All Blog Posts (3,165)

The recent proposal to update the fire brigade standard has brought heartburn to many departments and communities.  One of the loudest arguments coming from the volunteer fire service has been that communities will no longer be able to afford to support a fire department.  This may be a valid argument in many communities.  Rather than seeking to block the passage of regulation designed to improve the health and safety…

Hazardous materials emergency services, like many special operations in many departments, is funded by a variety of alternative funding mechanisms including fee for service (cost recovery) and grants (public and private).  One funding mechanism that may be overlooked is an idea that comes out of South Florida – garbage fees.

In this case, every garbage can and commercial dumpster is assessed at a nominal fee.  Individually, these fees come to a few dollars per year, but when…

Door Chocks: From the Front Door to the Fire Floor

There are two (2) trains of thought regarding what tools and equipment firefighters should store in their gear and keep on their person. The first belief is that one (1) of every item below the kitchen sink should be maintained at all times and…

The federal government, through a variety of mechanisms, funds home purchases and rentals throughout the nation.  At the same time, it funds programs to reduce the risk and impact of fire.  Yet, the federal government does not economically incentivize residential fire sprinkler systems in the homes, in rental units, nor in off-base funding for military personnel.  Is it time for the federal government to really address this issue?  If so, I am putting forth the following for…

FEMA Update ICS PTBs

FEMAs NIMS Integration Center has released updated Position Task Books and Guidance to assist jurisdictions with aligning with the National Qualification System.

Discussion:  For agencies that seek to work during emergencies and disasters, having a benchmark for determining capabilities and capacities is necessary for…

With the current debate over the proposed changes in the OSHA Fire Brigade Standard, which will be discussed in the future, is it time for the fire service in the United States to rethink the AFG and how we have used the funds.  Since 2001, the AFG has provided much needed funds to departments, however, the impact has been limited.  Intended to balance…

MCI Patient Extraction and the "Mega Mover" Maneuver

Long before my time in the fire service, the job of a firefighter was just that, to respond and extinguish fires. Over the years, many agencies began to adopt new disciplines such as providing emergency medical services (EMS) and mitigating hazardous materials incidents.

Along with the increase in the types of disciplines we now…

In the early 1970’s, Ludwig Benner, a chemical engineer working for the National Transportation Safety Board identified a model of container behavior in hazardous materials incidents that provides impact points for risk reduction actions and provides a model for container and product behavior to help guide emergency response.  The General Hazardous Materials Behavior Model  is a chain of events from the start of an incident…

The Totality of Transitioning to a Training Officer

One (1) of the supreme facets of being promoted to a role within the Office of Training, is that you now play an instrumental part with influencing the level of success that the Officers and Firefighters will achieve during their tenure within your respective department.…

Emergency response is the cornerstone of hazardous materials teams. While response is important, there are other activities that hazardous materials teams can be involved in that further integrate hazardous materials into the organization, provided added benefits, and open routes to potential new funding streams.

Support at Fire Scenes

The hazardous materials team is capable of providing support at fire scenes with actions that will improve the health and safety of responders.…

Whether your organization is career, volunteer, or combination, it is likely having difficulty finding qualified individuals to fill its ranks.  While recruiting new members has been an issue for some time, the changing demographics of the nation are being skipped as an underlying cause.  Consequently, we are missing some opportunities for identifying and guiding folks…

Hazardous Materials Hot Line^© July 4, 2024

CSB Issues Statement on Hurricane & Weather Preparedness

The U. S. Chemical Safety Board has issued a statement cautioning facility owners to prepare for an active hurricane season.

Discussion:  The CSB has previously released reports on two incidents that resulted from hurricane & tropical weather.  The…

Ask your self, “why do we, the fire and emergency medical services exist?”  If you are like most of us, your answer will be something like, “to respond to calls to make the community safer and to save lives.”  You aren’t wrong, but the question you should be asking is, “why does the community want us to exist?”.  That answer is a little different and it is one that we need to answer if we want to communicate our needs in meeting their expectations. 

The reality is that communities…

Red to Rung and the 2:1

This week, I am going to introduce the idea and concept of utilizing a pre-rigged mechanical

advantage along with a thrown extension ladder as an overhead anchor point that was shown to

me by the senior man on shift when I first…

"The Rules of Going to War"

With the implementation of Incident Command (IC), the tone for operational success and the overall safety of the Officers and Firefighters working on scene can be determined with what resources are established from the start.

The fire service as…

Size-Up Consideration for the Summer Structure Fire

With each changing season here in New England comes a change in approach when performing a size-up and conducting a 360 of a structure potentially on fire and possibly occupied at the time of call.

Being the first week of June 2024, we have already begun to experience exposures to high heat and humidity with many already having their…

Property Storage or Personal Shelter

It is no secret that today’s economy is having an astronomical impact on the ability for the working class…

And the Captain says,..."let there be light"

When implementing a RIT-PAK during FAST/RIT training, a common response from those participating is that “the greatest obstacle is the limited dexterity of a gloved hand and low visibility environment” when trying to manipulate the compartments and applying the hose for…