The fire service has long advocated cardiovascular training as an essential, life-saving, and job performance-enhancing activity.
Over the years, numerous aspects within the American fire service have dramatically changed so that they have collectively both enhanced fireground operations and steadily degraded the fireground to the detriment of suppression personnel.
Many exercise programs build general physical preparedness, but is being "generally fit" enough to meet the demands of a firefighter's job?
Report writing is an essential part of success in the fire service. For example, using the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) supported by the United States Fire Administration (USFA) and accurately documenting the incident by putting in the correct data will assist you in acquiring funding through grants and other sources.
This article will share an innovative solution to help reduce the number of self-inflicted line-of-duty deaths (LODDs) caused by improper maintenance of our bodies through the slow, lingering death from the "firehouse meal."
Fire departments, large and small, are constantly faced with the question of how to hire the best firefighters.
The fire service lost a good man earlier this year. I wouldn't call him a friend (I didn't have that kind of relationship with him); he was a fellow firefighter with whom I crossed paths at shift change when we worked at the same firehouse.
Tragically, performing the difficult and dangerous work of firefighting often results in scars and sometimes fatal wounds. This is the reality of our profession.
Although fire departments may have varying types and quantities of equipment, operational policies, standard operating procedures, and staffing, all—large and small, volunteer and career—must depend on a water supply to protect their jurisdiction and their customers, who expect a competent and an efficient response when they have emergencies.
Many of us are familiar with the term "the bucket list." Whether it is from general conversations, writings, or the Jack Nicholson/Morgan Freeman movie, the concept is not new.
When I was a line firefighter and officer, I smoked more than three packs of cigarettes a day.
"Never argue with an idiot. He will bring you down to his level and then beat you with experience!" I wish I knew to whom I could attribute this quote.
Today's fireground has changed considerably over the past 25 years.
On December 2, 2010, the International Association of Fire Chiefs and the International Association of Fire Fighters launched an educational campaign called "The Silent Killer" (www.thesilentkiller.net) to emphasize the hazards of occupational exposure to carbon monoxide (CO) and to reduce the known risk factors that can kill or injure firefighters.
Several techniques presented below may help you get the job done more efficiently.
According to the United States Fire Administration (USFA) report "Firefighter Fatalities in the United States in 2010," 87 on-duty firefighters from 31 states lost their lives as the result of 83 fatal incidents that occurred in 2010.
I read Editor in Chief Bobby Halton's "Brown M&M's" (Editor's Opinion, Fire Engineering, July 2011) with great interest.
In the past several columns, we have presented some typical advice that might assist young firefighters in their preparation to effectively and safely operate during hazard-zone operations.
Innovation is the backbone of the fire service. For example, many tactics, although tried and true, are often tweaked on the fly for specific situations.
The Suburban Fire Protection District, Kearny, Nebraska, uses this WEIS FIRE & SAFETY quick attack as a multipurpose unit for wildland and brush response and motor vehicle accidents, says Captain John Sydow.
When minutes matter most—certified to NFPA 1994, Class 2, durable multi-threat suits made with W. L. Gore & Associates' GORE® CHEMPAK® ultra barrier fabric help you respond quicker with enhanced capabilities and reduced heat stress in HOT ZONE environments.
E-ONE was chosen as the manufacturer of the Cullman (AL) Fire Rescue's new aerial truck after a devastating F4 tornado ripped through the city in April.
National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) Chairman Emeritus HAL BRUNO died on November 8 at the age of 83.
With the holiday season approaching, if you have any buildings in your response area with a compactor, there's a good chance you will respond to a fire in one of them.
