Maybe you have seen these…

Before I get started…here is my disclaimer: I am not affiliated with any of these personally and I am not speaking on their behalf. I am offering my opinion of what they mean to me and sharing that with you in this collection of thoughts. Before you read on, please understand that I appreciate smart aggressive firefighting, it is what I live. I think there are some small things that some firefighters view as others trying to change the way we fight fire…I view them as tools for making us better and understand they must be understood properly and implemented into our game plan. They don’t really make us “safe”, they make us “smarter”.

Let no man’s ghost return to say, “My training let me down.” — Aaron Heller, Captain, Hamilton Township Fire District 9, New Jersey

I have seen plenty written on these topics, initiatives if you will. I have read, dissected, and think I have a decent understanding of what they are and where they came from.

At the very basic level, most of these came from the loss of a firefighter(s). They have been formulated by best practices, lessons learned, and blood spilled. In fact, they are mostly committee based and I can only imagine the conversations when some of these were nailed down.

I remember the first time I read the “Rules of Engagement”. My thought was something like “You mean to tell me I am expected to go through these 1 at a time when I roll up on a fire…before any action?”. I imagine others might have thought the same thing.

My second thought was…hell, I already do most of that. Then I began reflecting on each rule of engagement. These things are a piece of cake if you are willing to understand them and add them as a tool in the toolbox.

Rules of Engagement for Firefighters (there is a longer section for incident commanders)

1. Size up your tactical area of operation.
2. Determine the occupant survival profile.
3. DO NOT risk your life for lives or property that cannot be saved.
4. Extend LIMITED risk to protect SAVABLE property.
5. Extend VIGILANT and MEASURED risk to protect and rescue SAVABLE lives.
6. Go in together, stay together, come out together.
7. Maintain continuous awareness of your air supply, situation, location and fire conditions.
8. Constantly monitor fireground communications for critical radio reports.
9. You are required to report unsafe practices or conditions that can harm you. Stop, evaluate and decide.
10. You are required to abandon your position and retreat before deteriorating conditions can harm you.
11. Declare a Mayday as soon as you THINK you are in danger.

Hell, it doesn’t get much more basic and clearer than that. As a matter of fact, it is like firefighters wrote it. Why in the World would a firefighter scoff at these? This isn’t asking too much. This guidance could streamline some of the thought processes for firefighters in the heat of the battle.

I fight what you fear

Really? You have a shirt that says “you fight what I fear”? Take it off. Chances are you don’t. Chances are that when confronted with a fire, you fear it too. You should. Fire is dangerous. We do a dangerous job. We aren’t dangerous. We shouldn’t be. The shirt should read “When confronted with what you fear (fire), I take calculated risks to ensure that I save lives and property”.

16 Initiatives

There are some great teachers out there who teach on the basis of content. Then there are others who teach on basis of some $50 words put together to make people think What the F#$% is that? Firefighters are just that…Firefighters. The majority have a high school education. Talk to them in a way they will understand. Make sure it makes sense. The 16 Life Safety Initiatives do just that. Read them here. No, really…read them. Take the time to read them and share them with your guys. Trust me, the minds who put that together weren’t wasting their time. The abbreviated ”cliffs notes” are here. Fire Department members should be using them to guide their focus in planning for the future. We can’t change the past, we can have an effect on the future. They are guidelines.

Did someone say SAFETY again?

Deal with it. Until the end of time, we are going to be pressed to be safe. It is only right. We have a dangerous job. I know that, you know that, THEY know that. Have you ever wondered if pencil pushers are asked to be safe? No, because their mundane jobs aren’t dangerous. We need to get over getting hurt feelings when asked to be safe. We need to understand that being safe is not asking too much.

Whoa…is The Fire Critic bowing down to the Safety Nazi’s? Not a chance.

Don’t get me wrong, some of us can go too far. They are the ones who need to be educated as well. We need to be safe and they need to have an understanding that our jobs are dangerous. Being safe and having a dangerous job are different…and can be accomplished at the same time. That is where we become S.A.F.E. firefighters (to borrow a term from here). Smart Aggressive Fundamental Efficient. It may not encompass everything, but I think it hits the nail on the head pretty well.

Trust me, to ask firefighters to be safe is not the same as asking for a company of yard-breathers. The goal is to go home in the morning…of course without a silhouette of the skyline burning behind us.

What about laying it all on the line?

Ah…here is something that people DO NOT like talking about. What about giving our lives for others. I mean, entering a situation where the outcome might be death. Hell, I don’t know how to explain it (remember, nobody talks about it). This is the stuff of heros. I mean the events that make firefighters call other firefighters heros. Whether the outcome is everyone going home or nobody going home, these are the events who define “Firefighters”.

Like doing a search for a victim in less than plausible conditions, yet where someone might still be viable. Yeah…what the hell does that mean? Hell, I don’t know. Have you ever been to a scripted fire? Yet…have you ever heard of victims being found in a room that could still sustain life, yet all around it looked like the face of hell?

These are the moments when we have to base our decisions on everything we know…and we find out we know more than we thought.

No one was ever called a hero for saving a couch against all odds.

Arm Chair Quarterbacking

We are all guilty of picking apart incidents we weren’t at. I do it. We would have done it better. We would have done it differently. Some organizations were built to dissect actions of others to find issues that might be prevented in the future. Tactical firefighting culture has been improved by dissecting incidents which have effected the fire service. We learn, we adjust, we train, we implement. Think of the Denver drill or other drills similar. The creation of the Rapid Intervention Team is another.

Seat Belt Pledge

Apparatus design will continue to change until we get firefighters using their seat belts. I know…it is difficult putting on your seat belt when gearing up in the back of the rig because every second counts and we have to be in the combat ready position when the driver pulls the air brake. What if you wreck on the way there?

The seat belt pledge means a lot to me. I drive, I am always buckled up. I am a decent driver…but not everyone is. By “not everyone is” I mean the other drivers you pass on your way to a call. I had the scare of my career this last cycle. I thought that a woman and possibly children were about to die because they pulled out in front of us. Luckily, I was able to keep it from happening. Were my guys belted in? I am not sure. I doubt it though. I am working on the seat belt pledge…I am working on our culture in my firehouse.

Are you working on yours?

Posted by The Fire Critic on January 24, 2012 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Command & Leadership, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, News, Owning the Job, Training, Training & Development, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: 16 Life Safety Initiatives, Courage to be Safe, Daily 911 Deals, Daily911Deals, Daily911Deals.com, Fire, Fire Critic, Fire Department, FireCritic.com, Firefighter Wave, Firefighting, IronFiremen.com, Owning the Job, Rhett Fleitz, Rules of Engagement, Seat Belt Pledge, Social Media, Willie Wines Jr.

Owning the Job. Part II – Past, Present, and Future

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Read all of the “Owning the Job” articles here

After writing the first part “PRIDE AND OWNERSHIP. PART I – SELF EVALUATION” I have had a lot of time to think. The eyes are looking this way (this is a good thing). Hopefully, I can pull off what I am hoping to do. I need feedback! I need to know that you are thinking the same things, or different things. I need to know what is working for you, or isn’t working.

One note, While I use “Pride and Ownership” in the title, these articles are about what I took from the class and how I am using what I have learned. There is no official affiliation with Chief Rick Lasky or Pride and Ownership.

Pride and Ownership – Past, Present, and Future…

In order to understand what is missing, we must understand what was here before us. None of this is about placing blame. Do you know your departments history?

As I said in the “self evaluation”, I know our history. I wrote a book about it. Our department was formed from 4 volunteer fire departments (actually there were a couple more, but 4 major players). Volunteers is part of our heritage, but it is more than 100 years removed. Basically, we are a fully paid fire department and have been since 1903 (March 1, 1903 to be exact).

These men were here way before me. Roanoke Firefighters pose in front of their engine...very proud. When was the last time you took a photo of your company in front of your apparatus?

I have pictures of our Firefighters doing everything from building props at our Zoo to collecting money for MDA, from fighting 100 year fires downtown to fighting for our citizens needs.

Our firefighters gave up their vacation to implement the 3rd platoon back in 1972. I cherish the work schedule I have now, and it didn’t cost me a thing.

Our firefighters fought for many of the benefits ALL of our City employees take for granted. I may have had some battles since I have been here, but the ones before me are the ones who fought so hard!

To what do we owe the men who founded our department? The honor, respect, dignity, integrity, pride, tradition, loyalty, and brotherhood that created it? Why am I sitting here almost 125 years after the first fire department in Roanoke was created seeking ways to bring back the best of what it has been? What has been lost? Where can we find it?

This is going to be a long uphill battle…yeah, I am used to that. I don’t like failure, but realize that this thing is bigger than what I am capable of. I need help. Will others get it?

Walk into one of our firehouses and ask them how things are…

You will hear all types of stuff, not much of it will be good. However, I know that each of them loves what they do. They just want it to be better. They want it to be the way it should be. Are they willing to make changes?

Our firefighters don’t believe in our management, our IAFF Local is broke, and our leaders accept mediocrity. Our firefighters are our best asset. You put our guys in front of anything burning and they will put it out. They can figure out and fix anything…except their fading department. What we lack is a blueprint. We have leaders, we have some great leaders. They just aren’t focused on saving our department.

We have had numerous bumps in the road…and championed them with being excellent stewards in our community…in the past. We still have battles, but we don’t champion them with being stewards anymore. We are paycheck collectors through and through.

We have excuses. That is all…excuses why we don’t do this or that, why this is that way, why we aren’t who we should be.

We are not involved. We should be. We should be seen here there and everywhere doing great things.

Hell, even the ones who take the time to lead or try to create change are beat down. I have never understood it.

So where do we go from here?

Unfortunately I do not know. I am going to start with my company. I know of another Brother who did the same in my department. I understand it was well received. That is a great start.

I know it needs to start with me…Whatever I do, I have to start it with me. It isn’t about me, I just have to begin the change within myself to effect change in others.

