Posts Categorized: Lessons Learned
Close Call Video: Vehicle’s Airbag Explodes as Firefighters Try to get the Hood Open During July 4th House Fire
Moscow, Idaho firefighters work hard to get a handle on this house fire. The fire apparently started in the garage and spread to the house. At least one vehicle burned as well. As firefighters try to get under the hood to silence the horn, the passenger side airbag explodes.
Read More »
Equations or Effectiveness? Have We Become So Smart We’re Stupid?
How did it come to be this way? Is this truly the future of the fire service, to not fight fires at all? It’s hard to be called out for being wrong when you stand on the side of over-cautiousness with a second helping of safety. And alas that is where the nation’s authors have gone to avoid confrontation, a catch phrase contest on who can be the safest. I have a new catch phrase for you, “Return to Effectiveness”.
Read More »
Bread and Butter Vertical Ventilation Video! (Helmet Cam)
This video from FirefighterNation comes from a 1-story duplex fire in Durhan (NC) Fire Deparment. This great helmet cam video shows many good strategies and tactics being executed. You may also see some "tricks" for tool placement/mounting that may expedite your roof/OV operations.
Read More »
Apartment Fire w/ Rescue… Command Presence and NIMS: An Excellent Visual Aid
Andrew Brassard found this video from an El Camino Apartment fire w/ rescue. It is tremendous teaching aid for Incident Commanders. Really, anyone would learn and appreciate the effort of these guys. Very professional, very efficient. Great job to that FD.
Read More »
Fire Service Culture: New School vs. Old School Firefighting and Simulators
As for learning how to actually extinguish fire, simulators don't seem to be a reasonable trade off. Even after hours of classroom to learn fire behavior, building construction, reading smoke, extinguishing agents, hose and appliances, water streams, and all that other stuff I feel that actual firefighting in the very least a Class B burn building is necessary to effectively teach what it is like to put out a house fire....and I mean a hot and smoky class b burn building with plenty of fire.
Read More »
Call For Submissions: Create a Social Media Policy this month on the First Due Blog Carnival
So here’s your chance. Write out a draft policy on social media/networking for members of your department. Chances are good that most of you don’t already have one in place. Be serious about it as your work might be a catalyst for change, and could help prevent your department from experiencing some of the problems we’ve read about – and will continue to read about. Check our you current disciplinary process to be sure your draft policy is fair and legal.
Read More »
The Eye Opener
A tale from the past...
...I had just become a credentialed paramedic, and was cockier than ever.
It wasn’t long before they removed me from my three-person crew and put me on a truck of my own. I arrived at Medic 19 eager to work, and greeted …
Read More »
The Shot Heard ‘Round The Car
[photopress:aa337c2849.jpg,thumb,pp_image]
Medic One respond to a 45 year old male, shot in the shoulder.
Dispatch Notes:
- This happened a few miles a way. The patient fled the scene and is now located in his vehicle.
- Then the notes updated …
Read More »
Alpine Township, MI Firefighter Uses Emergency Lights in Accused Case of Road Rage. Driver thought the Firefighter was impersonating a Cop
An Alpine Township (Michigan) volunteer firefighter is suspended after using his lights while tailgating another vehicle. The incident is being considered a case of road rage. The driver thought he was impersonating a police officer.
Read More »
Incompetence
Just to give you a feel for how are EMS system works I will give you a little info as we go into these tails from my shift. We have about 30 ALS 911 response ambulances within the agency I work for. We also have a few transfer trucks, and our lieuten…
Read More »
The Beginning
A freshly certified firefighter out of the Broward Fire Academy, I was an eager know-it-all nineteen-year-old kid when I started EMT school. I thought in the back of my head, I’m only doing this so I can fight fire; leave all the medical crap to the …
Read More »
Introduction
This is a crazy job I do. Crazy, but for much different reasons than I assumed it would be. Like many reckless and invincible children, when I was a kid, my mother would provide all of my medical transport. Now I never seriously injured myself or h…
Read More »
Must See Video: Firefighters take out another with a handline at a house fire
Firefighters in Kugluktuk, Nunavut Territory, Canada lose control of their hoseline just long enough to give another firefighter a huge spray of water right to the face. No doubt this had to hurt.
I am just wondering why you would post this on the internet.
Read More »
Lessons Learned: Solid Truck Work Makes for Easy Engine Work
Aggressive tactics and a coordinated effort make a quick stop of a large and challenging fire in a commercial storage building. Solid forcible entry saw work by the Truck Company allowed the Engine Company to access and knockdown the fire which contained it to area of origin.
Read More »
Welcome to the FIRE/EMS Blogs Network
Today is my first full day of being part of the Fire/EMS Blog network. I have a ton of new content coming around the corner. However, I am on vacation. I'll be adding articles on LODD as well as an article, from my first contributor, talking about …
Read More »
Lessons Learned – Tunnel Vision
Ok readers, this new column titled "Lessons Learned" will be my attempt to write about my experiences.
Just to put my experience into perspective, I am a career firefighter with 10 years on the job. My current rank is Lt. (driver) at a station with an En…
Read More »
Firefighter Health and Wellness
Are we giving city hall the right information about the importance of firefighter health
Read More »
LODD Summary: July 2009
In July there were 6 Line Of Duty Deaths:
Thomas Marovich fell during a rappelling training exercise and suffered fatal traumatic injuries. The cause of the accident is under investigation.
Joseph Grace was found unresponsive in the firehouse k…
Read More »
RFB: Charleston 9
It’s already been 2 years since the sofa superstore fire in charleston, sc. I was on duty that night, surfing the web when I caught a headline that (at that time) 2 firefighters were missing at a commercial building fire in charleston. My crew stay…
Read More »
FDIC & Brotherhood
I recently responded to a post on the thinking man’s fire blog “fire(fighter) behavior”. The post primarily discussed the tremendous training opportunities available at the fire department instructors conference (FDIC) and asked what those who at…
Read More »
