All Blog Posts (7,007)

Icy Situation Provides Cautionary Tale for Winter Rescues

Story and Photos by Bob Kolva

When the pager sounded at 1800 HRS, the air temperature was 12 degrees F with a wind chill of -10 degrees F. We were responding to a motor vehicle crash (MVC) on a hill covered with compact snow and ice. A 1980s Caravan packed with young door-to-door salespeople had crossed the center lane, meeting a full-sized Cadillac head on.

With five passengers in the van and one in the Cadillac, there were plenty of potential patients milling…

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Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on January 26, 2011 at 8:00am — No Comments

Tips for Removing a Victim in a Tower Crane

No Rescue Too High

From the January 2011 issue of FireRescue magazine

By Andy Speier

Tower cranes run anywhere from 86 to 262 feet in…

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Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on January 26, 2011 at 6:30am — No Comments

It's What We Do

This was written by Rel LT. John Gariti of the Chicago Fire Department and really hits the nail on the head of the best job in the world. Tell me what you think.

Running into a burning building sounds crazy Watching firefighters disappear into the black smoke sometimes even a vacant building because maybe there could be a homeless person. (It's what we do!)

Cutting a person out of a car that's on fire and then crawling inside of it to extricate someone! Why would anyone?… Continue

Added by paul on January 26, 2011 at 1:34am — No Comments

Losing It...

"Then we have that crazy moment where everything should be working, but it isn't... and we (in the 2 1/2 ton Attack Engine) start to slide downhill - backwards. The OnSpot's didn't engage. We start to slide faster - which gives you that really sick feeling in your stomach. Then the engine starts to swing around, leaving us sliding downhill backwards AND sideways... nose end coming toward the same drop-off..."

Life as I Live It

*Sigh*

I just want to write a little something about what the fire service has done for me lately. Right now i am going through alot of personal strife involving divorce. Yes there are kids involved and it makes it that much harder for me. Lets just say I screwed up things pretty badly with my wife and now i am paying for it. About the only thing that is helping me out is the fire service.

Keeping myself busy working shifts at the stations is helping to not go…

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Added by Lt. Shane Peterson on January 25, 2011 at 4:39pm — 1 Comment

Who’s Telling Your Story? Use compelling "save" stories to build support for funding & enhance public education

Who’s Telling Your Story?

Use compelling "save" stories to build support for funding & enhance public education

By Chief Marc Revere

The primary role of the fire chief is to advocate for his/her agency and the fire service as a whole. A powerful way of orchestrating this is by listening to and retelling the stories of… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on January 25, 2011 at 8:00am — 1 Comment

Pumpers first job

We have had this 2500 LPM pumper operational for less than a month and it finally got a run at a decent job that required a lot of water. It was a massive potato processing shed full of wooden crates and God knows what else. One water source located 200 meters away and a whole lot or rural tankers with crew that don't know how a pumper works. Around us tankers roll as first attack as water can be located few and far between. So we weren't called till around 30 minutes after the job started. We… Continue

Added by Andrew Salinger on January 25, 2011 at 3:21am — 2 Comments

FirefighterNation Contributors Remember Bob Barraclough

Bob Barraclough, chief columnist for Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment magazine and past president of the Fire Apparatus Manufacturers' Association (FAMA), passed away on Friday, January 21.

Barraclough was an icon in the industry and leader in the field of fire apparatus safety. Today, FirefighterNation contributors are remembering the influence Bob had on them. …

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Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on January 24, 2011 at 12:00pm — 1 Comment

Remembering "Sweet Ol' Bob"

FireRescue Publisher Jeff Berend pays tribute to fire service luminary Bob Barraclough

The fire service mourns the passing of Robert Barraclough, 70, who died at his home in Plano, Texas, on Friday, Jan. 21. A renowned expert on fire apparatus, Barraclough often referred to himself as “SOB—Sweet Ol’ Bob,” but he was also an amazing advocate for the fire service and a dear friend to all who knew… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on January 24, 2011 at 12:00pm — No Comments

Safer Grant Awarded

The Canandaigua Fire Department has received a $973,862 SAFER grant to hire Firefighters. We do not know how many firefighters they plan to hire or when they will hire them.