Wish me luck

What about you? Does any of this hit home with you in your department?

What will you do?

The video below is of Retired Captain Pete Price. He passed away a couple of weeks after I filmed this at one of our retirees breakfasts. He had great stories and shares some of them in the video below. This is some of our history…

Posted by The Fire Critic on January 16, 2012 • Filed under: Command & Leadership, Fire Rescue Topics, News, Owning the Job, Training, Training & Development, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: Chief Rick Lasky, Daily 911 Deals, Daily911Deals, Daily911Deals.com, Fire, Fire Critic, Fire Department, Fire Service, FireCritic.com, Firefighting, History, Honor, Integrity, IronFiremen.com, Pride and Ownership, Respect, Rhett Fleitz, Social Media, Tradition, Video, Willie Wines Jr.

Owning the Job. Part I – Self Evaluation

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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!

I know there is much more to reflect on, these are just some initial thoughts!

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.

Posted by The Fire Critic on January 15, 2012 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Command & Leadership, Fire Rescue Topics, News, Owning the Job, Training, Training & Development, Videos • Tagged: Chief Rick Lasky, Daily 911 Deals, Daily911Deals, Daily911Deals.com, Fire, Fire Critic, Fire Department, Fire Service, FireCritic.com, Firefighting, History, Honor, Integrity, IronFiremen.com, Pride and Ownership, Respect, Rhett Fleitz, Social Media, Tradition, Video, Willie Wines Jr.

Video: Bionic Firefighting Headmounted Display is Being Developed by Tanagram

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Check out this video about a brand new technology being developed by Tanagram Inc. They are developing Headmounted display (HMD) Augmented Reality (AR) technology. Yeah, I know…what the hell does that mean? Watch the video!

In my words: Think of it as fighting fire with the same types of heads up displays you have when you play Modern Warfare. That description probably sucks, watch the video and you will see what I mean. I just wonder how many fires you have to fight before you get to PRESTIGE!

Apparently this has been under development for a little while. Check out Tanagram’s site for more news and videos created last year about the technology. It seems as though we might be a little closer to seeing this stuff be available though.

The big question….will our fire departments be able to afford it?

Maybe they will pick The Fire Critic to do a product review and testing! I can hope, can’t I?

This technology is being developed for the military and public safety in mind.

From their site:

Tanagram, under a grant provided by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), developed a phase-zero self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) enhancement that leverages HMD / AR technology to display critical factors all-the-while not obscuring the firefighter’s field of view. Dubbed Helmet with Embedded Active Display for Emergency Responders or HEADER, our concept vision was researched with participation from the Champaign, IL Fire Department. (We even sent a few people to firefighter training!) In our literature review, we found little research has been done with regards to embedded, mixed media (augmented reality) display technology that focuses on unobtrusiveness and consumer acceptance (our fancy word for user friendly). Because of this we are sharing our work with you in hopes that it sparks a conversation that will be very relevant, very soon.

Also as seen on Firefighter Nation

Posted by The Fire Critic on January 11, 2012 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Command & Leadership, EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, Funding & Staffing, HazMat, Helmet Camera, News, Special Operations, Technology & Communications, technology-communications-ems-topics, Training, Training & Development, training-fire-rescue-topics, Videos • Tagged: Augmented Reality, Daily 911 Deals, Daily911Deals, Daily911Deals.com, EMS, Fire, Fire Critic, Fire Department, FireCritic.com, Firefighter, Firefighting, HEADER, Headmounted Display, Helmet with Embedded Active Display for Emergency Responders, IronFiremen.com, Military, Rhett Fleitz, Social Media, Tanagram Inc., Video, Willie Wines Jr.

Video: Minor Oops Driving Through Smoke, Fire Engine Clips Mailbox

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Here is a short clip. Simply a reminder to pay attention to your surroundings. This could happen to any of us. Luckily it was just a mailbox!

Posted by The Fire Critic on January 11, 2012 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Close Call, Command & Leadership, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, Fires, News, Training, Training & Development, Videos • Tagged: Close Call, Daily 911 Deals, Daily911Deals, Daily911Deals.com, EMS, Fire, Fire Critic, Fire Service, FireCritic.com, Firefighting, Fireground Video, House Fire, IronFiremen.com, Rhett Fleitz, Social Media, Video, Willie Wines Jr.

Best of the Rest – Fires, Stair Climbs, Training, Best of 2011, a Huge FAIL and Much More

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Welcome to a new column here on FireCritic.com. I am shooting for having this column run on Tuesdays each week. If you have something you want to share whether you are a reader or blogger, have a video or photo, or anything else just let me know.

The Best of the Rest is a column featuring other bloggers, videos, news, and information you might have missed over the past week or so. Enjoy!

You can also follow along and connect with The Fire Critic via Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Youtube.

As seen on FailBlog.com

Addison Fire Protection District – Can this be real? FailBlog.com has this photo of the message board at Addison Fire Protection District Station #3. The message “Better to arrive late than never”..WTF? Who approved this? Maybe the Chief’s message was directed to firefighters and should have read “Better to arrive safe than never”…or maybe it is meant as a message to the citizens and should have been “Call 911 and we will get there whenever we can”.

Daily911Deals.com - 40% OFF MN8 Foxfire Illuminating and Reflective Helmet Tetrahedrons. EXCLUSIVE NEW PRODUCT! I think they are pretty decent tetrahedrons. Read my review here.

Firehouse Zen- Chief Mick Mayers continues to lay it down in his writings that occasionally have me seeking dictionary.com for a definition. Don’t let that dissuade you from reading though. He offers some great insight to the fire service. Check out: OKAY, IT’S 2012: NOW WHAT? and 2012: “WHAT IF?”.

Statter911.com – Dave offers a video of a house fire in Maryland. This is video posted yesterday of a December 23 fire in Upper Marlboro, Maryland (Prince George’s County) Raw Video: PGFD House Fire in Upper Marlboro. Switch to Defensive Operations

911 Memorial Stairclimbs – The majority of the stair climb events are now affiliated with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. One of the original climbs is a bit smaller scale and has a local feel. The Albequrque Stair Climb started in 2003. Read more about it here. If you are looking for a stair climb event check out http://www.9-11stairclimb.com/

Here is a lost photo I just found. This is a picture of Willie and I immediately after climbing 110 floors in Atlanta at FRI for the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb.

FireGeezer.com - A FIRE LATE SUNDAY NIGHT in a downtown brothel in Mitchell, Australia, is still deemed suspicious by the fire investigators. The Canberra area business was closed for New Year’s Day, as all the city’s brothels were when smoke was discovered coming from The Gentlemen’s Club on Grimwade Street around 11 pm. http://firegeezer.com/2012/01/02/brothel-fire-suspicious/

The Colorado Firefighter Facebook Page - This page continues to impress me on the sharing of links and information. Check them out here and click “like”!

ELAFFHQ.com – Their latest post “Raise money for a good cause, and get a chance to win a leather helmet” is just that…a chance to win a Phenix Leather Helmet. The chances are $1 a piece and the helmet will be given away once they reach $1000 for the National Firefighters Endowment. Click here to go directly to the donation page. They are currently 1/4 of the way to their goal! The Fire Critic gave $50…If I win the helmet I will give it away to pay it forward!

Fire Service Warrior – This site continues to impress me. The latest post “Brotherhood Insurance: A Pay for What You Get Policy” by Brother Brian Brush is a great post on the Brotherhood of the Fire Service and a must read!

IronFiremen.com – America’s Fire Captain Willie Wines Jr. outdoes everyone on his End of Year Review for 2011. Even though this post probably took three weeks for his little fingers to type, it is well worth a read. See what he has accomplished this past year!

Firefighter Nation – They have the story and the video of a huge fire at a former Illinois factory here.

Happy Medic – The Happy Medic is handing out his “Best of 2011″ awards. Check them out here!

IronsandLadders.com – This blog is great on content. Their latest post “Thru-The-Lock Time Trial (storefront doors)” is just one of many great training videos available.

Brotherhood Instructors – One of the leading privately owned and operated by firefighters instructing team offers “Forcing Doors in Zero Visibility – By Andrew Brassard” Check it out and continue your learning!

FireRescue1.com – They offer this story: Authorities probe fire attacks on 4 NYC sites “Blog post that may be linked to attacks: ‘Throw 10 Molotov cocktails into these mosques and burn them down’” Read it here

I love sushi and I love wasabi. I understand the use of wasabi and how it enhances the flavor with a little spice. I would never eat a spoonful of wasabi. I don’t think this next firefighter ever will…again! He might say this is a near death experience! Maybe this is the new cinnamon dragon challenge!

Crews battle flames and smoke at Westport Presbyterian Church

KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) -

As dozens of onlookers packed Westport Road Thursday evening, all they could do is watch as Westport Presbyterian Church burned.

“We were out in Westport and my wife got a message on Facebook saying ‘Westport’s burning,’” Luke Rocha said.

Rocha, like many others, went down to see the flames shooting from the roof of the historic church that stood at Westport and 40th street for more than 100 years.

Video of the fire is here

Posted by The Fire Critic on January 2, 2012 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Best of the Rest, Command & Leadership, EMS Health & Safety, EMS Topics, Fire Dispatch, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, Fires, Humor, News, Training, Training & Development, training-fire-rescue-topics, Videos • Tagged: 9-11 Memorial Stair Climb, 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb, Best of the Rest, Brian Brush, Brotherhood Instructors, Church Fire, Daily 911 Deals, Daily911Deals, Daily911Deals.com, Dave Statter, ELAFFHQ.com, EMS, Fire, Fire Critic, Fire Department, Fire Service, FireCritic.com, Firefighter, Firefighter Nation, Firefighter Prank, Firefighter vs. Wasabi, Firefighting, FireGeezer, Fireground Video, Firehouse Zen, FireRescue1, House Fire, Humor, IronFiremen.com, IronsandLadders.com, NFFF, Paramedic, Rhett Fleitz, Social Media, STATter911.com, The Happy Medic, Twitter, Video, Willie Wines Jr.

