Skip to content

Archives for

See all posts in the network tagged with

In Retrospect…The FireEMSBlogs.com Meetup

View Comments

The FireEMSBlogs.com meetup was a huge success. The event was hosted by Fire Rescue Magazine, Firefighter Nation, and FireEMSBlogs.com. The event was also sponsored by Black Helmet and Black Diamond Boots.

My time at FDIC was a blast. We managed to pack the week full of friends, fun, and work (Firefighter Netcast). The people I have met through this blog, twitter, facebook, etc. will stay with me for a long time. Our occasional chance to meet is always fun!

L-R Chris Kaiser, Art Goodrich, Rhett Fleitz, Justin Schorr, John Mitchell, Tiger Schmittendorf, Chris Hebert, Dave Iannone, Chris Naum, Bill Carey

L-R Chris Kaiser, Art Goodrich, Rhett Fleitz, Tiger Schmittendorf, John Mitchell, Justin Schorr, Chris Hebert, Mike Ward (if you look close between Chris and Dave in the back), Dave Iannone, Chris Naum, Bill Carey

Whether it be through commenting on each others blogs, following each other on twitter, being friends on facebook, or any other of the many social mediums we stay connected. We know when each other are having a bad day, working, having a birthday, or whatever.

There may not be an exact core of the fire/EMS interwebs, but it grows daily. Mostly it is championed by several leaders. And yes, the Fire and the EMS interwebs are connected. The leaders are not self proclaimed or “formal” leaders. They might not even realize they are leaders. However, they have a following and stay connected to others through social media. These leaders have “tribes” or followers and the various tribes are interconnected as well. I would name a few but I would probably leave out many. The point isn’t the leaders, but the followers. Most of the leaders are followers in other tribes and so on… You get the point.

We all have a stake in this and we are all working towards the same goal…connecting.

One way of connecting is by meeting up. One of those meetups was held this past weekend at FDIC.

The night began with a get together for several of the bloggers. Consider it some down time for the guys/gals to network before the crowd arrived.

I had a great time meeting and talking to everyone!

I was honored to be asked to announce the winners of the raffle items. There were Black Helmet Hats, $100 gift certificates to Black Helmet Apparel, Firefighter Monopoly, and a pair of Black Diamond Boots given away.

A lot of thanks from John and myself to Chris, Dave, Bill, Paul, Jeff, Tim, Shannon, Olga, and everyone else!

All in all it was a huge success… I will give the rest via photos of the night!

Here is an overhead shot of the crowd! It was a great time!
Here is an overhead shot of the crowd! It was a great time!
L-R Chris Kaiser, Art Goodrich, Rhett Fleitz, Justin Schorr, John Mitchell, Tiger Schmittendorf, Chris Hebert, Dave Iannone, Chris Naum, Bill Carey
L-R Chris Kaiser, Art Goodrich, Rhett Fleitz, Justin Schorr, John Mitchell, Tiger Schmittendorf, Chris Hebert, Dave Iannone, Chris Naum, Bill Carey

Some guys I met...I told them I wouldn't remember their names but that I would post the picture!!! I am a man of my word!
Some guys I met...I told them I wouldn't remember their names but that I would post the picture!!! I am a man of my word!
The same booth babes from Black Diamond Boots who were hounding me apparently were also into the owner of BD! I knew it was too good to be true!
The same booth babes from Black Diamond Boots who were hounding me apparently were also into the owner of BD! I knew it was too good to be true!

James from Black Helmet Apparel and firefighter Carrie McAtee (not one of Black Helmet's models as we previously posted...but she could be!!!)
James from Black Helmet Apparel and firefighter Carrie McAtee (not one of Black Helmet's models as we previously posted...but she could be!!!)
An anonymous blogger behind Justin Schorr, Chris Kaiser, April Saling, and ?
An anonymous blogger behind Justin Schorr, Chris Kaiser, April Saling, and ?

Rhett Fleitz, Susan (@SusanABI), and Peter Kirk from SaintGobainOneSuit
Rhett Fleitz, Susan (@SusanABI), and Peter Kirk from SaintGobainOneSuit
Mike Ward, John Mitchell, Chris Kaiser, Tiger Schmittendorf, Justin Schorr, and Dave Iannone (in the back)
Mike Ward, John Mitchell, Chris Kaiser, Tiger Schmittendorf, Justin Schorr, and Dave Iannone (in the back)

Here is the fun pic...I was never in drama in high school. Actually I was taking the photo.
Here is the fun pic...I was never in drama in high school. Actually I was taking the photo.
This is the entire crew of bloggers, Fire Rescue Magazine, FireEMSBlogs.com, and more! I will not even attempt to identify everyone.
This is the entire crew of bloggers, Fire Rescue Magazine, FireEMSBlogs.com, and more! I will not even attempt to identify everyone.

