Ever wonder why occupancies with revolving doors have outward swinging doors to the left and/or right of them? Ever wonder why exit lights stay illuminated in movie theaters? Why exits at restaurants and places of public assembly (to name a few) swing outward? Or why your child’s elementary school is restricted from decorating the hallways with colorful artwork? The answer in part - Cocoanut Grove, November 28,… Continue

Today, (November 21, 2010) marks thirty

years since the deadly fire at the MGM Grandin Las Vegas, Nevada. The fire claimed a total of eighty-seven lives and stands today as the second deadliest hotel fire in US history (second only to The Winecoff Hotel Fire in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1946… Continue

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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5 years later, Chief Page’s influence lives on



Over the course of a lifetime, each us will experience events or meet certain individuals that leave an indelible mark in our memory—a lasting impression that changes our lives. In some cases, the memories of these events and/or people bring about great sadness; for others, they become influential experiences that set the course of their careers.



For me, that event occurred on May 28, 1977. It was a warm summer evening… Continue

Departmental excellence comes from a proven action plan, not a high-stakes bet



A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to participate in a site visit of a department applying for re-accreditation. As a long-term student of the fire service, I’ve always found value in visiting other departments and learning how they operate and seeing what tools and techniques they’ve tried and/or rejected. I’m always amazed by the creative minds and innovative methodologies that make our… Continue

Your credibility should come from performance, not a battle-scarred image



A few years ago, I had the pleasure of traveling overseas to visit the Fire Service College at Moreton-in-Marsh in Gloucestershire, England, as a participant of a United States/United Kingdom exchange program. In its 40-year history, the Fire Service College has established itself as one of the leading fire service academies in the world.



The size and complexity of the facility is absolutely… Continue

From the fireground to the budget review, it’s not always about who wins or loses



“Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.” —John Wooden



Very early on in my fire service career, I was given the advice to become a student of leadership, to read everything I could about the character traits of effective leaders. I’ve tried my best to heed this advice and I’ve spent many hours reading about distinguished leaders… Continue

After receiving a phone call from a friend of mine, I sat in front of the television with absolute amazement. I was shocked by what I saw, but at the same time I was proud. Some called it luck, others called it fate; New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg called it “the Miracle on the Hudson.”



The textbook landing of US Airways Flight 1549 by Captain Chelsey “Sully” Sullenberger was likely the purest demonstration of crew resource management (CRM) ever witnessed.



Nearly 3… Continue

The recent release of the NIOSH Investigation Report #F2007-28 detailing the deaths of a Captain Matt Burton and Engineer Scott Desmond of the Contra Costa County (CA) Fire Protection District is unquestionably a wake-up call for us all. The loss of two experienced firefighters in a structure encompassing less than 1000 square feet is proof that no incident, regardless of size, cannot be taken lightly.



In honor of… Continue

Earlier this year, I was sitting in “balmy” St. Cloud, Minn., (-33 degrees F; now I know why those old men were so grumpy) eating dinner with a few firefighter friends of mine. As the night wore on, we each shared our fire service equivalent of a Minnesota fisherman’s fishing story—cold, longwinded and filled with exaggeration. At some point, one of the instructors spoke of his experience teaching recruits and the reward he felt when they eventually achieved success in the fire… Continue

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

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

The late Edward F. Croker, who served as FDNY chief of department from 1899 to 1911, will forever be remembered for his saying: “I have no ambition in this world but one, and that is to be a fireman.” Chief Croker’s words epitomize the thoughts of many men and women within our ranks and many more who will soon follow.



What drives us to be firefighters is something we may never truly understand. To the ordinary citizen, we are presumed to be a little left of center, a card shy of a… Continue