have gone through the painstaking process of refurbishing older apparatus to extend their life cycle. Fortunately, my organization was able to justify the purchase of a new aerial device (for all of you die-hard truck guys, I know it's a quint, its a necessary…

So you’ve got the order to go to the roof of a residential or commercial dwelling that has a flat roof. The lack of pitch alone can make for speedy ventilation if done correctly, but there is much more we can do and more information we can gather once we get up there. Obviously the Incident Commander cannot see what the…

If you have attended my Tactical Extrication Course, you know that I strive for thinking operators. Not all entrapments will be the same. They will range from a quick job to downright…

Jake regains his composure and yells at the two, wet firefighters in the hallway, “Firefighter Vinnie Cappaletti; meet Lieutenant James (Jimmy Mac) McDonnell”.

Vinnie extends his hand and Jimmy Mac hands him his coffee mug and says “Straight up black”.

Jimmy smirks at Jake as he comes into Jake’s office,…

The Sunday Preach

Practice

For those of you who may have children who play sports, you may relate to this next brief piece. While the topic pertains to many, in this instance, this is about me and one of my kids... and their favorite sport.

Passion drives the desire for perfection, therefore practice is the fuel that drives the desire....

It started early, I could see the passion for the game in his eyes. The intensity in the commitment to better himself and be…

Milwaukee, Louver, Rochester Peak, Syracuse, Tee Pee Cut.

What is right for us?

I had the opportunity to attend FDIC the past month and was fortunate enough to take the eight hour HOT class Urban Essentials.  If you ever get the chance to go to Indianapolis for FDIC take Urban Essentials, lots of skills that you can take back to your home department and implement.  At Urban Essentials one of Milwaukee’s finest truck companies…

THE LEADERSHIP QUILT

I have many fond memories from my earlier days. Many of them had no real meaning to me at the time because I was just a kid, but as time goes by I look back on them as life lessons and I realize the importance of the simple and silent lessons that I was learning from great teachers.…

If you missed the announcement from HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell (published in the March 5, 2015 issue of the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine) on new Medicare targets for value-based payments, it's past time to wake up and smell the coffee!  Bottom line (and the reason EMS services need to be concerned): Medicare (aka HHS or Health and Human Services) plans to substantially accelerate…