"LOOK!"

Stealing from the old CPR technique of Look, Listen, and Feel, we apply the same sequence to our search tactics starting with the why and what we are looking for:

"The dwelling’s building style lends visual clues that may assist us in our operations. Visual building landmarks (doors, stairs, window

sizes, and layouts) can assist us in identifying floor plans, living vs. storage spaces, location of stairs, and presence or absence of basements. Before we even enter…

"Building Your 2,000 Year Mind"

"The United States Marine Corps have a belief in a

“5,000-year mind.” This belief is that in a trade with

over 5,000 years of documented warfare, there is no

reason why a solider should not study every day. Study

to learn about their enemy, their battleground, and…

"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 death of one man is a tragedy. The death of millions is a statistic.” Joseph Stalin

After recently reading Dan Ariely’s book, Predictably Irrational, and his use of this quote, I pondered if this quote from the feared Communist leader Joseph Stalin could help reduce our line of duty deaths and the answer is YES! While Stalin’s quote was most likely intended for more sinister purposes it does…

Last post we discussed the process of orientation for leadership development, which was essentially relying upon operational manuals or standard operating procedures as the foundation for leadership. While these documents may be necessary for building the knowledge for rank and position (remember leadership is not a given with rank!), it is not a process for developing leaders of people.  This process does more to build effective managers and not leaders who must motivate and cultivate…

Leadership is a quality we seek and desire in every level of our trade. Most of us are fortunate to be exposed daily to leadership models through our mentors, books we read of leaders from all walks of life (military, religion, politics, etc.), and the challenges we face in our own lives. Inherently, the more inspired, driven, and dedicated individuals are, they typically seek and find more opportunities to reap the rewards of leadership lessons than their more passive counterparts. This…

FDIC: HOT Workshop:

25 to Survive

The Residential Building Fire

Monday…

Cabbies across the pond would make great Chauffeurs in the American Fire Service

Like the rest of the Country, I was watching the Summer Olympics and listened to an interview with a local resident of London explaining the ‘insiders’ way to navigate the city. She offered the normal tips of how to get around and what historic landmarks not to miss. None of that distracted me from typing away on my computer and completing other tasks in my office but one particular…

Water supply is vital for the completion of our job of extinguishing fires. It really is as simple as that.  Arguably, no incident demands for the quick actions of a competent driver as much as a Highrise building.  They are tasked with establishing and maintaining a positive water supply in this normally standpipe equipped building.  The added element of supplying a Fire Department Connection (FDC) certainly adds an additional dimension to that of a residential structure…

Aside from residing in the pantheon of the greatest movies made, Full Metal Jacket introduced the world to the Rifleman’s Creed. The mantra recited each night by the soldiers in boot camp as they lie in bed with their last line of defense, their rifle. The intimate reciting of the creed ingrains the mutually important relationship…

This installment of LODD drills comes from 2006 and the loss sustained by the brothers and sisters of Green Bay, Wisconsin Fire Department. The LODD occurred August 13^th 2006.

From the official LODD Report:

August 13^th, 2006, 1223 hrs

Arnold W.“Arnie”Wolff, Lieutenant

Lieutenant Wolff and an engineer were ordered to enter the…