When you see this post’s title you may wonder, when would I need to do that.  The scenario is a rare one, however, what if a school bus crash causes significant crumpling of the roof effectively trapping the driver and students that are towards the front of the bus.  Here’s an option for school bus roof removal involving a coordinated effort with firefighters and a heavy wrecker.…

If These Walls Could Talk

How would your department measure up to the Charleston investigation?

By Timothy E. Sendelbach

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the July 2008 issue of FireRescue magazine.

For the last 10 months, I’ve had the…

A few weeks ago Andrew Brassard started a discussion via email about meat grinder rescue.  Below are some pictures and a couple points to ponder on this type of extraction from Brass.  Be sure to check out the Brotherhood Instructors LLC Man-In-Machine Operations class and find more training materials …

Here I am at 68. When I went through the Fire Academy in 1973, we had an old guy (55) waiting to retire who was teaching us knots. He told me," Kid, you're going to wake up and you will be me." He was so right. The time passes very quickly. I just read a book by a retired Chicago cop. I grew up there so it brought back lots of memories. There was one line that really says it all about the fire service: "Those hosers ( FFs?) sit on their butts most of the time, but when they have to do what…

If you haven't seen it yet.  Check out First Due Tackle. Contributions welcome.  What's in your tackle box?

Pass it on!

One of the greatest keys to forcible entry is practice and repetition.  We had a great training tonight with the members of the Berlin Township (OH) FD with my homemade prop that is nearing 800 forces.  This prop has been key to teaching forcible entry techniques over and over, especially on commercial doors.…

Today was finally a bright and sunny day in NJ. Morris Township and Morristown had a Memorial Day service at my town hall. I didn't expect to go to the service but for some reason I decided today I was going to go.

The Ceremonial Officer was J. Robert Tracy, 86 years old, who for 63 years spoke to the masses gathered at the Green. I got to chat with him before the service started at town hall and he told me he could only speak briefly since he had throat cancer. He didn't…

Is your department prepared for the challenges you may face if a school bus loaded with children is involved in a crash.  This past Wednesday a school bus rolled over in Virginia.  It is fortunate that reports are stating all injuries are considered minor.  The picture to the left is from a training scenario a few years back.

What do unstrained passengers go through when a school bus rolls?  Check out the video below for an example.  The video is from a camera mounted on the front…

What are your options when faced with a vehicle roll-over pinning?  What comes to mind first?  Airbags, hydraulic tools, wreckers, jacks, lifting struts, pry bars, wedges?

For this scenario you have a single victim pinned under an overturned vehicle.  What is the safest and fastest option to free the victim?  For the remainder of the discussion we are going to show the use of a jack.  In the picture to the left and video to follow you will see the …

Here’s your scenario:  You get a call for a truck with a high-pitch sound coming from it.  On arrival the truck is a Class B straight truck with hazardous materials placards easily identifiable on your approach.  It’s 80 degrees outside.  You also notice the labeling on the side indicates the vehicle is a medical oxygen service truck.  You also notice a white pressurized gas coming from a vent on the roof of the cargo box.  Some children playing in nearby yards.  Neighbors inform you that…

This is a video of a drill we do. It starts as a VES drill with the firefighter ascending the ladder and then clearing a window. The space is smoked up and the fierfighter enters, starting his search for the door. While he’s searching we throw a rug or piece of plywood ontop of them to demonstrate conditions deteriorating and making them exit fast to the window.

The intent is to force quick recognition to exit and to perform the ladder bail fast. We do this drill after evolutions of…

Hello everyone, when I received an email from Brian M asking how I was since I hadn't blogged, I realized how long it really has been since I did.

I am slowly getting back to being me. The me before all the drama and heartache entered my life in 2007. Looking back, I wouldn't have been able to get through it without knowing I had hundreds of you in my corner, as well as my fire house.

I am still active in the FD and am in charge of our Facebook page and help…

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NBC announced its fall TV schedule and one show in particular that I have been tracking is called Chicago Fire http://www.nbc.com/chicago-fire/. Chicago Fire is being produced by legendary producer Dick Wolf http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0937725/of the Law and Order franchise.

I have meet Mr. Wolf on the lot a couple of times…

Pumpers will tow Rescue Trailers to the scene

(Heavy Rescues to be shut down and sold)

by: Lou Angeli

Wilmington, DE (May 11 2012) -- On January 1, 2011, the lone career Heavy Rescue in the State of Delaware was disbanded by the Wilmington (DE) Fire Department, and 17 jobs eliminated, in an effort…

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The fire chief of my old department has ventured forward with a new mission for the fire service. He is trying out a notion of using fire stations and firefighters as neighborhood health clinics.

The idea is that in some neighborhoods during specific and limited hours citizens can come by their local firehouse and have some simple health checks preformed by a combination of firefighters and volunteer health…

Wilmington's Squad Concept Violates Contract's Minimum Staffing

by: Lou Angeli

Wilmington, DE (May, 7, 2012) -- A court appointed arbitrator has ruled that the City of Wilmington violated its contract with the city's firefighters when the Fire Department introduced the Squad Concept on January 1, 2011. At that time, the Fire Department…

This happened 30 years ago today.(5.5.1982)

Manabu Sato-Tokyo fire department firefighter- dispatched on the scene.

He managed to go to victims on the seventh floor and he protected the victims with his body against fire.

After the victims rode a lifter of an aerial ladder, he let it go.

Because he worried overweight.

So he grabbed another…

R.I.P. Kyle McGetrick

A Fire Fighter passed away in Barnegat today. He wasnt the prototypical Fire Fighter. In fact he was just a young boy, far too young to leave this world. This Fire Fighter wasnt very big in stature, but took the words Courage and Bravery to a whole new level. Today Kyle kissed the face of God when he passed away. He is now an Angel, who will be remembered for not how he passed away, but how he lived. I know the special Fire Fighter section of…

This year marks the 25th anniversary of "Change Your Clock, Change Your Battery" ("CYCCYB") and the International Association of Fire Chiefs is looking for examples of how the program has helped save lives in your community. Your stories will be shared on the 2012 CYCCYB website as a way to demonstrate why its important to have working smoke alarms in residences.