February 2008 Blog Posts (238)

To Lead or Not to Lead? That is the Question

I am a huge fan of books about leadership. In fact, I own more then a dozen books on the topic. I especially love the good one liner's that come out of books these books but that really isn't why I'm writing this blog. I'm here today pondering different management/leadership styles company officers use and how those styles fare.

I won't bore you with my version of the different types of leaders that I have encountered, at least not right now. What I want to stress is the importance… Continue

Added by Mike Walker on February 23, 2008 at 10:43pm — 8 Comments

Thanks for all the welcomes and support!!

Thank you for all the warm welcomes, one day I hope to be a fire investigator. right now i am a first responder, firefighter trainee in fire I & II class. I also hold certs in hasmat awareness and operations and want technition level some day.
I joined FFN in hopes of building life long friendships and to get support in furthering my career.

Added by Robyn on February 23, 2008 at 10:30pm — No Comments

We Are Born

We are born with two eyes in front of us because we must not always look behind, but see what lies ahead beyond ourselves. We are born to have two ears- one left, one right, so we can hear both sides, collect both the compliments and criticisms, to see which are right. We are born with a brian concealed in a skull. Then no matter how poor we are, we are still rich. For no one can steal what our brain contains, packing in more jewels and rings then you can think. We are born with two eyes, two… Continue

Added by Denise on February 23, 2008 at 7:15pm — 1 Comment

Popped my Cherry!

Now that's a weird title, but how else can I sum it up on Thursday up in Summit Cty? I got my first intubation and my first helicopter ride. I had a 74yr old cva patient who had a significant subdural with a midline shift who per the accepting neurosurgeon was about to go into cardiac arrest. I got my first non-O.R. intubation(albeit a learning moment), I pulled up all the RSI meds my partner was to give and I got him tubed!!! That was pretty cool....then packaging him for a quick flight to… Continue

Added by CPT Chris RN on February 23, 2008 at 5:55pm — 2 Comments

Station Nightclub Fire Video (a must see for firefighters and rescue personnel)

I don't normally think reposting off the forum isn't right, but I don't feel this vital training tool has seen the light of the forum enough without being buried by a lot of crap and a few great posts. I am bringing it here in my blog for folks to watch this video and learn from it.

http://www.all4humor.com/videos/extreme-videos/the-station-nightclub.html

This is a serious video about the Station Nightclub fire (happened 5 years ago in West Warwick… Continue

Added by Engineco913 on February 23, 2008 at 2:00pm — 3 Comments

Passion

The passion has returned this year. Don't know why, but all of a sudden I care again. Maybe I've reached that point in my 23 plus years on the street (30 overall with 911 time), that I've become frustrated with lack of vision for the "community". Maybe its because its time for someone to put the wrench in the "fast trackers" wheels. I don't know....but its becoming more and more frustrating. The organization has changed immensly, and at the tail end of a GREAT GREAT career, I'm not feeling… Continue

Added by MIKE TOIKA on February 23, 2008 at 1:10pm — 4 Comments

Keep your boots in your bunker pants

Fill the boot.

Do our fundraising efforts affect the way the public we serve views us? Of course they do. Every interaction every one of us, individually and collectively, has with the public gives our citizens a new perspective on us. Every time we arrive promptly and professionally to the scene of a call, we give an impression of ourselves. Unfortunately, every time we do something which demeans us in the public eye, we also give an impression...sometimes an underserved… Continue

Added by Greenman on February 23, 2008 at 10:30am — 1 Comment

Ground Level Fall

As I'm returning to the station from my ITLS (International Trauma Life Support) class with Drew, I hear the tones drop for a ground level fall. I'm almost 100% sure that we won't be going, but Drew grabs my arm as he heads for the medic.

"Let's go," he says with a sigh.

"Why us!?"

"Everyone else gets off in an hour; we're here all night. Let's go."

Eric, Drew and I climb into the medic, and I'm beyond frustrated. I'm tired from class, I have studying to do, and to top it… Continue

Added by Meris on February 22, 2008 at 7:48pm — 3 Comments

Four Alarm Blaze Destroys Historic Landmark In Boonsboro, Maryland

On the morning of February 22, Washington County 9-1-1 became flooded with calls reporting a fire on North Main Street in Boonsboro. Crews on Box 6-1 were alerted for a building fire at 07:42 hours this Friday morning. As calls continued to pour in, Station 6 called in over fire band immediately requesting the second alarm to be struck. Crews arrived to find the old Boone Hotel on the corner of North Main and St. Paul Street to be fully engulfed in flames and rapidly spreading.

Chief… Continue

Added by William King on February 22, 2008 at 6:11pm — No Comments

Stir Crazy!

