The FDNY’s application process is under scrutiny by the Vulcan Society of the FDNY. Watch the video below for the entire story.

Apparently, the application process was too difficult for some applicants and incomplete applications were turned in.

Some black applicants will be getting house calls by the Vulcan Society to help them complete their incomplete applications. This was approved by a Court Monitor. We are talking about over 2000 house calls! Keep in mind that 52% of the applicants are black.

HUH? Should incomplete applications warrant house calls? Should incomplete applications be given extra time to get it right?

Isn’t part of the application process…following directions?

I understand the need for recruitment and a focus on recruitment towards minorities. I remember learning a lot at an Affiliate Leadership Training Seminar and Human Relations Conference put on by the IAFF. It was an eye opener for me. The way I understood it was that there are fewer minorities on the job as firefighters because for years they were unable to get the job due to a multitude of reasons including prejudice and racism. Only by efforts in recruiting certain minorities have departments been able to increase the number of minorities on the job. That being said, I do believe there is a right and a wrong way of doing things.

Do we need to draw a line somewhere? I mean for all applicants. What do you all think? Is this special treatment warranted?

I just can’t think of a single company willing to hire anyone who can’t even correctly fill out an application.

Links:

• Read the article here: http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/news/fdny-vulcan-society-good-day-ny-20111227
• Related: http://www.amsterdamnews.com/news/local/city-appeals-judge-s-decision-on-black-firefighter-lawsuit/article_c5c1aeac-4dc4-11e1-ad5d-001871e3ce6c.html
• Also related: http://www.meritmattersusa.blogspot.com/
• FDNY Vulcan Society: http://www.vulcansocietyfdny.org
• FDNY Employment: http://www.nyc.gov/html/fdny/html/community/employment_index.shtml

FDNY Vulcan Society: MyFoxNY.com

In our travels, Willie (IronFiremen.com) and I have talked about getting into speaking together. Over the past year, we have discussed it and began plotting our course. We realized that this isn’t something that would be a piece of cake, yet we were willing to get started. Months of dragging our feet while we were busy doing other things had us putting off the effort to getting started.

Willie and I with the SVFC

In short, our speaking would be “motivational” but we had only identified a brief outline of our core values Pride, Respect, Honor, Tradition, and Brotherhood. We identified these words as what we are about and they help in our motivation to be better firefighters and individuals. We placed them on the edge of our brotherhood chips.

Then two things happened. I attended Rick Lasky’s “Pride and Ownership” and a firefighter I didn’t know invited me to speak at a department I had never heard of.

Willie and I with the plaques the SVFC presented to us.

It took me a couple of weeks to ensure that my wife wouldn’t disown me for wanting to do speaking gig on my birthday and the course was set. I told the firefighter, Chris Botkin, that I would speak at the Swoope Volunteer Fire Company’s annual banquet with one stipulation…Willie would be speaking as well. Chris said we were welcome to come as a team.

Now we had to create some semblance of our thoughts in a matter of weeks. To be honest, due to our schedules, we did most of our outline and talking points on the way up the road last night. The notes and emails back and forth weren’t even used in the end. It was a matter of those core values. Don’t get me wrong, we had prepared several rough drafts of talking points, but we hadn’t collaborated our thoughts face to face. We were prepared except for the one thing we had no control over…would we be able to pull off speaking together.

This must have been ONE HELLUVA story!

This could be make it or break it to see if Willie and I can share the same stage and talk…and make sense. I am an optimist, so my thoughts were that we would get up there and everything would work itself out. Luckily, speaking several times over the past year had enabled me to learn how to get comfortable and not be nervous. I am not sure about Willie, but he did just fine.

The men and women of the Swoope Volunteer Fire Company were very warm and welcoming. We got to meet many of the members before dinner. After dinner, we enjoyed the awards and some words from their Deputy Chief.

After the awards, we did our thing. I think we did a great job. From the feedback we got, we did a decent job as well. I couldn’t have asked for a better venue for Willie and I to get started.

We talked about what we are passionate about…the job. Whether you are a volunteer or a career firefighter, we don’t really care. “The Job” as

They actually invited our wives...luckily our wives invited us!

we call it by default is what we do. It encompasses firefighting in a simplistic format that firefighters can understand. We shared our passion and explained how we remain passionate. We used examples of how we keep learning and moving forward. We were also able to use examples simply from what we saw that night. They get it! Don’t get me wrong, Willie and I have a lot of work to do to polish our material and delivery!

We will be able to expand on our speaking topics in the future. Until then, enjoy my musings on “Owning the Job” right here on The Fire Critic.

