Put to the Test: A 6-alarm fire reveals the importance of command, control & preparation

By Deputy Assistant Chief Robert Maynes



The fire service believes size-up or situational awareness begins long before your arrival on the fireground; it can start with the receipt of the alarm or with your commute to the firehouse. Size-up is an integral part of acquiring accurate situational awareness. (Situational awareness is simply defined as…

My goal is to chronicle, as best I can, some of the many great experiences I had last week at FDIC-2010 in Indianapolis, Indiana. There's so many of them flowing through my brain, some of them are short snippets while others I remember as full-length features, and I plan to present them accordingly.

My FDIC-2010 experience ranks up there with some of the greatest memories of my career and life. Full of laughs (my stomach still…

On site at FDIC

Success as a Company Officer: It starts long before you get the badge

By Cindy Devone-Pacheco



Often in life, we can’t plan our future; we just have to work hard and hope for the best. But according to Ray Gayk, Deputy Chief of the Ontario (Calif.) Fire Department, those who hope to promote to the company officer level someday should probably sit down and start making some plans.

Beware the…

When last we met, my buddy Jim Brunelle was awaiting delivery of a pair of Black Diamond firefighting boots to test out, while my fingers and brain took a mini-vacation from blogging (my imaginary trip to my own private Idaho was lovely, thanks very much).

Jim sent me an email with his thoughts regarding the boots, and I opened it, fully expecting a knuckle-dragging Cro-Magnon-esque male perspective.

You know; something along the lines of "Boots good. Feet…