Featured Blog Posts – December 2009 Archive (28)

The "Brotherhood" of Labeling Your Food...

We had just returned from a particularly gruesome call. Kids in our area like to go “hill-hopping”. That’s when they take daddy’s Beamer to the roller-coaster-like hills in the rural, wooded area of our district and go fast enough to grab some air. Sometimes they land back on the pavement, and sometimes they don’t. When they don’t, we get called.

Looking for a little respite, the boys trooped into the kitchen.

“Hey, check this out,” shouted Al as he peered into the… Continue

Added by FireDaily.com on December 9, 2009 at 10:59am — 1 Comment

Chump Change --- for Safety's Sake!

If you are a Fire/Rescue Chief, Commissioner, President, Fire Officer or in a leadership role of a Fire Department or Fire Company, you have the responsibility of ensuring firefighter safety.

With the holidays right around the corner, here’s a cool opportunity for your organization to provide something to your members, and support the work of the Safety, Health and Survival Section of the IAFC. By policy, the IAFC does not fund the section, the section must raise all of their own… Continue

Added by Tiger Schmittendorf on December 9, 2009 at 2:12am — 1 Comment

Bakersfield Firefighters Get to "Root" of Problem

RESCUE REPORT: Bakersfield Firefighters Get to "Root" of Problem

By Tom Vines

On Sept. 28, Bakersfield (Calif.) firefighters faced an unusual rescue call, one combining entrapment, confined space and some shoring challenges.

At 1037 HRS, a 911 caller reported hearing two men crying for help in a large hole in a neighbor’s yard. Two minutes later, the department dispatched a full rescue response, which included Truck 7 with paramedic, Engine 7,… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on December 6, 2009 at 12:30pm — No Comments

Find six for Six

An Education Prompt Honoring Fallen Firefighters

Each anniversary of a fire that killed a firefighter or firefighters there are many well wishes of support for the families and friends. Intermingled are various questions, some subtle, some disrespectfully blunt. They… Continue

Added by Bill Carey on December 5, 2009 at 4:00pm — 5 Comments

Illinois Firefighters Complete Challenging Trench Rescue

RESCUE REPORT: Illinois Firefighters Complete Challenging Trench Rescue

By Tom Vines

A June 2 trench rescue in northern Illinois illustrated common challenges associated with such incidents and how departments can work together for a successful outcome.

At 1238 HRS, a 911 caller reported a “man trapped in hole” at a construction site on North State Street in Belvidere. The Belvidere Fire Department (BFD) immediately dispatched Engine 101,… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on December 5, 2009 at 12:00pm — 2 Comments

How USAR Started, Part 2

FireRescue's Technical Rescue Web column

From the Ground Up: The history of the National Urban Search & Rescue Program, part 2

By Harold Schapelhouman

Editor's Note: This article is part of a series on the history of the national USAR program. Read the previous post:

Part 1: How It All Started

In 1990, the Federal… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on December 3, 2009 at 10:00am — 1 Comment

2 drills for better understanding how you breathe when wearing an SCBA

QUICK DRILLS

Know Your Consumption Rate

2 drills for better understanding how you breathe when wearing an SCBA

By Homer Robertson

How often do you conduct SCBA drills? Even if you went through an SCBA drill on your last shift or on your last drill night, it’s time to have another one. You just can’t emphasize enough how important this one piece of equipment is to the health and safety of every firefighter. Regardless of your level of experience… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on December 2, 2009 at 8:00am — 4 Comments

3 keys to managing the incident when things go wrong

Faced with the Unexpected

Company officers must be able to manage their crews when

the incident doesn’t go as planned

By Billy Schmidt

The best time to know emergency procedures—and the worst time to learn them—is in an actual emergency. Normal emergency scene confusion becomes even more complicated when something unexpected happens. Very rapidly, the familiar can become unrecognizable, as the incident becomes more complex. In such situations, a… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on December 1, 2009 at 8:00am — 2 Comments