To be honest, we owe a lot to the Swoope VFC. They made us feel welcome, they treated us like one of their own, and they were more than hospitable.

Willie and I with Swoope's Deputy Chief Kevin Wilkes.

What a great group of firefighters they have at Swoope. The department was incorporated in 1980 after being started about a year prior. They are just one of the many departments located in Augusta County, Virginia. I got to meet other members of departments from the area including the Fire Chief of the City of Staunton and the former Fire Chief of Augusta County. As a matter of fact, one of Roanoke’s own is now the Deputy Chief of Augusta County. Mike Armstrong retired from Roanoke just this past month and began in Augusta County. I worked for Mike when he first made Captain. I wish him the best in Augusta.

Needless to say, the event was a huge success for the SVFC. I foresee great things for the department in the future. They have made significant improvements in the past several years including just recently adding storage racks for their gear at the station.

They get Pride, Respect, Honor, Tradition, and Brotherhood. And, if this whole speaking gig works out for Willie and I, they can say they popped our cherry!

We are proud to call them Brothers!

The Swoope VFC Annual Banquet Video is below!

It was my birthday. They got me a cake!

Chris Botkin and I. Chris is the one who got Willie and I to speak.

A South Bend Firefighter has been demoted for taking a video of a recent fire with his cell phone.

The report does not state whether or not the “impromptu video” took away from a task the firefighter was completing. When I teach/present on social media, I always remind the guys/gals that they are firefighters, not reporters. They should leave the reporting up to others. I am also a huge proponent of taking pictures of your crew when the job is done.

I wonder at what point this video was taken. Was it really worthy of demotion?

I would also love to see the Facebook Policy for South Bend.

ABC57:

“As far as the punishments, the union doesn’t dole those out, that is an administration thing. Our job is to make sure that it is fair and equitable from member to member,” Kottkamp.

Through documents obtained by ABC 57 News and through close sources with the fire department, that is not the case. Several firefighters have gone unpunished for violating the same Facebook policy, including an instance back in 2010, where a firefighter posted an internal email to his Facebook page, followed by snide remarks. Yet, no action was taking against him.

The union says the new policy is violating the firefighters’ First Amendment right to Freedom of Speech. Read more

Apparently a firefighter needed some assistance with directions for incoming units. He got answers from the guy holding the video camera. Nice teamwork!

KTSM.com:

According to George DeLaTorre, Spokesman for the El Paso Fire Department, a tenant was smoking outside on the balcony of a second-story apartment and did not put out the cigarette correctly. The cigarette fell onto empty cardboard boxes nearby and caught fire. The flames spread to surrounding units and resulted in heavy fire and smoke damage to three other units, and smoke damage to 4 others. The unit where the fire originated is a total loss.

Visit the Fastest Growing Firefighter Page on Facebook

on Facebook today: Rescue 2 MAYDAY Fund fund-raiser and “what gear to you wear”40+ responses?

Here is some humor for you…perfect timing since I have been posting serious stuff recently.

Enjoy… A funny skit about a police officer showing up first at a structure fire.

Warning: Language…and no offense intended towards America’s Finest. Just the Bravest having some fun…

As the “Best of the Rest” column continues to grow, I have added a Facebook Fan Page of the Week and two Quick Drills by FirefighterCloseCalls.com. More regular content to be added in the future. As always, if you have something to share, send it in!

Over the weekend, we reached over 3000 fans on our Facebook fan page. Click “like” here to join as well. I offer plenty more information on Facebook than you will see on the blog. I also have over 2500 followers on Twitter @FireCritic. If you are more into Google +, I have got that set up too. Check out Fire Critic on Google + here.

I just got finished watching Food Inc. It left me wondering what the hell I am eating. I shall continue my ways of eating healthier foods. My wife and I eat healthy at home, but I think we shall make the move to organic. I might have puked in my mouth a little when watching the documentary. Read more about it here.

Shoutout:

Facebook Fan page: Rescuing Myself

Rescuing Myself – Check out this newer blog that has been online since September 2011.

Now, on to a more serious topic. One of the biggest reasons I am looking forward to being at FDIC, the 9-11 Memorial Stair Climb. I signed up today and can honestly say just submitting my information kind of choked me up a little. This will be my first stair climb, hopefully not my last. I will be climbing in honor of Captain Terence Hatton, Res1cue. Read it here

The site is run by Trevor: I’m a 19-year-old second generation fireman. The fire service has always been a big part of my life. I started writing this blog to pass along things I see and feel. Good and bad. I expect no one to take any of this as a gospel, but I expect myself to learn a lot.

Keep up the great work Trevor! I will see you at FDIC.

