Fire Rescue Magazine's Blog (463)

Ganging Up: To deliver effective flow from a fill site, you may need to join several portable pumps together

RURAL FIRE COMMAND

Ganging Up

To deliver effective flow from a fill site, you may need to join several portable pumps together

By Patrick Pauly

I had the opportunity recently to review pictures from several rural fires in which portable pumps were… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on June 11, 2010 at 11:30am — 3 Comments

What Happens Online…Goes Everywhere

What Happens Online…Goes Everywhere

Be conscious of what you post online as it may affect your career

By Scott Cook

I’ve written about this before, but it’s becoming a bigger issue. In fact, you’ll recall that around Feb. 11, Firefighter Jason Brown from Colleton County (S.C.) Fire-Rescue was fired for something he posted on his personal Facebook page. According to Brown’s termination letter, he was fired for…

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Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on June 11, 2010 at 8:00am — 3 Comments

Rescue Report: Woman Crashes Car into LA Flood Channel

By Tom Vines

Los Angeles-area rescuers arrived on scene to find a station-wagon down about 10 feet in a flood channel with high vertical walls but, fortunately, no flowing water. After a quick assessment, paramedics applied spinal…

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Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on June 9, 2010 at 4:30am — No Comments

Why Thinking Inside the Box Keeps Us Safe -- & When It's OK to Think Outside the Box

What’s Good About the Box?

Before thinking “outside the box” related to a new tactic, strategy or piece of equipment, we must first test the theory against 6 fire service principles

By Jim Baird…

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Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on June 8, 2010 at 8:30am — 1 Comment

Cultivating Leaders: How to encourage the development of well-rounded leaders in our department

By Chief Jeffrey D. Johnson, EFO, CFO, MIFireE

From the June 2010 issue of FireRescue magazine

Leadership development” has to be one of the three most common topics on any fire service conference program. Although that’s appropriate, I wonder if our leadership programs back home are intentional and integrated into the daily work of our organizations?

As chief officers, one… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on June 5, 2010 at 8:30am — No Comments

In Search of Restitution: 9/11 responders look to litigation, medical monitoring, legislation

FireRescue magazine's Technical Rescue Web column

In Search of Restitution: 9/11 responders look to litigation, medical monitoring, legislation

By Harold Schapelhouman

Recently, someone from the news media contacted me to see if I was involved with litigation surrounding the 2001 World Trade Center (WTC) response. Like many responders, I had been approached by a group of attorneys who were… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on June 2, 2010 at 8:30am — No Comments

Popping Doors: Tips for removing doors during extrication incidents

QUICK DRILLS

Popping Doors: Tips for removing doors during extrication incidents

By Homer Robertson

Extrication has made some huge strides since the introduction of the Jaws of Life to the fire service in the 1970s. The types of vehicles we encounter are constantly changing; in turn, we must keep up with the changes.

Most fire departments today perform a huge range of tasks,… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on June 2, 2010 at 8:00am — 1 Comment

Reinventing Fire Prevention: Creative ways to enhance efficiency are welcome, but we can’t take it too far

Reinventing Fire Prevention

Creative ways to enhance efficiency are welcome, but we can’t take it too far

By Jim Crawford

The current economic crisis has put a great deal of pressure on local governments to stop doing business as usual. Costs of doing that business continue to rise, when most government revenues are shrinking. As a result, we’ve been challenged to reinvent ourselves. How do we balance the fact that we can only do so much with… Continue

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

Recalling One of America's Worst Tragedies: The Beverly Hills Supper Club Fire

One of America’s Worst Tragedies: The Beverly Hills Supper Club Fire

By FireRescue magazine editor-in-chief Tim Sendelbach

On the night of May 28, 1977, the Beverly Hills Supper Club in Southgate, Ky., was the scene of one of the worst nightclub fires in U.S. history. Today marks the 33rd anniversary of that tragedy. Here, we look back at the incident and pay tribute to the firefighters who bravely battled the flames and pulled victims from the burning…

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Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on May 28, 2010 at 9:00am — No Comments

Safe on the Shore: Performing a shore-based water-rescue operation

Safe on the Shore

What you need to know to successfully perform a shore-based water-rescue operation

By Andy Speier

Consider this scenario: You’re the battalion chief on duty during a summer afternoon, and you’re dispatched to a call involving a “car in the river with possible victim trapped.” As is most often the case, the address is vague; all you know is… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on May 27, 2010 at 7:50pm — 1 Comment

But Wait, There’s More! The Ginsu phenomenon & the fire service

By Chief Jeffrey D. Johnson, EFO, CFO, MIFireE

From the May 2010 issue of FireRescue magazine

If you’ve ever watched TV, you’ve likely seen a commercial that sounds something like this:

“For three easy payments of $29.95, this limited edition set of elevator music greatest hits can be yours. But wait, there’s more! If you call in the next… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on May 27, 2010 at 12:34pm — No Comments

Learn the Hand Method for Rope Rescues

In Good Hands: The Hand Method is a way to estimate weight & force applied to anchors during rope rescues

Story & Photos by William Burns

The rescue company has just rigged the anchors for a rope-rescue pick-off. As the rescue safety officer, you ask yourself a series of questions about the anchor system: How much weight can the anchor points hold? How much weight will be applied to the various… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on May 26, 2010 at 8:30am — No Comments

Firefighters Get Creative to Rescue Teen Trapped in Tree

A call to the 911 Center in Concord, N.H., reported that there was a male stranded in a tree.

Two Rochester firefighters donned dry suits to prepare for a rescue.…

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Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on May 25, 2010 at 8:00pm — 1 Comment

Steps for Creating an Appropriate Action Plan for Any Incident

How to Develop an Appropriate Action Plan

The acronym COST will help you remember the steps for creating a suitable action plan that gets the job done

By Dan Pfannenstiel…

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Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on May 21, 2010 at 8:00am — No Comments

Hosebed Design: How Low Can You Go?

Inside the Apparatus Industry

How Low Can You Go?

Story & Photos by Bob Vaccaro

E-One…

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Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on May 19, 2010 at 11:30am — 3 Comments

Canines to the Rescue, Part 2

Canines to the Rescue, Part 2

Requirements for fielding K-9 teams in the fire & rescue services

By Brett Martinez

Note: This article is the second in a series of articles on canines in the fire and rescue services. Be sure to read Part 1, "Canines in…

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Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on May 17, 2010 at 9:00am — No Comments

“OOOHHHH, Look, Something Shiny!”

“OOOHHHH, Look, Something Shiny!”

Don’t let the excitement of a new apparatus overwhelm your good judgment

By Scott Cook

It happens a lot. You’ve just purchased a new apparatus, and it’s ready for delivery. Hopefully, you’ll be doing a final inspection at the factory, but you may be doing it at the station when the vehicle is delivered. It all depends on who you bought it from and what you negotiated up front.

In…

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Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on May 14, 2010 at 8:00am — 2 Comments