We knew Florence well. She was what we like to call a frequent flier. Florence had numerous problems and some of them were real. She had some sort of mental disorder bipolar or schizophrenia something that made her mind go off the rails from time to time.

She was never the one who called 911, that was generally the function of friends or neighbors. Flo would go off her meds or have an episode of whatever it was that she did and we would get the call…

All the pieces came together for this auger extrication prop.  I originally saw the idea on Brotherhood Instructors page, check it out here.

Firefighter Josh Goetz (Carroll Township FD) was…

I looked at Stormy.

“Go get the pump can and a carryall.” Stormy hurried away as I turned my attention back to the man.

“Hey mister… I’m sorry I never got your name. What is your name?”

“Ronald, Ronald Jackson.”

“Well Mr. Jackson, can I ask you a question?” The screams now were combined with rough coughing and gagging as the fire began to grow. I edged closer.

“You stay put son.”

“Okay Mr. Jackson…

As firefighters we protect life and property by any means necessary. And by “any” we mean the “safest and the best.” This means we do not marry ourselves to any one response modality or school of thought. We don’t always go interior on a fire attack...or always use a Halligan to force open a door (sometimes it’s already unlocked) right? We take into account certain factors along with the environment, resources, etc. and make the best tactical decisions we can.…

http://womenfirefighterhealthandfitness.blogspot.com/

http://firefightershealthandfitness.blogspot.com/

I’ve been a little heavy as of late so today I’m gonna tell a funny story about alcohol.

Drunks find inspiration while under the influence sometimes helpful and sometimes not so much. One chilly winter night a few weeks before Christmas we were hanging out late in the evening at station number 8.

We had decided it would be fun to decorate the BRT with Christmas lights and other festive elements. Our officer Captain Tubby…

by: Lou Angeli

Lewes, DE (March 27, 2012) -- I don't know where to start, but first allow me to make this personal statement. The New York Post, one of America's largest newspapers, is also its worst. It serves up yellow journalism on a daily basis and "...is best used to line the bottom of bird cages."

Yesterday, Monday March 26, 2012, The Post ran a story about a former FDNY firefighter who the paper claims faked a medical condition in order to…

A commenter on my post, Window Cut Down – Company Drill added a good point to the discussion about ensuring the power is cut before running a saw down the wall.  Read on.  

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What started out as a vision for connecting soldiers with the volunteer fire service for what I thought was simply just a good recruitment idea --- has evolved into a passion for fulfilling what I believe is an obligation and an opportunity to save lives by offering returning veterans a step-down and reintegration process they desparately need.

Learn more about my vision in this article published in the March-2012 edition of Fire-Rescue Magazine and let me know your…

A comment at pipenozzle.com on the funny math used to report response times by FDNY and LAFD.

"For fire departments, measuring anything is tricky. Does the local government brag that it has a good fire department because of the increasing number of emergency responses each year? Nope. Though the fire department would look productive, that would not make the city seem like a safe place to live. Could the local government measure the number of days that pass without an…

Heavy duty today.Big truck's driver lost control and fall to side with whole truck.Hit small car standing near and cuts a street light pole.Accident looks very bad but only one person was injured,truck driver.He losts 2 fingers on hand when fall to left side and hit broken front glass.Our heavy technic car cant turn back on wheels damaged truck with cargo.So we need to unload all 7 tons of cargo (salads) and then attach steel ropes and putt truck on wheels.Then we can clean  and unlock a…

The picture to the left is from a fire the other night in a two story 1,500 square feet residential joint.  It had a gable roof and the second floor was made into one room with knee walls on both B and D walls.  The window seen here was to the first floor bathroom.

For this company drill tabletop session or hands-on training, talk about and/or make a window cut down for rescue.  If we need to open up this window and save our own or get a victim out, how would we do it?  Saws?…

Check out this new blog from Frank Lipski of Engine House Training, LLC.  Visti the site and post your responses and to learn more about Engine House Training, LLC.

 …

People ask we is firefighting today really any different than it was in the past? After all fire hasn’t changed much since a lightning bolt first slammed into a tree and set it on fire and some lucky Neanderthal stumbled upon it. Has firefighting changed much since that same Neanderthal set his furry apparel on fire after getting too close to the same fire?

Well yes and no. Our primary tool in fire suppression is still water; put the wet…

My experience with Billy-Bob left me even more apprehensive about my up-coming meeting with the “Big”. The Big Chief was an outsider, he hadn’t come up through the ranks of my department, he had been imported from of all places California.

Even though he had been on my job for at least ten years at this point, he was still an outsider, which had the possibility of being an advantage or disadvantage. He had formed his opinion of me all by himself…

So the day came to meet the “Big” Chief. I figured this would be much like all the other meetings with all the other chiefs. In a conference room with a big table and at least half a dozen white shirts and gold badges. Meetings with me were always a team sport, TimO on one team and then a real team.

I don’t think the other team was assembled because they feared it would get violent or crazy in some way. I think they all knew I was a clever drunk, as…

Here’s a simple, yet important drill on orientation with the hoseline.  Lt. Jason Deptula from Vermilion Twp. FD sent the write up over.

As we are all taught in our firefighter classes, the female connection on a hose connects to the make end of the next section.  Using the progression of female to male can lead us out of a building or “smooth bump bump to the pump”. Read…

This past week my latest article was published on acquired structure training burns.  Read it here.  In the article I referenced two resources which I have posted here.  

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I really was grateful to Chief Tommy at that moment. But at the moment he jerked me off the truck and called Chief Roger I wasn’t and neither were the boys at 8’s.

Following my departure I have heard that Chief Tommy began to take the subtle flack that firefighters are so good at delivering and it is subtle. Most of the time no one comes right up and gets in your face. It’s a shunning.

Pissed firefighters are a little…

I watched through the window of the station as Chief Roger’s fire SUV rolled in the parking lot. The only thought bouncing around on the hamster wheel in my head was, not this man, not this man. I was almost in tears, but you don’t cry in a fire station.

Word had spread quickly through the house that I was being yanked off the truck and taking for testing. I don’t know if the officer I was working for that day even really knew what was going…