Chris Hebert, Tiger Schmittendorf, Art Goodrich, John Mitchell, Bill Carey
Chris Hebert, Tiger Schmittendorf, Art Goodrich, John Mitchell, Bill Carey
Tiger Schmittendorf, Rhett Fleitz (in the back), Shelly Wilcoxon, John Mitchell. Tiger and John are sporting the Black Helmet hats they won!
Tiger Schmittendorf, Rhett Fleitz (in the back), Shelly Wilcoxon, John Mitchell. Tiger and John are sporting the Black Helmet hats they won!


Posted by firecritic on April 30, 2010 • Filed under: Must Read, News • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Firefighter Netcast… Have you heard this? Great Training for the firehouse!

View Comments

If you have not seen it yet, Firefighter Netcast is the home of live radio and podcasts on the internet. We were at FDIC and recorded many great topics with great guests.

The guests include Chris Naum, Billy Goldfeder, Ray Gayk, Tim Sendelbach, Mike Kirby, Scott Shaw, Fred Simon, Tiger Schmittendorf, and Tom Merrill.

The hosts of Firefighter Netcast are John Mitchell of Fire Daily and myself.

Rhett Fleitz, Ray Gayk, Billy Goldfeder, and John Mitchell

Rhett Fleitz, Deputy Chief Ray Gayk, Deputy Chief Billy Goldfeder, and John Mitchell

The training value of some of our podcasts from FDIC are great. Much more is great for conversation.

Take some time to check out our podcasts and listen to our live netcasts in the future!

Here are the links:

Challenges on the Modern Fireground with Tim Sendelbach (Editor in Chief of Fire Rescue Mag), Captain Mike Kirby, and Firefighter Scott Shaw. Mike and Scott work for Cincinnati FD.

Changes in Building Construction and Fire Behavior with Christopher Naum (CommandSafety.com and TheCompanyOfficer.com)

From Blue Shirt to Bugle – The Most Difficult Transition in Your Career with Deputy Chief Billy Goldfeder and Deputy Chief Ray Gayk

Distribution of Photos and Videos Taken by Firefighters at Work with Lawyer/Firefighter Fred Simon (FirstResponderLiability.com)

More coming too! We still have to finalize editing on our discussion with Ron Siarnicki and Cathy Hedrick with NFFF/EGH, discussion with Justin Schorr and Chris Kaiser, and discussion with Tiger Schmittendorf and Tom Merrill.

Once we are completed we will add the links here!

Posted by firecritic on April 29, 2010 • Filed under: Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighting Operations, Must Read, NetCast, News, Podcast, Technology & Communications, Training & Development, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , ,

Show A is online from FDIC. Firefighter Netcast featuring Fred Simon

View Comments

Stay tuned for more coming up this week. John is hard at work editing our audio for Firefighter Netcast. Our first show we recorded at FDIC: Distribution of photos and videos taken by firefighters at work with featured guest Fred Simon (First Responder Liability) is now available for our listeners!

You can go to FirefighterNetcast.com to read more about the episode and listen, or click on the link below to listen to it immediately!

Distribution of photos and videos taken by firefighters at work

There are plenty more podcasts from FDIC which will be posted this week! Stay tuned!

logo

Posted by firecritic on April 27, 2010 • Filed under: News, Podcast • Tagged: , , ,

My Most Influential Fire Report – Kyle Wilson LODD Report

View Comments

This months First Due Blog Carnival is being hosted over at Backstep Firefighter. The call for submissions is for “Influential Fire Reports”…

My most influential fire report is Kyle Wilson’s LODD report

Prince William County (VA) Firefighter Kyle Wilson died in the line of duty at the age of 24 (April 16, 2007). Kyle had been with the department for approximately 1 year.

Kyle’s death resounded across Virginia and the rest of the Nation with a loud “it could happen to you!”. Firefighters are very good at thinking that things will never happen to them. It always happens to someone else. Even though Kyle worked at a department on the other side of the State from me, it seemed as though it happened to my department. It left a resounding wake up call to many firefighters in my area.

In the wake of Kyle’s death, his department and the surrounding departments did something that might change the way we look at LODD’s in the future. Instead of worrying about potential litigation due to errors which might present themselves during research of the events leading to Kyle’s death, they embraced the errors. His department wanted to learn from Kyle’s death, identify the problems, and develop solutions.

kylewilsonThey did not want it to happen again.

