Featured Blog Posts (1,722)

Cement Trucks for Water Transport?

Firefighter Nation users now have access to special Web-only articles and extras through FireRescue magazine's blog. Check back periodically for more great tips and tactics!

Haulin’ Water: Cement trucks are another option for transporting water

Story & Photos by Jeff Riechmann

Many fire departments use a variety of unique vehicles to haul water to support tanker shuttle operations. For volunteer fire departments, these vehicles often… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on March 9, 2009 at 2:00pm — 11 Comments

Brittle Towers

Last April the Institute of Medicine released Retooling for an Aging America: Building the Health Care Workforce. This report points out that there are not enough specialists in geriatric medicine.

There is insufficient training, the specialists that do exist are underpaid and Medicare fails to reimburse for the team care that many elderly patients need. This will affect the 78 million… Continue

Added by Mike Ward on March 5, 2009 at 4:30pm — No Comments

Notes from a Rookie Firefighter

Notes from a Rookie Firefighter...March 5, 2009

Today I took the train to NYC to meet a recruiter about an advertising job. I was on the Midtown Direct from Morris Plains, and while I was waiting in the station room I looked at all the unhappy 7:00 a.m. faces. I thought to myself if I get a job (besides working for RE/MAX of course), I swear I am going to be happy waiting for that train. I am thankful for the interviews I have coming up, and I thought that I will finally find the job… Continue

Added by Denise Imperiale on March 5, 2009 at 8:22pm — 1 Comment

Interpretation - Of Standards and Symphonies

From my blog at The Kitchen Table

http://thekitchentable.firerescue1.com/

A symphony orchestra spends a lot of practice time on their musical pieces before they perform in concert.

There is a lesson in that for fire-rescue departments. The time that we - the “orchestra” - spends with our “instruments” and in practicing with each other, the better the "concert" will sound to our audience. Most of us realize how important training on both individual and team skills,… Continue

Added by Ben Waller on March 5, 2009 at 9:00pm — No Comments

Give & Take - Now more than ever, we must work together toward the acceptance of an automatic aid system

As a young, aspiring firefighter, I admittedly avoided the political aspects of the fire service. Call me naïve, but I assumed politics had nothing to do with the more beloved aspects of the job—deploying hose lines, throwing ladders and ventilating roofs—so therefore it wasn’t important.

Today, as a more “seasoned” student of the profession, I understand that nothing could be further from the truth. Our tactics, our safety and the resources we employ in every aspect of our jobs are… Continue

Added by Timothy Sendelbach on March 6, 2009 at 5:00am — 7 Comments

NYC & Portland Make Public Safety Education Work

The idea of having a central location for learning isn’t new. We call them schools. But what about a school that teaches… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on March 5, 2009 at 12:00pm — No Comments

Faced with Cuts? Layoffs? Let Firefighter Close Calls Know

The following is posted on behalf of FirefighterCloseCalls.com, an advocacy site for firefighter safety.

FIRE DEPARTMENT BUDGETS CUTS?

STAFFING CUTS?

BROWN OUTS?

LAYOFFS?

Please tell us about it....

FirefighterCloseCalls.com is compiling information on fire department cuts during these tough economic times.

Your information and who you are remains anonymous. We don't care who you are or what your e-mail address is, if you see any… Continue

Added by Firefighter Nation WebChief on March 2, 2009 at 11:00pm — No Comments

Productivity......We TRY!

Well. lets hope some of you can relate to this. Others can ignore this and the rest of you can roll your eyes or twittle your thumbs if you wish.

I guess I might have learned something over a couple of years?( maybe.) When you go to practice or are at the station killing alittle time, BE PRODUCTIVE.

Anything that falls within the relms of your duties as a ff at the station. Wash the engines, pic up the floor, tidy(yes i said tidy) the club room( for us dingers)… Continue

Added by METALHEAD on March 2, 2009 at 5:30pm — 4 Comments

The Continuing Chronicles of the FNG (irl): Search and Resc…Get OFF Me!!!

Finally, a new drill in a sea of same-old, same-old. When our training officer isn’t feeling “inspired”, our drills tend to run to…take the trucks out, tap a couple of hydrants, do the inspections, run the equipment, wash the rigs and call it a night.

There’s nothing wrong with that, per se, it’s just that when you’ve done that three or four drills in a row, you’d almost rather have a cleaning drill (and I always end up doing the bathrooms on those… Continue

Added by Mary Ellen Shea on March 4, 2009 at 11:09pm — 16 Comments

The Continuing Chronicles of the FNG(irl): OSHA.....does NOT have to be boring....No....Seriously!!!

It's that time of year.....

We had our multi-company OSHA eight-hour refresher training on Saturday. I can think of roughly ten millionnnnnnnn things I would rather be doing ( and cleaning out my sock drawer ranks right up there) instead of sitting through another eight hour session of “gotta do it, so shut up and suck it up” OSHA info. This has only been my second OSHA refresher, so I can't speak to how boring they normally are, but if last year's day-long exercise in water-board… Continue

Added by Mary Ellen Shea on March 5, 2009 at 11:57pm — 9 Comments

Notes from a Rookie Firefighter

Notes from a Rookie Firefighter...March 1, 2009

Today is my daughter's birthday. When you turn 18 you should be thinking of boys, of driving, the senior prom, etc. I planted the seed yesterday and today telling her you will do those things but maybe just a little later, keep the faith. Teenagers just roll their eyes when you talk about faith.