MN8 Foxfire Illuminating and Reflective Tetrahedrons – Product Review

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First off, get these for 40% off through January 5, 2012 at Daily911Deals.com. The retail price is $24.95, but right now you can get a set of 8 for $14.97.

40% OFF MN8 Foxfire Illuminating and Reflective Helmet Tetrahedrons. EXCLUSIVE NEW PRODUCT!

Secondly, these things are pretty neat. MN8 Products came through again with an excellent product. Let me be clear, MN8 didn’t invent the tetrahedron, they simply made it better.

I just got a new Phenix leather helmet and the tetrahedrons that came on it are terrible. I pulled them off and installed these new MN8 Illuminating and reflective tetrahedrons and it looks great.

Check out my pictures for how well they work. Much like the illuminating helmet band (also seen in the picture), it is a new and improved design to the old (albiet cheaper) cut piece of intertube.

Most tetrahedrons are reflective. This one is no different. It is reflective and illuminates when charged with light. This tetrahedron certainly improves visibility…it reflects if light is shined on it and it illuminates when light is not available.

The bonus is that these tetrahedrons look pretty impressive just as they sit on your helmet. I have seen many that just don’t look that good. Don’t let the firefighting fashion police catch you with ugly tetrahedrons!

MN8 Products – Shop - Facebook – Twitter – Youtube

About the Tetrahedrons:

Set of eight (8) replaces your existing reflective tetrahedrons
High reflectivity (Reflexite’s newest prismatic film)
High heat durability (they are built on a Nomex type fire retardant cloth)
Advanced photoluminescence afterglow
Strong surface bonding (3M’s adhesive)
Patented design

These tetrahedrons are a good buy. Especially at the rate offered on Daily911Deals.com right now. However, if you are reading this and the deal is no longer valid, they are still a decent purchase.

I think my pictures do it justice.

About MN8 Products:

MN8® Products — A leading developer of illuminating products

MN8® Products develops, markets and sells revolutionary photoluminescent coatings and products that provide illumination for several hours and stay visible in complete darkness for up to 17 hours. Our products will charge in just a few minutes from any light source and can be recharged indefinitely. As a result, there is no need for any external battery, electrical, or energy source other than light.

Every one of our products is designed with safety in mind, as we thoughtfully and deliberately develop products that will keep people safe. Our products have been especially effective for firefighter gear, arming firefighters with necessary visibility tools in the most difficult situations.

Posted by The Fire Critic on January 2, 2012 • Filed under: Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, Fires, News, Product Reviews, Training & Development • Tagged: Daily 911 Deals, Daily911Deals, Daily911Deals.com, Fire, Fire Critic, Fire Department, Fire Service, FireCritic.com, Firefighter, Firefighting, Foxfire, Helmet Tetrahedrons, Illuminating and Reflective Tetrahedrons, IronFiremen.com, Mn8 Products, Rhett Fleitz, Social Media, Willie Wines Jr.

Chicago Fire Department – Everyone Goes Home – Watch and Share

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This video is from the Chicago Fire Department and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. It provides insight to some of what Chicago’s firefighters have been through dealing with Line of Duty Deaths (LODD’s), close calls, continuing to learn, and adjusting to change.

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I challenge you to watch this entire video. Then share the video with your Brother and Sister Firefighters.

YOU HAVE TO LEARN.
You have to train.
You have to be ready.
Wear your seatbelts.
Understand what you are doing and why you are doing it.

Some of the topics include seatbelt usage, situational awareness, health and wellness, calling a MAYDAY, PPE, and much more.

If you think you got some good reason for not wearing this or for not doing things the right way write it down. Because I need to read that to your widow. Cause I’m not going to know what to say. You say it for me. – Chicago Chief of Training Peter VanDorpe

If this video doesn’t make you sit and think about your job and how you do it, you just don’t get it.

Sincere thanks to CFD Commissioner Bob Hoff, the Chicago Fire Department, Chicago IAFF Local 2, and the entire crew at the NFFF especially Rob Maloney, director of this video, for a spectacular job.

Posted by The Fire Critic on December 28, 2011 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Close Call, Command & Leadership, EMS Topics, Fire Prevention & Education, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, Fires, Funding & Staffing, In the Line of Duty, Line of Duty, Mayday, Must Read, News, Rescues, Training, Training & Development, Videos • Tagged: Bob Hoff, CFD, Chicago, Chicago Fire Department, Close Call, Command Fire Apparatus, Commissioner Hoff, Daily 911 Deals, Daily911Deals, Daily911Deals.com, Dave Statter, EGH, EMS, EMT, Everyone Goes Home, film, Fire, Fire Blogs, Fire Critic, Fire Department, Fire Service, FireCritic.com, Firefighter, Firefighting, Fires, House Fire Video, IAFF, Illinois, In the Line of Duty, IronFiremen.com, JoEllen Kelly, Line of Duty, Line of Duty Death, LODD, movie, National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, NFFF, Paramedic, Rhett Fleitz, Rob Maloney, Robert Hoff, Ron Siarnicki, Safety, seatbelts, Social Media, Steve Redick, Video, Willie Wines Jr.

A Perfect Example of Fire & EMS Recruitment from Wyoming, OH Fire & EMS

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You might remember that Willie and I traveled to the Cincinnati area for an Officer Seminar recently. I presented a class on social media in Covington, Kentucky and then we met up with and hung out with Zach Green in Wyoming, Ohio the next day.

Zach is a member of the Wyoming Fire & EMS Department, a proud member at that. Willie and I got to go to a flashover simulator at Cincinnati Fire Departments training grounds, we enjoyed it and learned a lot. It was our first time at a flashover simulator.

The Wyoming Fire & EMS has recently produced a recruitment video that was very well done. I have no clue of the budget for the video, but it seems professionally done.

The beautiful thing about this project is that any department can use it as a recruitment tool. It won’t matter that the video has Wyoming Fire & EMS in it, the message is the same. As a matter of fact, Wyoming firefighters encourage other departments to use it.

Check out the Wyoming Fire & EMS online and “like” them on Facebook as well.

Here is the video below:

Wyoming FD from ChiliDog Pictures on Vimeo.

Promoting recruitment for volunteer firefighters and EMS personnel of all ages and backgrounds to support their local community.

Posted by The Fire Critic on December 27, 2011 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Command & Leadership, EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, Funding & Staffing, News, Technology & Communications, Training & Development, Videos • Tagged: Cincinnati Fire Department, Daily 911 Deals, Daily911Deals, Daily911Deals.com, EMS, Fire, Fire Critic, Fire Department, Fire Service, FireCritic.com, Firefighter, Fireground Video, House Fire, Recruitment, Retention, Rhett Fleitz, Social Media, Video, Volunteer Recruitment, Willie Wines Jr., Wyoming Fire EMS, Zach Green

The Secret List Isn’t Really a Secret At All

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The Secret List is an email list that began in 1998, but has roots even deeper than that. This article is a look into how The Secret List began and what it is all about.

The information below was gathered from a phone interview with Chief Billy Goldfeder and maybe a little bit of research online.

The Secret List or TSL technically began in 1998 as an email back and forth from Chief Billy Goldfeder and many of his friends and other fire service leaders.

However, prior to the email version of TSL, Chief Jack McElfish (currently in Sandy Springs, Georgia), used to mail out information in a manila envelope. The news was stuff he found or that others found and mailed to him. Whether it was written correspondence or copies of articles, the information was sent to several others and the list began growing. Word spread and peoples addresses were added to the list and McElfish made more copies and spent more money on stamps. For you young bucks, google what we used to do prior to email!

Fast forward to 1998, Billy Goldfeder bought his first computer and found the internet. Al Gore’s invention had grown and Goldfeder put it to work. The email version of TSL was born. TSL was the same as before, but now with typed information and links to stories on news sites around the World.

They original email list went to notable fire service leaders and others. The list grew as more found out about the list and asked to be on it.

The name “The Secret List” was originally just a gag among some veteran firefighters

That’s right, the name “The Secret List” originated from a little humor. Not the purpose, the name. People started asking who was on the list and Goldfeder would simply tell them it was a secret…A Secret List…THE Secret List. In order to keep everyone from asking who was on the list, Goldfeder soon began adding “The Secret List” in the subject line along with the subject of each email.

I asked Goldfeder how many people were on the list now and for each of their names and email addresses. Would you believe that he told me it was still a secret! Actually, he told me that it is several hundred thousand direct subscribers in addition to the over 160,000 who read it on Facebook.. This includes members from all over the World including the UK, Canada, Australia, France, the Middle East, and countries ending in “vakia” and “thania”. Many US Soldiers are also members.

You can “like” TSL on Facebook.com as well!

So what is The Secret List exactly?

TSL is based on firefighter survival. It is mission focused. It isn’t the latest news and politics, however some are included because some politics ARE about firefighter survival.

Ever since it’s inception, TSL has remained on point and focused on firefighter survival. Nothing more and nothing less.

Enter FirefighterCloseCalls.com

Maybe you have heard the name Gordon Graham (GordonGraham.Com). Maybe you haven’t. If you haven’t, you should immediately crawl out from under that rock in which you live.

Gordon Graham asked Goldfeder about creating a web site to share the information on TSL. The idea was simple, Goldfeder would produce the information and Graham would fund it.

FirefighterCloseCalls.com - The Home of The Secret List was born. The site is advertisement free and not for sale, although it is probably one of the most valuable fire service web sites in existence today. It is ad free because it is mission focused. Goldfeder and Graham do not want any business politics entering into the equation and want to retain the ability to say whatever they want whenever they want to say it. They make no money directly from the web site.

Read their mission statement here

FirefighterCloseCalls.com has grown since its inception.