The major factors in the line of duty death of Technician I Wilson were determined to be:

• The initial arriving fire suppression force size.
• The size up of fire development and spread.
• The impact of high winds on fire development and spread.
• The large structure size and lightweight construction and materials.
• The rapid intervention and firefighter rescue efforts.
• The incident control and management.

*The text above is from the report fact sheet

Staffing…

I enjoyed talking on this topic with Christopher Naum and my co-host John Mitchell on a recent podcast taped at FDIC. We briefly discussed Kyle’s death and the report following.

It is amazing to me to hear a department actually own up to the fact that they need more staffing in times like these!  Instead of looking at best practices or reports like Kyle Wilson’s LODD report, most departments have decided that the almighty dollar is worth more than our lives or that of the ones we are trying to protect.

Hitting home…

Kyle’s death hits home because it happened close to home.

His death hits home because he was so young and just beginning his career in the fire service.

His death hits home because I know this could happen to any of us, at any time, in any department.

The report…

Prince William County understood early on after Kyle’s death that they had an obligation to find out how and why Kyle died. They created a task force to figure out what went right and what went wrong.

In the end, cooperation with other departments and the diligent work of many other fire service members, a report was created. The report (fact sheet here, the link to the full report is bad on PWC site) is 300+ pages long and very detailed. They spared no expense in doing this report the right way.

The department has began implementing change due to the report. Some of that change was swift, some long term, and yet others will require cultural changes within the department.

The report has influenced my life similarly to other LODD reports….just hit home a little more.

first due blog carnival1a125Just remember… It can happen to you.

I applaud the Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue for their due diligence in creating this report. For the benefit of firefighters everywhere and in honor of Kyle Wilson.

FC Note: You can find the NIOSH report from Kyle’s death here: Career Fire Fighter Dies in Wind Driven Residential Structure Fire – Virginia

I have not been able to find the correct link to the full PWC report on Kyle Wilson.

I have received the files on Kyle Wilson’s LODD report from a reader. I will host them here until I am told otherwise.

Kyle Wilson LODD Report .pdf file (large file)

LODD Report Fact Sheet .pdf file

LODD Report Presentation .pdf file

LODD Report Basic House Model Section 1 – video (.wmv file)

LODD Report Video Section 2 – video (.wmv file)

LODD Report Fire Model Section 3 – video (.wmv file)

This is my submission for the First Due Blog Carnival Episode 2 hosted by Backstep Firefighter. Be sure to check out the First Due Blog Carnival for upcoming issues!

Posted by firecritic on April 27, 2010 • Filed under: Firefighting Operations, Line of Duty, News • Tagged: , , , ,

FDIC in Retrospect…Great Time, Great People, Great Netcasts

View Comments

I managed to attend FDIC this year for the first time. I was there in the official capacity as co-host of Firefighter Netcast along with John Mitchell (FireDaily.com). I was also there representing The Fire Critic and many other projects I am in.

I must state first and foremost…

Tim Sendelbach, Shannon Pieper, and Paul Andrews at the Fire Rescue Magazine Booth

Tim Sendelbach, Shannon Pieper, and Paul Andrews at the Fire Rescue Magazine Booth

A sincere thanks to Fire Rescue Magazine, Firefighter Nation, and FireEMSBlogs.com for sharing their booth with Firefighter Netcast. Special thanks to Dave Iannone, Chris Hebert, Tim Sendelbach, and Jeff Berend as well as the rest of the crews of the aforementioned companies. The hospitality, networking, assistance, and conversation was very much appreciated!

Firefighter Netcast made its debut at FDIC pulling off 2 live netcasts from the show floor as well as around 10 hours of total audio. The first live netcast featured Ray Gayk and Billy Goldfeder and the second with Tiger Schmittendorf and Tom Merrill. We had to scratch on the live netcast with Ron Siarnicki and Cathy Hedrick on Friday, although we did tape the podcast. The netcasts are online and the other audio will be presented as podcasts and should be published on FirefighterNetcast.com once we complete editing this week.

The rundown of the week…

Rhett Fleitz, @Fire_Captain (twitter), Chris Kaiser, Justin Schorr, and John Mitchell

Rhett Fleitz, Jason Quimbly aka @Fire_Captain (twitter), Chris Kaiser, Justin Schorr, and John Mitchell

The hijinx began with John picking me up at the airport…. This guy is like my wife (not always right, but never wrong). We get a long well and it only took a little while for me to piss him off! Then again, and again, and again!

We had lunch with Chris Hebert, Dave Iannone, and Bill Carey and enjoyed the company. These guys are a riot to hang out with unless you get Bill riled up and he starts yelling!

