All Blog Posts (3,167)

“Some say knowledge is power,…the wisest among us know that the real power lies in shared knowledge”

- Mark VonAppen / Fully Involved…

Navigating the "Awkward Years"

Let me start by laying out a disclaimer. There is absolutely no substitute for experience. Period. None. Taking calls, going to jobs, and getting dirty is the only true way to ever really master this craft. We must see, do, and sometimes stumble to get better. Now here is my caveat to the above statement: if we wish to grow and develop in this career, we cannot sit by and just wait for fires. We must seek additional knowledge and information to…

How many times have you heard, "Man, it's like we've got four different fire departments working here!" Many have and we all know the meaning behind that statement. Fire Departments that have 3 or 4 different operational shifts, can often do things each a little differently. You know what I am talking about like differences in daily chores, vehicle maintenance, riding assignments or even operational responses. The amount of "different" can be dependant upon the amount of leadership…

First responders are a unique group to say the least. Most of us fit into a box when described

(Type “A” personality, Committed to safety of others, self sacrificing, brave, strong moral compass ect..) But how do others that work with us, or live with us describe us? Have you ever heard of someone and the way they are described is “they are salty, they are angry, they seem like they hate every run that comes in, they are burnt out”. Almost all of us get into this profession to help…

Tactical Mastery

by William Greenwood

What does it take to become the go to person in the firehouse? Time and tenure doesn’t mean that a person has real experience. We have all seen people with 20 years on the job with 2 years’ experience. So what does it really take to become the elite firefighter? Elite firefighters have invested a tremendous amount of time and effort mastering their…

Like a magician storing a rabbit in their hats or stuffing flowers up their sleeves, firefighters for years have held small tools and equipment on reserve within the pockets of their turnout gear. You can rummage through the gear grid of any firefighter and find plyers, wedges, and window punches in their pockets in the event their unique use and purpose in the fire service is needed.

In all sets of my gear, I keep a self-tensioning webbing slash that consists of two…

  I guess now is as good a time as any to tell you one of the truths about “the job”. Please understand that these ramblings are my opinion and that of firemen I respect. It is not intended to imply condescension rather; it is intended to pass along some truths I have learned along the way.

  With the endless hours of training a question that many new firefighters ask is, “So when does it get to be fun?” The short answer is... never. The demand of your courage and you honor is…

Life can get overwhelming with taskers, due-outs, deadlines, professional obligations, and family commitments.  Many of us take on more than we can handle in fear that we may lose out on an opportunity or expose that we are not reliable.  Over the past year I have found it extremely difficult to stay on track and organized with my day to day.  I thought with my new schedule I would be home more and be able to finally tackle a lot of the projects around the house and dedicate more time to…

The Halyard Quick Tie

(See Youtube link at bottom)

To tie or not to tie? That’s one of the biggest debates on the internet. Couple that with fly in vs fly out and you’ll break the internet with the discussion. 

The halyard is not tested as part of annual ladder testing. We’ve all seen the old Manila rope break. That’s one of our biggest excuses for not relying on it to tie off the fly section when…

“I just don’t understand the kids being hired these days.” How many times have we all heard this? I am sure too many times to count. Chances are that it is usually being said by an officer who is trying to lead these newly hired firefighters. There is a fairly good chance that the same thing was said when that person entered the fire service as well. In this article, I will discuss a few areas that officers seem to struggle to connect with their newer…

“While we are postponing, life speeds by” - Seneca, Roman Stoic Philosopher

We each have 168 hours in a week with which to accomplish things. We have to budget time for work, sleep, food, relationships, and leisure. There are plenty of time management books, podcasts, and apps that claim to have the ability to help us get more things done.  But the issue isn’t always a time management problem. It’s a person problem. After all, if everyone starts with the same amount…

Vehicle Variables: 4 Key Factors to Aid in Size-Up

An initial size-up for any emergency response has the ability to set the tone for the duration of the incident. For EMS runs it is the initial general impression of a patient. With hazardous materials incidents, the initial identification of placards or shipping containers can determine the initial actions taken on part of responding units. One of the most…

We aren’t trained as educators in the fire service, we are trained as presenters.

Educators make sure they are hitting on different learning styles, reach different cognition levels, and have a mastery of their subject. They have the ability to read the room to see if students are truly understanding and then clarify as needed. Educators spend hours preparing for a class in order to deliver the most relevant content.

Presenters, however, often just read from a premade slide…

I was having a conversation with a firefighter the other day and he was expressing some frustrations he was having at work. They were easy issues to talk about and work through, but something came up that I have heard before. The Us vs. Them mentality or mindset. Us being the firefighters and officers on the line and Them being the chief officers or executive staff in your departments.

There are many things that can contribute to the Us vs. Them mindset or problem within a…

Everywhere you turn it seems the topic of leadership is present. Books, blogs, and podcasts constantly talk about what leadership is, how to achieve it, or how it is displayed. One of the most commonly discussed areas is on the characteristics that leaders have.

An example of this is influence. It is no secret that leaders have tremendous amounts of influence on those around them, both positive and negative. How they exert that influence is key. So it is a good thing that this…

Do you remember your thoughts or feelings when you put on a fire helmet for the very first time? Maybe your feelings were different than the ones being written about here, but you can follow along and reminisce. On that day, there may have been happiness, excitement, exhilaration, and anticipation on what was yet to come. Calls for help, emergency responses. Red lights, sirens, and air horns oh my! There may have been some angst, nervousness, and shyness, even…

We have all watched the news and social media apps with articles and videos from Texas and surrounding states of frozen and broken pipes. Most of the videos show broken residential pipes and sprinkler system breaks that are all too common in the northeast. The one video that made me stop in my tracks was of a water tower with a broken supply pipe. The water reserve for the whole system was no longer filling the system with water; instead, it made a lake on the ground below. I questioned if…

The “Extrication Boss”: Pre-Planning and Size Up for Company Officers

A highly promoted practice in the fire service, especially for first arriving company officers, is to conduct a size up and perform a 360 of structures upon initial arrival to incidents involving alarm activations and reports of smoke or fire. Being prepared for a successful mitigation to a working fire most often…

Worker Compensation claims during the Covid -19 Pandemic

America appreciates the first responders who place their lives on the line every day during this C-19 pandemic. Unfortunately some of us become sick and some will die as a result of this exposure. For those who are working in this hazardous environment, there is an associated amount of stress that you may contract the disease and affect friends, co-workers and family members.

With much of the country in…

In Patrick Lencioni’s book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, he discusses 5 principles that are essential to success as a team. Patrick lists the five dysfunctions as Absence of Trust, Fear of Conflict, Lack of Commitment, Avoidance of Accountability, and Inattention to Results.  Let’s discuss how these principles can be applied by the fire service instructor to not only ensure success of the individual, but also how those same individuals can learn how to function in a team environment with…