Featured Blog Posts – July 2010 Archive (31)

Trying the "True" Belay: Tests Reveal Slow Response Time

Trying the “true” belay: Informal belay tests reveal rescuers’ slow response time

Story, illustrations and photos by Tom Pendley

Over the past 20 years, the concept and practice of belaying in technical rescue have been controversial, to say the least. Two decades ago, it was rare to even see a belay line in the fire service. I’d like to say we’ve come a long way since then, but have we?…

Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on July 31, 2010 at 4:00pm — No Comments

PA Department Awarded for Valor in Challenging Extrication Call

The Lingohocken (Pa.) Fire Company was recently notified that they will be awarded the 2010 Unit Valor Award from the Firemen's Association of the State of Pennsylvania (FASP) for their actions during a complex and challenging extrication. The extrication was detailed in the October 2009 issue of FireRescue's Rescue Report column. Greg Jakubowksi, a long-time columnist and editorial board member for FireRescue, is… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on July 30, 2010 at 9:00pm — 1 Comment

Join Chief Reason Art Goodrich as we explore the poisons in what we normally call "smoke"

On Thursday, July 29th, Firefighter Netcast Presents The Voice of Reason will welcome special guest Shawn Longerich, Executive Director for the Cyanide Poisoning Treatment Coalition (CPTC) and can be found on the world wide web at www.FireSmoke.org.…

Continue

Added by Firefighter NetCast on July 28, 2010 at 9:12pm — No Comments

54 Years Ago: Explosion Kills 19 Texas Firefighters at the Shamrock Oil Refinery

By FireRescue magazine staff

On July 29, 1956, 19 firefighters were killed while battling a fire at the Shamrock Oil Refinery in northern Texas. This incident caused the fourth largest loss of firefighter lives in U.S. history.

We remember those killed 54 year ago tomorrow: Allen W. Cleveland, Billy Joe Dunn, Sam A. Gibson, Jr., Albert O. Milligan, Paschal Pool, Meryl W. Slagle, Donald W. Thompson, Ray Biles, Lewis A. Broxson,… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on July 28, 2010 at 11:29am — No Comments

New programs, staffing & funding sources bring electronic preplanning to volunteer fire departments

VFDs Go High-Tech

New programs, staffing & funding sources bring electronic preplanning to volunteer fire departments

By Bob Galvin

Pre-fire planning, undeniably a critical activity toward preventing and fighting fires, has become an uphill battle for most fire departments to accomplish. A lingering and brutal economic recession… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on July 28, 2010 at 8:00am — No Comments

Rescue Report: Fort Worth Firefighters Quickly Switch Gears to Perform Trench Rescue

By Tom Vines

Firefighters often arrive at the scene of a rescue only to find that the situation is completely different from what the 911 call reported. This was the case on June 2, when the Fort Worth (Texas) Fire Department responded to a 911 call that reported a fallen construction crane with persons trapped. Although this wasn’t exactly what responders found when they arrived on scene, the incident shows how with the right… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on July 28, 2010 at 6:00am — No Comments

Ft. Lauderdale Receives Rigorous Structural Collapse Training

Ft. Lauderdale Receives Rigorous Structural Collapse Training

By Chief Robert F. Bacic

The Ft. Lauderdale Fire-Rescue Technical Rescue Team recently completed an 80-hour structural collapse technician course that included exercises in shoring, concrete…

Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on July 26, 2010 at 8:00am — 1 Comment

343 Reports; "What's on your Radar Screen?"

3*4*3 Reports; "What's on your Radar Screen?"

By Christopher J. Naum, SFPE

Commandsafety.com & TheCompanyofficer.com

I recently posted an article on CommandSafety.com that addressed a series of Major Influencing Fire Service Reports, Issues and Focus areas that should be on …

Continue

Added by Christopher J. Naum, SFPE on July 25, 2010 at 12:36pm — No Comments

Get Your Rules of Engagement Poster!

FireRescue magazine is excited to announce that we’ll be giving out a poster depicting the “Rules of Engagement for Firefighter Survival” and “The Incident Commander’s Rules of Engagement for Firefighter Safety” at Fire-Rescue International next month. The poster will be available at the FireRescue booth (#1142) and the IAFC’s Safety, Health and Survival (SHS) section booth (#1621).