The site is led by:

Retired Highway Patrol Commander Gordon Graham J.D.
Chief Billy Goldfeder, EFO
Chief Forest Reeder
Chief Brian P. Kazmierzak, EFO
Chief Rudy Horist
Retired Fire Marshal Ignatius Kapalczynski
Retired Chief Chris Shimer
Chief Patrick Kenny
Director Barry Furey

Read more about these men here

The site now includes various sections like:

The Secret List
Close Calls
EMS Close Calls
Personal Survival
Training and Safety
Weekly Fire Drills
Videos
Communications
Fire Reports
Firefighters Killed at War
Non-Traumatic Firefighter Deaths
Firefighter Staffing

They even have a “sites we like” section…Maybe I will make the list some day! (cough, cough). Although, Statter isn’t on their either. Just don’t tell Dave that. It would crush him!

The Secret List is sent out when there is important information to share. There is no frequency to their emails. The guys behind the list/site monitor the news 24/7 for information they think should be shared.

One final note is that Goldfeder said that TSL is about giving back to the fire service. You might think of it as paying it forward, Goldfeder says he is blessed with what the fire service has given him and he wants to be able to give back for others to learn. Additionally, he has been in the unique position of being directly involved with numerous LODD’s over the last nearly 40 years as a fireman, company officer, and Chief. From investigations, to working with Chiefs and Locals in preventing recurrences’s as well as losing firefighters he was personally very close to over the years, The site is not about “SAFETY-ING” out the fires service.

Goldfeder further stated:

“Some visitors to the site or readers of TSL think that we are trying to eliminate risk. That’s ridiculous. This is a risky job and some risks must absolutely be taken. Additionally, some LODD”s are not avoidable and those who perform those are as heroic as anyone can get. That’s not the ones we are talking about. We are talking about the unnecessary risks, the ones where firefighters and officers did things that resulted in nothing other than to get themselves hurt or killed…Actions that were predictable from the start and initial and on-going size up. In those cases, the lack of training, leadership, experience, etc. lead to the tragic but unnecessary deaths. Who determines what is an unnecessary LODD? Rad the reports and speak to those who were on scene. The LODD families can often provide some “shut up and listen” insight on how their loved one died and didn’t have to. Our focus is to simply help firefighters learn from some bad stuff, close calls as well as LODD’s – so they just don’t get repeated.”

Oh, and if you ever wondered what “WTF” stood for, I am assured that it means “Well Trained Firefighter”. When I asked him if he was ABSOLUTELY sure it didn’t mean “What The Fuck” his reply was “WTF are you trying to say Rhett?”

Keep up the great work Billy, Gordon, Forest, Brian, Rudy, Ignatius, Chris, and Pat!

If you would like to subscribe to The Secret List via email click here, otherwise click on over to FirefighterCloseCalls.com and check it out!

Posted by The Fire Critic on November 3, 2011 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Command & Leadership, EMS Health & Safety, EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, Funding & Staffing, In the Line of Duty, In-Depth Report, News, Technology & Communications, technology-communications-ems-topics, Training & Development, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: Barry Furey, Billy Goldfeder, Brian P. Kazmierzak, Chris Shimer, Daily 911 Deals, Daily911Deals, Daily911Deals.com, EMS, Fire, Fire Critic, Fire Department, Fire Service, FireCritic.com, Firefighter, Firefighter Close Calls, Firefighting, FirefigtherCloseCalls.com, Forest Reeder, Gordon Graham, Ignatius Kapalczynski, IronFiremen.com, Patrick Kenny, Rhett Fleitz, Rudy Horist, Social Media, The Secret List, TSL, Willie Wines Jr., WTF

Social Media in the Fire Service: Catch the Class in New Jersey Soon!

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I will be in New Jersey teaching about Social Media in the Fire Service at the end of the month. Willie Wines Jr. will be traveling with me, but he will only make it to the second class. He will be in New York City with Zach Green of MN8 Products (Foxfire) hanging out with some of the guys/gals from the FDNY. I will rendezvous with them in NYC in the evenings.

My goal with these classes are to make them as interactive as possible. I enjoy questions and helping others understand social media and what it can do for them and their companies, departments, organizations, and even personal networking!

There is still room in the classes if you want to attend.

To register:

Registration is through myNewJersey, the state’s website. The registration instructions are on page3 of the Fall 2011 Course Brochure. Here is a link to the brochure:

http://www.keanfiresafety.com/PDFs/Fall2011CourseBook.pdf

If you are from out of State, you might be able to skip the online registration. Contact me and I will put you in touch with them.

Here are the places and times I will be teaching. The actual name of the class is “Social Media: Fire Service’s Next Biggest Innovation”.

Rhett Fleitz teaching social media at FDIC 2011

Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 8am
Morris County Firefighter and Police Training Academy
500 West Hanover Ave
Parsippany, NJ 07950

And

Friday, October 28, 2011 at 8am
Burlington County Emergency Services Training Center
53 Academy Dr
Westampton (Mt Holly), NJ 08060

The class focuses on getting started as well as how to utilize social media. I will also be focusing on what not to do with social media and how to keep from making some mistakes others have made.

Willie and I will be making a cannonball run up and back, but might have some time to stop in to some Fire Departments if you want to meet up.

Posted by The Fire Critic on October 18, 2011 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Command & Leadership, EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, News, Social Media, Training & Development, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: Daily 911 Deals, Daily911Deals, Daily911Deals.com, EMS, Facebook, Fire, Fire Blogs, Fire Critic, Fire Department, Fire Service, Fire Service Social Media, FireCritic.com, Firefighter, Firefighting, IronFiremen.com, Kean University, Policy on Social Media, Rhett Fleitz, Social Media, Social Media in the Fire Service, Social Media Policy, Social Media Policy for Firefighters, Social Media Training, Twitter, Willie Wines Jr.

Top Ten Advertising and Marketing Ideas for Fire, EMS, and Police Markets

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This advertising and marketing advice is applicable to businesses, products, departments, start-ups, establishing a name for themselves or their brand, or continuing to saturate the market with their brand name. Whether you are big or small, there is something out there for you.

The question isn’t whether to advertise or not, it is when and how you will advertise. How else are people supposed to know who you are?

I have seen many companies spend a ton of money on advertising and marketing campaigns. Some of those campaigns have paid out in huge dividends, but others have wasted money on campaigns that missed the mark. I have also been a part of creating creative campaigns for my brands that have been on a shoe-string budget.

Below are what I feel are the top ten advertising and marketing ideas for products in the firefighting, emergency medical services, and law enforcement fields. Consider these ideas, and that an actual “campaign” might involve one or more of these ideas implemented concurrently or consecutively to create a buzz about a brand or product.

In viewing these ideas, consider time spent on the idea, money spent on the idea, and the ability to understand and analyize the return on investment (ROI) as well as the ability to view progress of the idea or campaign. The list is in order from 10 to 1, 1 being the best in my eyes based on return of investment and not price-tag.

The scale is $-$$$$. The more the $ symbols the more the cost!

10. Print Advertising

Examples: Fire Engineering, Fire Rescue Magazine, Firehouse Magazine, JEMS, Police Magazine

Some might say it is old fashioned (I am one of them). Does print advertising have a value? YES. However, when compared to new media abilities and ideas, print marketing only provides “potential” reach and does not offer “actual” reach when analysing the value of the campaign once delivered. What I am saying is that when you purchase print marketing, the salesperson can tell you how many magazines will be delivered with your advertisement in it. They cannot tell you how many people will put their hands on it, nor how many times each person will put their hands on it. They also cannot tell you if the reader will actually flip to the page where your ad resides in a publication. Print advertising usually costs a pretty penny when talking about the leading market magazines. Although the less circulated event programs might be cheaper, you have to consider their potential reach. Other print advertising mediums: magazines, newsletters, catalogs, event programs $$$$

9. Facebook Ads

Marketing through facebook ads can serve one of two purposes. You can get traffic to your web site or you can get traffic to your Facebook fan page. Facebook fan pages are a great asset to create conversation between your brand and your fans. You can use your fan page to ask questions, draw attention to your web site, post products, get feedback, and communicate. Facebook ads are not very expensive. You can opt to pay by the impression or by the click. I have used both of these formats and have found them to be well worth the investment for the price. Of course, it is all about the image you use for your ad! You can control the demographics of the people the ad will appear in front of as well as the keywords that your ad will show on pages of (types of pages and users). $$

8. Online advertising on leading market web sites

Examples: Firehouse.com, FirefighterNation.com, FireRescue1.com, JEMS.com, PoliceOne.com

Web sites which lead the market in fire, EMS, and police substantiate their existence with advertising. It is what pays the bills. Many of these sites have accompanying print magazines, however they are run by separate teams…yes even the advertising team. Every one of these web sites offers many different types of online advertising like ad banners, text links, product articles, and newsletter advertising. Most also incorporate advertising on their Facebook fan pages as well. Advertising with the conglomerates can be costly, but they have the a lot of reach. A huge benefit of online advertising with these web sites is the ability to track click-throughs, impressions, and conversions. These sites are National or even International in reach with readers all over the World. Don’t let that dissuade you if you are looking for advertising in a specific region, State, or even Country though. Most of these web sites should have the ability to run ads for users from areas you want to reach. $$$

7. Link advertising

Basically, we are talking about a text link on other web sites. Typically, this will mean in an article, post, or links page or sidebar. The easiest way to get this done is to trade links. Put up a link to other sites and then email them and ask for a reciprocal link. If you don’t have a links page, or want to increase the chances of having that text link appear on other sites, you could offer some money to have your link appear. The price for the link will depend on the popularity of the page you are trying to get a link on. Free to $

6. Online advertising in market blogs (individual blogs)

Examples: STATter911.com, IronFiremen.com, FireCritic.com, HappyMedic.com, MotorCopblog.com

