I work in a department where we utilize a traditional (some might say aggressive) interior attack on fires at every chance we get. Sure, there are some empty lots in our City…including some parking lots downtown. We haven’t saved every building…but our track record is pretty good. Chalk that up to our quick responses and ability of our firefighters. I wish I could say that we get decent fire training made available by our department numerous times each year, but that is not true. I wish I could say that our staffing levels and lack of closing down companies are the reason why our responses are so quick, but our story is very different.

We are just like every other department, we get the job done with what we have to work with.

Transitional attack is something you might see in our department, but you probably wouldn’t hear anyone using the terminology “Transitional Attack”. It would merely be a case of cooling the fire prior to heading inside if needed.

One thing I will note is the old teaching of pushing the fire through the house…I have never seen this happen. I am not saying it can happen. I will just say that the way we used to teach that you HAD to fight fire from the unburned side to keep from pushing the fire will not always occur if you get in their and put plenty of water on the fire.

Kill The Flashover

Their motto is “We test, we demonstrate, you decide”

Watch the video below…

What do you think?

Kill the Flashover is an experiment. Unfortunately for me, I couldn’t find a definitive web site for the project. Joe Starnes’ web site has information on the project(2011 here and 2012 here) and then points to BShifter.com. I couldn’t find any information other than “Blue Card Certification” on BShifter.com though…nothing on Kill the Flashover. Maybe I just couldn’t find it.

There is a Facebook Fan Page for Kill the Flashover here.

There is a Youtube channel for Kill the Flashover here.

The Average Jake Firefighter recently wrote about the video I shared above. The post “So Traditional Attack is Wack Huh?”, delves into what you watched above and discusses its use in his departments.

Mark Vonappen also speaks on the topic in a post titled “Pride and Anecdotes”.

What do you guys think?

Here are some other videos from Kill the Flashover

Kill The Flashover (Burn Down Training Moment) Albemarle, NC
Watch this video closely and comment what you think the training moment is. There is a very important lesson in this short video that we all need to learn from.

Kill The Flashover Using Air Intake
This video clearly demonstrates the effects on temperature that something as simple as closing a do can do. This footage was taken during the first Kill the Flashover burn held in Shelby, NC in 2011. For more information on Kill the Flashover see us at www.facebook.com/killtheflashover

The other week, I had a Brother contact me about visiting Roanoke. When Brothers visit Roanoke, Willie and I try our best to roll out the red carpet and put our best foot forward. Unfortunately for Willie, he has two left feet! Chief Scott Morrison from  Knotts Island Volunteer Fire Department was in town working and I ensured him we would have a good time. Willie and I both would have taken him around, but Willie was working. Therefore it was my job to show him as much of Roanoke as I could. I think we stopped in or drove by firehouses 1, old 1, 2, 3, old 3, 5, 7, 8, old 9, and 13…not bad for a half day of touring. We broke bread with Captain Wines at 13 and were delighted when Willie Sr. showed up with a friend for lunch as well. It actually gave me a chance to step into some of the houses I don’t get to all that often. I even met two firefighters who I hadn’t met before from the last recruit school.

Captain Wines, Chief Scott Morrison, Lt. Rhett Fleitz

We got a new guy at #3 A-shift about a month ago. Aaron (prounounced A-run) Parker is from the last recruit school and is fitting in just great. I will be introducing my entire crew this week hopefully. I have been meaning to do it, I just haven’t gotten around to it yet. It will be worth it, trust me!

Other than that, everything is busy as hell. Lacrosse season ends this weekend with a league tournament. I coach my son’s U9 and U11 teams and the U11 will be playing in the tournament. It should be a blast.

Dave Statter and I are gearing up for our presentation on Social Media in two weeks. Join us at the Ohio Fire & Emergency Services Foundation’s 2012 Leadership Conference in Newark, Ohio for May 23 & 24. Click here to sign up.

a little humor for your day. Shared by Benjamin Kimball

Shoutout – AESTFire

Facebook – AEST Inc.

About - In March of 2009 we incorporated to meet an ever-increasing need to provide quality training to area emergency service and industrial organizations. AEST Inc is comprised of many highly qualified, trained, and professional instructors.We all began as firefighters. AEST Inc expanded our services to include testing pumps, ladders, and fire hose all on site at your department. We are able to provide an excellent service at an affordable price.

Training

For EMS Training, check out CentreLearn. Our good friend Greg Friese is on the team there. They have a blog set up here as well…and on Facebook!

Tac-Med LLC is running some online training via their Facebook page. Check it out here.

FireGround Flowthrough – The Order of Operations. Check out this article by Chris Brennan of Fire Service Warrior.

Green Maltese offers Fireground Considerations. Check it out!

Video: Jason Jefferies teaches us how to crawl…check it out! Thanks to Chief Mike France for posting this in the Fire Service Training/Safety FB Group!

Tweet of the Week

Seems reasonable!

News and Opinion

Mark Vonappen offers us “Fingerprints” in his latest installment at Fully Involved…sink your teeth into this one. Mark’s musings are becoming very popular due in part to the topic, in part to the writing style, and in part because it is unforgiving, candid, and no nonsense. I love it!

I took this pic from the bumper of their fire engine a week into the recovery efforts after one of the worst tornadoes Indiana has seen in a long time! -Bill- Nineveh FD

Chicago Fire Preview: Clips From NBC’s Drama Show Fire And Heated Conversation. Have you heard of the new series on Firefighters based on Chicago’s Bravest? Get the sneak preview here!

