Torches are not a tool that we use everyday, month, or year on our emergency scenes, but if needed can you pull it off the rig, work truck on a job site, or cart in an industrial setting and go to work quickly?  Entrapment and impalements possibilities are never ending and some may require cutting a victim free with a torch.  Brothers in Toledo, Ohio were recently faced with a victim impaled on a 6′ tall Victorian style wrought iron fence.  While stabilizing the victim, they used a Metabo…

So my contract with the Navy is up in april and im trying to get in a department, I need help and advice on where to start Ive been a shipboard fire figher for 6 years.  Im either staying in southern california or heading to vegas area.  Please help im trying to get set I have a family of six I need to provide for.

thanks to all and prayers to all those affected in Colorado by the shooting.

ian

To my Police Officers and Fire Fighters PLEASE help a brothers family out ... PLEASE help the son of a DETROIT FIRE FIGHTER.. go to this link and search under mens SKINNY and vote for DUSTIN O. Help him get a start in life .. He worked hard to get this far help a brothers family out ..…

There are many reasons to be a firefighter, some obvious and some maybe not so obvious. So here are my Top 10 Reasons to be a firefighter.

1) Everyone thinks you are a hero, even if you don’t believe that yourself. After the fires here in Colorado Springs, I am of the opinion that all of my former co-workers are freaking heroes and so does this entire city. The men and women of the Colorado Springs Fire Department (and all the other agencies that…

Honoring The Fallen

The Challenges of Public Memorial Planning

By Meghaun Campbell for Paul Olesniewicz

When firefighters pass away in the line of duty, their department and their community want to offer them a fitting tribute. One way communities and departments choose to commemorate their fallen heroes is a public memorial. Unfortunately, establishing a public memorial can be a long and arduous process. It requires flexibility, dedication, and determination on the part…

Through the years, I’ve participated in numerous interviews with candidates that have applied for membership in our department.  Recently, I started thinking about the challenges of our proud volunteer fire service, and how special of a person it takes to become a professional volunteer firefighter.  In a world where there are many different kinds of people, and many different personalities and priorities, these people give their time and energy to make their communities…

Colorado cries Uncle! I believe I am not alone in asking why so much tragedy has fallen on Colorado? I watched my city burn just a few weeks ago and have dozens of friends trying to find a way back to a normal life after losing everything they owned.

I was directly affected by the Waldo Canyon fire in many ways and am still involved with efforts to help my home town recovery from this event. Then I heard about the shootings in Denver and thought what the hell…

Every organization serves customers. Retail stores, governments, hospitals and restaurants they all serve customers, both internally and externally. So, shouldn’t meeting the needs of all of their customers be a top priority? Trickle-down service may be the most effective way to serve everyone.

Fire departments, like other organizations, are trying to make their way…

In studies about volunteer recruitment and retention, it has been mentioned that some firefighters reach a plateau after several years of service, where they “burn out”.  We lose some of these valuable volunteers to other interests, and all of their fire service training walks out the door with them.  This leaves us with a double impact: we lose a trained firefighter, and we also lose an experienced and participative member of our group.



As members of the fire service at all ranks…

Another 9/11 Sick Responder is in unstable, critical condition in the hospital.  His only chance for survival is a double lung transplant and most likely also a liver (they will determine after a biopsy in a day or so..

So I wondered, how many of you are organ donors?

Physically fit, healthy and disease free as most of the FF are, doesnt that make for good organ harvesting? 

Im curious, how many of you are?

I am although the lungs arent useable, the liver…

Our brain is powerful and mysterious. It performs simple, routine tasks everyday. It can create entertaining music and art, construct compelling stories, and solve intricate problems and equations. Weighing in at approximately 3 pounds, our brain is our most important asset.

Here’s some “thought-provoking” points about the brain from Laura Helmuth in the July/August…

While on a driving trip to Oregon, my wife and I witnessed a truck VS motorcycle accident. We stopped, I got into character and did what we do. I have been retired for 14 years now but it is like riding a bike, you never forget. When we arrived at our destination, we were having dinner with friends. My wife was relating the trip and mentioned the accident. Our friends asked me "what did you do?" And my answer was,"I took command, stopped the bystanders from doing anything stupid, and secured…

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I have had quite a few friends ask me if I wanted to be involved in the most destructive fire in the History of Colorado and the short answer is hell yeah I wanted to be involved.

I think the feelings I had were mixed. Did I want to be working 16 hour shifts swinging a Polaski? No, I did not. Did I want to sleep in a sleeping bag on an asphalt parking lot? No once again. Did I want to choke on dirt and smoke…

Here are some very cool items I found on Etsy that I thought people might like. 

Etsy Treasurer's List

Well one long story (and if anyone wants to know it message me) But im no longer with the department I was originally going for. I resigned because of some.....stuff. But now Im with a new department and love it! Im a intern firefighter and im continuing training. Its great!  Love my job! Stay safe out there!

A couple weeks ago I published a blog post about "defining Firefighter Fit." I appreciate the numerous responses and comments about this question (see that blog post here) and today want to follow up and add some more information and questions about this topic. One of the consensus opinions expressed when asked to define "firefighter fit" was that a…