Douglas Mitchell, Jr.'s Blog (77)

The Sunday Preach

"SPRING HAS SPRUNG"

Spring is about re-emergence, starting a new. "Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending." Maria Robinson.

S - 'Safe' defined is 'free from harm,' fires... most often are not

P - Preparation is a key step to create the "Combat Ready You"

R - React quickly to changes in your fire environment

I - Involve everyone in training, for in battle they will all be with…

The Sunday Preach:

"One Armed Bandit..."

"The invention of the remote microphone with incorporated speakers dramatically helped firefighters hear fireground audio...If your radio requires you to hold it in your hands and then put up to your ear to listen and to your mouth to transmit, is that really an effective use of your hands? Older style handheld radios might work for the chief in the street...but it is absolutely going to slow down every operation that you…

The Sunday Preach



WE BELIEVE...



"Take a good look inside. Why are you here?" pg. 5



We Believe:



~ Like minded individuals enjoy each others company. As such, they often form formal or informal teams.

~Individuals join the team with a series of their own 'similar' yet 'different' personal skill sets.

~Teams need leaders and mentors and coaches and support to recognize and pair the…

The Sunday Preach: 



I, US, WE, FAMILY...



"Only a firefighter truly knows what it is like to be a firefighter. Only we, who crawl down smoke filled hallways, know what it is like when lives are on the line." Page XI. http://25 to Survive: Reducing Residential Injury and…

Transmission Tuesday:



Ever see this face in the crowd when discussing MAYDAY events and when to call one?



~What's your departments verbiage of when to call a MAYDAY?

~What do you use as your "MAYDAY" parameters?



ARE THEY THE SAME, SIMILAR or WAY DIFFERENT?



My department uses "IOUMMPL" or remembered as "I Owe You My Miserably Pathetic Life.



I - Imminent…

The Sunday Preach:



'Everyday is your Superbowl'



"We have no such luxury of scheduling either our fires or where in the home these fires will occur. We may go to two in one day, one this week, or one in a year. Whenever a fire happens, we must be ready. For firefighters, every day is potentially game day, and we must be ready to play." (…

The Sunday Preach:



Laddering



Yesterday marked the one year anniversary of a day that made me extremely proud to be a fireman and fire officer. I was a member of the first to arrive ladder company that made 4 "grabs" (removal of civilian occupants) from a well involved residential building fire. While one victim was removed via the interior, the other 3 rescued civilians presented themselves at…

The Sunday Preach:



The Engine Officer.



From Ch 14: Preplanned Engine Company Riding Assignments: Pg 149: 25 to Survive: Reducing Residential Injury and LODD



"Whether it is because every close call or LODD report mentions command and control as a contributing factor, or simply that you…

From my family to yours, wishing you all the best in life for the New Year. Indeed so fortunate to have good health, good friends and a loving family.... both at the firehouse and at home.  



With the turbulent times that we see happening around us, know that we must always continue to look at for each other, on the fireground, in the firehouse, and all places in-between.  



Life, much like the fireground, can be…

The Sunday Preach



PP...V



"There is a tendency that if someone sets up a PPV fan at the front door, it should be started and run." (Pg. 208) "While companies are still checking for pockets of hidden fire is not the time to fire up the fan!" (Pg. 209). "25 to Survive: Reducing Residential Injury and LODD"



Positive pressure ventilation (PPV) certainly deserves some discussion in the residential…

The Sunday Preach



A December to Remember.



For several reasons, 'tragedy and loss' during the month of December always stings just a little deeper. In the line of work we are in, we know that all too well... we see 'tragedy' on a daily basis.  



Our beloved fire service is not immune either, with several line-of-duty deaths occurring during December. Most recently, a residential building fire that…

The Sunday Preach

"Recovery"

"Show me a firefighter who has performed flawlessly and to the letter of the SOP at every fire and I will show you a bold faced liar...The mettle of the character of the firefighter is forged in how he or she adapts, recovers and learns from a mistake. Don't languish over what is done. Accept the situation, address it, and move on, obviously in the shortest amount of time available." (Pg. 287 "Reducing Residential Injury and LODD")

Change…

The Sunday Preach:



Stickers



My house is loaded with stickers... they are literally littered everywhere. If you have young children, you know exactly what I mean. "Sticker charts" & "graphs" noting progress in manners, schoolwork and chores. Stickers given as treats, used to make…

The Sunday Preach



"Reflection"



~A few quotes from pg. 248 of the book "25 to Survive:  Reducing Residential Injury and LODD" tells a story of reflection, introspection, humility and refinement for personal and professional progress...



"We know that few firefighters or company officers have experienced the 'perfect fire'. In that scenario, every fireground task said and done is accomplished right on…

Never Forget....

Who could have ever imagined what that beautiful September morning would turn into... the thousands upon thousands of lives impacted. Many, never ever to be the same.

The inscription found below the photos of the members of the firehouse where I was assigned as a fireman that died September 11th, 2001 reads: "There was a time when the…

The Sunday Preach:



'Head on a Swivel'



"Company Officers must not be completely focused on the locking devices on the door itself. Those are forcible entry firefighters' tasks. They must keep their heads on a swivel. While they must offer calm, focused advice to the FE team, they must also be watching smoke and fire conditions and watching the status of the hoseline." Pg.200, "25 to Survive: Reducing…

The Sunday Preach:

"Never forget where you came from"

This is a multi-faceted profound statement that is often heard around the firehouse. Here are 3 quick extrapolations we came up with....

The Sunday Preach:

"Record, Record, Record..."

Ever wonder how long it takes and what you look like getting your PPE on correctly? How about the team making a search? Stretching a line from the apparatus? What you sound like on the radio?

Can we "see" where we can streamline our personal and company operations? I guarantee at least 75% of your members has a device in their pocket that can help the team.

From page 249 of "25 to Survive: Reducing Residential Injury…

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"