I just posted a new story about a Run-to-the-Curb type kid who rose to the rank of chief in his fire department.

Just as good as the story is are the great photos John has to go with it. I wish I had some photos of my younger years in the fire service, but thank God I have my Log Book to remind me of all the action and the good times we've…

UPDATE: 3/10/10 - Apparently we had some confusion on our end as to the start time of the Netcast. It will start at 9pm EST. Hope you can join us. Thanks.

I'm proud to have been asked by FireCritic and FireDaily to participate as a special guest on a live talk show via the web at…

Fire Departments should consider chartering Venture Crews through BSA, either as an addition to Explorer or Junior FF programs, or instead of the firefighting-focused programs entirely.



Here is my reasoning.



Explorer/Jr. FF programs focus exclusively on Firefighting, which often creates a sense in the Juniors that they "are" Firefighters - which they are not.

The Venturing Program is open to young men and women 14-21…

Notes from a Rookie Firefighter...March 9, 2010

Gosh I can't believe three days have gone by since our pool drill. This is the third year in a row I attended the drill and still I learned something new. I didn't know that you can use pants (regular polyester pants like a police officer would wear) as a flotation device. Simply tie knots in the legs and push water into the waist part. The other thing I didn't remember from last time was the the SCBA is similar to those used in…

Part 1 of this series from All Hazards Contemplations was an introduction to Bathtub Collapse problem identification, exterior size-up, strategy considerations and development, and safety considerations. Part 2 discusses tactical considerations, interior size-up, victim recovery, investigations, and incident termination. This article was co-authored by my friend and colleague, Jason…

This article is co-authored by my friend and colleague Jason Walters. Jason is the Team Leader for USAR SC-Regional Response Team 4. We're discussing this topic at All Hazards Contemplations.



Introduction



FEMA’s USAR system, basic firefighting texts, and other fire-rescue references describe how to recognize and respond to a variety…

Notes from a Rookie Firefighter...March 4, 2010

I have sold many homes in my life but none have made me feel like the one I am selling now. This house was our biggest, had the best property, alot of good karma, and yet provided the most stress because we simply couldn't keep up with the mortgage after awhile (let's not even go into the situations with my daughter in the house that almost made jump from the roof).

Seriously, I read all the time, and hear all the…

As a fire service instructor over the years I have met a lot of fellow firefighters and not until recently did I realize the stories from these firefighters were always the same from rookies and veterans. The rookies always say “we don’t fit in” and the veterans always say “ the rookies just don’t get it”. I guess the reason it didn’t hit me sooner was as a fire service instructor and as a company officer it is my…