Over the last couple of weeks a tremendous amount of blogs have been posted and comments given about a recent speech given at the 2009 FDIC conference. Lt. Ray McCormack from FDNY stood in front of thousands and spoke to the culture war that is raging in our midst. He spoke about a culture of fear vs. a culture of extinguishment. What I gained from his dialogue was the fire service must remember our reason for existence, the people we serve. If the organization whose purpose it is to perform… Continue

I am a huge fan of books about leadership. In fact, I own more then a dozen books on the topic. I especially love the good one liner's that come out of books these books but that really isn't why I'm writing this blog. I'm here today pondering different management/leadership styles company officers use and how those styles fare.



I won't bore you with my version of the different types of leaders that I have encountered, at least not right now. What I want to stress is the importance… Continue

Hey what do you know. I made it. On February 15, 2008 I was promoted to District/Battalioin Chief. I report tommorrow to my new assignment. My district has 130 apartment complexes, 18 nursing homes, approximately 20 high-rises, the city's most exclusive housing edition and the heaviest traffic in town. I'm so friggin excited I can hardly keep my seat.



I've been around long enough to know that when you attempt achieve something that the risk of failure is possible and I've had my… Continue

The last blog I posted a couple of days ago I let everyone know that I was about to participate in a Chief's assessment center. The good news is that I did well in the assessment. The better news is that in a couple of hours I will sit for a final interview with my Chief and the remainder of the Command Staff.



Ofcourse I'm optomistic and excited and nervous all at the same time. I hope I get my bugles.



Thanks to my Nation friends who wished me well and for all of the words… Continue

In a short while I will be leaving the house to participate in an assessment center for District/Battalion Chief for my department. To say I'm excited would be an understatement. I've been working for this for such a long time and today I get to show them I've got what it takes to cut the mustard.



I can't help but think of all the people that have helped me prepare for this test, those that have helped shape my career and the support I've recieved from the guys at the station. It's a… Continue

The other night we made a stucture fire at what we thought was a single story wood frame. Fire was visible from one window on the "D" side of the structure. Moderate smoke was showing around a door that was next to the window. Our Engine layed a line in from the closest hydrant and my rig (Ladder-7), was assigned to ventilation. Since I only had 3 people on the rig, including me, I assigned my driver and firefighter to vent the roof, while I took the PPV fan to the point of entry, which in…

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