Featured Blog Posts (1,722)

Notes from a Rookie Firefighter

Notes from a Rookie Firefighter...August 29, 2011

I am writing this from my firehouse - tucked away in a back room working because I can plug into the power since we have a generator here. I am happy that I've been able to ramp up my fire calls during my weekends and time away from NYC. Just haven't had time to blog. ;(

I am a member of the OEM and was called to duty Wednesday night in preparation for Hurricane Irene. I was on standby for the hurricane and…

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Added by Denise Imperiale on August 29, 2011 at 6:00pm — 3 Comments

Roll-Up Door Forcible Entry

We had an opportunity to cut through 12 roll-up doors in a building slated for demolition. The crews had their pick of which methods they wanted to use on the doors they were assigned. Some of the methods we discussed in the safety briefing included the following cuts; triangle, inverted triangle, two-cut rectangle, and the single vertical…

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Added by Paul Hasenmeier on August 27, 2011 at 11:20pm — No Comments

Man-Lift Rescue/Extrication Training

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Added by Paul Hasenmeier on August 22, 2011 at 5:17pm — No Comments

Keeping Extrication Simple in Sandusky (OH)

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Added by Paul Hasenmeier on August 22, 2011 at 3:56pm — No Comments

Size up

Excerpts from pipenozzle.com post on 9/11 in historical context:

9/11 will become a monument. But 9/11 has already become yet another powerful metaphor for the infinite stupidity of human beings, the infinite willingness to destroy. And 9/11 has become yet another metaphor of the infinite capacity of human beings to resist the worst…

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Added by Barry Greer on August 19, 2011 at 7:00pm — No Comments

Handling The Media Monster

I was browsing some topics on this forum, and came across one about how to handle negative newspaper editorials.

I thought, "Wow! A topic I am uniquely qualified to comment on on this forum!"

Okay, okay, I know it was presented as a question a year ago, but it's ALWAYS a relevant topic.

I started writing my response, but it became a HUGE response... so I decided that I would just make it a blog.

Now, to explain why I feel uniquely qualified to comment on the topic: I am the… Continue

Added by Sally on August 19, 2011 at 6:18pm — 1 Comment

Survey Says: Fire Service Going Mobile

If you are reading this article on a mobile device, you’re not alone. In fact, each day more people are using their mobile devices as their primary source of communication. This is just one finding from a recent IAFC survey of mobile-device use among first responders.

Recently, IAFC conducted a survey of members and nonmembers on their current and projected use of mobile devices—specifically smartphones, such as Android, Blackberry and iPhone, and tablets, such as Galaxy and iPad—in… Continue

Added by IAFC on August 17, 2011 at 11:45am — No Comments

The Different Levels of Hazardous Materials Response

The Typing Levels of Hazardous Materials Response Teams (HMRT)

*Adapted form Indiana Hazardous Materials Team Qualification Program

There are generally three types of HMRT's that are categorized by their level of training, expertise, capability and equipment and resources.

HMRT's are generally categorized as Type 1,…

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Added by Shawn on August 9, 2011 at 1:30pm — 2 Comments

Concrete Breaching Tips

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Added by Paul Hasenmeier on August 7, 2011 at 8:41pm — No Comments

Farm Rescue Options

Check out some farm rescue options for the following scenarios

1- Grain tube rescue and Hauling Systems

2- Anhydrous Ammonia Leak Containment

3- Corn Header and Haybine Extrication

http://paulhasenmeier.wordpress.com/2011/08/06/farm-rescue-options/

Pass it on!

Added by Paul Hasenmeier on August 6, 2011 at 8:16pm — No Comments

No Blood Is Thicker

No Blood is Thicker

I was devastated to learn of the death of Captain Jeff Bowen of Asheville, NC's Rescue Company 3. He leaves a wife and three children without a husband and father. Any LODD is a terrible tragedy,…

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Added by Ben Waller on August 6, 2011 at 9:00am — No Comments

James Zadroga 9/11 Bill help

This is a call for help

Many of the 9/11 first responders have developed serious health conditions in the years after the attack. This includes extremely rare early onset of various types of cancer, and they need help overcoming their sickness. These men and women braved unfathomable conditions that threatened their health and safety in the aftermath of tragedy. To strip them of aid in any way is unconscionable, and to do so when there are so…

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Added by Ray J on August 1, 2011 at 8:16am — No Comments

Camden 9-1-1

Excerpt from a vision of a more efficient fire service for Camden, New Jersey and other cash-strapped cities across the nation. The full blog is found at http://www.pipenozzle.com.

