If you have a year or two more “under your belt” you know that learning in a classroom is nothing compared with learning on an active fireground. A good firefighter is ready for almost anything as he/she dismounts from the apparatus, because the fireground is an ever-evolving, ever-changing, location with massive changes that can occur in just seconds. And if you’re not ready for it……

My guest on this episode is Lt. Mike Daley. He is a nationally known instructor and writer for the…

One of the most important numbers in our business is 360! It has been drilled into us that upon arrival at a call for smoke and/or fire, the first arriving officer should make as complete an inspection of the structure/scene, as is possible. Then, the officer gives the crew initial instructions to mitigate the issue. What does that officer see? What’s involved? What needs to be done first. All of this is part of what we call the “size-up.”

My guest is Chief Mike Terpak,…

We have all seen the news footage – huge wildfires consuming large areas in California. Last year, major fires like the Woolsey and Camp fires, destroyed thousands of acres of woodland, thousands of homes and disrupted the lives of tens of thousands of residents. And, in almost every newsreel, you saw firefighters and other first responders, doing tasks, such as fighting the fires, clearing a fire line, help escaping residents and much more. It begs the question, “How does California…

For as long as there have been people, fire and those willing to quench unexpected issues from fire, the basic tenet was “put the wet stuff on the red stuff!” Of course, there were no “classes” given to what was burning until many years later. And to be honest, that premise worked. However, in the last fifty years or so, one of the key issues that has changed is WHAT is burning and what is the safest and most expedient way to snuff these more modern flames.

On this podcast,…

Does your department have a plan in place for its future? Do you know when your current apparatus will be deemed out-of-date and how they will be replaced? Tune in to our latest episode with my guest, Capt. John Dixon. Captain Dixon discusses the importance of having a Strategic Vision Plan for your department and provides guidance on how to start the process. Tune in via your favorite podcast platform or on our website,…

Leaders Eat Last

Anyone that has ever broken bread together in the fire house knows that there are certain traditions that take place around this most sacred of times. These include things such as, the seat facing the TV is most likely the Lieutenant’s, or rookie has kitchen…always… even if they didn’t cook. But there is another tradition that should be taking place, leaders eat last.…

It’s been many years since I blogged on this site. Feeling nostalgic on the anniversary of my daughter’s death, I went to Google to read her obit and stumbled upon my old blog and the posting I wrote when she died. I saw a post from a FFN supporter, Brian M., and it brought me back to the memories of support and guidance I have had within the FD and even through this blog. 

I’m two years from 60 so my work for the FD is now social media manager so to speak, and officers…

Often, a successful promotion is defined by scoring high on a test, doing well in an assessment center, or even simply getting the position.  However, the “work” does not stop the day we achieve the rank and a successful promotion is not solely…

Often, a successful promotion is defined by scoring high on a test, doing well in an assessment center, or even merely getting the position.  However, the “work” does not stop the day we achieve the rank, and successful promotion is not solely defined by obtaining new collar brass. Successful promotion is also characterized by our ongoing efforts,…

I was approached recently by a new fire academy graduate on how to be young and successful in the fire service. This made me really take a step back and think. I closed my eyes and flashed back. There I was, 20 years old motivated and ready as I started my first day of the Academy at my dream department. We were all wearing suits and ties looking sharp for our first day, so new that we weren’t even issued uniforms. I remember that day vividly. 40 new faces inside the training tower…

The Effects of Inbred Training

            When we picture the word inbreeding we imagine movies such as, “Wrong Turn” with mutated and deformed humans that are cannibals. Thoughts of some mountain shack with a family that has never seen the outside world speaking in an unknown dialect that only they can understand. Inbreeding can lead to mental and physical mutations that limit a person’s ability to grow properly…

Out there today there is triple the number of people who want the job than there are “on the job.” Over time many give up, they settle for a separate career, or they become consumed with resentment towards others who got the job. The Fire Service whether you volunteer, or career is the greatest job in the world, no matter if you either are paid or not it is a profession. That being said, there is a large population of citizens and volunteers out there who want this job. With the competition…

The top priority of most Fire Service Organizations is the satisfaction of the public and professional image. Let me ask you today,  how does one attain that? When the public calls for our assistance from the most minor medical call, to a residential lockout, to a fire in a building we are expected to operate in a efficient and professional manner.  The public expects us to run into that burning building, the public expects us to render aid to that person, they expect us to help them in any…

It is your first shift back from a nice relaxing family vacation. You come into the station relaxed and ready to get back to your crew and the job you love.  You notify the firefighter you are relieving of your arrival and go to your locker and grab your equipment. You walk over to the engine as your assignment for the day is the Lead Off Nozzleman.

What is your first step? 

For myself, I start at the off going crew member. I ask about the prior shifts, what tools were used,…

Though an International Emergency Management Practitioner, I come from a developing Country Kenya, or if you may a third world Country for that matter. What is amazing in Kenya and I believe in most African Countries, is our fixation especially those in leadership positions, particular the finance decision makers on a myth.

They tend to believe that for a County or local Government Fire Service to be deemed efficient it all boils down to having new fire engines, which rather enforces…

I was like many of you. I had heard on the news or had read in one of the trade journals, that firefighters had been diagnosed with cancer. It often pointed to FDNY and these were firefighters who had worked, so determinedly, on the Pile left after the collapse of the WTC on 9|11. However, as I was about to learn, this was just the tip of the iceberg, as they say.

This “Out-of-the-Vault” episode of “5-Alarm Task Force,” takes us back to March 2017. My guest was Bill Banks, a…

Physical Fitness Standards To Save Lives: Ours And Theirs

            Cardiac events are a leading cause of line of duty deaths among firefighters. The NFPA reports that in 2016 the leading cause of fire scene deaths for firefighters was sudden cardiac arrest at 38% of the total of firefighter fatalities (Firefighter Deaths, n.d.). While the cardiac impact that firefighting has on the heart does include aspects that we cannot…

The word, “leadership,” especially in the ranks of first responders, is bandied about by many. And for all those that participate in this conversation, there are probably at least, twice or three times the number of definitions of what leadership is in emergency services. In this podcast, our guest, Asst. Chief John Luca of Boca Raton Fire-Rescue Services, provides us with a new and deeper definition of the term and strongly encourages us to look inward first, before we even think of leading…