Some Japanese firefighters start a training called ‘Human ladder’. (I want to name it ‘Ninja’) This training is required teamwork. In this training you have to climb a wall without a ladder or any tools. ... What do you use to achieve the goal? You need to rely on your crew and to ask him to be a ‘step’. You can climb the wall with his back, shoulders, hands… When you think the step is your crew, you’ll care the crew (the…

I was recently watching some training video /demonstration of a bail out set up. The training video was shot using a self standing wooden mock up of a window with verticle holes in the interior wall covering to place you axe or other took to secure your bail out rig to it and roll out the window. I am looking for the video or even plans for building one to build and donate to my sons Volunteer department for training. If someone knows the link of has some plans to build it I would appreciate…

From my blog at FireGroundWorks.

Recently, I listened, with great concern, to two different questions about the same subject, a failure to communicate. On one occasion, I was part of a management meeting where the attendees were asking, “Why don’t they understand what we are doing?” Another time, while talking to people I supervise, they asked, “What is going on?” This roadblock, or maybe wall, in communication is a…

Excerpt from latest blog post at pipenozzle.com:

But once in a while a city leader actually gets it. The current example is America’s most hands-on mayor, Newark’s Cory Booker, who gained a ton of press attention for a couple of days for rushing into a burning house on April 13 with his security aid to save a woman. After the rescue, standing before the press with a burned and bandaged hand, the privileged (Stanford, Oxford, Yale) Booker expressed a new-found respect for…

This year marks the 25th anniversary of "Change Your Clock, Change Your Battery" ("CYCCYB") and the International Association of Fire Chiefs is looking for examples of how the program has helped save lives in your community. Your stories will be shared on the 2012 CYCCYB website as a way to demonstrate why its important to have working smoke alarms in residences.  

From my blog at FireGroundWorks.

My big question is, “Do we focus too much on the nuts and bolts of tactics and not develop enough critical thinking and problem-solving skills through reading, writing, speaking and other hallmarks of educational courses?”

Organizations know they need flexible thinkers with innovative ideas and a broad knowledge base derived from exposure to multiple disciplines (training, education,…

This video is a great training tool for size-up, radio comms & Command presence.  This FD sounds very professional despite difficult fire conditions.  This week we've got heavy fire & smoke on an upper floor w/ standpipe ops in progress and a Mayday called while transitioning to Defensive Ops.   Compare this FD's ops to your FD and  give us your RECEO VS considerations.  Enjoy!…

Here's a not so routine extrication to think about as you cruise by your local public park.  How are you going to get a child out of a full bucket swing who has become stuck.

The scenario is: a child's legs are to big for the openings, but gravity squeezed them in for the swing ride.  Now, the child can't get out.  Read on.

Pass it on!

This morning I was taking some pictures at the local school bus garage in preparation for FDIC and a straight truck tanker rolled in.  So, of course I had to ask the driver (Russ, a firefighter from a neighboring jurisdiction) a few questions.…

Had to take this hydrant the other night! Curious what kind of difficult hydrants people have in their first due?

The video below shows parts of Blue Bird Corporations manufacturing process.  It will help you get an idea of where the strongest parts of the bus are located.  Of course different manufacturers have varying methods.

It is important to know the construction of…