All Blog Posts (7,007)

The painful waiting game

So I applied with a fire department over a year ago. They are hiring but have not made any decisions as of yet. I took my written test and my physical agility test, passsing both. The PAT I was most proud of, making a time of 4minutes 43 seconds. They give us girls 7 minutes and the guys 5 minutes. I was so super duper proud of myself for making such a fablous time!!! I give the credit to 4 people, first and foremost God! He gives me all of my strength daily! Secondly to three friends who… Continue

Added by Beverly on April 26, 2009 at 5:40pm — No Comments

What You need to know about Swine Flue

Introduction:-- A new strain of swine flu that has killed as many as 81 and sickened more than 1,324 in Mexico has spread to the United States and is raising fears of a possible pandemic. Learn more about the disease and why it is causing concern among health officials.

What is it: -- Swine influenza is a respiratory disease of pigs first isolated in swine in 1930, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The illness is caused by four different type A influenza… Continue

Added by Texas HazMat on April 26, 2009 at 3:25pm — 1 Comment

Human Swine Influenza Investigation * 20 cases in the United States * so far

April 26, 2009 12:45 ET

Human cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection have been identified in the United States. Human cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection also have been identified internationally. The current U.S. case count is provided below.

U.S. Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection State # of laboratory

confirmed cases

California 7 cases

Kansas 2 cases

New York City 8 cases

Ohio 1 case

Texas 2 cases

TOTAL… Continue

Added by Texas HazMat on April 26, 2009 at 1:53pm — No Comments

Unfortunate Incident/Great Synopsis

Reading the report of this incident really hits close to home for me. As a Retired Captain from a Combination Department in middle Georgia, I realize how this could very easily happen right here. I also realize how many times I have personally been in situations very similar and have made it home to my family. I will share this locally so that my comrades understand ALL of the factors we must consider as we perform in our chosen career field. My thoughts and prayers are with families of these… Continue

Added by Joe Stinson on April 26, 2009 at 12:00pm — 1 Comment

Notes from a Rookie Firefighter

Notes from a Rookie Firefighter...April 26, 2009

Yesterday I finally took some time to myself. Got my hair done, walked around Morristown Green talking to strangers as usual, and showed some houses in Morris Twp. I am so thankful that my life has turned around. If any of you are reading this that have problems with your kids, or your career path, have faith. If I could do, so could you.

Have a nice day everyone. It's sunny and warm here in New Jersey.

Thank you… Continue

Added by Denise Imperiale on April 26, 2009 at 9:30am — No Comments

Why do I do it…..Morels??

OK, I was going to leave the end of the title off but didn’t want to lead anyone here under false pretense, besides I may miss my target audience.

As I sit here early this morning, checked the weather, web and window, looked at the calendar, surfed the net for the latest sighting report….everything points to now is the time, at least in this neck of the woods. Morel mushrooms…those tasty little timber treats that are so very elusive, why do I go hunting them? First off its spring and I… Continue

Added by Trainer on April 26, 2009 at 8:06am — 6 Comments

From FDIC: Thank you, Firefighter Nation members!

In the airport on my way back from FDIC, and I just wanted to post a real quick entry to thank all the Nation members who attended FDIC and picked up (and wore!) their free T-shirts and came to our meet-and-greet at Alcatraz! It was great to put faces to many of the people I read regularly on the site, and to make some new contacts as well. I especially enjoyed meeting Tiger and… Continue

Added by Shannon Pieper, FireRescue Magazine on April 25, 2009 at 4:36pm — 3 Comments

UPDATE ON Please help a North Carolina Fire Department WIN a NEW Fire Truck.. Please Vote by 24 April at 1 PM

As I have been told.....

Hey All,

Thanks to all of you who voted and forwarded the e-mail on to everyone else to help Powellsville Fire Department. I learned this evening that Powellsville did win the truck. It was announced this afternoon at FDIC.

Thanks to everyone for your help

Ronnie Fulcher

Added by Wolfy Lang on April 25, 2009 at 1:07pm — 3 Comments

Swine Influenza and You Q&A

What is swine flu?

Swine Influenza (swine flu) is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza viruses. Outbreaks of swine flu happen regularly in pigs. People do not normally get swine flu, but human infections can and do happen. Most commonly, human cases of swine flu happen in people who are around pigs but it’s possible for swine flu viruses to spread from person to person also.

Are there human infections with swine flu in the U.S.?

In late March and early… Continue

Added by Texas HazMat on April 25, 2009 at 8:38am — 2 Comments

Notes from a Rookie Firefighter

Notes from a Rookie Firefighter ...April 24, 2009

Had to delete this post. Sorry.

