All Blog Posts (3,147)

People aren’t born leaders. Just as well, you can’t read a book and take some classes and then call yourself a leader just because you have a certificate in your hand. Leadership is so many things. It encompasses a set of skills that are learned, developed, and maintained through practice and practical application.  As leaders, everything we do and the choices that we make all have some kind of an effect or influence on others.  As a leader, you have a great responsibility to the people…

KThis week is another retro-SOS from my original first few months. These were pictures only so now that we are broadcasting out to the FE community and in full blog mode I will add some commentary. Again, if you already saw this one I hope you get another laugh or affirmation that you are not alone in your thinking.…

Technology is weaved all throughout the fire service. It has been for a long time. We have thermal imaging cameras, GPS locaters tied into our PASS devices, mobile data computers that tell us where to go, and where all of our hydrants are, and even fire apparatus that will set their own pressures with the simple push of a button. I am not saying that any of these things are bad, but are we beginning to become dependent upon technology? Technology has helped us save lives, improve…

By Mark vonAppen

Be careful with the word potential.  It has a misleading connotation.  We often refer to potential as a positive thing, an imaginary upside that exists solely in our minds if only we could tap the…

Smoke conditions on your arrival at an attached garage fire will tell you a lot about interior door positions. Excessive smoke in the home indicates an open door between the garage and home. Little to no smoke in the building says the door is closed. Sounds simple! However, it's what you do with this information that makes a difference to firefighters and the homeowner.



With fire in an attached garage and no smoke in the home, crews should attack the fire through the garage.…

I often ask probationary firefighters one question when they have desires of joining the department.

Where were you on September 11, 2001?

With the opening of the 911 Museum, I've found myself looking at old videos and tapes of that day. Not only the events that unfolded in New York City, Washington and Pennsylvania, but in our response area.

September 11th for our department opened with a cool foggy morning that started off on Lens Creek Road in Hernshaw. The roadway is…

Do you currently stage your equipment/tools on extrications? If not, it is a great method to reduce extrication times. Far too often, we see rescuers going back to the apparatus to get additional equipment throughout the call. My driver is the tool runner. After we start operations, he will continue to bring the tools, light the scene, and fill in where needed. Stage the tools you may need for the rescue at hand, it will greatly increase your overall scene time.…

The “Chauffeur”, or "FADO" (Fire Apparatus Driver/Operator) position in any fire department is without a doubt, one of the most critical jobs in the fire service. In department’s all across the country, Chauffeur’s are assigned or tested positions, increasing the company’s operations and situational awareness.  A good Chauffeur has qualities of adaptability, not only on the fire ground, but one that can perform in several positions at any given time.  One must understand that career or…

We all have them.  Some districts have more than others.  It’s the vacant home, trailer or business.  Kids play in them, people squat in them and we have fires in them.  As aggressive firefighters we understand that VACANT does not mean UNOCCUPIED.  Nearly ever week we see rescues made out of these “vacant structures”.  …

I'm confident our department isn't alone, but how many departments have to deal with that mutual aid department that knows everything?

They arrive on scene wearing Superman capes and teach you how to fight fire. Set up ventilation. Salvage and overhaul. They may even try to take command.

They may run 4 or 5 fires a year, but the only thing they know is this.

You're doing it wrong.

At the end of the day, you know how your department trains, works and understands…

When things go wrong, too many fingers are typically pointing in every direction except the one place they should be - at you!  If you're the problem, stop blaming others, step up, man up, fess up, and be accountable for your actions.



Besides, you're a little old to be claiming the dog ate your homework!

Click link below to see more of Paul's…

Periodically I talk to women firefighters about the issues they are having in their departments related to the male firefighter mindset against them in their departments. The behavior borders on discrimination, harassment, hostile workplace, hazing and bullying coupled with plain rudeness making many women firefighters fear for their safety.

 I just got off the phone this morning…

This week is another retro-SOS from my original first few months. These were pictures only so now that we are broadcasting out to the FE community and in full blog mode I will add some commentary. Again, if you already saw this one I hope you get another laugh or affirmation that you are not alone in your…

Handlines. The essential tool in our arsenal, literally the object we use to fight fire. Big lines, little lines, booster lines, trash lines we all have them, but do we TRULY utilize them to their full potential? When I was just a rookie, going through my initial pump…

Put aside the emotion when considering adding to a number we try to lower each year

The topic of firefighter suicides is one that gets raised once or twice a year and is full of intense but quiet emotion. Quiet because the subject of suicide is one that people do not like to discuss; intense because when it is discussed some people make the mistake of passionately identifying these deaths as part of the sacrificial duty of a firefighter and consider them…

 I come from a rural area where are infrastructures is a generation or two behind what other places 2 counties over have. The part of our infrastructure that affects us the most is water supply. Where some have 42inch mains we at most have 8s and often times all the plugs in a given city are fed by one of those 8 inch mains. In short we have very few hydrants and what hydrants we do have often are very weak, if not broken.

I often hear (as many of you readers likely do as…

One of the biggest things I always here about why firefighters do train everyday is time! To be honest I get it! Most firefighters in the country are volunteer and are working a full-time job, raising families, and still trying to find time to serve their volunteer departments and communities.

The same can go for career firefighters who often have one or more part-time jobs, and families. I myself have my full-time fire department job, a part-time job, and 2 beautiful boys who…

Conversations swarming over fire and emergency services organizations these days have defined a need for mentoring the future leaders of this business and passing on the crucial information needed for the planning process.  However, there are debates everyday about building our next generation and how current Chief Officers are not conquering this particular task.

As I was rummaging through my old magazine subscriptions, I merely opened up an old Firehouse Magazine, June 1996 Ed., and…