Quick Drills:

You can view all of the weekly drills by FirefighterCloseCalls.com here. Try these two at the firehouse this week:

• Know Your Streets! 
• Hose Lead-Out Drill

News:

California High School student devises possible cancer cure - Angela’s idea was to mix cancer medicine in a polymer that would attach to nanoparticles — nanoparticles that would then attach to cancer cells and show up on an MRI. so doctors could see exactly where the tumors are. Then she thought shat if you aimed an infrared light at the tumors to melt the polymer and release the medicine, thus killing the cancer cells while leaving healthy cells completely unharmed. Read it here

Hero Rush – Do you have what it takes to complete? Hero Rush gives you the chance to put your mettle to the test. You’ll run an intense 5k+ race with multiple fire-related obstacles. Climb ladders and slide down poles, crawl through windows and break down doors, scramble through HAZMAT slime and locate trapped victims — but be careful — you might get the fire hoses turned on you! Don’t just play in the mud — be a Hero! Read more here

IronFiremen.com – Willie recently travelled without me. This time, back to Cincinnati. Read about it here: Firefighter Innovation…Homemade Tools and the 1st Road Trip of 2012. He posted an even better post on Sunday…Becoming Infectious

1st Generation Firefighter- Another blog from Southwest Virginia? Apparently so, although I have no clue who it is. Two posts have been written. We will give them some time to see if they last. Latest post: Experienced Based Training

FireGeezer – The self proclaimed Geezer has a story of a pre-historic tree that burned in Florida. We think at the very least, he is still young at heart! Read it here

Leatherhead 109 -   A skilled, attentive fire officer is much like that with his company.  Observing, critiquing, suggesting, …disciplining, but all the while remaining a “Brother”.  Like a file taking the burrs from an axe blade.  What kind of officer are you? Do you “hone” the firemen you lead?  Or are you like a grinding wheel, gouging, burning, removing too much steel? Read more here

Backstep Firefighter – Complacency can KILL YOU.Treat every alarm as the real deal… your life as well as the lives of your Brothers and Sisters may very well depend on it. Read more here

Mike Elston and Smitty attended the Pride and Ownership class and expanded on their experience on the 2 House Blog

2 House Blog – A local blog near me talks about the Pride and Ownership class we attended. Read it here

Average Jake FF – Why Aren’t You? The big question I have is WHY AREN’T YOU? Why aren’t you writing articles, reading up, drilling? Why don’t you care? I know putting yourself out there for all to critique can be hard, but for me even if one person comes up and says “I really liked your article” then it was all worth it.  Read more here

S.A.F.E Firefighter - First Due Friday; 2-Story Balloon Frame Rockin’ on the Peninsula

Fire Law Blog - Florida Firefighters Sued for $1.4 Million in Fatal Accident

FireCritic.com – I have written two parts of an in-depth look at Pride and Ownership in relation to my department. Check out part 1 here, and part 2 here.

STATter911.com – Dave Statter typically stays in front of the big news even before Fire Engineering, Fire Rescue1, Firefighter Nation, and Firehouse.com… Check out these articles:

• Rural Metro under fire in Western New York. Claims it failed to report ambulance crew arsonists & investigation of billing practices.
• Wief who asked to be beside her dying husband in ambulance says crew left her on side of road. Questions about care after Maine skiing accident.

Fire Rescue 1 - Chicago brotherhood embraces fallen NC firefighter’s family. When Fire Capt. Will Caviness of North Carolina died running the Chicago Marathon, the brotherhood of firefighters took care of his family. Read it here

Firefighter Nation- Rescue Operations on Italian Cruise Ship Halted. Costa Concordia ran into a reef Friday night and capsized into the port area of Giglio. Read it here.

Fire Engineering – Ray McCormack asks if the fire service should have an Annual Attack Certification for Firefighters. My biggest question is: Would there be a Volunteer Certification and a Career Certification? Read it here

Firehouse.com - Study Finds Firefighters Have Higher Rates Of Obesity Than Public. This is just embarrassing. Hey LAZY ASSES, get off your asses and do something about this. Talk about black eye for the fire service… NO EXCUSES. Read it here

Kenneth Michael Hedrick is remembered with a service 20 years after his death in the Line of Duty. Watch it below. Another perfect example of Never Forgetting.

Part 1 of 8 by bmxking1504 on Youtube. Part 2 & 3 are below and the rest will be uploaded this evening. The fire was reported around 10:50 this morning and firefighters will be battling the blaze through the night.

Recordonline.com:

150 firefighters from 14 are fire companies are battling the stubborn fire. The flames are working their way through the large series of connected buildings that once housed the Firth mill company of Cornwall.

