Fire Rescue Magazine's Blog – June 2009 Archive (10)

D.C. Metro Disaster Chiefs: “The Train Compacted Accordion-Style”

FireRescue Magazine/FFN Staff

The crash of two Washington, D.C., Metro commuter trains yesterday culminated in a response that involved at least six departments and hundreds of responders. Shortly after the D.C. Fire and EMS Department transferred command of the scene to the NTSB around 1 pm local time, FireRescue/FirefigherNation.com caught up with several of the chiefs who were on scene during the incident, as well as Billy Hayes, director of public… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on June 23, 2009 at 3:30pm — 3 Comments

3 Keys to the DC Metro Train Crash Response

As the death toll in the D.C. Metro incident continues to rise, we're already getting some good information about the response. On our sister site, Jems.com, Senior Editor Jennifer Berry interviewed D.C. Fire & EMS (DCFEMS) Medical Director and JEMS editorial board member Dr. James J. Augustine.

Augustine notes that it was a three-alarm assignment that brought more than 200 responders to the scene. Personnel needs were high because of warm… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on June 23, 2009 at 12:30pm — No Comments

Man Rescued from Maryland Quarry

RESCUE REPORT

By Tom Vines

Preplanning & Joint Training Help in Successful Maryland Rescue

On Feb. 15, at 1737 HRS, Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD) received a call that a person was seen

jumping over a fence near a quarry in Brooklandville, Md., near Baltimore. Around 1758 HRS, the BCPD received updated information that the individual had gone into the water at the bottom of the quarry.

Baltimore County Fire… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on June 16, 2009 at 1:30pm — No Comments

Couple Rescued from Fast-Moving Water in Arizona

RESCUE REPORT

By Tom Vines

Arizona Firefighters Rescue Couple from Raging Creek

On Feb. 23, quick action by central Arizona responders helped avert disaster for a couple trapped in fast-moving water.

The first call to the Sedona Fire Dispatch came in at 1951 HRS and reported that a person had been swept away in a creek. Montezuma Rimrock Fire District immediately dispatched Engine 711 and Ambulance 711. Then a second… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on June 13, 2009 at 1:00pm — No Comments

Man Extricated from Van Teetering on Cliff's Edge

RESCUE REPORT

By Tom Vines

Driver Rescued from Van Teetering on Cliff’s Edge

Colorado rescuers were called to a strange—and precarious—motor vehicle accident on Jan. 21. A van was teetering on the edge of a cliff in the Colorado National Monument, and the victim needed to be extricated immediately.

The original 911 call from the vehicle driver, which came in at 1633 HRS, went to the Grand Junction Regional Communications… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on June 10, 2009 at 12:30pm — 2 Comments

The Sprinkler Wars: How to effectively influence decision-makers to support residential fire sprinklers

FIRE PREVENTION

Hearts & Minds

Our argument for residential fire sprinklers must effectively influence decision-makers

By Jim Crawford

You may have thought the effort to include fire sprinklers in all new construction of one- and two-family dwellings ended with the passage of the requirements in the International Residential Code (IRC), published by the International Code Council (ICC); residential sprinklers have been required for some years… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on June 10, 2009 at 8:30am — No Comments

Breaking the News: How to inform your personnel about layoffs

Breaking the News

How to inform your personnel about layoffs

By John Sullivan

Note: This article is part of a special FireRescue magazine series on the economy and its effects on the fire service.

After a recent Board of Engineers meeting, I had the inauspicious task of telling the firefighters on my shift that our department will face a tremendously difficult fiscal year in 2010 and what the ramifications of the new budget will… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on June 9, 2009 at 11:30am — No Comments

Data-Driven: How to track specific performance factors to prove your department's worth

A Different Kind of Size-Up

Departments that can empirically demonstrate their value are best positioned to survive economic downturns

By Todd J. LeDuc, MS, CFO, CEM

Note: This article is part of a special FireRescue magazine series on the economy and its effects on the fire service.

Successful private sector businesses have long used a data-driven approach to track performance. And, in fact, many EMS systems have well-developed… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on June 9, 2009 at 11:30am — No Comments

Number Crunching: Stats from Fire Fighter Close Calls on public safety budget cuts

Number Crunching

Initial conclusions from reader input to FireFighterCloseCalls.com about nationwide public safety budget cuts

By Shannon Pieper

Note: This article is part of a special FireRescue magazine series on the economy and its effects on the fire service.

If you read the Secret List, the noncommercial and free e-newsletter from FireFighterClosecalls.com… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on June 9, 2009 at 11:30am — No Comments

A Truckie's Guide to Knowing House Layouts

TRUCK COMPANY OPERATIONS

Where Are the Bedrooms? Get familiar with common house layouts so you can find people faster

By Peter F. Kertzie

When driving down a residential street, I often find myself glancing back and forth at the houses on either side. Why? I’m trying to guess their layout. Most of the fires I respond to are in single-family, wood-frame buildings, so I use this mental pre-planning exercise to help me figure… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on June 8, 2009 at 2:30pm — 1 Comment