Tonight I taught my 9th grade CCD class at Assumption Parish. I told them the story of what was happening with my daughter, and how… Continue

Added by Denise Imperiale on March 1, 2009 at 9:56pm — 1 Comment

You Make the Call - C-Spine Precautions

Let's place a game of You make the call...

You can comment here and/or read other comments at my home blog, linkable from my profile page.

This call was one of the ones I look back on as a perfect example of why a blanket C-Spine protocol is never a good idea. Paramedics need the training and authority to "clear" C-Spine in the field based on proven assessment techniques.

I'm assigned to an ALS ambulance dispatched to a PD eval late on a Saturday night to a… Continue

Added by the Happy Medic on February 28, 2009 at 4:24pm — 8 Comments

IAFC Issues Fire/EMS Survival Alert

2009 isn’t starting out on a positive trend as far as firefighter LODDs go. Accordingly, the IAFC yesterday issued a Fire/EMS Survival Alert to its members. The goal: get departments to redouble their efforts to prevent firefighter injuries and deaths by reviewing and establishing safe practices for driving, MVAs, health and fitness and more.

The alert noted that so far in 2009, just some fire/EMS LODDs include:

• Several firefighter LODDs due to medical emergencies

•… Continue

Added by Shannon Pieper, FireRescue Magazine on February 28, 2009 at 6:49pm — 2 Comments

Something To Think About....

Since arriving to Iraq I have managed to learn this:

1. FireFighters are like what we call Battle Buddies, They're always there to save your a** when s*** gets HOT!

2. The Beach is OVER RATED!!! * Just a thought, Live at the beach for 12 months or more turn up the heat a few notches, and then SUBTRACT the OCEAN.... see what I mean??

3. Car Alarms can mess with your mind, since being here the same sound your car makes when someone is messing with it, that exact… Continue

Added by Southern Chick on July 26, 2009 at 7:00pm — 7 Comments

Are Your Ears Burning? - PPE advances aren’t to blame for poor risk assessment & decision-making

Over the last 25 years, protective clothing manufacturers have made great strides in designing a safer, more effective protective ensemble. In years past, firefighters were provided with nothing more than a raincoat, tin helmet, rubber boots and fireball gloves (made of plastic, no less). Today, most firefighters throughout the country are provided with a fully encapsulating ensemble that incorporates technological advancements in thermal protection, breathability, chemical resistance and… Continue

Added by Timothy Sendelbach on February 28, 2009 at 8:17pm — 9 Comments

Risk a lot to Save alot??

You are on a first-in engine and see that flames are showing on the second floor of a frame structure. Everyone is out except one member of the family. As you lead out and lead a line inside you find the missing occupant passed out at the top of the stairs.

What do you do?? Do you and your partner ditch the line and drag the patient out at least to the front lawn or do you notify command and have them send the first truck company in to get the occupant??

Added by Chris on March 1, 2009 at 4:16pm — 6 Comments

3407

From www.tigerschmittendorf.com:

Continental Flight 3407 crashed into a home in Clarence Center, NY around 10:20pm on Thursday-February 12, 2009 - killing 50 people and changing the lives of thousands more, including mine.

I responded in the first wave of emergency services personnel sent to help restore order to the chaos that the crash created.

Frankly, I’m not ready to write about this experience… Continue

Added by Tiger Schmittendorf on February 25, 2009 at 2:30pm — 4 Comments

Life as a small town volunteer #5

So just a couple of things that have happened to me recently. I was finally able to get into an EMT-Basic class and tonight was the start of the third week. I have been waiting for this class for a year and a half. I am hoping that I am able to learn all that I need in class. The lady that is teaching the class isn’t the best teacher in the world. She tends to skip words that are too long or too hard to say. Then there are some people that are in the class that insist on bringing their three… Continue

Added by Gordon "Gopher" Runer on February 25, 2009 at 1:32am — No Comments

More on Mobile Home Fires: Quick tips for firefighter safety

Earlier this week, I posted some comments from FireRescue magazine's Fire Attack columnist, Greg Jakubowski, on mobile home fires, since they're certainly on our minds following the double-LODD in West Virginia.

I wanted to add a bit more from Greg's fellow Fire Attack columnists, Mike Kirby and Tom Lakamp. They provided the following safety tips:

• Mobile home fires present… Continue

Added by Shannon Pieper, FireRescue Magazine on February 24, 2009 at 7:19pm — 9 Comments

Near-Miss Reporting System & Common Voices Receive Sarbanes Award

CFSI Press Release (Feb. 20)--The Congressional Fire Services Institute and the NFFF just announced their choices for the Senator Paul S. Sarbanes Fire Service Safety Leadership Award: the International Association of Fire Chiefs for its Fire Fighter Near-Miss Reporting System and Common Voices for its advocacy efforts around fire… Continue

Added by Shannon Pieper, FireRescue Magazine on February 20, 2009 at 2:00pm — No Comments