The poster (pictured… Continue

Added by Janelle Foskett, FireRescue on July 23, 2010 at 5:30pm — 5 Comments

Aerial Apparatus Makes Swiftwater Rescue

Aerial Apparatus Makes Swiftwater Rescue

By Travis Boudrey

In late winter and early spring, the combination of weather conditions and human behavior can create a recipe for disaster, especially when roads with low crossings become flooded due to overflowing rivers and streams. Sometimes, as motorists approach these crossings, they seem to overestimate the ability of their automobile and underestimate the power of water. This serious…

Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on July 21, 2010 at 9:00am — 2 Comments

How Dedicated to Serve Are You?

When you say we'll protect you and serve you, where do you draw the line? Does there have to be a fire? A medical emergency? Or just a genuine need for help when you have run out of places to go or people to turn to?

http://firehousezen.com/2010/07/18/dedication-to-customer-service/

Added by Mick Mayers on July 19, 2010 at 8:00am — 5 Comments

A Forcible-Entry Homerun: The one-person “baseball swing” simplifies entry on inward-swinging doors

QUICK DRILLS

A Forcible-Entry Homerun

The one-person “baseball swing” simplifies entry on inward-swinging doors

By Homer Robertson

If you read this column regularly, you know that we focus on the basics of firefighting and rescue ops. Being able to do the basics well is the trademark of great firefighters and great… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on July 19, 2010 at 8:00am — 7 Comments

"Save Our Survivors" Campaign Seeks $250,000 to Help 9/11 First Responders

The Fire Fighter Cancer Foundation has launched the “Save Our Survivors” campaign to provide portable air purification systems to ailing 9/11 survivors. Fire departments are being asked to organize fund-raising events to help their fellow responders who are overwhelmed by their illnesses. The goal is $250,000 to purchase 500 desperately needed air-purification systems. These systems will ease the struggle and… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on July 16, 2010 at 4:42pm — No Comments

Rescue Report: Maine Firefighters Rescue Young Girl from Entrapment

Boulder Traps Teenager

By Tom Vines

Photos Courtesy Bath Fire Department

On April 2, Bath, Maine, firefighters rescued a young girl from an unusual entrapment.

At 1456 HRS, fire dispatch in Bath, a town in southwest Maine, received a 911 call from a man reporting that his 14-year-old daughter was entrapped by a large… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on July 15, 2010 at 7:00am — No Comments

New Post on Firehouse Zen: The Roto-Ray

New Zen:…

Continue

Added by Mick Mayers on July 14, 2010 at 10:13am — No Comments

Tool Mounting: Get with the Program

INSIDE THE APPARATUS INDUSTRY

If you’re going to shell out that much cash for an apparatus, then don’t forget to plan out your tool-mounting needs

Story & Photos by Bob Vaccaro…

Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on July 14, 2010 at 6:30am — No Comments

Mayday? Name It! A new mnemonic for effectively calling maydays

Mayday? Name It!

A new mnemonic for effectively calling maydays

By William Burns

Recently, the fire department I work for mandated that all company officers review with their companies reports from the Fire Fighter Near-Miss Reporting System (www.firefighternearmiss.com). Report… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on July 12, 2010 at 8:00am — 8 Comments

Fire blankets at Notre Dame and other observations while abroad

I recently returned from two weeks in Paris and Dublin. Now, this was a personal vacation, and since my husband isn’t affiliated with the fire service, he has only so much patience for chasing foreign ladder trucks down narrow streets. So I didn’t make any trips to fire stations or go on any ridealongs with the “sappeur-pompiers.”

But I did find myself thinking about how fire must be fought in these places that are so different than U.S. cities, and I did find myself… Continue

Added by Shannon Pieper, FireRescue Magazine on July 10, 2010 at 10:07pm — No Comments

Not so sweet "Sound of Music!"

Doe, a deer a female deer

Ray, the medic on the call

Me, the name I call myself

FA, the start of what was said….

SO, what will my penance be?

LA, it was the newest in the fleet!

TI, it’s technically not my…

Continue

Added by Peter Lupkowski on July 9, 2010 at 10:13am — 1 Comment

Competent vs. Proficient

Competent vs. Proficient: It's important that every firefighter masters certain basic competencies, but you need to go the extra step to ensure they become proficient at those skills

By Scott Cook

Competent and proficient.

As firefighters, we tend to look at these two words as being one and the… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on July 9, 2010 at 8:00am — No Comments