Featured Blog Posts (1,722)

Fire & Ice: Gear for the water/ice rescue

By Andy Speier

The cold-weather months are fast approaching. If your response area includes a body of water that freezes over when the temperature drops, you need to be fully prepared to perform a water/ice-based rescue. Below, I provide information on some of the primary equipment and PPE you’ll need if and when you need to enter the water or break through the ice to save a life.…

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Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on November 6, 2010 at 8:00am — No Comments

Running The Line: Estimating the Stretch

The housewatch wakes you, hitting the intercom yelling "first due box!". At o-dark-thirty did you hear the address? Did it tell you how many lengths you'll need?

Author's Note: Purpose of post is not to specifically critique the actions in any video and/or photographs, but to prompt discussion and illustrate various points. No fireground operation is 100% perfect. - bc

A recent… Continue

Added by Bill Carey on November 4, 2010 at 9:30am — No Comments

Economic challenges offer opportunities to shape the future

NOVEMBER PRESIDENT'S LETTER

Looking Forward: Economic challenges offer opportunities to shape the present & future

By Chief Jack Parow, MA, EFO, CFO, MIFireE

A look at our country’s history of recessions since the Great Depression shows that they are a very natural—though painful—part of the economic cycle. In fact, we’ve lived through… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on November 4, 2010 at 6:30am — No Comments

Firefighters & Back Injuries: The New Study

Study involving San Diego firefighters examines back muscle strength, endurance & flexibility

By Joe Verna, Colin Stowell, Richard Parker, Antonio Duran & John Mayer

For information about exercises to help support back strength, check out "Back for More: Exercises that can help prevent low back pain or injury," by Jeff and Martha Ellis, in the November issue… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on November 3, 2010 at 7:00am — No Comments

Consider your words carefully when demeaning those who speak of "safer firefighters"!

Perception is reality...and a large part of one's perception is based upon their environment... past, present and their expected future.

For example, if you are around positive people the majority of your life then you more than likely will have a bright outlook on things and most who cross your path will consider you to be a smiling optimist. Conversely, if you spend most of your time around people and situations that steep in negativity then you will probably share a life view…

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Added by John Barrett on November 2, 2010 at 8:30pm — 1 Comment

Confined Space Rescue Hierarchy

Confined Space Rescue Hierarchy

By Scott Goodwin, COSS

With all of the recent talk on confined space incidents and what has gone wrong during the rescues it is time to talk about the different types of rescues and the options that are available in a rescue. As a fire officer and confined space rescue technician, you should not be relying on the local fire department to be your rescue team. This is the most common mistake and is also a possible OSHA violation. Secondly, most… Continue

Added by Lt. R. Scott Goodwin on November 2, 2010 at 2:15pm — No Comments

It’s Not Your Grandfather’s Fire: Lightweight construction has fire prevention implications, too

It’s Not Your Grandfather’s Fire

Lightweight construction has fire prevention implications, too

By Jim Crawford

“It’s not your grandfather’s fire.”

That phrase was used by Bob Backstrom of Underwriters Laboratories (UL) to describe the kind of fire produced by modern contents, construction techniques and… Continue

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

What’s the Difference Between Using a Search Rope & a Rope-Assisted Search?

TRUCK COMPANY OPERATIONS

Understand the factors that affect whether you will enter a building to conduct a search—and what type of search you’ll conduct once you’re in

By Michael M. Dugan

Searching a fire building can be an extremely difficult and time-consuming task for any truck company. One of our options to help us in this endeavor—a… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on November 1, 2010 at 6:00am — No Comments

Two down what's next.

Added by Jay Nicholson on October 31, 2010 at 10:20pm — 1 Comment

NIST Study on the Charleston Sofa Super Store Fire

It’s rapidly becoming one of the most studied fires in recent US history, and for good reason. The Sofa Super Store Fire of June 18, 2007 in Charleston, South Carolina claimed the lives of nine firefighters and has left an unending scar on the members of the Charleston Fire Department and

the American fire service. Today, the long awaited…

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Added by Timothy Sendelbach on October 28, 2010 at 11:54pm — No Comments

Battery Donations for Local Fire Departments

For the 23rd consecutive year, the IAFC is partnering with Engerizer on the Change Your Clock, Change Your Battery (CYCCYB) program. Last year, more than 6,200 departments joined in supporting this program. Visit the CYCCYB website to access the many resources available to you your department to…

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Added by IAFC on October 27, 2010 at 4:07pm — No Comments

Texas Firefighters Make Numerous Flood Rescues Resulting from Tropical Storm Hermine

By Tom Vines

As Tropical Storm Hermine moved from the Gulf of Mexico into southern and central Texas in early September, it showed much of its force in wind; however, it soon walloped the area with a massive downpour of rain, making for a long shift for firefighters in Killeen, Texas, located approximately 70 miles north of Austin.

