Featured Blog Posts – December 2009 Archive (28)

Training the New and Old

Some firefighters do, but others don’t or haven’t in a while, so train like your life depends on it. If we want to be the best on the fire ground, we must require the best on the training ground. Find creative ways to maximize your training resources and you will see new energy amongst the ranks.

Get out of the recliners, loose the “retired on duty” mindset, and slap complacency in the face by re-energizing yourself, your company and your department with “outside the box” training… Continue

Added by Paul Hasenmeier on December 30, 2009 at 8:22pm — No Comments

Flight 3407 Responders Recognized for Response and Recovery Efforts

Buffalo radio station WBEN-930AM listeners have overwhelming chosen the first responders who responded to the crash of Continental Flight 3407 in Clarence Center, NY on February 12, 2009 as their "Persons-of-the-Year."

Congratulations to all those involved in the response effort.…

Continue

Added by Tiger Schmittendorf on December 30, 2009 at 1:57pm — 2 Comments

Tough on Tattoos: Like it or not, body modifications can reduce your chances of getting hired

Tough on Tattoos: Like it or not, body modifications can reduce your chances of getting hired

By Scott Cook

This month I’m going to talk about body modification: tattoos and piercings.

Now I know some of us believe that body modifications are really a personal choice, and they’re often done as a remembrance or celebration of someone important in our lives—and that’s all well and good. Tattoos and piercings are your business. You like… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on December 29, 2009 at 8:00am — 51 Comments

Chronicles of a New Chief: Incident Command Secrets Part I

12/12/09

I also serve as a Deputy EMS Coordinator for the County. In this volunteer position my role is to respond to incidents involving two or more EMS agencies in my half of the County. The coordinator’s job is to represent the Emergency Management Office and ensure that all EMS agencies on scene are working together, all patients are being cared for, and just try to be of general help while not getting in the way. Most incidents are vehicle crashes, although I have also… Continue

Added by Joe Stoltz on December 27, 2009 at 3:47pm — 2 Comments

Tales from a tailboard fireman: Firehouse behavior

Most people on the street know firefighters eat at work and do other stuff as shown on TV or in movies. They have no idea of the complex social system that exits behind those roll-up doors.

While traveling in Italy years ago I visited a firehouse in Florence. While being given a tour, I noticed the cabinets in the kitchen had padlocks on them. When I asked, I was informed it was to protect against, "The other shifts stealing our food." Same problem the world over. Food and all that implies… Continue

Added by mike simms on December 25, 2009 at 12:17pm — 2 Comments

Collyer Mansion, Part II

Three universal fireground considerations from actual incidents

This morning, Dec. 23, 2009 news reports of two hoarding fires that claimed occupants,

Alabama: "In some cases,… Continue

Added by Bill Carey on December 23, 2009 at 4:00pm — No Comments

A Decline in Volunteer Firefighters and What Can Be Done About It

"It takes a very special person to volunteer his time," (Stephens et al 14) however, the number of these special people who volunteer as firefighters is declining and fire departments are doing all they can to retain current volunteer firefighters and gain new ones. Over the years, the number of volunteer firefighters within the United States has been declining. Not only is it becoming difficult to persuade people in joining fire departments, but it is also becoming more difficult to retain the… Continue

Added by Sean Miller on December 21, 2009 at 12:02am — 8 Comments

Recruitment and Retention: A Look at What's Working.

With the number of volunteers decreasing throughout the nation, there are many actions being taken to counteract this situation. Recruitment and retention is the volunteer fire services new battle. From different training activities to gain interest, to recruitment drives and incentive plans, there are many varying approaches to this problem. On the other hand, what is really working?

From a volunteers perspective I feel that the fire departments suffering from low numbers of volunteers… Continue

Added by Sean Miller on December 20, 2009 at 11:59pm — 1 Comment

We Are So Eager to be Offended. Well, Get Offended About This.

When will they grow up?

In another controversial case racial tensions ignite, shining the spotlight of idiocy on a tiny majority firefighters- yet again.

A story from the Connecticut Post reports that an email sent by an FDNY Battalion Chief to the Captain at the Bridgeport CT Fire Department contained a small message at bottom. The Bridgeport Captain then… Continue

Added by FireDaily.com on December 20, 2009 at 11:08pm — 1 Comment

Collyer Mansion, Part I

Given that much of Wash., D.C. is snowed in, this old article seems appropriate - BC.

