I would first like to say that the use of the following article is not meant to be an armchair quarterback or to be critical of the department involved. However I do feel it can be a learning opportunity for us, to at least review some basics of having a search plan.

Article:

A man died in a blaze after four firefighters failed to spot him during two searches of a burning building, an inquest heard today. Danny Holt, 33, collapsed in his lounge after a chip pan caught fire –…

Here is a quick look at a building that offers more than one considering in regards to construction characteristics. The building in the photos is currently a resale shop. This building has been a tack shop, lawn equipment, sold boats and trailers. If you look hard at the front, it has been added onto.

The right side of the building was the original and the left was…

I once found a baby in the trash. On a beautiful summer morning we were engaged in our normal coffee and BS session when an alarm came in for the engine company. The horn went off. I didn’t pay much attention as I was riding on the ladder truck that day.

The pumper bros rushed out of the kitchen while I continued to eat my breakfast of eggs and green chili. In double company stations there are generally two kinds of trucks, a pumper truck, that’s the one that carries the water and…

by Peggy Sweeney

The Sweeney Alliance

Grieving Behind the Badge program

 …

This is a firefighter or victim rescue company drill that intimidates some, but once you break it down and train, it can be done quickly with just a few firefighters.  The scenario simulates a heavy victim inside the window where rescuers cannot lift the victim out the window.  The high-anchor point with a modified 2:1 provides extra lifting…

At a firefighter survival and rescue training this past Saturday (Ehove Fire Academy), we covered a bunch of the skills every firefighter should have in their memory bank.  This class could no doubt last a week or more.…

Most of you probably read the title of this post and are thinking to yourselves. "What is this lunatic talking about?  We train all the time!" and some of the volunteer firefighters are thinking that the training requirements of your fire department are already harsh enough and are extremely difficult to manage with your family and work.



I agree with you.  The current "training epidemic" that is sweeping the fire service nationwide is not a lack of training, but a lack of relevant,…

I think I finally put it all together….I understand it now.  Call it an epiphany or a moment of clarity, but suddenly it all made sense.  During a recent class the instructor made several references to the standard EGH ethos, “We come first” and “Risk a lot to save a lot”.  As I listened though, I understood that while he spoke of these things, his perspective was different. …

If you have a high rise or respond on mutual aid to a high rise district, do you know if they are marked for floor identification? If so, do you know how they corresspond with the interior labels? High rise buildings are marked differently, if at all. In our area the windows are typically marked with a reflective sticker, one on every fifth floor. Where this gets tricky is when the interior floors are labeled differently.

This high rise has red circle on the corner on the fifth floor…

This week we've got a rippin' 2-story single family dwelling.  Share your strategies, tactics and experience! 

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE VIDEO!

Check out the new interactive tour we are creating at the Fire Museum of Maryland. Children learn about how the paid Baltimore City Fire Department was created and why.

Then the students fight the Clay Street Fire of 1873 on a 77 inch, Smartboard as they role-play as actual firemen from that time period, see the flyer attachment.…

Many of you have taken Firefighter Survival Training.  While it varies from place to place, depending on the instructors, the core information and intent is the same, to prepare firefighters to save themselves when things go wrong.  From bailouts to low profile maneuvers to breathing control, all these things are taught to teach firefighters what to do when things gone wrong and they get…

By Dave Walsh, Chair, DCC Fire Science program

With winter upon us, it’s a good time to review one of the hazards this season brings; the “white ghost.” As we all know, basically only vapors burn; solids must undergo chemical decomposition…

This training idea was sent from David Walsh, Chair of the Fire Science Program at Dutchess Community College in NY.

In this video about an aircraft carrier, note the many parallels between their operation and an FD incident scene operation. The entire video is only about 10 minutes but the stuff that can be related to the FD starts around the 3 min mark (really shows the expansive power of steam).  …

On our return trip from facilitating a converstation at the South Dakota Fire Instructors Conference, Tiger Schmittendorf and I were given a tour of the Pierre Regional Airport FD.  Special thanks to …

This drill is from Lt. Bronner (PTFD). 

Objective:  Water rescue does not stop because of ice.  Lets face it ice is often a thin layer of “hard water” on top of your “regular” body of water.  Water rescue is a year round activity.  Don’t get caught in the trap of we don’t live on Lake _____.  Drive around your jurisdiction and take a…

New contributor reminds you that "the can" is not a door chock.

PWE, PWC, piss can, water can, the can…whatever you want to call it, its’ an essential tool in a firefighters toolbox. Many take the can for granted. Often times, you will see it in the foyer, holding open a door.…

Graphic photo begins to be cool to share. Why?

There's a fine line between using images for news and self-promotion, between documenting an event or making an event into an advertisement. Recently a Associated Press photo is making it's way slowly across Facebook as one of those motivational…

Here is a list of knots to practice during a company drill.

Read on. 

Pass it on!

This drill idea is from Phil Burden in SC.

If your out or on your way back from a run and see a gasoline tanker making a delivery at a filling station, stop and ask the driver if he has any time to review some of the parts of the tanker.…