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Operation Drones Search & Rescue

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Please take our poll and let us know if today's public safety and emergency response departments are meeting the needs of its members following the death of one of their own.

When someone we love dies, family members, co-workers and friends are often at a loss as to how to cope with the devastating effects of grief. In the fire service and EMS…

As firefighters, we have a lot riding on our equipment. We demand more out of our gear than practically any other profession, because if it fails, it can cost a whole lot more than just money. How, then, can we ensure that our equipment doesn’t break down when we need it the most?

The answer is simple: check your equipment regularly. This seems like a no-brainer, but when you consider the realities of the…

Suicide is a major, preventable public health problem. According to the Centers for Disease Control, in 2010 it was the tenth leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for 38,364 deaths. Based on data about suicides in sixteen National Violent Death…

Except reprinted with permission of pipenozzle dot com. Visit site for complete entry.

At the end of a hot, muggy southern Michigan May day, I pulled my truck into the Coca Cola warehouse lot and glanced up at sky blue everywhere but over downtown Kalamazoo where a black thunderhead passed over as they tended to do on hot, muggy spring afternoons.  The only thought I had concerned turning in my paperwork at the front office, and then getting in…

Author’s Note: I address firefighters in this article, but the information provided applies to any and all emergency response professionals.

Suicide is a very serious topic that we rarely discuss. Each year, thousands of adults and children either attempt or complete suicide to resolve problems or put an end to emotional pain. As a result of their deaths, surviving family members and friends not only grieve, but must cope with feelings of guilt, anger,…

by Peggy Sweeney

The Sweeney Alliance

Journeys Through Grief Newsletters, Editor…

Protecting people’s lives will involve risk for us as firefighters

“A female occupant, in her 40’s, was unable to escape due to the intense heat and thick smoke and was quickly located by firefighters. She was removed out of the bedroom window and treated by paramedics on the scene.”…

From my blog at FireGroundWorks.

In a National Fire Academy Alumni blog, John Bierling asks, “Is command failure an acceptable incident outcome?” He continues with this:

Nearly every NIOSH Firefighter LOOD…

Whenever I have an opportunity to visit another area, whether on vacation or traveling for other reasons, I always enjoy meeting other firefighters.  I’ve learned so many things from visiting fire stations in other parts of the state and country, and I’ve also met a lot of great people.  Often, as a part of the first few minutes of conversation, the inevitable question comes up: “Are you a career firefighter, or a volunteer?” 

Being the passionate volunteer that I am, I…

Are you certain this is the job for you?

Depending on who you are speaking with, there seems to a gap when it comes to how to accomplish our goals and not get killed or injured in the process. Words like “cowboy”, “aggressive” and “sally” are all used when someone takes issue with how someone else is getting the job…

On Thursday September 29, 2011 a Vallejo, California firefighter was burned in the rescue of a paraplegic.  The firefighter made entry into the man’s mobile home which was heavily involved in fire and dragged the man toward safety.  During his attempt he was forced to bail out after suffering burns and a second crew knocked down the fire and completed the rescue.

On March 30, 2010 the Homewood, Illinois Fire Department responded to a report of a fire in a chair in a house.  They were…

Analytical Study Reveals Patterns in U.S Firefighter Fatalities

Christopher J. Naum, SFPE

Executive Producer;…

The Town of Colonie (TOC) Emergency Services wanted to test their fire response capabilities to a large high occupancy structure, namely Colonie High School. The challenge lay in finding smoke generators capable of producing smoke that was dense enough to create zero visibility conditions and realistic enough to simulate a structure fire. TOC Emergency Services Deputy Coordinator Gerald Paris, Jr.…