This is where I think more and more companies should be looking to advertise and connect. The reason is because companies can connect with individual bloggers and web site administrators forming a relationship. It is more feasible to formulate a campaign that hits directly what you want. Whether you want an ad banner, text ad, article written about your product, or something else you can speak with the writer directly and ask for what you want. Be aware though, most bloggers will entertain writing an article about a product they DO NOT want to be told what to say. You have to realize that the bloggers/writers have an image to uphold. They do not want to be viewed as a sell out especially if they do not like your product. Start off with advertising on their site and ask to speak in the future about an article maybe. These bloggers have very low overhead, but like to make some money along the way. Most bloggers aren’t going to know their exact value when it comes to advertising. Be sure to check them out on Alexa or Compete.com to see what their traffic is. $

5. Product Reviews

Examples: FireCritic.com Reviews, Fire Rescue Magazine Gear Tests

Product reviews offer companies the ability to put a product in a writers hands and see what they think about it. If you have a great product, you have nothing to worry about. The review might bring up conversation about the product and feedback on it as well. Currently there aren’t many sources for product reviews. In all honesty (maybe a little bias), FireCritic.com offers probably the best market for product reviews for fire and EMS products. Many of the print magazines offer gear tests or product reviews, but I am unsure of the cost. Some of them might be syndicated on the accompanying web site for the printed magazine. Probably the easiest way to get a product reviewed is by contacting a reputable blogger in your market. Most bloggers will do a product review with the understanding that the blogger will get to keep the product once the review is completed. The bigger sites probably offer gear tests or product reviews as part of an advertising campaign and will cost money. In the future, the reviews at FireCritic.com will be available on a larger market with other bloggers involved. To view information on product reviews as well as past reviews right here on FireCritic.com click here. Free to $$ (depending on cost of product reviewed)

4. Marketing through Collective Buying web sites

Examples: Daily911Deals.com and Deals.FireRescue1.com

These types of web sites are new to the realm of public safety. They offer no up front cost marketing and target the markets in which the deals (products) are offered. The deals are offered in limited time and quantity. The deals are designed to attract new customers, referrals, and market the brand. The deals are shared among others via social media. Businesses control the terms, quantity, and price of the deals. While this is new to the fire, EMS, and police markets, it is a HUGE market outside and was made popular by companies like Groupon and Living Social. As the trend continues, the benefits of using collective buying sites will increase. These sites make money on a percentage of the vouchers sold. Depending on the deal, the company might take a loss on the sale of the product. What it is important to realize is that the marketing reach has a value that the company is not paying for up front. Even if you take a $1 loss per item and sell 100 items to 100 individuals, the marketing campaign only cost $100 and you received 100 new customers, their email addresses, and sold products. That is cheap! $

3. Online Contests

Contests are a great way to increase your reach. Whether it is a twitter contest, Facebook contest, or contest on your web site you can create a buzz around a product. If you plan on running a Facebook contest, sure to research Facebook’s rules for running contests before you dive in though. There are companies available to help you run contests and increase your reach and effectiveness of a contest. Twitter contests revolve around people retweeting and following you to enter. It is a great way to get people to retweet your username and increase followers. I have found twitter contests to drastically increase my number of followers. Sure, some will unfollow you once the contest is over, but not many. $-$$ depending on the prizes

2. Online advertising in local web sites

Examples: FireNews.net, PhillyFireNews.com, VAFireNews.com

Local could be a City, region, or State. There are many web sites which specialize in information for “local” users. The topics and information is catered to the area in which the web site services. These web sites have smaller reach than National or International web sites. However, this can be very beneficial to certain campaigns because the cost will be lower and the reach is concentrated on certain areas. For instance, if you are a company in Virginia you might want to focus your advertising on users from just that State. VAFireNews.com focuses on news and information for Virginia (call me biased as I also run VAFireNews.com). These sites have lower overhead than the larger conglomerates and are often run by one person or a small team. They can offer lower prices and should because their reach and traffic is not the same as larger web sites.$-$$

1. Online Ad Networks

Examples: Emergency Services Ad Network (ESAN), EMSBlogs.com, PSCLicks.com

These ad networks have a lot of reach depending on the amount of sites their ads appear on. The bonus here is that the ads appear on all kinds of sites. They might include fire, EMS, and police sites. The sites might also include leading market web sites, blogs, forums, and message boards. Be sure and ask where else your ad might be able to be incorporated. ESAN ads appear on some of the best fire and EMS blogs, fire and EMS local web sites, and FirefighterNation.com. I have used advertising on ESAN numerous times and have always been happy with the campaign. EMSBlogs.com offers advertising on their blogs which includes some great EMS blogs. PSClicks.com offers text and banner advertising. $-$$$

Another online ad network worth mentioning is Google Ads.

Google ads are very similar to Facebook Ads. You choose the keywords you want your ad to run with and your ad (either text or banner) will appear on those pages of search terms or other web sites. In order for your ad to appear on a site outside of google search they have to be using google ads on their site. For the money, it is well worth a try, but there are better avenues for ensuring your ads are running on sites related to the content you want your ad showing up on. $$

Posted by The Fire Critic on October 12, 2011 • Filed under: News, Social Media, Training & Development, training-fire-rescue-topics

Queen City Burns – Monday Morning Shoutout

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This weeks Monday Morning Shoutout goes to Queen City Burns by Taj, a 24 y.o. firefighter in the South (I am not sure if he wants his full name/location posted). Taj is trying to make a difference. He is part of the bloggers trying to make a cultural change in the fire service through writing, training, teaching, and learning. This crowd has actually got me working out half-regularly now and I thank them for the motivation and inspiration!

I see similiarities between Taj and I. I was 24 once. I just hope that his road is a little easier than mine and he makes as much difference as he can in the fire service. We need change…who better to it come from than the younger generation who know what the fire service can be while understanding the foundation that has built the fire service to this point. These are our future leaders.

Taj is inspirational with his posts. He makes you think and he stands by his words.

Queen City Burns Blog – Facebook - Twitter

Although I might be the enemy.

Taj does not like the bad stories related to the fire service. He doesn’t think they should be shared, talked about, or given credence. I disagree.

My thoughts…if everyone turned a blind eye to the robbery prank in Macon-Bibb, Georgia, what would be next? If firefighters who don’t know the difference between right and wrong didn’t learn that this was a terrible idea, what would be next? I think these incidents need proper coverage showing the damage it can do to the fire service to prevent it from happening again…or worse.

About Taj:

I’m a 24 year old firefighter. My first due is a mix of poverty stricken ghettos, multi-story commercials, and multi-family dwellings. The purpose of this whole project is to both exercise the mind and the body. Through sharing my ideas and activities, I hope to learn as much as I can from others. On the QCB’s facebook, twitter, and main site, I freely support the writings and broadcasted thoughts I find worthy of discussion and, hopefully, worthy of your time. While we openly discuss problems within the fire service, I hope to at least add suggestions to alleviate them. Website hits do not matter to me. I will not cater to the trash-type broadcasting crowd. I have no interest in discussing blatant mistakes of specific departments nor will I partake in the spreading of their dirty laundry. I will not be a part of something I feel is destroying everything I hope to have a piece in building. There are enough places to find the current “viral video” of firefighters doing stupid things, on and off the fireground. This was not, is not, and will never be one of those places. Some may see this as sweeping it under the rug, I find it to be a mature way of staying out of the drama.

Posted by The Fire Critic on October 3, 2011 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Command & Leadership, EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, Monday Morning Shoutout, News, Training & Development, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: Blog, Daily 911 Deals, Daily911Deals, Daily911Deals.com, EMS, Fire Critic, Fire Department, Fire Service, FireCritic.com, Firefighter, Firefighting, Monday Morning Shoutout, Queen City Burns, Rhett Fleitz, Social Media, Taj

Social Media and FireCritic.com…The Big Picture

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This article serves two purposes:

To help the readers understand what information is shared and where it is shared.
To help other bloggers learn how to engage, share, and grow their social media networks.

FireCritic.com is a hybrid blog and social experience. The blog doesn’t quite fit in to a specific category like many other blogs. Other blogs might be lumped into training, news, or personal categories yet the Fire Critic fits all of these. In addition, I pay close attention to my Fire Critic Facebook fan page and Twitter. A lot of the information from the blog is shared on Facebook and Twitter, but there is even more updates on the two than on the blog.

Some people don’t like the moniker “blog” and would rather use the name “web site”. It doesn’t matter to me. To fully understand what the Fire Critic is, you should follow along on Twitter and the Fire Critic Facebook fan page as well. Various readers engage the Fire Critic in different ways. Some twitter followers might not visit FireCritic.com, likewise some Facebook fans might not follow along on Twitter.

Work-flow of FireCritic.com:

Blog posts are automatically shared on Twitter (I use twitterfeed.com)
Blog posts are manually added to the Fire Critic Facebook fan page. This is not automatic so I can customize the update and control the time of publish on Facebook.
Fire Critic Facebook fan page updates are automatically shared on Twitter (through connecting Facebook to Twitter under page settings)

I also have a facebook fan page box on my sidebar of FireCritic.com

Since the Fire Critic Facebook fan page automatically updates to twitter, anytime I add photos, updates, or most anything else it posts to twitter without me having to do a thing. I used to use Networked Blogs App on Facebook, but I would rather do it manually to customize the text and thumbnail. I have found this to be more beneficial than the automatic update via Networked Blogs.

FireCritic.com the Blog

FireCritic.com is a fire service blog. Probably ranked within the top 10 fire service blogs in the U.S., the blog offers news, product reviews, humor, videos, training, and links to other great information on the web. Consider it controlled chaos, I write about whatever comes to mind, whatever stories are going on, and anything else I think up. Many other bloggers have shared information through FireCritic.com and I do not mind sharing information I find useful to my readers. Readers can comment on blog posts and I try to answer any and all questions as well as engage others on the site.