John and I picked Tiger up at the airport where the real fun began. John and I were both meeting him for the first time. If you were in the truck with us, you would think we had known each other for years (years I will continue to try to get back).

Tiger’s wife couldn’t understand how he would just get off a plane and into a vehicle with people he has never met. That is how we are. We wondered the same thing… especially with us! We were going to take him to dinner at Chucky Cheese! That would have sealed the deal!

Rhett Fleitz, Ron Siarnicki, Cathy Hedrick, and John Mitchell

Rhett Fleitz, Ron Siarnicki, Cathy Hedrick, and John Mitchell

We also met up with Fred Simon (FirstResponderLiablility.com). He is a lawyer and a firefighter! Our first show on Thursday was with him and we plan on having more commentary with Fred in the future!

Just to show how well we get along with others… I ended up sharing my room with Fred for two nights. He had intentions of commuting back and forth to Louisville, but I wouldn’t have it. Fred is a great guy and we had a great time hanging out with him!

John and I had a very busy show. As a matter of fact, we were so busy that we only had a little bit of time to get around to many other exhibitors at the show. I never did make it over to the Lucas Oil Stadium to see all of the apparatus. That was a bummer.

Rhett Fleitz (The Fire Critic) poses with the booth babes at Black Diamond Boots!

Rhett Fleitz (The Fire Critic) poses with the booth babes at Black Diamond Boots!

As I said before, I did make it to one spot and these booth babes hounded me to have their picture taken with me! What can I say… The Fire Critic is on the up and up!

Sorry I wasn’t able to get around to taking a ton of photos with the babes…work had to be done.

However, you can check out the following links for more pictures and information on our time at FDIC!

Justin Schorr (The Happy Medic) and Chris Kaiser (Life Under The Lights) met up with us and became part of the entourage that is many of the bloggers, followers, and twitter friends of FireEMSBlogs.com blogs.

Chris McCorkle (BlackJack Holder) and Rhett Fleitz

Chris McCorkle (BlackJack Holder) and Rhett Fleitz

I also got to meet and hang out with Chief Reason Art Goodrich (ChiefReasonArt.com). To me, this guy is somewhat of a Fire Service Legend. He is one of those guys who emboddied the great things about Firehouse.com forums, then a creator (If I am not mistaken) of IACOJ, then on to Firefighter Nation, and finally culminating with his own blog. Art is a GREAT guy! He is opinionated and sticks to his guns. He is very articulate with his comments and his depth of knowledge shines through when he talks. You would think this guy has an entire research team that provides him with a thesis before he opens his mouth… It is that good! Many thanks to Art for snapping a lot of the photos we got at our booth!

The team at Fire Rescue Magazine was very helpful with Firefighter Netcast. I am not sure they understood what it is we were planning on doing, but they seemed to be impressed with our delivery!

Brandon Roark and Rhett Fleitz

Brandon Roark and Rhett Fleitz

I got to meet up with a ton of guys who stopped by to see me and what we were doing as well. Some of these guys I have known through the internet for years. Guys like Brandon Roark (South Bend Indiana), Jason Quimbly (@Fire_Captain on twitter), Robbie and Danny Owens (Henrico Division of Fire, VA), Some guys who know me via VAFireNews.com from Portsmouth, Chris McCorkle of BlackJack Holder, Martin Grube (FireRescueTV.com), David Furtado (The Battalion), and many others.

I was able meet up with Jason Hoevelmann (FirefightersEnemy.com), who presented his class and actually had to turn people away it was so packed. Jason will be a future guest on our show!

Tiger Schmittendorf took John and I to the ISFSI party and I got to meet Dan Shaw and Nick Martin (Traditions Training). We recently had them on Firefighter Netcast and enjoyed meeting them in person!

At the ISFSI party, I got to meet Billy Goldfeder for the first time as well as Christopher Naum (CommandSafety.com and TheCompanyOfficer.com). Chris was a guest of our show on Friday and has been on our show as a caller in the past. I spoke with Doug Cline who will be presenting in my area in September.

The Wild Beaver...Our office in the late night!

The Wild Beaver...Our office in the late night!

Our late evenings were spent at the Wild Beaver. The Wild Beaver is kinda like a Coyote Ugly and was packed with firefighters! Plenty of networking and drinking went on there!

If you are in Indianapolis, the best steaks we had were at St. Elmo’s and Harry and Izzy’s.

Not to worry, if your name doesn’t appear in this post it will in the future. I still have to do a post on the FireEMSBlogs.com meetup! That will be coming soon!

