Bill Carey's Blog (30)

In and out, day after day, but what are you doing on each run?

The U.S. Army's Caisson Platoon at Fort Myer, Virginia is responsible for bringing the deceased to their final resting place at Arlington National Cemetery. The members of…

Nine firefighters have lost their lives while on the road, to date, in 2014

Eight actually, if you don't include the one who did not feel well and was found off the road in his private vehicle after an alarm.…

"We all thought that since nothing serious had happened before, nothing was going to happen this time out,"

AH-6 "Little Bird" heading out on October 3, 1993 mission. (Department of Defense photo)

"I can just remember Sgt. Eversman telling me, you know, “Moore, find…

Two tragic apparatus crashes; one provides a sorrowful reminder to us all

The following information is a breakdown of the details of those members in the fire service who died while operating "on-duty" as defined by the United States Fire Administration. For more information on this definition and that of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation’s definition of “line of duty death” read…

No educational value when one of the "sides" of fire service debates screws up

"You're doing it all wrong. Let me tell you how to do it."

Debate and the fire service are no strangers. As we grow and evolve in our…

Will you fit? Better find out before the box

Companies in the 39^th Battalion responded to Box 1873 for the reported fire on the fourth floor of 1308 Loring Avenue on 29 July 2014. Reports of children trapped led to the initial assignment being made…

We're only here for a little while.

Each day someone from each side(s) calls or writes me, pissed off at the world over all the debates in the fire service. Passion, tradition, pride, education, frustration, etc. it all comes to a head. I don't have all the answers and am very, very, very far from being a solution but the past has taught me that time is short. Make your time meaningful in your own way.



Keep it…

Is over a dozen too many for the upcoming and speed-reading generations?

Back in 2004 we were given 16 items, "Life Safety…

Proving once again that vacant and abandoned are just words

Chicago, 8 June 2014

One person is dead and another in critical condition after being rescued from a fire in the 900 block of North Lawndale. Firefighters found a burned man during the primary search and were told…

Put aside the emotion when considering adding to a number we try to lower each year

The topic of firefighter suicides is one that gets raised once or twice a year and is full of intense but quiet emotion. Quiet because the subject of suicide is one that people do not like to discuss; intense because when it is discussed some people make the mistake of passionately identifying these deaths as part of the sacrificial duty of a firefighter and consider them…

Despite the Boston tragedy, the fireground was once again the exception to where the most victims died.

The following information is a breakdown of the details of…

Most died away from the scene than at the scene

Update: On 26 March, the USFA announced the death of an Oklahoma captain/chaplain killed during a fight with another firefighter.

The following information is a breakdown of the details of those members in the fire…

Fire department releases another view of January vacant building fire

You may recall the fireground video from Stockton California where the local news station reported that the chief had some questions about the actions of his firefighters on that video. The story gained…

Engine 846 with smoke showing PLUS articles from Fire Engineering

Prince George’s County firefighters responded to the townhouse fire in the 600 block of Harry S. Truman Drive. The box alarm consisted of Engine companies 46, 33, 5 and 23; Truck companies 37 and 38; and Truck 9 as the Rapid Intervention Company. Engine 846 arrived to find smoke showing from the end unit of a two-story row.…

Eight members of the fire service died while on duty

The following information is a breakdown of the details of those members in the fire service who died while operating “on-duty” as defined by the United States Fire Administration. For more information on this definition and that of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation's definition of "line of duty death" read “…

Our views must be balanced to include what may happen, what is obviously happening and why it is happening

The video of a house fire in Dunmore, Pennsylvania last week became popular as it was viewed on the various blogs and Facebook pages. The theme of discussion among some of those was the fire’s behavior, notably the flashover. Here is what the…

It’s going to happen so you might as well get it out on the table now

I should admit I’ve never seen a complete episode of Rescue Me, ever. I’ve seen bits and pieces at the firehouse, but I have never intentionally sat down to see one episode from start to finish. I’m not much of a television person but I understand the gist of the show and its borderline…

If only there was a way to "sell" it

Each and every single firefighter death is a loss not only to those directly connected with the victim but also in this vanilla brotherhood fire service across the nation. Each one should, as rightly expected, be properly mourned and remembered and when applicable have lessons from the tragedy distributed to the rest of us so…

Multiple rescues from vacant home and commercial structure

Fire crews in Buffalo, New York and Sacramento, California responded to fires in vacant, abandoned buildings and rescued squatters from each.

Buffalo

Video courtesy of Don…

Great discussion points online from Andy Fredericks Training Days 2013

Starting in 2009 in Alexandria Virginia, the Andy Fredericks Training Days has become one of the most popular small-scale fire service education events that have large-scale reach.  Organizers keep the weekday event focused on Andy’s legacy of…