What Type of Fire Can Be Put Out Safely with Water?

There are five classes of fires, and they are classified according to that fuels them. Extinguishing a fire successfully depends on the fuel. A fire needs fuel, oxygen, and heat. To effectively put out a fire you need to remove one of these elements. Knowing the difference between fires and how to extinguish them is life-saving knowledge.

What are the different types of fires or…

The “dawn of a new day” is supposed to allow us to start fresh from whatever troubles we underwent the day before. Sadly, today that notion holds no water. Whether you live here in South Florida as we do, or you live “off the grid” and you heard the news on amateur radio, today the sunlight is obscured by the ethereal gun smoke that still hangs over our community where this tragedy occurred and that also drifts over our society as another mass shooting occurs.

We will soon…

Please take our poll and let us know if today's public safety and emergency response departments are meeting the needs of its members following the death of one of their own.

When someone we love dies, family members, co-workers and friends are often at a loss as to how to cope with the devastating effects of grief. In the fire service and EMS…

Excerpt post with permission of pipenozzle.com

Yes, Collinwood (1908) and Our Lady of Angels (1958) happened a long time ago, but in May 2012, three teenage boys mimicked a youtube.com video and set fire to hand sanitizer on a desktop in a Woodburn High Schoolcomputer room and tried to put it out with paper…

If you choose to use anger in a positive fashion, it can be the driving force behind saving lives.

For those of us in the emergency response professions, we are always saddened to learn about the line of duty death of a firefighter, EMS person, or police officer especially if they were a member of our department or someone who was a very close friend.

I do not doubt that each one of…

To date, my department has lost FOUR of our own in the Line of Duty/ On-Duty. All of these were killed/died prior to me joining the department. I did have the opportunity to meet the four families of our fallen during our Fallen Firefighter Memorial Service that was held at the end of August. I wrote a short piece on the article…

by: Lou Angeli

TORONTO, ONT (August 29, 2013) -- Earlier this week, Toronto Fire Chief Jim Sales announced that 2 city firefighters had been suspended indefinitely for sexist remarks made about colleagues on Twitter. Believe me, these firefighters made some very nasty comments. 

Toronto's top firefighter said,  'In the public domain it's…

Local newspaper headlines report the sad news of another fallen hero. The tragic death of a brave firefighter who has died in the line of duty. A dedicated professional who sacrificed his or her life that others may live or that homes and property would be saved from the ravages of fire. Most people halfheartedly acknowledge the event while searching for more…

Suicide is a serious topic that we rarely discuss.

Yet, each year thousands of adults and children either attempt or complete suicide to resolve problems or put an end to emotional pain. As a result of their deaths, surviving family members and friends not only grieve but must cope with feelings of guilt and anger as well.

According to the…

Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to chat with a nationally-known fire service legend.  How fortunate for me to be one of the two guys with over seventy combined years in the fire service– just shooting the shit. 

Eventually, the talk turned from how much our management of the emergency scene has changed over the decades our scene management has come over the years- to the importance of situational awareness in general.

Then he reminded me of a well-known story about…

by Peggy Sweeney

The Sweeney Alliance

Grieving Behind the Badge program

 …

At noon on January 25^th, 2011, the creators of the 9/11 Rose Float, recently featured in the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade, passed the “WE WILL NEVER FORGET” torch to the

FireCareers.com-9/11 Patch Project bus.…

REALITY CHECK

Beware the Lowering of the Bar

When standards of conduct begin to slip, the consequences can be far-reaching

By Scott Cook

Last month I wrote about the collision of USS Hartford and USS New Orleans and its relationship to the fire service, specifically in relation to officer responsibilities. You’ll recall…

SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST

Fit for Duty? Company officers must set the example when it comes to physical fitness

Story & Photos by Jeff & Martha Ellis

To tell people to “lead by example” almost sounds cliché these days. The expression can mean different things to different people. But one thing is certain: It does not…

TECHNICAL RESCUE

The Face of Terrorism

The 1916 Mack Bulldog Roars Again

After 39 years, the restoration of Baltimore Fire Department Engine 23 is virtually

complete and on the road again. Stephen Heaver, Sr. and Stephen Heaver, Jr.,

past…