All Blog Posts (3,176)

"One team, one fight"

Read norms do not make us firefighters, studying the SOP does not make us better firefighters, fulfill our shift does not make us better firefighters, today to be a firefighter goes beyond all that, it is to read every day, it is to study every day, it is to return to basics and share that with our brothers from the firehouse.

I spent just over two months at Latin America and I've noticed that they have forgotten to read, they have forgotten…

Mobile Wall Breach Prop-Heads Up Firefighting...An easy to make prop for practicing wall breaching wherever you have an open door

The fire service can move at lightning fast speed one minute and other times the clock can move at a turtle’s pace. …

Making Yourself Hard to Kill, Second annual conference put on by Leadership Under Fire. October 25-26, 2013 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philly, PA. You don't want to miss this conference!

Give it rest will you? You’re not perfect.

My coworker, so to speak, Ray McCormack and I were having one of our regular discussions on all things fire and most things disturbing in the fire service and we were on the subject of internet and Facebook experts. Ray’s sharp with writing and came up with the Safety ADHPD (Attention Deficit Hyper Photography…

It’s not just drunks and drug addicts in these joints

An 8-year old Columbus boy is in critical condition after having been rescued from a vacant house fire. Columbus firefighters responded to the Hamilton Road home and saw one young boy running from the structure. Inside they found the injured boy under a sheet. He was transported to Nationwide Children’s…

We have all worked with those that just don't care, we discussed it in an earlier post.  

We exhaust ourselves to make the fire service, our fellow firefighters and us better and safer by training and mastering our craft.  

We are asked "why" continually and it is easy to think about giving up.  It would just be so easy to ensure that I know what I'm doing and leave you to your own mediocrity.

I know you just want to push me and those like me…

By: Brian Brush

In most settings window bars are more deterrent than actual fortification.  There are places where window bars and coverings can be substantially built and designed as an obstacle, for example commercial occupancies or vacant property systems.  For the…

Again...and again...and again..., if you don't repeat it, you won't be ready!

A University of Cincinnati Cancer study showed Firefighters compared to the (GP) general population are 102% more likely to develop Testicular Cancer, 53% more likely with Multiple Myeloma, 39% more likely with Skin Cancer, 32% more likely with Brain Cancer and 22% more likely to develop Stomach Cancer....

Join Tap the Box with FETC as we dedicate this show to Firefighter Cancer Awareness.... and learning how to reduce the odds of getting this dreadful disease.…

Visited a mentor of mine today after running a box alarm in Suitland, Maryland. Alva M. "Butch" Wilson III, passed away over 10 years ago. He ultimately retired as a Lieutenant with the District of Columbia Fire Department. But, will always be remembered as a legendary "Truck Driver" and fireman assigned to Truck Company No. 3 at 1018 13th Street, NW. He was hired by the D.C.F.D. after serving in the Vietnam War and was featured in the Channel 7 "Part Of Your…

A valuable report, with valuable lessons for all of us...http://headsupfirefighting.blogspot.com/2013/06/pgcfd-wind-driven-fire-report.html

Do you really know how hard your body is working on the fireground? http://headsupfirefighting.blogspot.com/2013/06/firefighter-physiological-monitoring.html

So, you want to sell real estate?  You want to pour concrete?  You want to be the next top seller in a multilevel marketing scheme?  You want to build houses? You want to sell insurance? Well, then go do it and get out of my fire serivce!…

Oh, there's always that one firefighter who must put the "fire" in firehouse chili!

Click link below to see more of Paul's work or to order prints:…

As the company officer we have an obligation to ensure that our crew stays safe. Wearing seatbelts, traffic vests, headsets on the apparatus and making sure that our PPE is worn appropriately are all important, no doubt.  But, imagine being given a map with no starting point and no idea where you are and being told to get to a destination. It would be almost impossible because we have no starting point, we…

http://www.fireengineering.com/articles/2013/05/a-fire-officer-s-dozen.html

Last year a firefighter emailed me, saying he was recently elected as a fire officer for the first time in his volunteer fire company, and asked if I had any advice for him. While I do not profess to know or have seen everything, he's good guy, so I wanted to give him honest advice that I thought may help. I've…

Photos I took at FDIC while reporting and climbing. - Bill

Scott, Padgett, Wes Little, Brandon Morris, Ted Horvath (left to right) Southern Pines Fire Rescue, Southern Pines, NC

Paul Rank, Mike McMonigal (Inverness Heights, MN) Rick McLay (Eagen, MN), Doug Pearson (Falmouth, VA) (left to right)…

Old post; working through the various functions and views on the FE page. - Bill

Quick grab after arrival on the scene

On the scene in Indianapolis with the first-in engine company at a working apartment fire. Video posted to YouTube by Joel Harsin, "Apartment fire with entrapment. Indianapolis Fire Department".…