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…

Someone said this to me the other day. Again, a few days later, the same thing was said with slightly different verbiage, but the message was the same.

I'm not cut out for EMS. I'm not the right "caliber" of person to do this job. I get "wonky" after bad calls. I'm not the one for the job.

Wait a second? Then what was up with that baby in 2009 who stopped breathing? Why was I able to walk into that house, take that small, precious child into my arms and without…

This is something that my fire department has to deal with every year and we do have a plan for response to the festival but I am curious how other people would respond to it.

Shambhala Music Festival is about 10 minutes outside of the Village of Salmo but response can be up to a half an hour depending on traffic. The route is paved highway up to the turn off to the music festival then it is a dirt road for about 5 km (about 3 miles), about half of the road is only single…

past chief john blanco pasted away 7-25-14 he was 87 ,served over 50years on the dept.,rest in peace john!!!!

In the EMS and Fire Service, we see things that would ruin anyone else's week. Sometimes we don't see things because God doesn't put us on every scene that our brothers and sisters are on, and sometimes those calls are just as bad as the calls we do replay in our minds. Listening to the familiar voices on the radio at the scene of an especially bad MVA. Hearing the requests for additional resources. Hearing the request for the coroner, knowing that your brothers and sisters are dealing with…

 There is no better example of a society's failure to protect its members than a fire that could have been prevented. This tragic loss in Philadelphia is such an example.  While the community attacks the fire department, so many other issues are not realized, most importantly the opportunity for changes supporting prevention is lost.

The stage for this fire and the opportunity to prevent it from happening was set long before that early morning of July 5th.

 While finding a…

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"…

Firefighters, SteakUmm is hosting a Firehouse Cooking Contest, awarding $20K to the winning recipe and donating facebook favorite up to $5000 to National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. JULY 5 Deadline. Go to http://www.firehousechallenge2014.com or http://www.steakumm.com to get rules for entry. Three top recipes/firefighters will appear on The Steve Harvey Show in…

EMS

To me it’s a verb. It’s the action. It’s providing comfort to someone on the scariest day or night of their life. It’s the want, the drive, the need to be present in someone’s emergency. It’s the insane desire to make things okay for someone else. And if you can’t make things okay, make them as close to okay as you can.

It’s a look. Your patient who has laid in bed for 3 days with no one realizing they haven’t been going out or doing their usual tasks. The look in…

To work in EMS, you must possess the following qualities:

1. Must be willing to leave your family at the dinner table in the middle of a meal to go and save someone else’s family.

2. Must not be squeamish around blood, saliva, snot, urine, and use your imagination to fill in this gap with any other bodily fluid that might come flying in your direction.

3. Must have the understanding that not every call you go on is going to result in everyone leaving the scene…

I am taking OSH 390  in college and and I have to write a report on "If you are cooking in the fire house and get burned, is it covered under your state WC Act?  Does anyone where can I find info about Kentucky?

Excerpt with permission from pipenozzle dot com: 

Video recordings of public meetings are legal under Connecticut open meetings statutes. The Groton Town Council records its meetings and places the video online for the public. The PBFD board does not record its  meetings, but prefers to hide behind euphemistic agendas and cryptic meeting minutes. Firefighter Bryan Quilter has, since Ackley took office a year ago, performed a valuable and courageous public service (in…

Last Saturday morning just after 7 AM, Youngsville North Carolina firefighter Terry Perry was pulling up to his friend's house on Waiters Way in Youngsville, bringing him a bit of breakfast. Terry was just doing a nice thing for his friend Ransom Bennett who lives there. But it turns out he was about to trade in a nice gesture into saving the life of his friend.…

Where is the fire service heading? What is our mission? Who will lead the industry? These questions - and many more - are at the forefront of the fire service as we move forward. I can only guess what the future holds based on past trends, and the one thing that is truly certain is that there will be immense change in our profession. 9/11 changed the fire service. So has the rise of natural disasters, mass shootings, chemical weapons attacks, and other threats. But our…

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

Attention Firehouse Cooks! Great contest, winning recipe gets $20K for firehouse or charity and appear on The Steve Harvey Show, hurry, contest closes July 5, 2014, SteakUmm is sponsoring, go to   http://www.steakumm.com  look on home page for National Firehouse Challenge. Thanks, Joe  http://www.thehealthyfirehouse.com

I have always felt that if I take care of myself first, I am better able to help others.  If I am successful at my career or my life in general, I can share this with other young people who are trying to find their way in life.  It is not easy but success is possible when you have a plan and have self discipline.  In the fire service, mentoring programs can really benefit the new, the old and the department.  As always, take care of yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally.  The job…

We the Explorers of North Patchogue Fire Department are having a Carwash Funraiser May 17,2014 11:00-4pm. Please come down and get your car washed. There was a misprint on the flyer again my apologies to all for the mistake. The baked goods will have a small purchase price if wanted. They won't be free, but for selling. It was a type error, apologies for the mistake. Thanks to everyone in advance for what we hope is a successful Explorer funddrive.…