Camden 9-1-1. We meet or exceed your fire suppression needs. Sir, I am sorry to hear the fire is now through the roof of your apartment building. Based on that assessment, would you prefer the…

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Added by Barry Greer on July 26, 2011 at 9:30pm — No Comments

Slow the Game Down on Backstep Firefighter

For you baseball fans out there, you may recognize this phrase. Usually it is used in discussion about a player that has been struggling and the team has been working with him to slow the game down, so they are better prepared and better able to react. As with many ideas and practices from Major League sports, there are applications in the fire service. This is another case of us being smart enough to learn from others.

At Backstep Firefighter and The Front Seat, we often use…

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Added by Dave LeBlanc on July 26, 2011 at 8:30pm — No Comments

Post-Incident Rehab and Medical Evaluation

For those of you that subscribe to The Secret List, I am sure that you noticed the loss of yet another brother, 31 years old, that passed away just shortly after leaving the scene of a structure fire. If anyone is keeping track, that makes three or four firefighters who have lost thier lives to heart attacks within hours of clearing a fire scene in the past couple months. Is this heat related, stress related, over exertion, hazardous materials possibly inhaled? Who really Knows? What i am… Continue

Added by Shawn Lee on July 25, 2011 at 11:26pm — 1 Comment

SHARE YOUR STRESS TIPS

Have you ever successfully worked through a serious problem? Maybe you helped someone climb out of depression. Or, did you save the day with a huge departmental budget issue? If so, you should share the knowledge of how you made it over the hump--or helped others to do so.

Most of us desire to make a difference in this world; sharing stress management tips is one way to honor other people.

What’s interesting is that anytime you teach a coping skill, you’ll reinforce that… Continue

Added by Judi Light Hopson on July 24, 2011 at 12:30pm — 5 Comments

Register for EMS Scholarship to Fire-Rescue International

Are you a recently named EMS chief of your department or do you know a recently appointed EMS chief who would benefit from attending Fire-Rescue International 2011? Beginning a new sponsorship of FRI, the EMS Section has announced they will sponsor a new EMS chief to attend FRI 2011 in Atlanta. You must apply by August 8 to be eligible.

To ensure tomorrow's leaders are…

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Added by IAFC on July 22, 2011 at 8:44am — No Comments

Been away for a bit

Man it seems like ages since I've been to FFN. The past 3 months or so I haven't been here to see what's going on or keeping up on what the gang has been doing here. But hopefully I'll be fixing that and rejoining the ranks.

The past few months have brought about many changes. I've been putting in many hours working EMS and just got hired working part time for another EMS service in a neighboring county. While this is good for the paycheck it does put a crimp into the free…

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Added by Station10Capt106 on July 20, 2011 at 12:54pm — No Comments

Are We Missing the Target

For those of you that follow the news and happenings of the fire service, you may have noticed an increase in the number of bailouts reported. Now certainly some of this is a result of the media figuring out that a firefighter bailing out isn’t a normal occurrence, so as one outlet begins reporting it, others follow suit. But it begs the question, why? Why are so many of our brothers bailing out? Have that many incidents occurred where things have gone that wrong?

This year’s Safety… Continue

Added by Dave LeBlanc on July 18, 2011 at 9:04pm — No Comments

Murphy's Law of Firefighting

Excerpt of full blog on 4 July 2011 fatal Weston, Missouri fire and public and media response:

"The Weston fire chief is not God and cannot prevent fireground problems from occurring in the future anymore than she can prevent fires from occurring in the future because of Murphy’s Law of Firefighting. If anything can go wrong on a…

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Added by Barry Greer on July 15, 2011 at 11:02pm — No Comments