All Blog Posts (3,173)

 I love Christmas time, especially now with the children.  It is a blast to be around family and enjoy the time together.  But does anyone else have that one relative who complains about everything at the family get-together?  That one relative who shows up for the family…

This week’s “quick tip” seems basic; however, it is incredible how often this quick step is being overlooked. We must get into a habit of turning off the ignition and removing the key on motor vehicle crashes. It is a quick, easy, and often overlooked step. Typically, this will secure roughly 90% of the systems on any…

There is no question that it takes discipline to do this job. It takes discipline to perform. It takes discipline to come in everyday and make sure your tools are ready for the fight. We never know when it will happen and we must always be prepared. Now let’s take it to the fireground. Coordination of ventilation and fire attack is one of the most important things that takes place. Almost a harmonized dance between the engine and ladder crews. The engine knowing that the ladder made it to…

In the early years of fire departments being organized, men who joined their local fire departments were immediately put to work and gained knowledge from on the job experiences.  As time…

A common question that is posed from current and prospective officers along with engaged firefighters is "how do you deal with superior officers or an organization that doesn't want to move forward?"  

First, it's not always the organization or the superior officers that are the sole problem. I've seen good, engaged, enthusiastic  firefighters circumvent the chain of command, rush into projects without regard to organizational needs and just plain and simple ignore the need to be…

                In part 1, I discussed the ability of a single four person engine company to aggressively attack an external apartment building fire, by deploying a deck gun blitz attack on the outside seat of the fire that was extending up the exterior of the building and threatening, or already in the attic space, while at the same time, getting a 2 ½ inch line up to the top floor and flowing water into the attic. Part 1 can be found here:…

New year, new beginnings, new opportunities to grow, share, and serve. What will you do in 2015?



May you all have a safe and fun year full of life and learning.





Want your own printable goals sheet? Just click on the image below and print (8.5x11).…

It’s a new year and in many fire departments across America large or small, paid, part-paid and volunteer, members of our service will be retiring from positions of command and new faces will be taking their spots. If you are in one of these categories of either retirement or promotion I say congratulations and Godspeed. Now, for those of you getting promoted to command positions (which will include me in 2015) I ask if you are ready to hear one word repeated three…

Each year we loose approximately 100 firefighters in the line of duty.  While all of the deaths are tragic and traumatizing to those involved, sadly many of them are the same story repeated over and over.  Vehicle accidents and heart attacks are common themes in the LODD notifications, while “combat casualties” seem to be the exception rather than the rule.

We vow “never to forget” and “not to let our brothers die in vain”. Do we really do this?  Do you pull up the NIOSH…

Have you had much experience inside of a hoarder house? You know the type of house where there is just a tremendous amount of stuff packed to the ceilings dying to bust through the walls. Yet the owner of this stuff refuses to let it go. I’m sure some of you have. I’m sure of it because I see it in my own organization so I am certain it is all around the country. The type of hoarder house I am referring to is a hoarder in a firehouse. The stuff packed to the ceiling…

As 2014 draws to a close, many of us take the time to reflect.  Where are we now in comparison to where we were a year ago, both personally and professionally?  As an individual? As an organization? As a profession?  If you're as passionate about the fire service as I am (as I am sure you are), then you understand how important it is to balance your passion for the craft with family -- to balance your life appropriately and not forget what's most important.  So, as you reflect and set…

This year has certainly been interesting related to the legal issues facing the fire service. We continue to see the fire departments in the news for many high profile fires, rescues, service calls and the other good things we do on a daily basis.

We also continue to see the fire departments mired in legal controversies that reduce the effectiveness of organizational cohesiveness and at times polarize our personnel and departments.

We can only read the legal effects of the…

If you attended an older school like I did growing up I guarantee your teacher or even you yourself performed a ventilation technique and didn’t even know it when you opened them, what am I talking about? It’s the transom window and their effect on your operations in legacy buildings need be taken into consideration, especially with all that has been recently disseminated to our fire service in regards to ventilation and fire behavior.

A transom window is a window…

RIT, RIT, RIT.  We read a lot of the same information about it, and we’ve been reading it for a long time.  Specifically, “proactive RIT” has been pushed for over a decade now.  RIT is a good thing; having a team on standby to dive into the fray and rescue one of our own is absolutely one of the many priorities at most fires.  But let’s dig a little deeper into this dominating theme in RIT training.

Proactive RIT means having a RIT crew that doesn’t just stand in one spot like…

For those of us who have been around this business for a while, it can be easy at times to look at the rookies and wonder why they don't do it like the way we did when we were coming up. This, being a very broad statement, is nothing new to the old guys thinking they do it better than the young guys (at least in their minds) for each generation that comes through. Technical rescues, an EMS patient, or attacking fires can be accomplished in a multitude of ways and still yield the same…

As 2015 approaches I cannot help but think of all the "New Year’s Resolutions" that will soon flood Facebook and will be the topic in the fire stations all over the world, from kicking the smoking habit, to eating healthier foods there are all types of resolutions out there but one I seldom if ever hear but I feel we should is to train more and be a better firefighter.

Think about it like this when you cut back on your internet use or TV use who does this effect? Essentially…

The Sunday Preach:



The Engine Officer.



From Ch 14: Preplanned Engine Company Riding Assignments: Pg 149: 25 to Survive: Reducing Residential Injury and LODD



"Whether it is because every close call or LODD report mentions command and control as a contributing factor, or simply that you…

MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYBODY!

May your shifts be safe and your rigs true on this Christmas day! Take a moment to hug your family, at home and in the firehouse, and be thankful for all you have in your life.

Personally, I want to thank each of you! Thank you for following my work and supporting its message. Thank you for being a sounding board for my…