Then we will have several posts up here and at Firefighter Netcast on the netcasting and podcasting that was done! Come back often to check it out! There are also a ton of other photos to share!

Posted by firecritic on April 26, 2010 • Filed under: NetCast, News • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Heading Home From FDIC… The Fire Critic Had a Blast

View Comments

I had a blast at FDIC 2010! I have so many people to thank and so many stories to tell! I met so many friends for the first time and others for a second.

I will be bringing you my FDIC show in retrospect soon!

In the meantime, check out the following live netcasts from Firefighter Netcast. We will have many more podcasts online this week after editing. Stay tuned for that!

(if you have a blog post, pictures, information, or whatever else you would like me to include in the post let me know here or at firecritic@firecritic.com)

The two live netcasts we were able to record (all others were not live on the internet and will be available soon):

  • Live with Billy Goldfeder and Ray Gayk from Thursday talking about the transition from blue shirt to bugle.
  • Live with Tiger Schmittendorf and Tom Merrill from Saturday talking about storytelling and Run To The Curb Kids (link).
  • The live from FDIC on Friday is not available yet.

Unfortunately we had to scratch on our live netcast friday and were unable to offer it to our remote friends. We did record the show live at FDIC though! You will be able to hear it later this week!

Here is a little taste of what is coming. I posed for these two lovely fans (Booth Babes of Black Diamond Boots) of Firefighter Nation and The Fire Critic! I was also signing boobs and kissing babies! More on that later….just a little teaser!

Rhett Fleitz (The Fire Critic) poses with the booth babes at Black Diamond Boots!

Rhett Fleitz (The Fire Critic) poses with the booth babes at Black Diamond Boots!

Posted by firecritic on April 24, 2010 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Command & Leadership, Fire Rescue Topics, NetCast, News • Tagged: , ,

Chiefs…Are You Listening?

View Comments

Here is a great quote by Harold Schaitberger today at FDIC…

Fire chiefs need to make clear the impacts public safety cuts will have on their communities on the safety of both firefighters and civilians, he told the conference.

The Fire Critic says…Nuff said

Read the entire article here

Posted by firecritic on April 21, 2010 • Filed under: News • Tagged: ,

The Fire Critic at FDIC…

View Comments

Here is how you can maximize your time at FDIC!!!

Join up with Fire Critic and many other bloggers!

I will be at FDIC Tuesday through Sunday. Be sure to let me know if you want to catch up. For the most part, I will be available at the Fire Rescue Magazine/FireEMSBlogs.com/Firefighter Nation booth #3755 along with my partner John Mitchell of FireDaily.com.

firefighter_netcastWe will be there in our own capacities as bloggers as well as in official capacities as the on-air personalities of Firefighter Netcast. For our complete schedule (subject to change) please visit Firefighter Netcast and see who we will have on air and when!

We will be hanging out and enjoying visiting with our readers/listeners. We will also be networking. For instance, if you have an idea for us please stop by and let us know.

If you have a product for me to review, please let me know. I am currently reviewing Black Diamond pull on fire boots featuring Ortholite technology. Look for that complete review in the coming weeks!

On Friday, I will be in the company of some of the great bloggers in the Fire/EMS World. Don’t hold me to it, but so far I think that the following will be there: Christpher Naum of The Company Officer and Command Safety, Tiger Schmittendorf of TigerSchmittendorf.com and RuntotheCurb.com, John Mitchell of FireDaily.com, Justin Schorr of The Happy Medic, Chris Kaiser of Life Under The Lights, Art Goodrich of Chief Reason Art, and others!

The event is being called The Meetup @Indy. It is being hosted by Fire Rescue Magazine, Firefighter Nation, and FireEMSBlogs.com.

8-11 pm on Friday

meetup173aThe full information can be found here

The event is at Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery (10 West Washington Street) and is being sponsored by Black Helmet Apparel and Black Diamond Footwear.

Everyone is welcome!

Posted by firecritic on April 19, 2010 • Filed under: NetCast, News • Tagged: ,

Monday Morning Shoutout – Fire Critic on Firefighter Nation

View Comments

This weeks Monday Morning Shoutout goes to ME! Actually, it goes to my Firefighter Nation page. The reason is because I only have 15 friends. This is more of my fault than anyone else though. I have not been able to capture the following on Firefighter Nation that I would like.

If you are on Firefighter Nation, step over to my profile and friend request me! I would like to connect with you!

