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Kristofer DeMauro's Blog (7)

The Whole is Greater than the parts.

For many of us the "real world" is not having enough firefighters on duty to safely do the job(s) placed upon us. So much emphasis is placed upon EMS that other parts of our job are suffering. Now, don't get me wrong, a well trained and equipped fire department paramedic is as good as any out there, but making a guy go to a paramedic school in order to get on the job leads to some difficult situations. Of course that is another blog. The rumors and talks of a regional fire department is coming… Continue

Added by Kristofer DeMauro on May 10, 2008 at 9:35pm — 2 Comments

Firehouse Nicknames

We all got'em. Some well deserved, some we would rather forget. Firehouse nicknames. On my crew I have a "Booge," "Lukie," "Greenie," "Wrong Way," and a "Fragile Bob." I have been called "Da Wop" "Henchman" and my favorite is the "Spaghetti Yeti." What are some of the ones around your fire house?

Added by Kristofer DeMauro on April 12, 2008 at 6:41pm — 3 Comments

The Boy in the Plastic Bubble

In my tenure as a firefighter I have responded to numerous hazmat calls. Most (90%) we handled at the operations level. Only a few needed "tech" level interventions. With that said, continued education and training to maintain the skills learned have been important for me. Yesterday I attended an 8 hour class with several other departments, including DHS hazmat teams. The class was hosted by the Dupont Chemical company. The company has an old Anhydrous Amonia car converted to a training prop… Continue

Added by Kristofer DeMauro on March 28, 2008 at 9:12am — 1 Comment

"ZIP - Clunk!, ZIP - Clunk!, ZIP - Clunk!"

What is it that we love about the job? What are the little things? For me it has to be the sound of firehose flaking off the rear of the rig as your laying a line into a good job. Even inside the cab of the truck you can still hear the "zip-clunk" as section after section of hose feeds off into the street. Or maybe it is the time at shift change when we all are gathered around the kitchen table. There is plenty of coffee and lots of laughter. Or maybe it is the smell of the apparatus bay. The… Continue

Added by Kristofer DeMauro on March 24, 2008 at 10:13pm — No Comments

The Next "Great" Thing In The Fire Service

A year from now, what will this fire training community be like? Will we use to promote our profession, our lifestyles as firefighters? Or, will it slowly turn into a second thought as the novelty wears off of it? When I joined I was number 76 or so, as of this post there are 389 members, what will it be like at 1,000 members, 10,000 members, or even 100,000 members. So far it has turned out quite good. With just a few keystrokes I can interact with leaders in the fire service. I can network… Continue

Added by Kristofer DeMauro on March 12, 2008 at 7:29am — No Comments

Working Up: Filling In As An Officer

A common practice in the fire service is to allow firefighters to work in a position that is above the position they currently hold. Every department has a different phrase for this, such as: riding out, working out of class, working up, or even wearing the big pants. As fire officers we have to be sure that those that fill-in for us are capable of doing the job. The best way to set these firefighters up to succeed is to provide them with the training, support, and encouragement they… Continue

Added by Kristofer DeMauro on March 11, 2008 at 11:58am — No Comments

Exploding SUV Transfer Case

During the last week of February we responded to a car fire on the highway. Nothing too difficult, done a bunch of them. What makes this one memorable is that the 4X4 transfer case (located on the rear of the transmission) exploded sending fragments over 50 feet away. All of these types of transfer cases are vented in order to release pressure during normal operations. Apparently the pressure increased too fast for the vent or seals causing the case to explode. The manufacturer recommends…

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Added by Kristofer DeMauro on March 5, 2008 at 2:08pm — No Comments

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