Featured Blog Posts (1,722)

MAYDAY!! - MAYDAY!! - Do You Know What to Do?

Whether you're a career or volunteer firefighter, you have probably learned how to declare a MAYDAY, if you find yourself in unexpected danger. You may also have learned and trained to be a member of a RIT/RIC team. But,…
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Added by 5-Alarm Task Force Corp. on December 20, 2020 at 3:56pm — 2 Comments

Episode 5- 10 - Chief Dan Kerrigan & Capt. Jim Moss

Firefighter health, wellness and fitness-for-duty – you have often heard us address these topics because they define our abilities as firefighters. If you do not take care of yourself, how do you expect to be able to care for others?

Our returning guests, Chief Dan Kerrigan and Capt. Jim Moss, have dedicated themselves to teaching just how important these topics are, not just by learning about them, but by embracing their values and making these values part of your life. If you want…

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Added by 5-Alarm Task Force Corp. on November 14, 2020 at 10:39am — No Comments

Special Episode to Introduce Tom Mitten & F.R.E.T.

There have been any number of changes here at the “5-Alarm Task Force” podcast since we started in Fall of 2016. Our guest list is amazing, we have recorded over 150 episodes, we are on every major (and numerous, “minor”) podcast platforms and we have listeners in over 40 countries and, we moved to the Zoom platform! You might think we have attained all our goals. Nope!

 

If you are a regular listener, you know that we recently added a new monthly installment of the series,…

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Added by 5-Alarm Task Force Corp. on November 9, 2020 at 2:58pm — No Comments

Episode 5- 8 - How to Leand the Fire Service for the Next 50 Years" with Dr. Burton A. Clark, EFO

From the newest cadet to the 30-year firefighter, we have all become part of the “fire culture.” We enjoy hearing stories from the senior folk and cannot help but to juxtapose those stories to this fire service in 2020. Lots of changes and adaptations have occurred. For some we know the reason and for others, we have no idea. Most of those changes came about through the first person who thought about them. They shared that idea with others and, sometimes soon and sometimes much later, those…

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Added by 5-Alarm Task Force Corp. on October 23, 2020 at 8:56am — No Comments

Episode 5-7 – Robert A. Bilott, Esq. – The Fight Against PFAS/PFOS

We fight fire, we fight HAZMAT, we rescue the ill and injured. And we don’t think twice about doing so. This is who we are and what we do. However, imagine that your enemy is unseen, yet deadly. You have no way to protect yourself, not your gear, or SCBA! What do you do?

 

That is part of question raised by attorney Robert Bilott. If you saw the…

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Added by 5-Alarm Task Force Corp. on October 20, 2020 at 2:33pm — No Comments

Memory, Stress, and Counseling.

This is a kind of touchy subject because every person is different and how they handle stress is myriad as well.

there are those of us who are Cursed with a photographic memory and in our line of work the trauma we deal with can take its toll in ptsd.

now many people would say its not a curse but a blessing! NOT REALLY!!

no matter how long it goes on a stressful event can be likened to an angry crow in your head screaming at regular intervals in your ear so you never…

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Added by Ted Mead on June 7, 2020 at 9:52pm — 1 Comment

Lost Everything to an Early Morning Structure Fire

My Neighbour’s home suffered a structure fire. Unfortunately it only took about 15 minutes to spread to my unit and 2 others. My training kicked in and I was able to get everyone out alive. https://www.nugget.ca/news/local-news/fire-victim-geared-up-to-fight-mattawa-blaze

Added by Nelson Jr. Jenking on June 2, 2020 at 6:18pm — 2 Comments

COVID-19: Emergency Management Lessons Learned

Like all of you, my last month (or so) has been nothing but COVID-19 related response, planning and discussions.  Emerging from this event we will undoubtedly have thousands of stories and lessons learned, each one being unique.   This pandemic has been like nothing I have seen nor hope to see again in my lifetime of public service.  The point of this article is to share some thoughts and lessons learned.  Not that these are unlike what you are experiencing; however, my desire is to…

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Added by Jeff Armstrong on April 13, 2020 at 1:30pm — No Comments

First Responders and the Coronavirus

For well over a month, our lives and the lives of millions of people across six of the seven continents, have been turned upside down. The loss of life has been like nothing that has been seen since 1918! And the interruptions to our lives, from home quarantines, online schooling for our children, a ridiculous run on toilet paper, etc.

 

My guest on this podcast is Anthony Mangeri, a certified Public Manager, volunteer firefighter/EMT and he has many years’ experience in public…

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Added by 5-Alarm Task Force Corp. on April 13, 2020 at 9:52am — 2 Comments

Coronavirus Seminar for First Responders

5-Alarm Task Force and Insight Training LLC are proud to present a Coronavirus Webinar for First Responders, sponsored by Life Scan Wellness Centers. 

Friday, April 17th at 1:00 PM.EDT. The webinar will be recorded for later viewing if you're unable to join us at 1:00 PM EDT.

Tickets are $10 and all net proceeds will be donated to the NFFF and a vetted Go Fund Me Page for PPE for first responders.

Get your tickets at …

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Added by 5-Alarm Task Force Corp. on April 3, 2020 at 8:38am — No Comments

Boosting Morale By Allowing Firefighters to Do Firefighter Things!