Other ways you can connect with me are:

Fire Critic on Twitter
Fire Critic Facebook Fan Page
My personal Facebook page

fire critic on firefighternation

Posted by firecritic on April 19, 2010 • Filed under: Monday Morning Shoutout, News • Tagged:

Call for Submission – 2nd Episode of the First Due Blog Carnival

View Comments

Bill Carey over at the Backstep Firefighter Blog is hosting the 2nd Episode of the First Due Blog Carnival. The theme is “Influential Fire Reports”.

The subject of this second edition is “Influential Fire Reports”. What fire report, or reports, have had the greatest impact on you personally and professionally as a firefighter? This report can be of firefighter fatalities, close calls, near-misses and even fire or structural behavior. The report can be a federal, state, department or independent investigation, no matter so long as it is one that made a significant impact in the way you now think and operate as a firefighter or fire officer.

first due blog carnival1aRead more about the episode at Backstep Firefighter and get your submission in by April 29, 2010!

Read more about the First Due Blog Carnival here.

Also to be noted is the Show Schedule for Firefighter Netcast at FDIC. Be sure to check out FirefighterNetcast.com for our show schedule, our featured guests, and other information!

Also plan on attending the FireEMSBlogs.com Blogger meetup on Friday night at Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery! Fire Daily has the rundown on all the information. Be sure to let us know you will be there!

Posted by firecritic on April 15, 2010 • Filed under: First Due Blog Carnival, NetCast, News • Tagged: , , ,

Owning Your Firehouse – The Art of the Custom Firehouse Kitchen Table

View Comments

I know this is big in my department and apparently it is spreading across the nation. The art of the custom firehouse kitchen table. While I am sure that this is something that has been around for a very long time, it is growing in popularity once again.

If you have a customized kitchen table in your firehouse, send me a pic and a little write up and I will post about it!

On a sidenote, Wall Shields is another decent idea for customizing your firehouse and showing off your company pride! maybe a Fire Critic Wall Shield in the future!!! (I have the logo, just let me know guys!)

The station I am working at is defining our design objectives for our table. This is not something that should be taken lightly, nor should it be rushed! Take your time and do it right!

Check out these great tables I have found on the net!

Station 10 has one of the nicest stations inside and out at IFD. The crews here donated their time, effort and money to completely repaint and remodel their large station house. However, maybe the most unique feature is the 10's dinner table. This gigantic table was made from an old bowling alley lane from Chicago. It was refinished and mounted on a unique ladder and diamond-plate base. The final touch is a hand painted and airbrushed flame logo for the Brightwood Brigade. Very sharp!!!

Indianapolis Fire Department Station 10 "Brightwood" From the website: (Click on the picture to go to their website) Station 10 has one of the nicest stations inside and out at IFD. The crews here donated their time, effort and money to completely repaint and remodel their large station house. However, maybe the most unique feature is the 10's dinner table. This gigantic table was made from an old bowling alley lane from Chicago. It was refinished and mounted on a unique ladder and diamond-plate base. The final touch is a hand painted and airbrushed flame logo for the Brightwood Brigade. Very sharp!!! (link)

Houston Fire Department Station 68. This table is extravagant. It features fire hydrants as legs (one painted by each shift). It also features the crews at the station for each shift at the time of the build.

Houston Fire Department Station 68. This table is extravagant. It features fire hydrants as legs (one painted by each shift). It also features the crews at the station for each shift at the time of the build. (link)

This Philly Firehouse Kitchen Table belongs to Engine 20, Ladder 23, and Medic 1 "The House of Dragons"

This Philly Firehouse Kitchen Table belongs to Engine 20, Ladder 23, and Medic 1 "The House of Dragons" (link)

This firehouse kitchen table belongs to FDNY Rescue 1. (link)

This firehouse kitchen table belongs to FDNY Rescue 1. (link)

Arlington (VA) County Fire Station 1. This firehouse kitchen table was (link)

Arlington (VA) County Fire Station 1. This firehouse kitchen table was built by Wall Shields Co.: New to Wall Shields Co. is our Fire House Furnishings line, here is a custom table for Station 1 in Arlington County. It features a sturdy 4x4 frame, inlaid glass tile 1, the station and department patch and topped with a 1/8" of crystal clear epoxy. (link) Check out more of what Wall Shields can do here (Wall Shields Co. web site)

Be sure to send in your photo/info on your firehouse kitchen table to firecritic@firecritic.com!

Posted by firecritic on April 14, 2010 • Filed under: News • Tagged: , ,

What Do You Think, Is There Rank in the Kitchen?

View Comments

I will be busy this next week and a half. Posting will be minimal. If anyone has a story/news item/video to share please let me know. Feel free to take a shot at ghost riding The Fire Critic by sending in a guest post (I will publish most anything!). Email to firecritic@firecritic.com.

