Fire Critic An Unadulterated View of the Fire Service
This week has been another busy one. Tomorrow will mark my first full shift in four. I have been off traveling and busier than ever. I am still playing catch up from over a month ago. I am getting there though.
Don’t forget to check out Daily911Deals.com for some great deals. Especially if you are interested in getting a Fire Critic/IronFiremen challenge coin from NM Coin! The deal won’t last forever.
We were in a reserve engine yesterday. That meant when running calls it seemed like we were in a parade. Yesterday was busy running around and running calls. We got a lot accomplished though. We even caught some work (dumpster fire). I don’t mind pulling the levers like this instead of being reintroduced after time off with a huge fire. Our firefighter extraordinaire Dave Lucas made quick work of it. Willie has wrote about Dave in the past. He is the one with the boomerang bugles. He got promoted to Lt. and then they rescinded the promotion because they simply didn’t count the available positions correctly. There are 4 boomerang bugle (Sergeants as we call them because we don’t have that position) in all. None of them have been promoted since. Dave is the kind of guy everyone wants working for them.
One other picture I would like to share was seen at Captain Wines firehouse #13…The message was apparently sent from downtown. What in the heck does it mean exactly? Kind of a mixed message I think.
I just signed up at the Chief level in the Officers Club of the National Firefighters Endowment. This is one of the ways that FireCritic.com gives back. The Officers club is a funding mechanism for the NFE and the funds will help support Fire Departments through the NFE. Join the Officers club here. Annually, you will receive a numbered collectors challenge coin. There are three levels of the Officers club.
Shoutout – Situational Awareness Matters
Web site – samaters.com
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/SAMatters
Twitter – @RichGasaway
Training
VentEnterSearch.com has a unique tool for getting into some closed vehicle gates. Check out Induction Loop Trick
Tweet of the Week
News and Opinion
Better Late Than Never Captain Willie Wines Jr. does some catching up since his computer died…and shows his love for Dave Statter.
“There can be no more us versus them. Training budgets are gone and turnover is occurring at a meteoric rate. We have to share our job knowledge at every opportunity, in every possible way. It seems that things get better – like morale – when we train, sweat, and push our limits as a group.”
Firehouse.com – Are you a pink Flamingo? Ryan Pennington Do you do work? Or are you just there to have fun and look pretty?
Firefighters in hot water for building a golf course behind station Firefighters make use of some of their free time…the biggest issue is the land they groomed for golfing isn’t theirs!
Former mansion of the late Isaac Hayes goes up in flames Big McMansion fire!!!
What is a firefighter worth? This article has gone viral. Written by the wife a firefighter
“So before making our minds up that firefighters are the financial problem, sit down with a local firefighter and ask him about his job. Ask him about his wife and his sons or daughters, what kind of house he lives in, and what type of car he drives. And then ask yourself, if you were to take on such a career, what would you expect in return?
Tina Clarke
Proud wife of a Cumberland firefighter”
I will be my brothers keeper Another great article by Chris Sterricker.
Proud to be a firefighter A short article detailing pride for being considered one of America’s Bravest
What if we are Community Paramedics Already?
“And I couldn’t agree more. The goal of a community paramedic program seems to be providing care to fill a gap in a particular community. While many of the existing and proposed programs are focused on the rural environment, why can’t we do the same in urban systems? In fact, what if we’re already doing this in an urban system?”
Hampton Workers Take “Like Button” Firings To Court
“Roberts said some of the workers were let go because he wanted to replace them with sworn deputies while others were fired because of poor performance or his belief that their actions “hindered the harmony and efficiency of the office.”
One of those workers, Daniel Ray Carter, had “liked” the Facebook page of Roberts’ opponent, Jim Adams.”
Five San Francisco Firefighters Injured in Four-Alarm Apartment Blaze
Firefighters rescue man from burning Danville home
3 Steps to Improved Cardiac HealthCrucial lifestyle changes can prevent heart attack & improve health
“According to the U.S. Fire Administration, 87 firefighters died while on duty in 2010. Of those, 50 of the 87 firefighter deaths were related to heart attacks. Although there are certain variables associated with heart attacks that we can’t change (i.e., age, gender or family history), we can maximize those variables that are controllable.”
Disasters and Social Media a look at how social media plays a role in sharing information during disasters.
A Dose Of Mortality an excellent post about learning from shared information on a LODD with his son and aspiring career firefighter.
What Happened to the Big Green Truck Donated to Detroit Fire? Charlie LeDuff is still at it in Detroit. This time uncovering a donated truck that should have been in service but instead just sitting idle in a lot.
Another False Alarm: A Tale of Complacency
“Recently on one of my trips I was startled awake at 2:53am by a fire alarm activation. The alarm only rang about 10 seconds. Knowing what I know about night clerks at hotels, I suspected the alarm had been prematurely silenced. My suspicion was confirmed when I went to the lobby and heard the clerk on the telephone telling someone the alarm panel is indicating the fire pump is running. I was the only patron of the hotel who came to the lobby.”
Exclusive: Grieving FDNY Father Seeks Recognition for “Black Sunday” Son Retired deputy chief Joseph DiBernardo wants recognition for his son Joey DiBernardo.
Video: Wildfire Crew Bosses can’t speak Spanish and are laid off