Hermine Hits

The long shift began on Sept. 7 at… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on October 27, 2010 at 5:30am — No Comments

Remembering 6 FDNY Firefighters Killed at Soap Factory Fire 48 Years Ago Today

Today we remember the six FDNY firefighters killed on Oct. 26, 1962—48 years ago today—at the Sefu Soap and Fat Co. Fire in Queens.

• Captain William Russell; Engine 325

• Firefighter James Marino; Engine 325

• Firefighter Richard Andrews; Engine 325

• Firefighter George Zahn; Engine 238

• Firefighter Richard Gifford; Engine 238

• Firefighter Francis Egan; Ladder 115

More than 20 firefighters were working at a four-alarm fire in a soap factory when… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on October 26, 2010 at 12:00am — No Comments

The Predictability of Occupancy Performance and Tactical Patience

By Christopher J. Naum, SPFE

TheCompanyOfficer.com and CommandSafety.com

Today’s incident demands on the fireground are unlike those of the recent past, requiring incident commanders and commanding officers to have increased technical knowledge of building construction with a heightened sensitivity to fire behavior, a focus on…

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Added by Christopher J. Naum, SFPE on October 22, 2010 at 12:39pm — No Comments

Internal & External: Managing fireground risks involves controlling situational factors & human factors

FIREFIGHTING-360

By Billy Schmidt

My last FF-360 column, “Means to an End: Effective communication leads to action,” was the first in a series that addresses the characteristics of effective communication and the barriers that prevent it. Following columns will review areas such… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on October 22, 2010 at 8:00am — No Comments

Back It Up: Dead lifts help strengthen back muscles & prevent back injuries

By Jeff & Martha Ellis

In the July 2007 column “More Power to You,” p. 110, we addressed functional lifts that strengthen your muscles for moderately heavy lifting, such as lifting a ladder from the ground to overhead. There are, however, many situations when we need to lift and move something that weighs considerably more than a ladder, such as extrication power units or fans—not necessarily overhead, but off the… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on October 21, 2010 at 4:00am — No Comments

Good Things Are Happening at E-One These Days

Inside the Apparatus Industry

Story & Photos by Bob Vaccaro

E-One, one of the top five apparatus manufacturers, has weathered the storm surrounding its sale from Federal Signal 2 years ago, and it seems to be doing OK for itself these days. In fact, it’s made some big announcements in the past year. Let’s review.

At FDIC this year, E-One announced its… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on October 20, 2010 at 6:00am — 4 Comments

USAR Team Rescues Victim from Structural Collapse

Northwest Ohio Region #1 Urban Search and Rescue Team performs complex structural collapse rescue

Story & Photos by Paul Hasenmeier

On July 7, 2010, rescuers in Ohio were called to the scene of a significant structural collapse with two victims trapped. The rescuers—who came from volunteer, combination and full-time fire departments, and who had varying levels of experience and… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on October 19, 2010 at 6:00am — 2 Comments

Tips for Mastering Extrication Tactics Involving Wheel Assemblies

Your guide to the terms, equipment & benefits associated with using wheel assemblies to assist with extrication procedures

Story & Photos by Les Baker

Many responders rarely consider using the wheel assembly to assist with extrication procedures. In fact, most only work with wheels if their department’s protocols involve deflating tires during stabilization. Further, many of these… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on October 18, 2010 at 1:30am — 3 Comments

Catastrophic Collapse: Remembering 23rd Street

At 2136 HRS on Oct. 17, units responded to a fire in a four-story structure at 7 E. 22nd St. The location housed an art dealer who reportedly stored highly flammable paint and lacquer in the building’s cellar where the fire originated. All photos courtesy…

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Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on October 17, 2010 at 8:00am — No Comments