After last week in Indianapolis has ended and my head has quit spinning one thing keeps coming to mind: the faces of the fire service. There is no doubt that FDIC is an amazing place full of excited firefighters who have traveled from around the globe to learn, laugh, and share with thirty thousand “like […]

As the finishing equipment is placed on the big red twin trucks and let out of the garage, free to begin their journey of service to the community, this is the last time that they will be just like twins.  You  see one engine is destined to serve a older more deprived neighborhood that see’s […]

Good morning from the jumpseat. Waking up this morning and doing my morning ritual of emails, reviewing a set number of sights, and preparing for a day of writing is when I came across this absolutely awesome video posted on Statter911.Com.   It could possible be the best helmet cam footage this jumpseat rider has ever seen.  In this […]

I am truly a self- proclaimed “tweetaholic” and yesterday’s events in Boston confirmed a few things to this jumpseat-riding firefighter; when things go bad, social media can be good.  Since the days of the first AOL chat meeting place and the invention of the different ways we communicate with each other through social media, it […]

One of the most important observation and/or decisions a first arriving officer to a structure fire is the estimate of how long the fire has been burning.  This observation can help make the attack strategies, points of entries, and help predict structural collapse times.  One complication that needs adjusted for is the identification of hoarding […]

Stations and units respond to_________! Why should it make a difference in what type of emergency it is?  Often times in my travels and talks with firefighters from around the world it seems like the answers to this very question depends on the words that are spoken next.  Should it make a difference if it […]

 It is no secret that todays fire services call volume is made up of nearly 80 percent Emergency Medical Runs. This number increases the chance of encountering a Hoarding condition 80 percent more than on a fire call.  Funny thing about this is there can be more danger in entering a hoarded condition in an […]

Hoarder Homes: Piles of Hazards for Firefighters   Free Webcast October 29, 2012 1300 EDT   Fighting fires in hoarded homes is rapidly becoming a familiar occurrence in today’s fire service. While the mission is still the same, the tactics used when fighting these fires need to change to make for a safer environment. This presentation will […]