The Fire Critic Facebook Fan Page

The home of FireCritic.com on Facebook. I share the links to posts on FireCritic.com, engage readers about other news, stories, and information. If I have a story that has a lot of pictures, I will typically add a photo album on Facebook where they can view the complete set of pictures. Others are welcome to post on The Fire Critic Facebook fan page as well. I welcome the conversation and I am always looking for good stuff to read. Currently I have 1505 fans and I hope to increase that number every day!

Fire Critic on Twitter

This is where it can get fun, interesting, and weird. My Twitter @FireCritic account is fairly popular for being in such a small niche. As I said before, my posts on FireCritic.com and my status updates on my Facebook fan page are automatically fed to my Twitter account. Yeah, I know some people just don’t get twitter. I say it is a great tool in connecting with readers. Think of it as texting without having to give out your phone number. I add dozens of stories each day to my Twitter account 24/7 that you won’t see on FireCritic.com or the Fire Critic Facebook fan page. The sharing of information is ideal. Plus, you might be lucky and be following me during one of the few times I drink and tweet (happens a handful of times a year)…things get real interesting then! I monitor twitter off and on throughout the day. Currently I have 2044 followers on twitter. That number fluctuates through the day. Typically in a given week I will gain about 30 new followers and lose up to 10. Losing followers is normal because there are so many people who follow and unfollow just to try to get people to follow them without following back. The easiest way to get me to follow you is by retweeting on of my tweets, mentioning me, or asking me a question. I try to follow anyone who does any of the three of these. The reason is simple. I use Tweetdeck on my computer and they make it easy to follow others so I don’t have to actually log into Twitter to see who is following me.

Google +

I admit that I am a newbie to Google +. I have created a personal account, but I don’t think you can create business accounts yet. I am learning as I go. I think there will be value in Google +, there just isn’t enough for me to spend a lot of time on it yet.

Engaging others is what it is all about. I use other forms of social media too. The ones listed above are the ones I spend the most time on.

What works for you? How can I improve? Do you have any questions?

If you have any questions on how I set up any of the automatic feeds between twitter, facebook, or the blog let me know!

Now hurry up and connect with me on the Fire Critic Facebook fan page and Twitter if you haven’t already!

Posted by The Fire Critic on September 28, 2011 • Filed under: EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, Must Read, News, Social Media, Technology & Communications, technology-communications-ems-topics, Training & Development, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: Daily 911 Deals, Daily911Deals, Daily911Deals.com, EMS, Facebook, Facebook for Firefighters, Fire, Fire Blogs, Fire Critic, Fire Department, FireCritic, FireCritic.com, Firefighter, Firefighting, Google, Google Plus, Rhett Fleitz, Social Media, Twitter, Twitter for Firefighters

Turbo Medic EMS Training CD Set 50% OFF at Daily911Deals.com

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Check out the latest deal on Daily911Deals.com. The deal ends soon!

(3) CD set “Turbo Medic” (educational materials)
PC Textbook Module
Exam Module
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For a limited time we are offering the Turbo Medic On Demand CD Modules. These are key content areas of Turbo Medic and while they do not offer everything that you would get as a Premium member. They do offer invaluable and timeless study resources and are a great addition to any EMS library.

Enter to win $250 at Daily911Deals.com

Thats right, you could win $250 just by registering at Daily911Deals.com. NO PURCHASE required to enter the contest. Click here for more information.

Posted by The Fire Critic on September 27, 2011 • Filed under: Daily911Deals, EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, technology-communications-ems-topics, Training & Development, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: Daily 911 Deals, Daily911Deals, Daily911Deals.com, EMS, EMS Training, Fire Critic, FireCritic.com, Offensive Attack, Rhett Fleitz, Social Media, Turbo Medic

AFG Grants Writing 101 – Don’t Let This Free Money Disappear

3 comments

The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program has been extended again to September 23rd. This is the second extension offered this year. From what I am hearing, there have not been an abundance of grant applications this year.

As a fire service, we have a duty to make sure every attempt is made to utilize these grants. If we do not, the funding might not be there next year. Plus, free money? Who doesn’t want that. Maybe you don’t even know where to begin when writing a grant. There are several grant writing firms out there. Some offer customized grant writing, others offer samples of successful grants. What is $50 – $2000 (the higher for custom grant writing) when you could recieve thousands and maybe tens of thousands of dollars in grant money?

Yeah, I said $50. It could be that cheap. Currently, Firehouse Grants is offering two great deals on Daily911Deals.com. The deals offer twenty one (21) AFG narratives, 3 narratives per topic. The topics are: PPE (structural turnout gear), SCBA, Exhaust Systems, Pumper Apparatus, Radios, Rescue Tools, PPE Washer/Dryers. One of the deals is offering each individual topic (3 narratives) for $59 which is a 40% discount. The other deal offers all 8 topics (21 narratives) for $399 which is a 50% discount.

You can get started now! As soon as you purchase the deal, the narratives will be emailed to you. You don’t have to wait. These deals end soon!

Fire Chiefs and Administrators owe it to their firefighters to apply for these grants.

If you are a firefighter who cares about your department, and have identified a need within your agency, you owe it to your fellow firefighters to forward the above information to your Chiefs. Ensure they are aware of this opportunity.

The Secret List put it so eloquently:

Let’s make this REAL clear:
THE associations YOU pay dues to such as IAFF, IAFC, NFPA, NVFC and many others have all busted their organizational tails to get and maintain this program. If we don’t get applications in, the non-supportive politicians will use the lack of applications to cut these programs-leaving our supportive politicians empty handed. Read more

The following is from FEMA:

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announces that the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) application period will be extended for one additional week. The NEW deadline for AFG applications is September 23, 2011 at 5:00 P.M. EST. The earthquake that affected so many communities in the eastern United States, as well as the continued responses related to hurricane Irene, tropical storm Lee and the active wildfires in southwestern United States have had a direct impact on organizations ability to prepare and apply for grant assistance under the AFG program. We hope this extension will provide valuable time required to complete and submit your application.

The AFG Program Help Desk is ready to assist with any questions applicants may have and can be reached by calling 1-866-274-0960 or email at firegrants@dhs.gov.

The current AFG application deadline is September 23rd

Links to more AFG grant information and guidance:

Posted by The Fire Critic on September 15, 2011 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Command & Leadership, EMS Topics, Fire Prevention & Education, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, Funding & Staffing, News, Technology & Communications, technology-communications-ems-topics, Training & Development, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: Daily 911 Deals, Daily911Deals, Daily911Deals.com, EMS, Fire, Fire Critic, Fire Department, FireCritic.com, Firefighter, Firehouse Grants, FirehouseGrants.com, Grants, IAFC, IAFF, International Association of Fire Chiefs, International Association of Fire Fighters, Jeff Harkey, Rhett Fleitz, Social Media, Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grants, The Secret List

Video: Ladder Training at Kakaako Station in Honolulu Circa 1930′s

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Check out this training video from back in the day. Firefighters train with wooden ladders in Honolulu.

Posted by The Fire Critic on August 18, 2011 • Filed under: Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighting Operations, News, Training & Development, training-fire-rescue-topics, Videos • Tagged: Fire Critic, FireCritic.com, Firefighter, Honolulu Fire Department, Kakaako Station, Rhett Fleitz, Video

Black Diamond Footwear X2 Firefighting Boots – Product Review

2 comments

Black Diamond X2 Footwear X2 firefighting boots are by far a superb example of what leather fire boots should feel like and look like. These boots are well worth the investment. I have been wearing these boots for 4 months and I must say that I am impressed. Other firefighters have noticed them as well. Many are always asking about the reviews I am doing. They want to know about the decent products out there. The point is that these product reviews are paying off locally as well as globally with the reach of this blog.

You might remember I did a review of the Black Diamond X boot here and here. They took that design and made it even better.

These boots are beyond comfortable. I know that because not only have I been wearing them for 4 months, but I have fought some fire in them and even did a 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb at Firehouse Expo in them.

Web Site - Facebook - Twitter - Youtube

The Black Diamond Footwear X Boot

I don’t take product reviews lightly. I take my time and do it right. My reputation as a reviewer is on the line each time I do a review. I want to make sure I hit the high points and the low points of each product. My intention was to do a video review of these boots but I just couldn’t pull it off.

My first impression of the X2 Boot…

The look – These boots are solid black. They look solid. Just look at the pictures. This is after 4 months of decent use.

The feel - Out of the box, these boots slipped right on. I did not have to wear them around to break them in. I put them right in my gear and got ready for business. They don’t hug your foot, and the 3-point heel locking system holds your foot in place and keeps your foot from slipping around inside. They slipped on and off very easily.

The toe - The toe on these boots is probably one of the best I have seen yet. They have a molded rubber toe cap that has held up very well so far.

My X2 boots as they sit in my turnout gear.

Best feature – Much like the X boot I think the best feature is the integrated and reinforced pull on system. They also added a lip on the heel to assist in taking them off….great idea!

Worst feature – Made in China… the potential lower cost from outsourcing to China probably means more sales for those who don’t care about where a product is made…but for myself and many others that “Made in USA” might mean the difference between purchasing this boot and another which is made in the United States.

For all of the specifications of the X2 boot check out the spec sheet can here

Molded Rubber Toe Cap and Heel for High Abrasion and Ankle Support Guard Protection

Now for the serious stuff…

On the fireground – I caught a pretty decent fire wearing the X2 boot. I didn’t even notice I had them on. You can read about the fire here. I was on the nozzle (that doesn’t happen all the time). It was a hot fire, but then again I don’t know of any fires which aren’t hot. They got some use and were very comfortable.

Walking – I have done plenty of this wearing the boots. On every call for the past 4 months I have worn them. Most notably, I participated in the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb at

The construction is solid on these boots.

Firehouse Expo wearing the X2 Boots and my full turnout gear. Willie Wines Jr. did the same. You can read about our climb here and here. We walked 110 stories in the X2 Boots and I never thought for a minute about my feet hurting because they did not. Those boots are that comfortable. There were other firefighters wearing running shoes and I cannot imagine their feet were any better off than mine.