Well due to an accident at work on Feburary 2, I am out of work for a while. I was coming down some steps at night and they had been covered in ice. Of couse it is night and couldn't see the ice, and with no railing on the steps, I slipped and fell landing on my shoulder and hip on the right side. I was a trooper (for whatever reason) got up and brushed it off. About an hour later, I am throwing up twice, but still I am going to continue. Well my leg gave out about 4 hour later and I fell again… Continue

Added by Kelvin L. Davis on February 22, 2008 at 2:42pm — 2 Comments

personal view

America

The time is approaching that has been dreaded since the inception of our country. The far right is fast becoming the controlling biases of our government passing laws regardless of the people who founded America. We are losing rights so fast that you don’t even know their gone. Smoking was practiced by our founders now that is rapidly becoming illegal even in our homes. The right to have guns is disappearing. The right to hunt or protect our homes or… Continue

Added by Kim Decker on February 22, 2008 at 2:30pm — 5 Comments

The Probie Cometh

Yep. Been 2 months since my last blog. I've been spending a lot of my time at the firehouse, just learning and acclimating. I'm officially on the schedule now. I've worked 2 paid shifts this month, and I have my first 36 hour shift this weekend, between our 2 stations. Hopefully, nobody will want to kill me by the end, and vice versa.

So far, our little fire department is a rather quiet one. I've not had a fire yet, and only one ladder run for "smell coming from the basement" which… Continue

Added by Stephanie on February 22, 2008 at 11:12am — No Comments

Firefighter arrested trying to help victim..check out.

http://www.kmov.com/featuredstories/stories/kmov_localnews_080213_firefighterarrested.bd01f42f.html

A fire fighter Captain was arrested for not moving the fire truck parked in a lane to protect his men.

Added by Jennifer on February 22, 2008 at 8:18am — 1 Comment

Boyd VFD Memories, Part 2: Through The Roof

Thought I'd regale u with one of my most frightening moments as a fireman tonight.

Had to have been about '88 or '89, just before I made Capt., we got called out on a 2swfd 5 miles N of Boyd. I was on the 2nd unit in, Eng 1201. 2 others & myself were detailed to open the roof, so, with SCBA on we grabbed the necessaries (extension ladder, axes, hose, roof ladder), laddered up & onto the roof. We didn't have a chainsaw back then, so we commenced to chop away @ the roof. Now, this… Continue

Added by Mike Simmons on February 21, 2008 at 11:13pm — 1 Comment

A Journey for Justice, 9/11 Rally Fire, EMS, PD, sick responder 2/26 in DC

"JOURNEY FOR JUSTICE"

Thank you,responders,family members,supporters,and media for your patience while we finalize all details of the historical trip. There was a tremendous amount of planning and organizing for this trip.The Fealgood Foundation wishes to thank all NY delegates who have taken time to speak,we wish to thank all congressional staffers and members of both the senate and congress to meet with us on these very important issue's that surround 9/11 responders and their… Continue

Added by Reggie Cervantes on February 21, 2008 at 12:00pm — No Comments

Drunk driver

The bell ring and we jump out of bed,

putting on your gear and putting our helmet on your head,

the truck roll out in the pouring rain,

headed to a wreck between a car and a train,

As the truck rolls up all we can see is a ball of fire,

knowing anyone in it would surely expire,

a call goes to dispatch "Get the bird in the air"

we pull a line and start the attack,

one from the side and one sraying the tank from the back,

as we approach the… Continue

Added by Jeremy Phillips on February 21, 2008 at 8:05am — 1 Comment

Firefighters gathering at Primanti's?

Ughh.....sustenance awaits me(Insert iconic Homer Simpson drool here). I feel I must make the short trip into the city soon. If anyone knows what and where this is, the original one in the Strip District, I'd love to meet up for lunch some weekend soon and talk shop(firefighting, Steelers, Penguins, Pitt, duh!). And holding it around lunch time means the legally under aged amongst us may attend as well. Maybe if it catches on we can make it a once in a while thing, amongst a group of us? I.e.… Continue

Added by Doug on February 21, 2008 at 2:38am — 2 Comments

Useful Probie Rules

Here is a list of a few of the things I learned as a probie in my dept. All you new guys, these are bound to help a little. Enjoy.

Rules Every Probie in a Volunteer Dept Should Know...

You're always the first person you look out for at a scene, your fellow firemen second. (Civilians optional)

You, as a probie, by definition know shit, that is why your shield is a different color, so when an officer looks for someone to do something, you are overlooked, so in your observing… Continue

Added by hoyt on February 20, 2008 at 11:19pm — No Comments

PARAMEDICS NEEDED

GADSDEN-ETOWAH EMS IS IN DIRE NEED OF PARAMEDICS.IF YOU LIVE IN OR NEAR THE GETOWAH COUNTY,ALABAMA AREA AND NEED A FULL TIME JOB OR WANT A PART TIME JOB AND YOU ARE A LICENSED ALABAMA PARAMEDIC LEAVE ME A MESSAGE AND I WILL GIVE YOU CONTACT INFO.

Added by WILLIAM HUDSON on February 20, 2008 at 10:11pm — No Comments

Pray for 8 yr old Alyvia

Please keep 8 yr old Alyvia in your thoughts and prayers and her mother also. They were involved in an 2 vehicle accident on Sunday, Feb. 17, 2008 in Ellerslie, Maryland. She was medivaced to Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, WV. She's currently in the PICU. She had to be extricated from the vehicle. In the Ed, she crashed. After two chest tubes and over 15 minutes of resuscitative measures, she was revived, this was the first time, She ran out of blood (fluid depleted)and crashed again.… Continue

Added by Donna on February 20, 2008 at 9:26pm — 2 Comments