Bill Carey's Blog (60)

Little Things That Can Turn A Fireground Sour

Tunnel vision, prejudices, attitude, excessive talking - all can turn a fireground sour.

The battalion chief pulled over just before the entrance of the cull de sac. He had heard the first due engine officer report that the bulk of the fire had been knocked and that they were checking for extension. Heading down the street he notices the driver of Ladder 7 running past him in the opposite direction. The familiar smell of a house fire… Continue

Added by Bill Carey on February 16, 2011 at 7:30am — 2 Comments

Why We Search: Shared Post Courtesy of CMD-FD, on Squatter Resourcefulness

Camden squatters and the resourcefulness and creativity which they have attained.

We are adding to our "Why We Search" page with a very well written post from Gabriel Angemi of the Camden, New Jersey Fire Department and his blog CMD-FD. We thank Gabriel for allowing us to pass along this latest detailed coverage of squatters thriving in… Continue

Added by Bill Carey on February 1, 2011 at 7:32am — No Comments

January on Backstep Firefighter

A monthly review of our popular postings and the editorial cartoon.

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January was an interesting month of issues for Backstep Firefighter as we looked at the vacant, abandoned building searches and hyped-up commentary as well as victim survivability profiling. Dave LeBlanc reminded us that a significant part of our job is search and… Continue

Added by Bill Carey on February 1, 2011 at 7:30am — No Comments

Engine Co. Probie: Where Am I Going?

The new guy was just putting away the last dish when someone yelled "First due box!" He's the last one on board and the engine pulls out just as he closes his door.

Bouncing back and forth in the cab, he buttons up, and tries to slip his arms into his SCBA straps. Forgetting his radio, he slips out of the SCBA and slips the radio on. As he leans against the rig while taking a corner, he notices his hood on the floor of the cab.… Continue

Added by Bill Carey on November 8, 2010 at 7:15am — 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

November Training Prompt: How Is Your Truck Work Defined?

November's training prompt challenges you to look at one important part of truck work: Ladders.

Truck work, or ladder company operations, do not require a ladder company apparatus. Having a 100' aerial or a 75' tower ladder is a great advantage; however many of the key truck work basics do not require the "stick." For some of you, these basics are covered by the firefighter riding across from you (he or she may be the forcible entry… Continue

Added by Bill Carey on November 1, 2010 at 5:19pm — No Comments

Where's The Water? Delays and Reasons Why

A San Francisco apartment fire garnered a lot of attention from the customers about where the water was. Take this misunderstanding and turn it into a list of 'What if..." drills.

An apartment fire in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood became a short video sensation as it captured what appeared to be a delay in getting water onto the seat of the fire. As usual most comments about the firefighting, from civilians and firefighters,… Continue

Added by Bill Carey on October 22, 2010 at 12:15pm — No Comments

A Sarcastically Humorous Guide to Surviving Fire Forums

Cliffs Notes for Fire Forums. They were around long before Dummies.

Note: the following comments and opinions are mine and do not represent the views

of my employers. Or maybe they do. Unless you’re offended, then they

don’t. Either way, I’m thinking I’m not alone on some of these thoughts.…

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Added by Bill Carey on October 7, 2010 at 7:00am — 4 Comments

Nothing Good Happens At 3 A.M.

"Combat Ready" is not a slick ad slogan or an "aggressive" cliche. That call for bells at 0300 may be the only jump you get. How prepared will you be?

This week members of the District of Columbia Fire Department responded to a fire on the fifth floor of the eight-story Sarbin Towers in Northwest. First due companies arrived to find that two occupants had jumped from the fifth floor and others were in the windows. Some occupants had… Continue

Added by Bill Carey on October 2, 2010 at 9:59am — No Comments

Willy And The Firemen

Dave LeBlanc looks at a struggling Massachusetts department and politics.

