February 2009 Blog Posts (181)

Emergency Driving and the number of crashes

I would like to see if there is anyone out there who feels that we just aren't getting the message out about response habits. Wether in our private vehicle or in a department vehicle why is it that all common sense seems to just disappear when people get behind the wheel to respond to a conceved emergency. It seems that at least once a week there is another vehicle crash involving some one responding in a car or truck, and it isn't just a Firefighter thing either. Just today there was an… Continue

Added by Ed Laugesen on February 23, 2009 at 3:38pm — 2 Comments

Calling all Departments!!!

My volunteer dept. is in desparate need of training videos and info. any help will be greatly appreciated. all info can be mailed to Lt. Gene Rhinehart HC 88 Box 84 Baisden, WV 25608 Thanks and God Bless!!!

Added by Gene Rhinehart on February 23, 2009 at 2:26pm — 1 Comment

MFRI Director Selected for Lankford Fire Service Leadership Award

CFSI Press Release, 2/23/09 (Washington, DC)--The Congressional Fire Services Institute's Board of Directors selected Mr. Steven Edwards, Director of the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute (MFRI) as the recipient of the 2009 CFSI/Motorola Mason Lankford Fire Service Leadership Award. The presentation will take place at the 21st Annual National Fire and Emergency Services Dinner on April 2, 2009 at the Hilton Washington, in Washington, DC.

A veteran… Continue

Added by Shannon Pieper, FireRescue Magazine on February 23, 2009 at 12:08pm — 1 Comment

weekend of Feb 20th

What a weekend, no fires but a few calls to say the least. Started out on the medic on Friday, all of our calls were spaced out just enough to not get any sleep that night, and only one call was a no removal. The other good thing was there were no ALS calls. At 6am I was off duty on our medic and on duty for the engine all the rest of the weekend. got home laid down and immeadiatly got toned for an illness medic assist. The rest of the day was routine. another illness medic assist and an odor… Continue

Added by John on February 23, 2009 at 9:49am — 1 Comment

firefighting liberty

i stand tall proud for my county

looking over all the firemen that

help save people

i stand tall and pround fo evey tone

that goes out for evey cry for help

and everytime i here

firefighter down

firefighter down

i look up to god

and i pray for that man to make it how save

to his childern and him… Continue

Added by Da Fire Rescue Girl !!! on February 22, 2009 at 8:32pm — 3 Comments

Notes from a Rookie Firefighter

Notes from a Rookie Firefighter...February 22, 2009

Forgive me for writing a post that has nothing to do with firefighting. It has to do with drama and decisions.

My family is in crisis. Crisis over what has happened to our lives for two years of drugs and mood/bipolar. This past week, my 15 year old couldn't take the stress anymore and I had to bring him to the hospital. He told me he was feeling unsafe. As someone who doesn't open up very often, I took this rather… Continue

Added by Denise Imperiale on February 22, 2009 at 8:30pm — 5 Comments

wanting to learn

ive been a firefighter for 3 years now been around it all my life wouldnt change it for the world. always willing to learn and open to new ideas and or tips that will help in our goal of safety and the well being of patients and house preservation.

any and all are welcome no matter what kk thank you

matt

Added by matt on February 22, 2009 at 8:12pm — 2 Comments

Tactical Tips: Mobile Home Fires

The recent double-LODD in West Virginia has mobile home fires on all of our minds. Although it’s too soon for us to know what happened at that specific fire, or to draw any judgments about the tactics employed, it does provide an opportunity to review mobile home firefighting tactics. While our hearts go out to the families of Johnnie Hammons and Timothy Nicholas, our minds should turn to how we can… Continue

Added by Shannon Pieper, FireRescue Magazine on February 22, 2009 at 4:00pm — 23 Comments

G-XTREME Bunker Gear

My department is looking at purchasing G-XTREME bunker gear, I have some real concerns about the 32" coat length compared to the 35" coat length. If you wear this gear, what coat length do you wear and what are the pro's and con's to the lengths.

Thanks for your input.

Added by Ken 2405 on February 21, 2009 at 3:38pm — 8 Comments

TNT: The Accidental Runner: Of Pancakes and Concrete Shoes

Another “brisk” morning run…it was 22 degrees at 7 a.m., but factor in the gusty winds and “Lake Effect Snow” (what lake would that be in Albany, exactly.. ? )it made heading out kind of sucky, for lack of a better word.