The Messenger Post is reporting that City Council will have to decide if they formally want to accept the grant.

Added by Davin Eshelman on January 24, 2011 at 8:34am — 1 Comment

FDIC

How many people here attend FDIC in Indianapolis???

Added by Tyler Williams on January 23, 2011 at 4:46pm — 2 Comments

Why am I a Jr. Firefighter?

Wow, I can't believe how many people ask me this. In fact, now the teachers are even asking. Some look at me like I am insane, or just plain stupid. I smile and say, "Why do you teach? It was a calling". And it really was.

I live on a pretty busy road. There have been numerous accidents, and me being me, I would always watch the firefighters work on scene. When I was younger, I would climb up a tree and watch them work. I always felt so helpless. A year or two ago, someone died in… Continue

Added by Sarah on January 22, 2011 at 10:56am — 5 Comments

Thoughts on a different and difficult extracation

Looking for someone who is very skilled in

vehicle extraction had a different and difficult one would like some

other opinions on this.

Had a car over a STEEP embankment in between 2 trees. was only able to open doors about 7 in on both sides..had a 3 ft + creek behind the car. The embankment was straight up, we were using a ladder to climb up and down..pt was 350 pounds plus...there was also 6+ Inches of snow on the ground and falling.....we were… Continue

Added by Tyler Williams on January 21, 2011 at 10:37pm — 4 Comments

Storm King Mountain~July 6, 1994

God Bless those firefighters lost on July 6,1994. They gave their lives on Storm King Mountain. 10 men and 4 women. May we never forget!

The nine Prineville Hot Shots:

Kathi Beck, Tami Bickett, Scott Blecha, Levi Brinkley, Doug Dunbar, Terri Hagen, Bonnie Holtby, Rob Johnson, Jon Kelso

The three Smoke Jumpers:

Don Mackey, Roger Roth, James Thrash

The two Helitacks:

Richard Tyler, and Rob Browning

Never…

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Added by Rachel on January 21, 2011 at 8:00pm — 3 Comments

Get Better at Something in 2011: Resources to inspire you to safer & better fireground performance

Get Better at Something in 2011

Resources to inspire you to safer & better fireground performance

By Billy Schmidt

Firefighter safety and performance has been a topic of discussion for years now, but many previous conversations and training were focused on practicing reactionary responses, not elevating the behavior and culture of our… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on January 21, 2011 at 8:00am — No Comments

Firefighter Mark Falkenhan Called Hero By Woman Rescued From Fire; Funeral Arrangements Announced

Evangelyn Code told ABC2 that Lutherville VFC Firefighter Mark…

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Added by Dave Statter on January 20, 2011 at 9:10pm — No Comments

Fire Departments need support.

The time for a collective effort to support a major infrastructure need is way past due. I do not need to tell you many citizens want and demand tax cuts, but in reality they just want more efficient use of their money.…

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Added by Brian Cohen on January 20, 2011 at 2:47pm — No Comments

Have you ever been told your ISO rating could never be improved?

Who is ISO® and why should I care? The Insurance Services Office® (ISO) is an independent company that rates every community in the United States for fire & emergency readiness. The ISO rating is then used to…

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Added by Brian Cohen on January 20, 2011 at 9:59am — 2 Comments

Firefighters Battle Victorian Floods

Fill over 20,000 sandbags, add a few hundred volunteers including local CFA members, a huge dose of community spirit and a whole lot of hard work and you have the township of Warracknabeal pulling together as it prepares to battle the flooding of nearby Yarriambiak Creek.

Tuesday…

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Added by Alison Aprhys on January 19, 2011 at 11:30pm — 3 Comments

Crimson Is Making Headlines

INSIDE THE APPARATUS INDUSTRY

A company that’s both new & old introduced some great products & signed many new contracts in 2010

Story & Photos by Bob Vaccaro

Crimson Fire made quite a splash in 2010, announcing a significant number of orders for major cities around the country.

For those of you new to the fire service, Crimson made… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on January 19, 2011 at 8:00am — No Comments