I think that most of us would agree that as much as it shouldn’t be, politics are an integral part of public safety. Maybe not where the rubber meets the road, but certainly any fire chief today must be able to clearly and articulately state his case and advocate for…

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Added by Bill Carey on August 19, 2010 at 8:43pm — No Comments

August Training Prompt: Top Floor Fire, Truck Duties

Along with a few other changes and updates, we're bringing back the monthly training prompt series. Keeping with the original purpose the idea is to prompt you to respond to the subject and questions provided. What you do next can range from something grand such as a company level drill, to something as simple as looking up the answer in your rookie…

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Added by Bill Carey on August 8, 2010 at 9:30am — No Comments

Are You a Disciplined Fireman?

Dave LeBlanc challenges us to reconsider what discipline means.

Well are you? This doesn’t mean you are well behaved or obey all the rules. In fact let’s explore what it actually means. …

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Added by Bill Carey on June 10, 2010 at 6:00pm — 2 Comments

A Chat with Easy

We interrupt this post to bring you some history.

When you use the phrase 'band of brothers' be especially mindful of who you are talking about, especially this month.

We owe them all our thanks and respect.

"The picture was taken at Greenham Common Airfield in England about 8:30 p.m. on June 5, 1944. My 22nd birthday."…

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Added by Bill Carey on June 6, 2010 at 8:30am — 1 Comment

May Backstep Roundup

Here is a recap of the postings and provocations from Backstep Firefighter for the month of May. Each month we will give you a brief summary of our posts and related subjects.

"Over-estimating Technology"

May was relatively quiet and far as the number of posts, but what… Continue

Added by Bill Carey on June 5, 2010 at 12:00pm — No Comments

But They'll Die as "Valiant Heroes"

A slight observation commentary

Earlier this week some of us were shocked and surprised with the confined space close call in Indiana. Two men were found unconscious at the bottom of a well. Two firefighters went down to rescue and them and became incapacitated as…

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Added by Bill Carey on May 29, 2010 at 8:00pm — 3 Comments

Stick with the Old, Toss the New

This week a new design in SCBA was field tested by firefighters here in the metro-Washington, D.C. area. Its unveiling marks a significant change that can affect firefighter operations and stress. Unfortunately, some people seem to be stuck in "tradition" and much like mammoths caught in the La Brea tar pits, their narrow-mindedness keeps them from seeing the potential that this new tool has.…

A firefighter from Engine Co.25 in Washington, D.C. completes a ladder evolution while wearing MSA's new SCBA. (Mark Brady photo)

A firefighter from Engine Co.25 in Washington, D.C. completes a ladder evolution while wearing MSA's new SCBA. (Mark Brady photo)

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Added by Bill Carey on May 29, 2010 at 8:33am — 2 Comments

First Due Blog Carnival, 2nd Edition

Welcome to the First Due Blog Carnival's second edition, "Influential Fire Reports". We asked you to share what firefighting report made a personal impact on how you operate as a firefighter or fire officer. The response was great and varied between being deeply personal and having a mission. Take…

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Added by Bill Carey on May 23, 2010 at 2:38pm — No Comments

Stories of Survival, DC Firefighters Burn Foundation

There's very little to add to what is presented in these two videos.

Even less to what Joe Morgan, Charlie Shyab and Kenneth Humphries share.

If you care about the man or woman riding across from you, pass them along.

Special thanks to the D.C. Firefighters Burn Foundation.…

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Added by Bill Carey on April 28, 2010 at 7:58am — No Comments

Giving 'Fast Attack' A Bad Name? Houston LODD Differences

In the earlier article, the similarities among the 2009, 2005 and other Houston line of duty deaths were compared using recent department and national reports. This article looks at the differences and the question of whether or not these errors give Houston’s ‘fast attack’ tactic a bad name. The article will also look at the communications in each of the mayday situations.…

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Added by Bill Carey on March 10, 2010 at 5:25am — No Comments

Giving 'Fast Attack' A Bad Name? Houston LODD Similarities

The Texas State Fire Marshal’s Office released their investigative report on the house fire that killed Houston Fire Department Captain James Arthur Harlow, Sr. and Firefighter Damion Jon Hobbs on 12 April 2009. The details of the report reveal a pattern of department errors compounded by the effects of wind on fire behavior. The report reveals individual and collective problems that are not unique to this one fatal… Continue

Added by Bill Carey on March 4, 2010 at 9:00am — 1 Comment