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…

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,…

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…

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…

Firefighter’s Podcast Creates Non-Profit to Benefit First Responders

A Disabled Firefighter & Friends Seek to Help Firefighters in Need

[Coral Springs FL October 7, 2020] — The firefighting podcast, “5-Alarm Task Force,” launched the non-profit, “5-Alarm Task Force Corp.” The non-profit will support firefighters and other first responders, as well as their families.

Steve Greene, a former volunteer…

To some people, the word "housekeeping" refers to cleaning floors and surfaces, removing dust, and organizing clutter.

But in a work environment, it means a lot more. Housekeeping is essential to safe workplaces. It can help prevent injuries and improve productivity and morale, as well as make a good first impression on visitors, according to…

Went on a 22 year old young girl who was involved in a head on cash with a dunk diver. She lost everything from the knees down on both legs after her car cought fire.

Found yourself with a beeping smoke alarm? Will the smoke alarm not stop beeping? Figuring out the reason can be tricky. Lucky for you, here are some common solutions that will stop your smoke detector from beeping.

A non-stop beeping fire alarm can be annoying, especially when unexpected and for no real-fire reason such as in the middle of…

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…

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…

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…

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 …

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…

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…

••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…

What Type of Fire Can Be Put Out Safely with Water?

There are five classes of fires, and they are classified according to that fuels them. Extinguishing a fire successfully depends on the fuel. A fire needs fuel, oxygen, and heat. To effectively put out a fire you need to remove one of these elements. Knowing the difference between fires and how to extinguish them is life-saving knowledge.

What are the different types of fires or…

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…