DRAWN BY FIRE Flashback - The Circus Is In Town!

We are at times our own worst enemy.…

We are not all Big City Fire Departments

Chauffeur/Driver Drill.

It has been almost a year into my first year as a company officer of a three man Quint.  I have taken time off from writing to learn the “job”, more reading, and developing drills for the company and the department.  

One of the last blogs I wrote was the Chauffeur/Driver position of our Quint. …

The Sunday Preach: 



I, US, WE, FAMILY...



"Only a firefighter truly knows what it is like to be a firefighter. Only we, who crawl down smoke filled hallways, know what it is like when lives are on the line." Page XI. http://25 to Survive: Reducing Residential Injury and…

The North American Fire Officer Leadership Learning Survey

A few years back a consultant asked US Army brass how they learned their leadership skills – and the answers were surprising, and important to those who need to plan the development of new officers and to expand the skills of incumbent officers. Ascend Leadership (the folks that developed The Right Seat DVD series with Fire Engineering) have…

Finding the balance between leadership skills and the popularity contest can be the most challenging transition faced by newly promoted leaders. This is a career long struggle for some. It is not easy switching roles. One day you are working for the idiot and the next day you are the idiot. It doesn't take long to realize that maybe; just maybe, you didn't give your officer enough credit for all of the issues they had to deal with on a day to day basis. I know the switch to company officer…

HOW’S YOUR ROUND?

“Our life and leadership are like a round of golf; we begin and end at the same place and the only thing that really counts at the end of the day is the things that we did in between and how we did them.” I said that.

When we embark on a round of golf or we choose…

 “The death of one man is a tragedy. The death of millions is a statistic.” Joseph Stalin

After recently reading Dan Ariely’s book, Predictably Irrational, and his use of this quote, I pondered if this quote from the feared Communist leader Joseph Stalin could help reduce our line of duty deaths and the answer is YES! While Stalin’s quote was most likely intended for more sinister purposes it does…

Training Tip:  The Sunday Paper

Lt. Brad French

            Sundays in the firehouse at my department are the best days of the week:  Sunday brunch, football, and some down time from the hustle and bustle of all the other “business” days.  However, remember that to truly be effective as a company, every day (even Sunday) should be a training day.  At least for a…

Penciling is for Drawing a Nozzle Fully Open

When recruit firefighters are told one thing and then shown something different they end up applying what they were…

Transmission Tuesday:



Ever see this face in the crowd when discussing MAYDAY events and when to call one?



~What's your departments verbiage of when to call a MAYDAY?

~What do you use as your "MAYDAY" parameters?



ARE THEY THE SAME, SIMILAR or WAY DIFFERENT?



My department uses "IOUMMPL" or remembered as "I Owe You My Miserably Pathetic Life.



I - Imminent…

Leading Without Rank

Joseph L. Kitchen, Fire Chief – Bath Township (Lima, Ohio)

Shiny collar brass, gleaming white helmet, command vehicle, right front passenger seat, forty hour week. Do any of these make…

How do you run your 2 1/2" lines?

What types of nozzles?

Pre-connect or static?

Length?

What is your preference and why?

This is a valuable weapon when deployed correctly. However, some are of the opinion that it's just to big and heavy to use for an initial attack or with just one person. What are your experiences with handling the big line?…

We all know that getting water on the fire as quickly as possible is the best way to avoid bad situations. We also know that some of the best in the business have been confronted with situations beyond their control even after doing all the right things and were forced to make very tough decisions for survival.

Our, (Engine House Training, LLC), class is not an excuse for a lack of training in fundamental…

The Sunday Preach:



'Everyday is your Superbowl'



"We have no such luxury of scheduling either our fires or where in the home these fires will occur. We may go to two in one day, one this week, or one in a year. Whenever a fire happens, we must be ready. For firefighters, every day is potentially game day, and we must be ready to play." (…

From time to time, hazards that we may have previously recognized as low-frequency encounters become something we are much more likely to face on a fire or other emergency response. Technology or culture evolves. A particular process or type of equipment becomes more prevalent in society. And we get to deal with that.

While the particular changes or improvements may be deemed to make life easier, cheaper, or otherwise more efficient or friendly for society — new hazards may manifest,…

Who’s Gonna’ Fill Their Shoes

 In 1985 the late great George Jones release the country music hit, “Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes?” The song talks about…

ZU ZU MAN

“When I glance in the mirror of my career success and leadership, the reflection I see always has me standing behind those I could trust and those who trusted me.” Me

When I write and speak about leadership, motivation, teamwork and organizational success the discussion usually moves quickly to trust. When I ask “What is right”and“What needs attention” I often…

Placing a ladder during an incident is not the time to wish you would’ve trained more on ladders! It’s a simple tool, but one of the most important tools on your rig. So many tactical and safety factors are based on you being proficient with this large, heavy, and cumbersome piece of equipment. In fact, the lives of your fellow brothers and sisters, and the lives of the…

I recently sat down and had coffee with a probationary firefighter to set him up with a training officer and discuss our expectations for the coming year. During this conversation I was hit by a question that’s been haunting my subconscious for years.  I began the meeting by asking our new Probie a few boiler plate questions: “What did you do before you decided to become a firefighter? Any related experience? Do…