This is how I as an alcoholic drank off duty and how bad it got, to the point of suicide.http://ineverwantedtobeafirefighter.blogspot.com/

We all know that getting water on the fire as quickly as possible is the best way to avoid bad situations. We also know that some of the best in the business have been confronted with situations beyond their control even after doing all the right things and were forced to make very tough decisions for survival.

Our, (Engine House Training, LLC), class is not an excuse for a lack of training in fundamental…

If any one of the over 160 criminal charges filed against him are true, it would be astronomically difficult to argue with The Beast’s opinion that he is America's Worst Volunteer Firefighter.

Sadly, we see these news headlines all too often: Firefighter Charged with Setting Fires. What we don't see, usually never see, is a case like this volunteer firefighter. Authorities claim this guy, already out on bond from serial arson charges, did some other really, really, really bad…

Firefighters have physically and mentally demanding jobs which means we (as fire rescue athletes) have demanding nutritional needs to match.  Unfortunately, research confirms that most are deficient in some essential nutrients. The most common deficiencies are in protein, water (hydration), healthy fatty acids, and the essential vitamins. Research…

I often get emails and questions about ways to improve leg strength and recovery while in firefighting gear.  We all know that stairs and climbing are…

We joined the emergency services to help people.  We get antsy when we go shifts without feeling like we’ve made an impact.  We use language that doesn’t seem right to ‘normal’ people, like “good fire” in reference to that hard work we put in or “bad tours” in reference to shifts with no meaningful calls.…

FIREFIGHTERS!  SteakUmm has picked the top three finalists in their National Firehouse Challenge. Go to www.steakumm.com and cast your vote on facebook for the "Fan" favorite. Each vote gets $$ donated to the National Fallen Firefighter Foundation and the winner gets $5000 to their firehouse cause. http://www.steakumm.com and cast your vote. 

I get a lot of emails asking for good workout options for the firehouse when on-shift.  

Working out on-shift is a major concern, you want to make sure you keep your body in good "fit for duty" condition but also want to make sure you have enough "left in the tank" to respond and perform in an actual response.  Over the last couple of years I have…

Today I want to give you a taste of the type of workouts that you will find in the Ultimate Fire Athlete Workout and it comes with great timing and a lot of significance... The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation provides resources and funding (via grants and donations) towards remembering our fallen and protecting our current firefighters.  This "tribute"…

Plank (s)—It's no surprise that the one of the exercises on this list is a core exercise.…

I've had a lot of requests for workout options that can be performed at the station with minimal equipment.  Here is an option I created for a firefighter/medic that has no equipment and only some stairs and a parking lot. This can be used as a cardio interval training workout day (for those following the 28-day Quickstart Program) and/or as a good workout to get the blood flowing.   Give it a…

I get a lot of requests to come up with workouts that can be performed on duty with equipment found at the firehouse. The other day, my crew and I performed this intensive 30 minute interval workout.  This workout will get your heart racing, challenge your core and work your muscles.

The workout consists of three, 10 minute intervals each with a different focus.  The first 10 minutes focuses on anaerobic recovery, the second ten minutes on full body strength and the last ten…

Not sure it ever worked in the first place

We are in a fascinating period of time for the fire service.  Never before have the resources (financial, physical and mental) been greater.  We are finally looking at fires, how they burn, how conditions change.  We are looking a fuel packages, flow paths.  We are discussing heat release rates and polar…

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…

hello i have a question for anyone who can help. I am an emt b just stating to look for my first firefighter position while going to classes and working i have been considering joining the air force reserve for 4 years. i have completed meps but have not signed anything. i have been assured by the recruiter that they can work around the fire department schedule and have done so with others. My question is will joining the reserve hinder gaining a firefighter position or does the "flexible…

There is a debate that rages, on a daily basis; aggressive versus safe – interior versus exterior – searching versus waiting.  Depending on where you work and what your experience is, you no doubt have an opinion about these topics.  Some hold a very strong opinion, that the safety sallies (you know, those that advocate safety above everything) are ruining the fire service and that there is no room for their thinking.  There are others that…

It was a dark and stormy night, really it was. The heavens had opened up in Colorado once again; the streets were running with hot stinky water, funky water that smelled of petroleum and death. I was on duty at firehouse number four when the alarm hit. Rollover T/A at Lake Avenue and highway 115 with people trapped.…

I have had a bad case of writers block and just haven’t been able to settle on a topic for a new post and the then rains came. Man did it rain here in Colorado for the last couple of days; it has rained on a biblical level. One area south of Colorado Springs received 9 inches of rain in four hours.…