Here is a question for you to ponder and comment!

Is there rank in the firehouse kitchen? Should the Captain be exempt from cleaning up?

I have heard horror stories of the Captain picking the meals but not actually cooking. I have heard horror stories of the Captain not cleaning up after dinner….EVER.

What do you think?

I have always maintained that if you cook you do not clean. Anyone is welcome to cook and fair game if they mess it up. Much like everything in the fire service”what goes around, comes around”. You have to be able to take it if you are going to dish it out!

Does your company officer help out? Should he/she? Would you if you were in their shoes?

Or when firefighters step into the kitchen should we remove our bugles first?

Posted by firecritic on April 14, 2010 • Filed under: News

Monday Morning Shoutout – Two In Two Out & Stop, Drop, and Blog

View Comments

This weeks Monday Morning Shoutout goes to Two In Two Out. Two In Two Out is a newer blog on the circuit and is currently undergoing a facelift. The blogger is the wife of a firefighter and offers a decent post about many other firefighter wives blogs (link here).

You may have noticed that I didn’t post a Monday Morning Shoutout last week, so this week is a double take!

On the same subject of Firefighter wives is one of my favorites. The blogger behind Stop, Drop, and Blog (aka @FireMom on twitter) blogs about her family, her firefighting husband, and she take a lot of photos. This is a must read for many.

I love reading these blogs by firefighter wives because it is interesting to see their view of our lives. I have seen many wives who just don’t get our lifestyle, our jobs, our Brotherhood. However, there are plenty who do get it and understand why we do what we do. I am very lucky to have found one who is very understanding!

two in two out
stop drop and blog


Posted by firecritic on April 12, 2010 • Filed under: Monday Morning Shoutout, News • Tagged: , , , ,

Fire Department Makes Slip and Slide Awesome

View Comments

The Fire Critic is out to make everyone happy. Especially the kids. No matter how old you are, you should have some “kid” left in you and experience life as a naive adolescent. This practice should not be included in fireground operations though!

What next, the fire department wet t-shirt contest?

This fire department takes slip and slide to a whole new level! Bring the noise!

Posted by firecritic on April 11, 2010 • Filed under: News, Videos • Tagged:

Now Available: Oren Fire Apparatus Photo Archive

View Comments

A friend of mine, and Oren expert, Thomas Herman has just taken shipment of his brand new book “Oren Fire Apparatus Photo Archive“. Thomas is what I would call the resident expert on Oren’s. He has invested a large part of his life in studying, researching, and documenting Oren’s history.

You can now get your hands on Oren Fire Apparatus Photo Archive as it has just been published. This book promises numerous photos of Oren’s from across the land.

I may not know a lot about Oren’s, but I do get to occasionally drive one. My IAFF local 1132 owns one. As a matter of fact, I drove it in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade here in Roanoke. Roanoke, you may note, is the hometown for Oren.

I have met up with Thomas and let me just say that he knows a lot about Oren. He loves learning more as well. You can pretty much ask about any Oren truck and he will know the history on it!

Click on the photo below to order yours today! Mine should be in soon!

Oren Fire Apparatus Photo Archive


Posted by firecritic on April 10, 2010 • Filed under: News • Tagged: , ,

More Fire Critic Gear Sitings

View Comments

I have two more Fire Critic gear sitings for you…

It should also be noted that there will be signature FireFighter Netcast mugs available at FDIC booth 3755!

To get your Fire Critic Gear click here!

@EngineMedic recieved his FC mug and FC beer stein from his wife @MSEngineMedic

84297611

@SSGJBroyles also sent us in a pic of his mug in action at the 801st ER!

84578774All three of these twitter users mentioned above are well worth following!

Posted by firecritic on April 10, 2010 • Filed under: News • Tagged:

Fire Critic, Firefighter Netcast, and FDIC

View Comments

Posting this week is light. The family is on the move in the big VA for spring break. Currently in Richmond and heading to Williamsburg shortly.

logowide125Thursday night is Episode 6 of Firefighter Netcast. Our show will feature Nicholas Martin and Dan Shaw of Traditions Training. The show is at 9pm and more information is available at FirefighterNetcast.com.

Click here to go directly to the show page and set up a reminder. You can listen by phone as well at 347-327-9920.

I WILL be at FDIC. There will be many other great bloggers on hand as well including Art, John, Tiger, Jason, Traditions Training, Justin, and many others.

There will be a get together and you are invited.

When: Friday April 23rd
Where: Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery just blocks away from the Convention Center at 10 West Washington.
What: Blogger/FireEMSBlogs.com/Firefighter Nation/Fire Rescue Magazine meetup.

