Featured Blog Posts – November 2010 Archive (48)

Fire & Ice: Gear for the water/ice rescue

By Andy Speier

The cold-weather months are fast approaching. If your response area includes a body of water that freezes over when the temperature drops, you need to be fully prepared to perform a water/ice-based rescue. Below, I provide information on some of the primary equipment and PPE you’ll need if and when you need to enter the water or break through the ice to save a life.…

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Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on November 6, 2010 at 8:00am — No Comments

Running The Line: Estimating the Stretch

The housewatch wakes you, hitting the intercom yelling "first due box!". At o-dark-thirty did you hear the address? Did it tell you how many lengths you'll need?

Author's Note: Purpose of post is not to specifically critique the actions in any video and/or photographs, but to prompt discussion and illustrate various points. No fireground operation is 100% perfect. - bc

A recent… Continue

Added by Bill Carey on November 4, 2010 at 9:30am — No Comments

Economic challenges offer opportunities to shape the future

NOVEMBER PRESIDENT'S LETTER

Looking Forward: Economic challenges offer opportunities to shape the present & future

By Chief Jack Parow, MA, EFO, CFO, MIFireE

A look at our country’s history of recessions since the Great Depression shows that they are a very natural—though painful—part of the economic cycle. In fact, we’ve lived through… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on November 4, 2010 at 6:30am — No Comments

Firefighters & Back Injuries: The New Study

Study involving San Diego firefighters examines back muscle strength, endurance & flexibility

By Joe Verna, Colin Stowell, Richard Parker, Antonio Duran & John Mayer

For information about exercises to help support back strength, check out "Back for More: Exercises that can help prevent low back pain or injury," by Jeff and Martha Ellis, in the November issue… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on November 3, 2010 at 7:00am — No Comments

Consider your words carefully when demeaning those who speak of "safer firefighters"!

Perception is reality...and a large part of one's perception is based upon their environment... past, present and their expected future.

For example, if you are around positive people the majority of your life then you more than likely will have a bright outlook on things and most who cross your path will consider you to be a smiling optimist. Conversely, if you spend most of your time around people and situations that steep in negativity then you will probably share a life view…

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Added by John Barrett on November 2, 2010 at 8:30pm — 1 Comment

Confined Space Rescue Hierarchy

Confined Space Rescue Hierarchy

By Scott Goodwin, COSS

With all of the recent talk on confined space incidents and what has gone wrong during the rescues it is time to talk about the different types of rescues and the options that are available in a rescue. As a fire officer and confined space rescue technician, you should not be relying on the local fire department to be your rescue team. This is the most common mistake and is also a possible OSHA violation. Secondly, most… Continue

Added by Lt. R. Scott Goodwin on November 2, 2010 at 2:15pm — No Comments

It’s Not Your Grandfather’s Fire: Lightweight construction has fire prevention implications, too

It’s Not Your Grandfather’s Fire

Lightweight construction has fire prevention implications, too

By Jim Crawford

“It’s not your grandfather’s fire.”

That phrase was used by Bob Backstrom of Underwriters Laboratories (UL) to describe the kind of fire produced by modern contents, construction techniques and… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on November 2, 2010 at 8:00am — 1 Comment

What’s the Difference Between Using a Search Rope & a Rope-Assisted Search?

TRUCK COMPANY OPERATIONS

Understand the factors that affect whether you will enter a building to conduct a search—and what type of search you’ll conduct once you’re in

By Michael M. Dugan

Searching a fire building can be an extremely difficult and time-consuming task for any truck company. One of our options to help us in this endeavor—a… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on November 1, 2010 at 6:00am — No Comments