Everyone in the fire service, no matter their location, should be familiar with term "Collyer… Continue

Added by Bill Carey on December 20, 2009 at 9:30am — No Comments

Live & Learn: Call reviews enrich volunteer training

Live & Learn: Call reviews enrich volunteer training

Story & Photos by Bob Kolva

These days, there seems to be a virtual cornucopia of urban-oriented training tools. Retired big-city battalion chiefs flock to magazine-sponsored tradeshows and seminars to discuss the best way to manage multiple engine companies during a chemical plant fire or prepare for incidents involving WMDs. Unfortunately, such a wealth of training resources doesn’t exist for volunteer… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on December 18, 2009 at 8:00am — 1 Comment

@FireRecruiter: Great News---SAFER Application Period Extended

DHS has revisited the existing policy on supplanting for the 2009 SAFER funding cycle. The Secretary has decided that DHS will consider petitions for waivers on supplanting from 2009 grantees on a case-by-case basis and under certain conditions.

In order for all potential applicants to have sufficient time to consider this revised policy guidance, DHS will extend the 2009 SAFER application period. The new application deadline will be 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, Friday, January 15,… Continue

Added by Tiger Schmittendorf on December 17, 2009 at 11:24pm — 2 Comments

Da Chief: Bestowed by the Fire Gods

Der Tannenbaum ist lit. Der blogmeisterberger ist lit too.

As we approach the end of the year, the crack staff here at FireDaily has taken advantage of the open bar. What better time than now to return to the thrilling days of YesterMonth for the third installment of “Two Thousand and Nine Favorite FireDaily Blog Posts from 2009”.

In case you missed the first two, you can find them here:…

Continue

Added by FireDaily.com on December 17, 2009 at 8:01pm — No Comments

Fire and EMS Recommended Literature

Prehospital Trauma Life Support by NAEMT

Air Management for the Fire Service, by Mike Gagliano, Casey Phillips, Phillip Jose, and Steve Bernocco

Firefighter Rescue and Survival , by Richard Kolomay and Robert Hoff

Rapid Intervention Company Operations by Michael R. Mason

Added by fire investigator 21 on December 15, 2009 at 3:00pm — 1 Comment

@FireRECRUITER.com: VFDs Get Creative About Attracting Recruits

This blog links to an article from the Post Star in Northern New York State which outlines some of the creative steps their fire departments are taking to attract new members.

http://firerecruiter.wordpress.com/2009/12/15/vfds-get-creative-about-recruiting/

Added by Tiger Schmittendorf on December 15, 2009 at 12:00pm — No Comments

Near Miss Receives Record-Breaking 1,000 Reports in 2009!

The National Fire Fighter Near-Miss Reporting System reached a milestone this month when it posted the 1,000th report for 2009. This marks the first time in the program’s 4-year history that 1,000 reports were received in a single year. The total number of reports received since the program launched in 2005 is more than 3,100.

Chief Jeff Johnson, IAFC president and chairman of the board, credits the increase in report submissions to the growing acceptance of near-miss reporting at… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on December 15, 2009 at 11:30am — No Comments

IAFC Go-Team Application Deadline Extended to Dec. 18

Two-person Go Teams are highly skilled and equipped chief officers in each national FEMA region who will help in the organizational response and recovery after significant emergencies and catastrophic events. Visit the EMC webpage (see the Toolbox area) for details and to print the application documents. Department approval is required so be sure to give yourself time to fill out all documents and… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on December 14, 2009 at 6:30pm — 1 Comment

If you're worried about getting cancer -- you probably shouldn't be a firefighter!

That's what I overheard a certain young fire officer tell a probie recently.

"If you're worried about getting cancer -- you probably shouldn't be a firefighter!"

I didn't miss-hear or mis-understand him, nor did I take his comment out of context. That's exactly what he said.

I nearly blew my cork. What an immature, ignorant, uniformed, reckless thing to say.

Here's all I have to say to him, "This one's for… Continue

Added by Tiger Schmittendorf on December 14, 2009 at 10:30am — 6 Comments

Tales from a tailboard firefighter, eyes wide open

In a good movie, in the first 15 minutes or so, there must be an inciting incident. This sets the theme.

In my career I had three in the first few months.

The first was an EMS call. The light unit was sent with me and a more experienced fireman: Code 3 to a nice house. A middle-of-the-night call to a difficulty breathing. At that time, we had not become EMTs yet and carried all our equipment in a small tackle box and a thing called a Flynn ventilator.

We were shown to… Continue

Added by mike simms on December 13, 2009 at 7:08pm — 2 Comments

Budget Time : Part 2

Well, Thursday night came and went. Basically, in my eyes, the entire budget process that the Commission I sit on worked on for almost 4 hours was a total waste of time. Yes, every department except 1 had a representative there to explain and justify their budget requuests, but some of the people the departments sent had no idea why they were there and had no clue what a line item buget is. To make matters worse, we did not even have enough Commission members there, according to our Bylaws, to… Continue

Added by Brady Matthew Grim on December 12, 2009 at 10:35pm — 2 Comments