The event is being sponsored by:

  • FireRescue Magazine, FirefighterNation.com and FireEMSBlogs.com: Booth #3755
  • Black Diamond: Booth # 410
  • Black Helmet Apparel: Booth # 138

Fire Daily also gives information on the event here.

Firefighter Netcast will be podcasting live from booth 3755 Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, thanks to the generosity of the folks over at FireRescue Magazine, FirefighterNation.com, and FireEMSBlogs.com.

Firefighter Netcast mugs are being created as we speak!

Be sure to tune in to listen if you are not there or stop by and say hi if you are there! Our schedule will be out soon!

Posted by firecritic on April 7, 2010 • Filed under: NetCast, News • Tagged: ,

What is the Brotherhood Among Firefighters?

View Comments

I have always had a feeling as though I know what the brotherhood is. There are many great firemen who exemplify the “Brotherhood” and many others who think it is merely wearing a shirt or putting a sticker on their car.

I have been accused of not knowing what the Brotherhood is by people who in my estimation do not have a clue. Sure, I am not perfect, but if you have to justify yourself as part of the “Brotherhood” you probably don’t quite know what it is or where to find it. This post is not my justification but merely my view of what it is to me.

What is the Brotherhood Among Firefighters?

To me it is many things, but in reality it is only one….

If you were to take a firefighter and strip them of their badge, remove their turnout gear, peel their skin back, and remove the organs, the brotherhood is that small fire that continues to burn inside of them.

That small fire cannot be extinguished, cannot be contained, and cannot be taken away. It is what makes you a firefighter and you must not for any reason let personal feelings hamper and decision to help another “Brother”.

I was talking to the guys at the station the other day and explained to them that there are guys who I could call at any hour and ask them, tell them, or demand of them anything and they would do it without asking any questions. That is the Brotherhood.

Sure, there are many others who would do things for me or my family if I worked along side of them, if they knew me better.

Some claim that their is a Brotherhood among paid guys and a different one among vollies. I think that firefighting has a brotherhood and that all else might bond you in a different/extra way.

Brotherhood is understanding that above all differences of opinion, feuds, hurt feelings, and just plain old not getting along you understand that you have a duty to all firefighters equally.

Brotherhood might have once been coined for men. However, this day in age it encompasses all sexes, creeds, and races.

This day in age we need the brotherhood more than anything.

We need to continue to light that fire in our new firefighters and make sure that the fire continues to burn in our veterans.

Look all around you. It doesn’t matter what department you are in, I am certain you can come up with examples of firefighters who just don’t get it. Don’t give up on them. Keep trying to show them the way.

If you have that fire burning inside of you, it is your duty to keep the Brotherhood alive.

What is the Brotherhood to you?

What examples do you have of how someone has shown you the Brotherhood Among Firefighters?

Posted by firecritic on April 5, 2010 • Filed under: News • Tagged: ,

Is it April 2nd yet?

View Comments

As you can imagine, The Fire Critic is not a huge fan of pranks. We all want to be taken seriously and those who know me understand that I am very dry, not funny, and don’t like the Fire/EMS service to be taken lightly.

April 1st is over, the jokes are out of the way. I really want to get down to business!

What shall we discuss first?

  1. Career vs. Volunteer
  2. Solid tip vs. Fog
  3. Women in the Fire Service
  4. Felons as firefighters
  5. Brownouts, Station Closures, Layoffs, and Furloughs
  6. Racism and Sexism in the Firehouse
  7. Helmet Cameras
  8. Tweeting Pictures of Patients
  9. Dave Statters use of blog titles longer than the post itself
  10. Fire Based EMS
  11. Running EMS Calls on the Engine
  12. Minimum Staffing
  13. Minimum age for Being a Firefighter and/or Paramedic
  14. Prematurely Pronouncing a “Live” Patient as “Dead”
  15. The “IAFF” Doesn’t Do Anything For Me
  16. Why Do We Have To Train?
  17. You Fire Guys Don’t Fight Fire Anymore
  18. EMS is the BreadWinner in the Fire Based EMS Model
  19. Getting Paid To Sleep
  20. Republicans vs. Democrats
  21. Kentland Volunteers
  22. Jerry Engle’s Antics
  23. Firefighter Arsonists
  24. Two Hatters
  25. What to Carry in Your Pockets
  26. Lights on POV’s
  27. Leather Helmet or not

That should be a good start….go ahead and comment. I wonder what topic will be discussed first!

Posted by firecritic on April 1, 2010 • Filed under: News