Live Burn Like it Love it Do it

Fear is starting to creep into the fire service thanks to my favorite people (Lawyers and Judges) but guys press on. In the absence of a money tree most departments can not find training that would match live fire training. There are so many advantages to be gained by continuing to train hands on like this , the biggest being that fires are not coming as much as they had in the past and so the only experiences and familiarity we can get come from this training. I hear the various excuses spewing forth but you are just afraid. Burn with the people who know NFPA 1403 and follow it, this greatly reduces the hazards for real. Set fires that will train others for fire behaviour and intensity, smoke travel, rollovers etc. There is a great group of guys in the Carolinas that are continuing to provide the best of the best firefighter survival training, check it out at Gaston College. These guys are committed to the truth of the toughness needed and the reality of heat and smoke in training applications. New guys can do no better than to search out live burn training if the ladies in their department will not deliver it, be safe and have a great shift!

Your Brother's Back

Do you have your brother's back? Do you train like it matters? Do you tell him when he does wrong and encourage him to do right? Do you just wallow in the years you have been on and tell yourself that is what makes you great? Did you spend any time today at your firehouse actually caring about your brothers? Do you learn new things and play like your on a team?

It is time to give your brother a break and have his back! You know cover his every move like it is your own, be honest with him, train hard so you can rescue him if necessary!

And if you were thinking you put your pants on differently than him today, put them back on and remember you are no better than him!

City hall will never care about you so get over it and do something that matters, have your brother's back like it matters, IT DOES!

Do all the little things right, be detailed, train hard, train alot, be READY for HELL!

Gas Yes Gas

The price of gas went up,I'm sure the firefighting community felt it the hardest since as usual all the fearless leaders of the communities said it will be alright we will just make up for the shortfall by taking it out of the fire department budget, I mean after all thats the budget with all the FAT to trim in every city, nationwide. Here in the fire service we are always trying to figure out what to do with our surplus, and it is a struggle when your looking at a five trying to make it a twenty.

Community leaders it is time to find someone new to cut to shreds, and while your at it go to school and learn about the people you have in your fire department and what a fire department does. Federal government, NIMS is sure nice now how about you tell the local governments they will support the fire service or be fined each day like if there was a sewer leak!

Okay ,just a few short reminders for all of us. It is summer, do not forget to drink plenty and watch your self. The construction of homes is very poor and built to kill us quick so watch your back and your brothers too. Resources and people are stretched and short on energy from the three jobs we all work so call for help early,early,early. When your officer tells you to do something do it right then! If something doesn't seem right to you, get out! Have a great week !

The Big One

The tone has dropped and the report is not good, big building,old building and flames are showing through the roof. The first company arrives and confirms it is going to be a firefight and they go to work. The old engineer drags hose to the hydrant and get the advancing crew some good water as he looks at the scene thinking ahead to multiple lines and the need for more water. A Chief arrives and calls for more help and then meets the crew coming out of an active fire attack to say that it is well beyond them and it is big water time.

Now there are a bunch of firefighters arriving, hoses are being laid and up goes the ladder to get at the fires deepest core. More Chiefs arrive and the plan is getting an evaluation as firefighters start to relay what else is needed. After awhile the fire seems to be beat back by the toughest ones we have to put on it. A crew of six goes in to pull ceiling an see if we got and as they get close someone reports that the roof is moving and you realize that even with radio communications at an all time low they must get out now! I rush to the top of a staircase and beat on the floor until they come out. Now everyone is out and we pour the coal to the masterstreams out front until we see no more fire. Good communications even without the radios in a timely manner can be life savers, we all went home!

Firefighter Rescues and Rescue

There was a time when ,here in the small city, we barely thought about any of us needing rescue. I think mainly we figured we were tough enough to get out every time even though we knew that we could be wrong! Now that we know better why will the Chiefs not iron out their differences for the good of the firefighters? It is obvious in the training that they do not come to that there is great need for manpower in these situations, yet what we observe is that they are still struggling with the concept of incident command. Firefighter rescues will be for sure the worst moments for us all and there are legal repercussions for commanders unwilling to change, ie: Manlius,NY.

Rescues have to happen quickly and with all your experience brought to bear upon what is happening. They require a thing called automatic aid each and every time so that the people we protect go home and we go home.

Rescues require great communications between those attempting the rescue and command, not just a frantic rush and high pitched radio traffic, although undoubtedly there will be some!

Any rescue will require resources you do not always use, because it is a rare event!

Keep on Running

I was pulling on my hood and zipping my coat up when we turned the corner and saw smoke showing from most of the front of the house. I came out the truck door determined to get that line before my captain did, why, because I just want to be first in. I pull and drag and it seems like forever but I get the line ready to go. My Chief is there beside me at the door and my captain is not ready to go, I look inside and the smoke is down close to the floor and I can see where this fire is. I want to put this fire out so I tell the Chief I think I can just go inside a few feet and put this one out, he says go for it. I am in the door before I realize it and putting out fire wherever I can find it. The captain finally catches up and we continue to push through the rest of the house, searching for fire. We come upon a large dog and my captain rescues this dog only to reach the front porch and have the dog crap all over him. Back into the house we go to get some overhaul done because it is just us for the most part. We get it done and catch a drink of water. Our driver takes us back to the station and then the captain realizes we ran over his prescription glasses at the scene, bad day for the probies.

This is a short story from when I was starting out and I remembered to keep a good attitude and keep on running because you have to be determined to persevere in this business. Be good and stay safe, BuckleUp!

The KISS Method

Where have all the get it done leaders gone? Why does everything these days have to be complicated and frankly unbelievable when your talking leadership? I hear all this talk in our service from the leaders and even on the national level it seems like all the big red tape lovers are in charge. Those of you in power, wake up and do something meaningful for the the fire service, TODAY!

Just unbelieveable but again as I have said before , thank GOD there are still firefighters out there that get the job done without the all the bull crap. The keep it simple stupid method needs to rise again.

Everyone be careful,watch your brothers back,make sure Mr.Obvious is close by and call for enough people to get the job done right. Love your family and the family and last but not least, put your gear on every time even if it seems like it won't be much!