Read all of the “Owning the Job” articles here

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to attend “Pride and Ownership” presented by Chief Rick Lasky.

My head hasn’t stopped spinning since. I don’t know what to think. I have been reflecting on what I heard and my feelings are all over the place. Where do I go from here?

At the very least, I believe that I am on the right track. My fire department…not so much, but hopefully I am wrong. How do I get it back on track? Am I even capable of being part of the solution to some of our problems? Is the solution right in front of me? I only wish my entire department had gone to the class.

Low morale, bad attitudes, lacking leadership, loss of traditions, lack of pride, no honor, too little integrity, loss of camaraderie, too little respect, no discipline…I could go on. Hopefully the building blocks are still there and I can help salvage the hull of what is a great fire department.

The Fire Critic Rhett Fleitz with Chief Rick Lasky

Let me be clear, Chief Rick Lasky’s class isn’t a one stop shop for how to save America’s fire service. It is a blue print on some of the things he has done and seen done that has worked. My fire department will never be Lewisville, but it can be better than what it is now.

To me, the class is more about what isn’t working, what can work, and creating an attitude that will make change. A cultural shift in attitude about what we know is right and making us do the right thing.

I plan on writing several articles on this subject. I am not sure the exact direction I will go. It will be more of a layout of issues I see in my department and the fire service as a whole to help provide critical thinking in making things better through attitude change.

You simply cannot quantify what I got out of the class. The hard part will be me putting my thoughts into positive ideas that will effect change.

I am not perfect, but I think I “get it”. I think I have a positive impact on my department and elsewhere.

Here are my initial thoughts (some of which I have been reflecting on for a long time). Consider it a self evaluation…do it for yourself. This is more of me thinking aloud.

• Pride: Yeah, I am proud to be a firefighter. Do I exude my pride to others?
• Honor: I have honored those firefighters we have lost. I have attended the NFFF Memorial Weekend. I was a past member of our Honor Guard and have stood at the casket of many. I have remembered, and I never forget. I have shared others sacrifices with firefighters who don’t pay attention. I have tried to instill honor in members I have worked with.
• Ownership: I need to work on this. I need a better understanding of what I need to do to take more ownership in MY Department. Some of that work will be educating others that we all need to take ownership!
• Integrity: I need a lot of work in this area. Not that I don’t get it, but I have some work to do. Part of what makes it difficult (not an excuse) is the area in which I serve and how WE are treated by others. I understand that by treating others better (the way they should be treated), we will be treated better!
• Brotherhood: I get this…in my mind. I have worked on this my whole career. However, there is still so much more work to be done. Fences need to be mended, egos need to be hung up, and we need to be united.
• Respect: I am an asshole (in a kinda good way I think)…I give respect, and I am respected. However, I need some polishing up to be more effective. I respect everything about the fire service. I just need to act like it more!
• Tradition: ah, tradition…I think I have a handle on this, but like everything else I need to work on it!
• History: Ok, finally somewhere I exceed in. After all, I did take almost a year to research, collect, and write a book on the history of my fire department[Firefighting in Roanoke by Arcadia Publishing]. I think I can check this one off my list…but not so fast, I have to continue to share the history of the department. No resting on my ass!

If you have not seen the presentation or read the book, you MUST!

PrideAndOwnership.com

The video below is from a previous class as shared by Fire Engineering.

Here is a decent video showing a complicated, involved, and presumably very well choreographed rescue of a woman and her two daughters. The three family members were rescued, ages 36,10, and 10 months. The driver of the semi died in the collision. The incident happened in Buellton, California.

The amazing part of this rescue is that the vehicle was teetering on the side of a bridge 100 feet above the ground. Seriously, watch the video to see the site.

This, my friends, is what it is all about. Training, diligence, determination, experience, knowledge, and teamwork.

I listened to Chief Rick Lasky’s “Pride and Ownership” today. I am pumped. If you have not heard it, you are missing out.

Maplewood Richmond Heights Family Dentistry burned on Thursday night. The fire went to 4 alarms. The office is located in the 3000 block of Sutton Boulevard in Maplewood, Missouri.

The video from bmazanec description offers this:

Heavy smoke and fire from a 3-Story Victorian Style House converted into a dentistry practice @ 3004 Sutton. Fire originated in the basement. Defensive operations. Extensive Mutual Aid response.

Rapid Fire Extension caused an Evacuation of firefighters and the fire had already come through the floors. It finally reached the attic and took off.

Nobody likes a rekindle…especially firefighters!

News and plenty more video available here