Almost 6 years ago, I wrote a post discussing what I felt was happening to the Fire Service and the next generation of firefighters and medics. I just wanted to post it again because I feel it is still relevant and it’s a problem that looks to continue and keep getting worse. I am also seeking feedback and solutions.

From 22 July 2015

”What the hell is the fire service coming to? It is supposed to be a brotherhood / sisterhood. Well,…

The fire service culture of an “aggressive” nature in its current form may be attributed to dominant ideologies and the subsequent societies that have developed. In order to further identify best practices we must first investigate cultural diffusion and the elements that are allowed to reside within the profession. In taking a deeper look into formal and informal…

Listen to our latest podcast with Chief Emeritus Charles Werner of the Charlottesville VA Fire Dept., as he discusses the use of UAS - Unmanned Aerial Systems or drones in public safety. Even if your agency is already using one, make sure it is following all federal regulations. They can literally be a lifesaver! Go to our Dalmatian Productions website

2008 Toyota  Prius small battery episode!

After dinner at 7:00 PM, I jumped in my 2008  Toyota  Prius car and pushed start button. Felt  that I did not push brake enough to start car so pushed start button second time and pushed again with brake pushed. All dash board light illuminated and stayed on with engine check light, as usual they go away immediately and engine runs in another 40 seconds. So I pressed start button to shut down and repeat start three four times.…

Just finished the first of two very interesting interviews with Chief (ret) Charles Werner of the Charlottesville Fire Dept. regarding new technology for first responders. Today's episode is about UAS, aka drones. There is no doubt that these units will be a "game changer" for all first responder agencies.

On Thursday, Chief Werner will join us again to discuss new 3-D technology that will allow an IC to see exactly where in a structure firefighters are.

The first episode will be…

The Ohio Sheriff that thinks there is a need to change the manner in which fire drills in schools are conducted may be a hell of a good sheriff, but he lacks the understanding of fire behavior, fire spread and the many children that have sacrificed their  lives so we have current fire drills and fire alarms  in place in schools.  The systems and codes we have in place did not happen by accident - they were brought abut by deaths - a lot of deaths. THEY WERE PAID FR BY THE DEATHS OF HUNDREDS…

The “dawn of a new day” is supposed to allow us to start fresh from whatever troubles we underwent the day before. Sadly, today that notion holds no water. Whether you live here in South Florida as we do, or you live “off the grid” and you heard the news on amateur radio, today the sunlight is obscured by the ethereal gun smoke that still hangs over our community where this tragedy occurred and that also drifts over our society as another mass shooting occurs.

We will soon…

February 10, 2018 - We released another episode of our podcast, "5-Alarm Task Force," this morning with a longtime follower and friend, Chris Tobin. In this episode, Chris talked about the importance of multiple levels of mentoring in the fire service. Even after 8 years with his current department, he still considers himself the "rookie" in the firehouse, always seeking to learn from those with more experience. On the other side of this coin, he has recently re-established h…

http://www.averagejakefirefighter.com/2018/01/29/engine-company-search-ranch-house/

I just completed reading the book Relentless Optimism: How a Commitment to Positive Thinking Changes Everything by: Darrin Donnelly. The book is a motivational book that provides a million and one ways that positive thinking can better not only your life, but those around you as well. It uses the story of a major league baseball player that is bumped back down to the minors and his struggle to make it back to the big leagues. The book had two very memorable quotes…

You Are A Hero, Act Like One

Christmas season has come and gone and the New Year has begun; A new year full of hopes, dreams, and beliefs for a better life. During the Christmas season I, like many others, had the distinct pleasure of walking the aisles at many different stores in search of the perfect gifts for nieces, my children, even the family dog. I found something very interesting in my journey for toys to brighten the faces of those I love. To…

Ghosts by Chief Jim Crawford

“Which one of us are you going to tell him about?”  What a powerful question to ask a firefighter.  From the beginning of the fire service firefighters have seen sights that haunt them, and sometimes taunt them, for life.  They are images that we as individual firefighters try to forget, ignore or…

          It has been a difficult start to 2018 for the Fire Service. In less than one week, we lost two of our comrades. On January 3rd, Wamego KS Firefighter John Randle succumbed to his injuries suffered from a fall while returning apparatus to service. And on January 6th, Philadelphia Lt. Matt LeTourneau died as a result of a structural collapse while fighting a rowhouse fire. We mourn their loss along with their families, friends, colleagues and the entire fire service and their…

As I sit here writing this post, we're about 36 hours after the tragic fire in Bronx NY that so sadly took 12 lives. Most of us cannot even imagine losing one family remember or even one neighbor. Yet, one family lost four members, a brave soldier from our Armed Forces, home on Christmas leave, lost his life trying to rescue others, plus another seven poor souls.

The probable cause of this conflagration? A young child, approximately three years old, playing with the knobs on the stove,…

     First - We want to thank all of you who have stopped by to visit our new website. Whether you have hit every page or you jumped to read the blog or to listen to our podcasts, we are grateful that you took the time to stop by and see what Dalmatian Productions is all about.

     As the title of this post indicates, we all must evolve in some manner to maintain and hopefully, improve our…

So ... it's been a long time since I wrote something.

 I moved to Görlitz in February and shortly thereafter went to the fire station.

The comrades are very nice and it is really fun here.

Unfortunately, it is a big difference to my old guard ... the training times are bad because I usually have to work at this time and in addition, the stakes are much less than I am used to.

Also the range of use is different ... in the past, traffic accidents were the most common and now it…

Ask twenty different people and you will receive twenty different opinions on rather they feel volunteer firefighters or career firefighters are the better professional.  So who really is better trained, better equipped, and even better qualified to answer the public’s calls for assistance? In reality, if we could look past the differences, the fire service as a whole becomes stronger and provides a higher level of service to the public.  After all, isn’t that what our ultimate mission is?…

Just over 1-1/2 years ago, I planted a "seed." What did I "plant?" It was my podcast, "5-Alarm Task Force." Although I was only able to serve in the fire service for eight, short years before an injury forced me to leave, I have never let the fire service leave me. Since 1985, I have tried to stay up-to-date with the growth and evolution in firefighting, leadership, funding, education, etc. One way or another, I kept pace.…