Design:

Upper

Leather : Firetuff flame retardant waterproof heavyweight leather
Fusion fabric : Nomex®/Kevlar®/Taflon® F.P.P.E)

Exclusive calf-fit system allows for extended CALF WIDTH, maximum flexibility, comfort and fit

Lining:

CROSSTECH® membrane with Omaha lining
Kevlar lined for cut protection

Footbed:

Ortholite® 3-density, milti-fit, removable footbed with TPU heel cradle
Proprietary rubber comfort cup sole with comfort flex, high abrasion and traction performance

Other notable design specs:

Form-fitting shin-guard protector
Built-in heel boot jack for easy-off
Exclusive calf-fit system allows for extended CALF WIDTH, maximum flexibility, comfort and fit
The boots come in one width with removable footbed inserts for those of us with wider feet.

If you don’t take my word for it, check out these other fire service bloggers who have reviewed the Black Diamond Footwear X2 Boot:

Thanks so much for Black Diamond for sending me a pair of boots to review.

The Fire Critic offers product reviews. Please visit this page for details on how to get your product reviewed and what our policy is on reviews.

Posted by The Fire Critic on August 9, 2011 • Filed under: EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, News, Product Reviews, Training & Development, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: Black Diamond, Black Diamond Boots, Black Diamond Footwear, Black Diamond Protective Equipment, Daily911Deals, Daily911Deals.com, EMS, Fire Critic, Fire Service Product Review, FireCritic.com, Firefighter, Firefighting Boots, FireGeezer, IronFiremen.com, Product Review, Rhett Fleitz, Social Media, Willie Wines Jr.

110 Floors for 343…Never Forget. Honor, Respect, Tradition

9 comments

Yesterday in Baltimore at Firehouse Expo, I participated in the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb.

Honor, Respect, Tradition, and Never Forgetting. Finishing the climb for the 343 was difficult but bearable.

I did it knowing there was water on the 1st, 16th, and 20th floor of the Hilton in Baltimore. I climbed 22 floors 5 times in full turnout gear. I did it with Willie Wines Jr., Kevin Totten, Jody McIntosh, Cory Patton, and Chris King. We did it together.

The difference between us and them was that we did it in honor of them. We did it without an airpack, without fear, without trepidation.

We did it to help others never forget.

They are the 343. 343 members of FDNY who climbed in full turnout gear to fight the fires and rescue the people of the World Trade Centers on September 11th.

They climbed with tools. They climbed knowing that they were in their coffin…a cinder block stairwell. Every floor harder and harder on their knees. Sweating, second thoughts about their calling. Sporting events, school meetings, barbecues, and normal lives left behind because they were there doing it… Never to return to their lives.

On that day, September 11th, they became a statistic.

But not to me. Not to the American Fire Service. Not to the Brotherhood.

And I never forgot. I will never forget. I remember where I was. I was on the job that day…but I was in a safer place, far from Ground Zero.

It is my duty and my conviction as a FIREFIGHTER to never forget.

Yesterday, at the 9/11 Memorial stair climb at Firehouse Expo I climbed for Martin McWilliams of Engine 22…and on that last lap, the last 22 floors I climbed for another fallen brother. Upon the reach of the top of our second to last lap I grabbed for a cup of water. I saw the photo of Raymond York of Engine 285. His picture had fallen off of the member climbing for him. I instantly picked it up and tossed it in my helmet band.

I climbed for those guys…Martin and Raymond…and for their 341 brothers who died on September 11th.

They had it harder than me. My climb pales in comparison to their climb. I will never have a climb as difficult as theirs.

But I climbed. We climbed. 323 people climbed for the fallen. Some of them being friends or relatives of the fallen. We climbed together, in remembrance, in honor, for respect of what they did, part of the tradition, and to NEVER FORGET.

Team 19 before the climb. Cory Patton, Kevin Totten, Jody McIntosh, Willie Wines Jr., Me, and Chris King.

…

My feelings

During the climb I stayed mostly silent. I focused on what they did and what I was doing for them. I tried to understand what they were going through.

When my calves burned I wondered if they ever felt that.

When I felt like I didn’t have anymore to sweat I wondered if it crossed their mind.

I never felt as though I couldn’t make it and I doubt they ever had a doubt themselves.

If you ever have a chance to participate in a 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb I suggest you do it.

If you don’t think you can complete it call me and I will walk with you.

Do it for the honor of completing the climb for the 343. Do it for the respect you have for the fallen. Do it for the tradition of truly NEVER FORGETTING.

Thanks to ALL of the individuals who made the 9/11 stair climb possible… The Baltimore Inner Harbor Hilton, Baltimore City Fire Department, NFFF, and all who volunteered.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to pay my respects.

Team 19 after the climb. Kevin Totten, Me, Cory Patton, Chris King, Willie Wines Jr., and Jody McIntosh.

Me and Tommy Warshaw with Willie Wines Jr. before the climb. Tommy was in team 3 and we have known each other for some time through twitter and facebook but met at the climb for the first time.

Posted by The Fire Critic on July 23, 2011 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Command & Leadership, EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, Fires, Must Read, News, Social Media, Special Operations, Training & Development, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: 343, 9-11 Memorial Stair Climb, Baltimore, Baltimore County, Carolina Fire Pages, Chris King, Collective Buying, Daily 911 Deals, Daily EMS Deals, Daily Fire Deals, Daily Police Deals, Daily911Deals, Daily911Deals.com, DailyEMSDeals, DailyEMSDeals.com, DailyFireDeals, DailyFireDeals.com, DailyPoliceDeals, DailyPoliceDeals.com, Emergency Medical Services, EMS, FDNY, Fire Blogs, Fire Critic, Fire Department of New York, Fire Service, FireCritic.com, Firefighter, Firefighting, Firehouse Expo, Firenews.net, Group Buying, IronFiremen.com, Jeff Harkey, Kevin Totten, Law Enforcement, National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, NFFF, Offensive Attack, Offensive Attack Inc., Paramedic, Rhett Fleitz, September 11, September 11 2001, September 11 memorial, September 11th, Social Media, Tommy Warshaw, Video, Willie Wines Jr.

Early Video: House Fire Well Involved Prior to Firefighters Arriving

1 comment

Check out this video of a well involved house fire. The video claims that lightining struck a propane grill.

Whatever it was, it took off very fast or the department was that late to arrive.

Big fire like this needs big water!

I am not sure where the fire occurred, any info is helpful!

image from video

Posted by The Fire Critic on May 27, 2011 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Command & Leadership, EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, Fires, News, Training & Development, training-fire-rescue-topics, Videos • Tagged: Fire Critic, Fire Service, FireCritic.com, Firefighter, Firefighting, House Fire, House Fire Video, Rhett Fleitz, Video

Early Video: House Fire With Exposure Involved…Two House Fires?

3 comments

I couldn’t find any information on this fire. The video states it happened in hartage. Any info is appreciated.

The question is where do you focus your attack when you arrive? The answer should be simple!

What other considerations are there since you have two houses involved?

Do you treat this as two house fires? Two independent operations? What does your department do?

photo taken from video

Posted by The Fire Critic on May 27, 2011 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Command & Leadership, EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighting Operations, Fires, News, Training & Development, training-fire-rescue-topics, Videos • Tagged: Fire Critic, Fire Service, FireCritic.com, Firefighter, Firefighting, House Fire, House Fire Video, Rhett Fleitz, Video

Video: How NOT to Conduct a Training Burn

7 comments

Jason Thomas over at FirefighterSpot.com found this gem. The original post is here.

The video clip is not long, but shows us how not to conduct a training burn.

Oh how we can count the ways…

First of all, you should not need accelerant to conduct a training burn. Secondly, you should not need to ADD more accelerant to a fire whether it is a training burn or not.

All I can think is that the gear those guys are wearing is ruined. You can’t just crawl through fuel like that and think that it will just wash out.

Twice, the firefighter dumps fuel out of a bucket into the connex storage container.

We have a responsibility to be smarter than this!

One of the firefighters at the end is wearing what seems to be a Fayetteville Fire & Rescue shirt on. I am not sure where that is and I think there are several. My guess is that this video will not stay online long.

Enjoy…and then comment with your feelings!
The video got pulled and put back up…I have embedded it below.

Posted by The Fire Critic on May 26, 2011 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Command & Leadership, EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, Fires, News, Training & Development, training-fire-rescue-topics, Videos • Tagged: Connex Storage Container, Fayetteville, Fire, Fire Critic, Fire Service, Fire Training Video, Fire Video, FireCritic.com, Firefighter, Firefighter Spot, FirefighterSpot.com, Firefighting, Jason Thomas, Rhett Fleitz, Training Burn, Video

Do You Wear Rubbers?

5 comments

I never do…I don’t like the way they feel. You just don’t get the same comfort and dexterity in rubbers.

Rubber boots people…Rubber firefighting bunker boots! Get your heads out of the gutter!

I just got the latest Fire Engineering Magazine and right there smack dab on the cover is a shot of a firefighter wearing rubber bunker boots.

What a shame!

He obviously has never put his foot into a decent pair of leather firefighting boots. Maybe his fire department just doesn’t care about his feet! Once you go leather, you never go back!

To be honest, the shame is the departments who waste their money purchasing rubber “dust collecting” firefighting boots. What a waste of taxpayers dollars that is. When I worked at a previous station, all of our gear racks were in a single row along a wall in the bay. On top of those racks were a row of about 15 pairs of unused rubber firefighting boots. The only time they move is when someone quits or retires…they just grab a pair and turn them in.

My department purchases the rubber boots. ugh…

So far in my career I have owned 2 pairs of Black Diamond, 3 pairs of Pro Warrington, 1 pair of Thorogood’s, and 1 pair of Lion (ALL LEATHER). The pair of rubber boots that my department assigned to me have only been worn once since I graduated from recruit school. I have only completely worn out my first two pairs of boots… both Pro Warrington.

