Posts Categorized: Firefighting
Be Honest With Yourself
It's okay to be bothered by things that we see every day in Emergency Services... Whether you're an EMT, AEMT, Police Officer, Fireman, or even a Dispatcher who only talks to the people on the scene... You are human we feel emotions... sometimes we can't handle them on our own. Reach out to someone your partner, your co-workers, a friend... or a professional. It's not weakness... it's being brave you're facing your emotion and your fears. Trust me it's better that way.
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Leading Causes of Residential Fire Fatalities: Unintentional/Careless Actions, Smoking
A new USFA topical fire report, Civilian Fire Fatalities in Residential Buildings (2008-2010), examines the characteristics of civilian fire fatalities in residential buildings. Unintentional/careless actions and smoking are the leading causes of these fatal fires.
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While the issue of Electronic Medical Records and physicians seems a little off base for an EMS blog, the reality is that their use and adoption is occuring throughout all levels of healthcare. This includes the prehospital arena and intra…
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UFD: Safety Always is Our Motto
By Deputy Chief Kevin D. Quinn and Deputy Chief Steven Pinch, Union Fire District, South Kingstown, RI
Safety should be a priority for every emergency responder, and at the Union Fire District in South Kingstown, RI, safety is a guiding factor for eve…
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Safety and Health Week 2012
The National Volunteer Fire Council has teamed up with the International Association of Fire Chiefs for the 2012 International Fire/EMS Safety and Health Week. This event brings together the IAFC’s Fire/EMS Safety, Health and Survival Week with the NVF…
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Residential Fire Injures Seven Firefighters: Wind Driven Conditions Suspected
Residential Fire Injures Seven Firefighters: Wind Driven Conditions Suspected. Apparent wind driven condition contributed to rapidly escalating fire conditions resulting in extreme fire behavior during initial fire suppression operations being coordinated at a single family residential dwelling (SFD) fire Friday night February 24th in Riverdale, MD
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San Francisco FD Berkeley Way Double LODD Report Issued: Routine Fire….
This incident appeared from the onset to be a routine “room and contents” fire that the SFFD encounters on a regular basis. As the Companies were performing standard fireground operations, the incident rapidly deteriorated due to a hostile fire event. The failure of a window in the fire room allowed fresh oxygen to enter the room, providing a fire that was deprived of one of the key elements of combustion to rapidly intensify.
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Learn, Learn, Learn!
Colonoscopy - it's not a topic that most people want to talk about, but the truth is that it's a simple procedure that can save your life. In a recent article published by the NVFC, Deputy Chief Kevin Quinn demonstrates the importance of this simple medi…
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Safety a Priority? Never…
When an officer asks for help who has tools to help defend them self asks for help we don't question it for a second. When an EMT or Paramedic who is in a jam with nothing but maybe a heavy object that we'll get cremated for using in defense asks for help we question them. Why are you asking for police? Why do you need help? Are you still moving? Did you stop? Is this really an emergency? Do we need to make this a priority? Lets waste three more minutes making a phone call.. and when they have no answers we may as well do something about it.
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Building-Occupancy Relationships and Firefighting
Knowledge and proficiencies related to building construction are formulative to all strategic, tactical and task level assignments.
Without understanding the building-occupancy relationships and integrating; construction, the compartment, occupancy ris…
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Get FIRE FIT!
The February 13 episode of FIRE FIT on Firehouse Radio looked at heart health, fitness, and nutrition as it relates to firefighters and EMS personnel. Michelle Detwiler of L&T Health and Fitness, a partner of the NVFC, offered practical, simple steps…
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Wind Driven Fires
Wind blowing into the broken window of a room on fire can turn a "routine room and contents fire" into a floor-to-ceiling firestorm.
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EMS Surveillance or Survival?
I know there are probably agencies out there with some real control issues, but the use of technology that monitors your EMS system are not really about employee surveillance. Sometimes this monitoring is actually about your protection, but most often …
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Out of Air Emergency (Last Chance Rescue Filter)
Out of Air Emergency The Last Chance Rescue Filter
You are in a dark, heat, smoke filled room, and you are taking your last breath. You think to yourself “now what?”. Your mind quickly goes to a check list of things to do. During this check li…
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Revisiting Repeat Patient Transports
The High Performance EMS website has been up for a year now and in review of all the topics we have visited, there are two that have stood out in particular both by the number of search terms as well as the number of page views. They are "dynamic syste…
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Virginia ambulance driver, patient killed in collision with cement truck
A medical technician was also injured in the crash.
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Remembering Brackenridge 1991 Floor Collapse and LODD
Remembering Brackenridge 1991 Floor Collapse and LODD
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Buffalo Box 191 North Division & Grosvenor Streets; December 27, 1983
Remembering Buffalo Box 191 North Division & Grosvenor Streets; December 27, 1983
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SAMPLE Your Agency
Judging interest of the EMS community based on searches that end up at this website may not be a fair assessment of the larger group, but interest sure seems to be growing around performance concerns. I don't know if there is any acute cause but a long…
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High-rise fires cause quarter billion dollars of property damage a year
High-rise fires cause quarter billion dollars of property damage a year according to a new NFPA Report.
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UPDATE – Two civilians dead in crash with San Bernardino County medic squad. Car crushed under rig.
Two firefighters hurt in crash.
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SFFD Diamond Heights LODD Safety Violations
State investigators have cited the San Francisco Fire Department for "serious" worker safety violations in the deaths of two firefighters killed battling a Diamond Heights house fire in June
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Have You Been “Departmentally Institutionalized”?
Oh man. Not feelin' it today for some reason. I definitely need a cup of regulah to get me going. Grab yerself some too and have a seat here with me.
Teaching gives someone a unique opportunity that not everyone else in a given field has. …
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A Convergence of Technology for Firefighter Training
Most online training deals with reading text and posting to discussion boards. However, on December 6th, 2011, that is about to change. The Open Fire Academy, International and Firefighter Radio are offering the first class that is both synch…
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Open Fire Academy Starts Affiliate Program Today
We want to get the word out about what we are doing to help better promote training to the fire service. If you are a website or blog publisher, we will pay you to promote the Open Fire Academy, International. Promoting our mission and efforts …
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