In any organization, morale is one of the most important facets of the group, whether they are volunteers at a religious facility, workers in a mill, or the staff of a huge law firm encompassing an entire floor of a high-rise. Yet, it plays an even more important role for a cadre of first responders, especially, the fire service.

 

Most of us have seen a fire department, maybe our own or a neighboring, where morale is low. While vigorously trained to fight structure fires and…

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Added by 5-Alarm Task Force Corp. on February 13, 2020 at 10:12am — No Comments

5-Alarn Task Force's 2019 Review

First, I hope that you and yours had a safe and wonderful holiday season!

Though we’re just starting 2020, 2019 was another great year for 5-Alarm Task Force. Here are some of our stats for 2019.

1. Once again, we “crossed the world,” with listeners in nearly 40 countries, on six of the seven continents! (p.s. I'm still attempting to contact the fire brigade at the McMurdo Station in Antarctica. That would place us on all SEVEN…

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Added by 5-Alarm Task Force Corp. on January 7, 2020 at 1:15pm — No Comments

BUILD YOUR CULTURE - PROFESSIONALISM V. MINIMALISM

As firefighters we constantly face challenges, however not all of them are at an emergency scene. Many of these challenges occur every day; often before we ever leave the station. And many of those challenges deal with our attitudes. You might be surprised at the toll that a wrong attitude can have.

 

My guests for this episode of “5-Alarm Task Force,” are Sean Duffy and Pablo Gener, of the “Build Your Culture,” training group. As with most choices we face in life, there is a…

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Added by 5-Alarm Task Force Corp. on December 17, 2019 at 9:19am — No Comments

Annual Santa Food Drive

••Revised due to expected weather.••

The volunteer members of the North Patchogue Fire Department will be escorting Santa Claus throughout our entire district beginning at 10:00 am **Saturday, December 21st**. Keep your eyes and ears open, be on the look out! If…

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Added by Northpatchoguefd on December 12, 2019 at 9:21pm — No Comments

Th Importance of the 360 Size-Up + More

As long as we have had two-way radios in the fire service, the first arriving officer (or whomever was in a “right seat”) would provide some sort of report upon arrival. In my active years in two different departments from ’77-’85, the FAO might give a 15-30 “quick view” to dispatch. I remember being assigned to “recon” a structure file, a few times and report back to the ranking officer on scene. And mind you, in those days we had two radios: one fixed in the apparatus and one for the…

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Added by 5-Alarm Task Force Corp. on December 11, 2019 at 10:08am — No Comments

Big Challengers - Small Departments

Many of us in the fire service believe that, for the most part, most fire departments in North America are the same, other than size and run numbers, with some being career and others volunteer. Part of that broad statement is that many of us still face major organizational problems. How we deal with them might make a difference.

 

Chief Stan…

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Added by 5-Alarm Task Force Corp. on December 4, 2019 at 1:46pm — No Comments

The Africa Fire Mission: A First Hand Look Into Firefighting In a Third World Country

     Today I sat at a local bar slightly overwhelmed at all the choices I had. 12 different beers, 30 different liquors, a wonderful bar food selection. A nice climate controlled facility and a theoretically infinite tap water supply to refill drinks and wash the dishes. For the last 15 days I was in the East African Country of Kenya. A country that presents with a population of 47.5 million people and a land area that could fit inside of the state of Texas.



     Our first night…

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Added by Tyler Prater on December 3, 2019 at 11:30pm — No Comments

Firefighter Health initiatives in Canada

Episode 4-12 – Bradley Davidson, CFEI – Firefighter Health Initiatives in Canada

Brad Davidson is a Canadian Fire Executive with 38 years serving, “Mrs. Smith.” Brad has a strong love and passion for the fire service, underscored by his years of experience and his certifications. Through out chats on Twitter and by phone, I shared my passion regarding the Fire Service Cancer Initiative with him. And with that, he was off and running.

He has done several…

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Added by 5-Alarm Task Force Corp. on November 22, 2019 at 2:24pm — No Comments

Front Bumper Hose Loads

At work, one of my senior firefighters decided to perfect the front bumper hose loads on one of our engines.  One compartment holds 15' of 5" with a rubber mallet, universal hydrant wrench, and two LDH spanners.  The second compartment contains 100' of 1 3/4" line that's pre-connected with a TFT adjustable nozzle.  There's been a hundred different ways of packing it but my senior firefighter found a user friendly hose load for both hoses.…

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Added by Timothy J. Gaffney, Jr. on July 8, 2011 at 8:00am — 4 Comments

Oklahoma City Bombing - Out of Chaos

This is the 11th episode of my fourth season of “5-Alarm Task Force.” I will honestly say that this episode is one of, if not THE best episode we have ever produced. It is informative, tragic and dark, yet also demonstrates inner strength and recovery.

My guest is Chris Fields, a retired Major with the Oklahoma City Fire Dept. While his name may not be familiar, a world-famous photo of him carrying the body of a toddler killed in the bombing of the Federal Building on April…

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Added by 5-Alarm Task Force Corp. on November 18, 2019 at 10:19am — No Comments

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