We always start out enthusiastically, all chatty and chipper, feeling like we could run forever, until that first blast of icy wind smacks you right in the grill and suddenly the fun factor drops. That’s when you have to dig down and remember why you’re doing this in… Continue

Added by Mary Ellen Shea on February 21, 2009 at 10:38am — 10 Comments

Should Emergency Medical Services at least at the First Responder level be provided by local Fire company

now im not trying to start a rift or anything but i would like some feed back on wether EMS should be provided in the fire service by either vol or paid.

please list pros and cons.......and yes i know the last three letters in problems is ems

Added by matthew Baker on February 20, 2009 at 9:57pm — 4 Comments

Angel Flight(NE)

I was at my Ham Radio Club meeting on wednesday night and we had a speaker who gave us a half hour talk on this very important subject. I found to be very informative, as I did know about this service but did not know they were free and in this area Buffalo,NY. They are not related to Mercy Flight or Star Flight. Below I will tell you more about them and what they do.

Angel Flight NE is a non-profit organization that provides free flights in private aircraft by volunteer pilots, for… Continue

Added by Bob Allard on February 20, 2009 at 8:00pm — No Comments

Hey

Thank you all for the warm welcome!

Added by Danielle on February 20, 2009 at 6:30pm — 2 Comments

Near-Miss Reporting System & Common Voices Receive Sarbanes Award

CFSI Press Release (Feb. 20)--The Congressional Fire Services Institute and the NFFF just announced their choices for the Senator Paul S. Sarbanes Fire Service Safety Leadership Award: the International Association of Fire Chiefs for its Fire Fighter Near-Miss Reporting System and Common Voices for its advocacy efforts around fire… Continue

Added by Shannon Pieper, FireRescue Magazine on February 20, 2009 at 2:00pm — No Comments

ABC Looking for Firefighters Seeking to Reunite with Victims, Colleagues & Motivators

Are you searching for a victim, fellow firefighter, lost family member, or someone else from your past that had a great impact on your life? Share your story on a new TV show from the creators of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" and "Secret Millionaire."

If yours is a story of separation and a desire to meet up again, then we want to talk to you! Are you a firefighter whose own life was saved by… Continue

Added by FFN WebTeam on February 20, 2009 at 12:00pm — No Comments

The Greatest Ambition - The true test of a fire officer’s greatness is their devotion to instructing others

The late Edward F. Croker, who served as FDNY chief of department from 1899 to 1911, will forever be remembered for his saying: “I have no ambition in this world but one, and that is to be a fireman.” Chief Croker’s words epitomize the thoughts of many men and women within our ranks and many more who will soon follow.

What drives us to be firefighters is something we may never truly understand. To the ordinary citizen, we are presumed to be a little left of center, a card shy of a… Continue

Added by Timothy Sendelbach on February 20, 2009 at 9:30am — 10 Comments

Did you You know this is a law.. I did not

Fire truck law alarming firefighters

Commercial license needed to return equipment to firehouse

By JORDAN CARLEO-EVANGELIST, Staff writer

First published in print: Friday, February 20, 2009

ALBANY — Firefighters across the state are roaring for the repeal of a little-understood section of vehicle and traffic law that allows them to drive their fire trucks to the scene of an emergency — but not drive them back unless they have a commercial driver's… Continue

Added by anne potter on February 20, 2009 at 6:58am — 6 Comments

Tanker Safety

So let me start by saying that when I say "tanker," I mean a truck. Not a helicopter, not a plane, a truck!!! LOL I know that the word "tender" is now the proper term for what I am referring to however I have decided that until county dispatch changes our "tanker box alarms" to "tender box alarms" that I will keep calling them tankers. I am only claryifying because I know that if I didnt, people on this site (cough Lutan1 cough) lol would be sure to point out that I am wrong in calling it a… Continue

Added by Dustin J. Millis on February 20, 2009 at 2:49am — 3 Comments

Financial Aid for a Volunteer Firefighters Child in Pennsylvania is there anything available??

Hi Everyone, Would anyone be so kind to tell me if there is any Financial Aid for a Volunteer Firefighters child that goes to a University in Pennsylvania and what the requirements would be for them to get the financial aid for College the student is taking up Architecture and is brilliant. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Hughie lkyspgot57@aol.com The 57 House GO PENS!!!!!!!!

Added by Hugh on February 20, 2009 at 2:30am — 5 Comments

Need for good chaplains in Fire Deptartments...

I have a very rich church background and like baseball players and football teams does your fire

deptartment have a really good chaplain who works with the crew and is actively at every fire call or

in the station for emergencies or has a asst. pastor there? Do the men have someone to talk to if they

are having marriage problems, personal problems, etc... Just think this would just add so much to

the morale of the fire deptartment. Does your fire dept. just pray "ceremony… Continue

Added by Ruthie Appleby on February 20, 2009 at 2:29am — No Comments