If your department won’t spring for a pair of leather bunker boots for you I suggest that you get them yourself. Put them on your Christmas, Birthday, Fathers Day, Mothers Day lists…They are worth the expense.

The comfort and dexterity that the leather boots offer is much more than the rubber boots offer!

I don’t have any data or statistics to support any of this…however, I have never EVER heard a firefighter say how comfortable a pair of rubber fire boots are!

This is not one of those things that needs explaining, just try it out and thank me later!

The cost? Well lets just say that the cheapest costing leather boots are offered by Thorogood at $214. The cheapest rubber boots are offered by Servus at $107.

So basically, you could say that leather firefighting boots are twice as expensive….but that is comparing apples and oranges.

Here is a rundown of boot manufacturers and range of pricing through The Fire Store as of this writing…Most of the prices below are rounded and were taken from The Fire Store. Prices may change and do not hold me to them exactly!

Lion Marshall 14" Leather Fire Boots

Black Diamond
Leather – $280
Rubber – $127
Check out the review I did on Black Diamond Footwear X boot here. I am currently reviewing the X2 boot now

Lion
Leather – $309 (priced through Galls)
Check out the review I did on Lion’s Marshall 14″ leather firefighting boot

Globe
Leather – $322 – $470 (wide calf)
Rubber – $140 – $192

Thorogood
Leather – $214 – $302

The Black Diamond X2 boot in my pants currently being reviewed.

Pro Warrington
Leather – $228 – $336

Haix
Leather – $309

Servus
Rubber – $107 – $152

Ranger
Rubber – $112 – $227

FireDex
Leather – $245 (on sale now for $221 though)

As you can see below, the leather boots are more expensive…but that is because of the cost of making them, the comfort, and the dexterity they allow.

What is your favorit boot?

Posted by The Fire Critic on May 25, 2011 • Filed under: EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, News, Training & Development, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: Black Diamond Footwear, Fire Critic, FireCritic.com, FireDex Fire Boots, Globe Fire Boots, Haix Fire Boots, Leather Fire Boots, Leather Firefighting Boots, Lion Technical Footwear, Pro Warrington Fire Boots, Ranger Fire Boots, Rhett Fleitz, Rubber Fire Boots, Rubber Firefighting Boots, Rubber Vs Leather Fire Boots, Servus Fire Boots, Thorogood, Thorogood Fire Boots, X2 Boot, X2 Fire Boot

MN8 Products Foxfire Illuminating All-In-One Coating Kit Product Review

2 comments

This product review is part 2 of 3 for MN8 Products. The first one was a product review of the illuminating helmet band (view that review here).

This review will cover the Foxfire: Illuminating All-In-One Coating Kit for coating tool handles.

“Foxfire products increase firefighter safety by emitting a glow, which is brightly visible even in dark, smoke-filled rooms.” (from their web site)

MN8 Products web site - Facebook –Twitter - Youtube

The illuminating all-in-one coating kit shown here with my helmet and helmet bands as well.

The epoxy comes in a kit which includes: Two part epoxy mixture, primer paint, mixing wand for a drill, instructions, latex gloves, two paint brushes, two stirring sticks, an abrasive pad, crystals for adding grip, and alcohol prep pads.

The instructions are very straight forward. Prep the tool(s) you are planning on painting, paint them with primer, mix the epoxy, and apply the epoxy. If you would like to add the cyrstals for grip they are applied directly after the epoxy is applied.

Warning: this process is messy!

According to the crew at MN8 Products, the epoxy kit should be able to coat about 3 tools. In speaking to them prior to us using it, we were told that the epoxy might not be perfect the first time due to learning how to apply it.

An axe with the coating applied and drying.

I think we did a great job. Our problem was that we might have put it on too thick. We were able to coat a complete axe handle, the tip and handle of a hydrant wrench, and a door chock. We did have a good bit of loss of product due to drippage.

The cyrstals used for grip are sharp. We actually sanded them down a little after we were done. You would not want to swing this axe without gloves on. It would be a bloody mess! However, you really shouldn’t be swinging an axe without gloves anyways! You do not have to use the crystals though.

The epoxy kit retails for $99.95 and can be purchased through TheFireStore.com

All in all, I think this product is great! The application is not the easiest, but the end result is awesome. I have found this application to be the brightest of all of the products. The durablility of the product has been great. We did apply it to a hydrant wrench that sits on the tailboard of the engine. It wasn’t the best application and gets beat up a good bit. However, you won’t have to worry about not seeing it if it is sitting in tall grass next to the hydrant at night!

My next review of MN8 Products will be of the illuminating tape.

The axe on the left and the door chock on the floor have the illuminating coating on it. The axe and hook on the right have the illuminating tape (upcoming review), my helmet has the helmet band on it.

The Fire Critic offers product reviews. Please visit this page for details on how to get your product reviewed and what our policy is on reviews.

Posted by The Fire Critic on May 24, 2011 • Filed under: EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, News, Product Reviews, Training & Development, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: Fire Critic, Fire Review, Fire Service Product Review, Fire Service Review, FireCritic.com, Firefighter Review, Firefighting Review, Foxfire, Foxfire: Illuminating All-In-One Coating Kit, Mn8 Products, Product Review, Product Reviews, Rhett Fleitz

Android Applications for the Fire & EMS Service

5 comments

Last year, almost to the day, I published an article titled “ANDROID IN THE FIRE SERVICE“. I had several comments and then got another one today about applications that firefighters use on their android device. Why not the iphone you might ask? The answer is because I use the Droid X and previously used the Droid. I am also fairly certain that almost all of the applications on the Android network can also be phoned on the iphone network.

I use some of the applications below and others I will be checking out.

You might also check out Fully Involved Media. They have numerous applications for the Android network.

Here is the comment posted today on the post “ANDROID IN THE FIRE SERVICE“. Check out that link for other applications and even more in the comments section.

As always, feel free to add any other applications you use for Android or iphone in the comments!

The comment:

I am a Fire Fighter in the Green Bay, WI Area. I use have found multiple free application that I have downloaded from the Android Market Place and use most regularly.

CADPage – This is an excellent application if you receive text messages for calls from Dispatch. You can customize it to your location. When you get a Call, you can Click on the map it Icon & it will load it into the GPS. Also, if your Fire Dept is using “I am Responding Software”, there is a preset button that you can hit that will make the call for you.

Cargo Decoder - This is an ERG (Emergency Response Guide) this is the 2008 ERG

Fire Alert - Another excellent application if you receive text messages for calls from Dispatch. Unlike CADPage, you can Set Customized Alerts that can also change your phones volume(if you have your phone on Vibrate when you receive a fire call text, it will automatically turn you phone ringer on to your preset volume and the ringtone of your choice will play).

Extricate - This is an application for Hybrid Vehicles. It allows you to quickly determine where to make your cut during extrication. This Application shows where the high voltage electrical lines are, seat-belt pretensioners, fuel, air bags & air Bags sensor and other great information.

First Aid – Self Explanatory!!!

Fire Chief - Great Publication for the latest news, Trends, Ideas on Management solutions & Leadership training.

Fire Calculator - This is a great Friction Loss Calculator

Scanner Buddy – Great Scanner for your Phone, it uses radio reference as its source.

Medical Spanish Dictionary - A Spanish Dictionary to help get the beneficial Medical information to & from a Spanish speaking Person.

Med Scape – From the makers of Web MD, here is an android version.

iTriage – This was created by two emergency room physicians.

Just Remember these are all currently free from the Android Market(like most applications, there are disclaimers so use your discretion one following some information given.). I hope some of these help you as they have multiple people on the Hobart, WI Fire Dept. Please feel free to respond with any questions.

What applications do you use?

Posted by The Fire Critic on May 18, 2011 • Filed under: EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighters Guide, Firefighting Operations, News, Training & Development, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: Android, Android in the Fire Service, Android Marketplace, Blackberry, Brian Rueger, Droid, Droid in the Fire Service, email, Facebook for Droid, Fire Critic, FireCritic.com, FireGeezer, Google, Google Android, iphone, Motorola Droid, Rhett Fleitz, Rodney Gentry, Tweetsride, Verizon

Archives for training-development

Video: Ladder Training at Kakaako Station in Honolulu Circa 1930′s

Early Video: House Fire Well Involved Prior to Firefighters Arriving

Early Video: House Fire With Exposure Involved…Two House Fires?

Video: How NOT to Conduct a Training Burn

We have a responsibility to be smarter than this!

Do You Wear Rubbers?

My department purchases the rubber boots. ugh…

MN8 Products Foxfire Illuminating All-In-One Coating Kit Product Review

MN8 Products web site - Facebook –Twitter - Youtube

Android Applications for the Fire & EMS Service

As always, feel free to add any other applications you use for Android or iphone in the comments!

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Let no man’s ghost return to say, “My training let me down.” — Aaron Heller, Captain, Hamilton Township Fire District 9, New Jersey

MN8 Products – Shop - Facebook – Twitter – Youtube

About MN8 Products:

The name “The Secret List” was originally just a gag among some veteran firefighters

So what is The Secret List exactly?

Enter FirefighterCloseCalls.com

10. Print Advertising

9. Facebook Ads

8. Online advertising on leading market web sites

7. Link advertising

6. Online advertising in market blogs (individual blogs)

5. Product Reviews

4. Marketing through Collective Buying web sites

3. Online Contests

2. Online advertising in local web sites

1. Online Ad Networks

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The Secret List put it so eloquently:

The following is from FEMA:

The current AFG application deadline is September 23rd

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Design:

My feelings

We have a responsibility to be smarter than this!

My department purchases the rubber boots. ugh…

MN8 Products web site - Facebook –Twitter - Youtube

As always, feel free to add any other applications you use for Android or iphone in the comments!

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