All Blog Posts (3,120)

A few times a week, I get phone calls or emails from people trying to find out why they have yet to be promoted or hired (if from the outside applying for a position). Either they failed the recent promotional exam or they did not score high enough to get promoted and they seem to want to blame everyone but themselves for their misfortune. Most of the time, when people ask my advice, they usually start off with something to the effect of "what more do I need to obtain in the way of…

Protect the steps.

One of the most important lessons I learned from my first Captain was to protect the steps.

Whether we went upstairs to get a burning mattress in a brick apartment, or to perform search and fire attack in a two story house, Captain Mac would never allow a staff meeting…

This is a wing-type nursing home.  The center or hub of the home contains the nurses stations, kitchen and dining hall, recreation area, offices and the like.  The wings contain the rooms for the residents.  Apparently,  there was a malfunction with the built-in automatic fire protection system.

This fire occurs in one of the wings.  This wing contains 12 rooms with two residents in each room. This particular wing contains all non-ambulatory residents.

The fire occurs at 0630…

Another year, same ol' champ!

Here's a great post by John Hofman regarding firefighters and heart disease.…

As progressive, engaged and enthusiastic firefighters, we all took classes, trained hard and created an image of the way we would be when we got promoted. We would do this and we would do that, damn the consequences and those we might piss off. But, when we got there, it may not have all gone as planned. Hmmm.....did you ever wonder why?

I have seen this happen over the years and it has happened to me during my first years as a young company officer and later on as a chief officer,…

For kids, a snowy forecast is cheerfully received as a sign that tomorrow will be an easy day.  No school, watch some movies, have mom bake some cookies.  In the fire service, some make similar assumptions - no drill today, chief won't be by on rounds, just show up to nap and run some calls.  WRONG.

Across the country, some firefighters deal with snow more than…

Technology is great and it allows us to operate with speeds only imagined just a decade ago. It also make us somewhat vulnerable as we rely on it and become a little complacent in the fundamental basics. For many, GPS and Google maps = not learning territory, TICs = not training on room orientation and wall…

Leadership is about your character. Character is one of the ingredients that make up your personality.  Your actions, your attitude, and your behavior define your character. These are simple but powerful words (actions, attitude, behavior).  If you need to simplify this even more, focus on your attitude.  You may not be able to help it if you’re having a bad day or if you don’t like doing a particular thing, but changing your attitude changes everything.

Personality vs.…

What is your definition and characteristics of a good firefighter?

Most of you know I am pretty windy and can talk on about any subject but this one has been on my mind lately. So I have pondered on it for several days , we all know firefighters are caring, compassionate, selflessness, and normally an all-around good person , but there is more to it than just those words .…

In March of 2011, I posted Maple City Sorrow on the anniversary of the death of…

As firefighters in suburbia, we now live in a world of EMS incidents, fire prevention, and busy work.  At times, it can be disheartening to those of us who live vicariously through the lives of the big city guys.  We dream of days spent in bunker gear, getting dirty, and going to fires.  ::  Station alert tones sounding  ::  “Respond for an illness…”  Instead, we run shifts on the medic unit.

I work for a department that protects a city and township of around 60,000 residents, 32…

With the recent snowstorms that have blanketed the country, the fire service needs to take a look up before we commit to an interior or exterior fire operation. The type of structural materials, design and condition all play a big part on whether that snow loaded roof is going to be a problem.  I…

FIRE DEPARTMENT AUTO SALES

My friend told me the story of his visit to a local auto dealership. He was considering purchasing a new pickup truck and a larger flatbed truck for his growing business.

He chose to visit this dealership based partly on the large amount of television and radio…

We often talk about being a "Combat Ready" firefighter. What does that mean? I first heard the term "Combat Ready" and the idea behind it around 2003 from Lt. Pete Lund, a storied fire officer from FDNY Rescue 2 who was also a volunteer at Kentland with his son (Matt, aka "Vinny") while I was living there.



So what does it mean to be a "Combat Ready firefighter"? Is it your certifications? No... Is it a cool paint scheme on your fire truck? Absolutely not. Is it a "holier than…

Be respectful...

"If you are about to speak 'about' someone or something... stop and think for a moment of the tone of the conversation. How will your message be received? Leaders must exercise discretion or decorum in conversation, not shirking the duty to make tough decisions, but having the respect and dignity to do so with class. It's not so much what you say, but how you say it"

After LODD’s there are systematic and somewhat impersonal bureaucratic events that take place. These policy reviews, OSHA investigations, independent panels last for months while those who were there are mourning the loss of…

Better yet, how do you train and prepare for RIT?  It's a good idea to take a close look at your RIT training and see how closely related it is to your Search & Rescue training (for civilians).  If your RIT training isn't too much different, then it’s time to get real.  Here's an example; On Monday your crew does a search & rescue drill. One of the firefighters finds a spot in the station to lay down and waits to be found. The crew goes in on a right or left wall search with their…

Last weekend I was invited to present "Combat Ready Firefighting"to the firefighters of Jefferson County, WV.  After a great class, the more than hospitable members were eager to show me their firehouses and apparatus.  The pride in their departments and history was obvious (good thing!).  …

STUCK ON SMALL

What became of Fire Service leaders who were innovative problem solvers? Their big coat pockets were full of common sense and they pulled the trigger on problems. Isn’t that what we came here to do?

Large leaders are out there, probably closer than we know. Look for them; look at them, look like them. Don’t fall into the morale trap.…