The Ridge Road Fire District (Rochester, NY) pays tribute to Marine Lance Corporal Aaron Swanson, from Jamestown, N.Y. (Chautauqua County) who died on February 7th, 2011 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.  He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve, Buffalo, N.Y

The Fire…

I hate the term “New Year’s Resolution”. That is why I intentionally waited until now to post this. New Year’s Resolutions are those things we wishfully tell ourselves that we are going to do to make our lives better or more wholesome while we are drunkenly celebrating the turning of the calendar.

No this post isn’t about resolutions, it is about goals.

Do you have any specific goals for your professional development this year (and yes, even volunteers can have…

  I had my first, first-on-scene VSA the other day. The first page was sent out for a medical assist. I opted to go directly to the house since it was close by. I was caught a little off guard when I entered the home as the VSA info wasn't given till the second page, which I recieved after my patient contact had been made. I have recently been certified as a first reponder, so this was a good test to see how I managed the situation. After a couple of minutes of one rescuer CPR, a couple more…

Story & Photos By Keith Klassen



Class A foam, particularly when used through a compressed air foam system (CAFS), is a highly effective tool in a fire department’s firefighting and exposure protection arsenals. But when a department makes the decision to purchase CAFS, there are several pitfalls they must be aware of to ensure that the implementation of the technology will be smooth and effective.

1. Lack of understanding of Class A foam (CAF)—There are many…

It is with the deepest regret, that the Hudson Valley HellCats announce the passing of Past Chief of the Wallkill Fire Department Joe Kelly. Chief Kelly is the Father-in-law to President and Chief of the Hudson Valley HellCats, Joe LoCicero, a Luietenant in the City of Newburgh Fire Department. Chief Kelly was a volunteer firefighter in the Wallkill Hook Ladder & Hose Co. for more than 40 years, holding many line officer positions including Chief of the Department, Company President and…

Recently.....my department has had the probably not so uncommon issue of not being able to get folks to training. No matter what the training is over....or how exciting I try and make it I just can't seem to get some people to attend. I have asked what I could do to make things more attractive....and I get no response.

Its to the point now where the Chief is considering putting people on a probationary status until they can start attending training on a regular…

Good day to all, In behalf of my Volunteer Firefighter groups here in the Philippines namely "Dee Hwa Liong Volunteer Fire Brigade"( 15 Personnels) & "Guardians Fire & Rescue Brotherhood International Inc." (25 Personnels), would like to appeal for your help, inregarding old used fire helmets, turnout coat & Pants, gloves, hoods, fire boots, and SCBA Packs & Masks that are not in use anymore in your departments and for disposal. We appeal for them as your donation to us…

I stumbled across a new resource recently that caught my attention: FDLiveIn.com.

The concept of fire station live-ins or bunk-ins, depending on what you call them, has been around for quite some time and with quite a bit of success. Different departments run their programs in different ways but the common theme is that the firefighter lives in the fire station “rent-free” in return for volunteer…

Notes from a Rookie Firefighter...Yes it's still February 5, 2011

I just got an exciting offer from an online publication to write a regular column for them - it would be taking Notes from a Rookie Firefighter to a whole new level. Have to ask my Chief! OMG what if I get writer's block?

PS Imagine if I could really write what I wanted to. LOL