Added by Denise Imperiale on April 24, 2009 at 9:00pm — 2 Comments

Google Map Lists School Incidents

The company I work for has started an interactive map listing school incidents. It is updated daily from events throughout many different feeds. I have found it useful for example incidents, planning information, and case studies. The map has a large amount of functionality. You can choose the dates to view incidents for, zoom in and out, move around the country, and view the incidents by type (i.e. bomb threat, lockdown, etc.). I thought… Continue

Added by Bruce C Ziebarth on April 24, 2009 at 5:00pm — No Comments

Mass-Casualty Response: The Vital First Few Minutes

By Steven Cotter, BS, NREMT-P

In a large mass-casualty event, the actions taken by the first-arriving crew in its first five minutes on scene will often mean the difference between a poorly run scene that risks poor patient outcomes and a well-run scene that gives victims their best chance for survival.

There are many facets to responding to a mass-casualty event. There is the initial scene assessment and setup, triage, movement of patients to casualty collection points,… Continue

Added by Texas HazMat on April 24, 2009 at 4:42pm — No Comments

Emergency Services Sector Training Resources

This month, FireEngineering.com’s “Roundtable” posted responses to the question of how funding cutbacks affect training budgets. Emergency Services Sector (ESS) personnel from a mix of departments offered ideas and solutions on how to maintain training despite constrained resources. Their ideas included no-cost solutions such as awareness training acquired through on-duty walkthroughs of high-hazard occupancies, and setting up a National Fire Protection Association apparatus driver obstacle… Continue

Added by Texas HazMat on April 24, 2009 at 4:35pm — No Comments

All-Hazard CPG 101

The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG) 101 presents Emergency Services Sector (ESS) and homeland security managers with recommendations on how to develop a viable all-hazard Emergency Operations Plan. Considered the foundation for state and local planning in the United States, the guidance explains how to form a planning team, write and maintain the plan, and execute the plan.

The Emergency Management and Response—Information Sharing… Continue

Added by Texas HazMat on April 24, 2009 at 4:34pm — No Comments

Sleep Deprivation Hazards

Numerous health and medical sources indicate that sleep deprivation must be considered among the threats to the well-being, safety, and security of Emergency Services Sector (ESS) personnel. Sleep-loss-related fatigue degrades performance, productivity, and safety, as well as health and fitness. Medical and performance specialists generally agree that adequate daily sleep is needed for individuals to function optimally, maintain good health, and avoid the risks resulting from an altered state… Continue

Added by Texas HazMat on April 24, 2009 at 4:32pm — No Comments

South Carolina Forest Fire

So far our brothers have been fortunate not to have suffered any serious injuries. Let us all share in the hope that until this fire is brought under control that they maintain their saefty and everyone goes home safely.
To the wildland crews in SC --> our thoughts and prayers are with you......

Added by Dave Tich on April 24, 2009 at 10:06am — 3 Comments

b-day

it's my b-day

Added by matthew on April 24, 2009 at 6:49am — No Comments

Brace for Impact

After receiving a phone call from a friend of mine, I sat in front of the television with absolute amazement. I was shocked by what I saw, but at the same time I was proud. Some called it luck, others called it fate; New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg called it “the Miracle on the Hudson.”

The textbook landing of US Airways Flight 1549 by Captain Chelsey “Sully” Sullenberger was likely the purest demonstration of crew resource management (CRM) ever witnessed.

Nearly 3… Continue

Added by Timothy Sendelbach on April 24, 2009 at 6:00am — 2 Comments

Modern Technoligy: Friend or Foe to a Firefighter

In a world of IPhones, sattelite radio, plasma tv's, and even cell phone service at the top of Mt. Everest; it is hard to imagine where our technolically crazed society will stop. New advances are made almost daily it seems.

Over the next few weeks, I will be discussing a variety of new products that we as firefighters have the possibility to encounter on a daily basis. I will present to you a topic, then proceed to discuss both the advantages and disadvantages of the item. The… Continue

Added by Dustin J. Millis on April 24, 2009 at 1:39am — No Comments

some thing to think about

Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven't thought about it, don't have it on their schedule, didn't know it was coming or are too rigid to depart from their routine.

I got to thinking one day about all those women on the Titanic who passed up dessert at dinner that fateful night in an effort to cut back. >>From then on, I've tried to be a little more flexible.

How many women out there will eat at home because their husband… Continue

Added by kimberley on April 23, 2009 at 5:41pm — 2 Comments