Retired Norfolk Firefighter Sara Jones needs your help in her 4th battle with Cancer. Read more about it here.

FirstDueTackle.com put together a pretty decent list of Training web sites, blogs, and magazines in this post here.

All My Rowdy Friends…The Hose Jockey talks about “The Network” that is being created and he is a part of. If you don’t know what “The Network” is, read the post and then start reading some of the other great blogs out there!

5 Terrifying Secrets About Riding in an Ambulance…just as it implies, from Cracked.com

Backstep Firefighter - OHIO Close Calls. Blaming Radios and Remembering Past Tragedy Calls show hindsight and misguided blame. Are we sure we’re headed in the right direction when looking for “lessons learned”?

IronFiremen.com – America’s Fire Captain Willie Wines Jr. talks about “Old School Captains” and gets a little validation for his abilities.

Jury awards more than $800,000 to family of fallen firefighter. The civil trial for Kilgore firefighter Kyle Perkins’ death is finally over. After rehashing the 2009 tragedy in a two-week trial, Monday’s verdict is a small victory for an East Texas family, and a brotherhood of East Texas firefighters.

This video was shared on Facebook:

This week has been another busy one. Tomorrow will mark my first full shift in four. I have been off traveling and busier than ever. I am still playing catch up from over a month ago. I am getting there though.

Don’t forget to check out Daily911Deals.com for some great deals. Especially if you are interested in getting a Fire Critic/IronFiremen challenge coin from NM Coin! The deal won’t last forever.

We were in a reserve engine yesterday. That meant when running calls it seemed like we were in a parade. Yesterday was busy running around and running calls. We got a lot accomplished though. We even caught some work (dumpster fire). I don’t mind pulling the levers like this instead of being reintroduced after time off with a huge fire. Our firefighter extraordinaire Dave Lucas made quick work of it. Willie has wrote about Dave in the past. He is the one with the boomerang bugles. He got promoted to Lt. and then they rescinded the promotion because they simply didn’t count the available positions correctly. There are 4 boomerang bugle (Sergeants as we call them because we don’t have that position) in all. None of them have been promoted since. Dave is the kind of guy everyone wants working for them.

One other picture I would like to share was seen at Captain Wines firehouse #13…The message was apparently sent from downtown. What in the heck does it mean exactly? Kind of a mixed message I think.

I just signed up at the Chief level in the Officers Club of the National Firefighters Endowment. This is one of the ways that FireCritic.com gives back. The Officers club is a funding mechanism for the NFE and the funds will help support Fire Departments through the NFE. Join the Officers club here. Annually, you will receive a numbered collectors challenge coin. There are three levels of the Officers club.

Shoutout – Situational Awareness Matters

Web site - samaters.com

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/SAMatters

Twitter - @RichGasaway

Training

VentEnterSearch.com has a unique tool for getting into some closed vehicle gates. Check out Induction Loop Trick

Tweet of the Week

News and Opinion

Better Late Than Never Captain Willie Wines Jr. does some catching up since his computer died…and shows his love for Dave Statter.

Fully Involved – Cadence

“There can be no more us versus them. Training budgets are gone and turnover is occurring at a meteoric rate. We have to share our job knowledge at every opportunity, in every possible way.  It seems that things get better – like morale – when we train, sweat, and push our limits as a group.”

Firehouse.com – Are you a pink Flamingo? Ryan Pennington Do you do work? Or are you just there to have fun and look pretty?

Firefighters in hot water for building a golf course behind station  Firefighters make use of some of their free time…the biggest issue is the land they groomed for golfing isn’t theirs!

Former mansion of the late Isaac Hayes goes up in flames Big McMansion fire!!!

What is a firefighter worth? This article has gone viral. Written by the wife a firefighter

“So before making our minds up that firefighters are the financial problem, sit down with a local firefighter and ask him about his job. Ask him about his wife and his sons or daughters, what kind of house he lives in, and what type of car he drives. And then ask yourself, if you were to take on such a career, what would you expect in return?

Tina Clarke

Proud wife of a Cumberland firefighter”

I will be my brothers keeper  Another great article by Chris Sterricker.

Proud to be a firefighter A short article detailing pride for being considered one of America’s Bravest

What if we are Community Paramedics Already? 

“And I couldn’t agree more.  The goal of a community paramedic program seems to be providing care to fill a gap in a particular community.  While many of the existing and proposed programs are focused on the rural environment, why can’t we do the same in urban systems?  In fact, what if we’re already doing this in an urban system?”

Hampton Workers Take “Like Button” Firings To Court

“Roberts said some of the workers were let go because he wanted to replace them with sworn deputies while others were fired because of poor performance or his belief that their actions “hindered the harmony and efficiency of the office.”

One of those workers, Daniel Ray Carter, had “liked” the Facebook page of Roberts’ opponent, Jim Adams.”

Five San Francisco Firefighters Injured in Four-Alarm Apartment Blaze

Firefighters rescue man from burning Danville home

3 Steps to Improved Cardiac HealthCrucial lifestyle changes can prevent heart attack & improve health

“According to the U.S. Fire Administration, 87 firefighters died while on duty in 2010. Of those, 50 of the 87 firefighter deaths were related to heart attacks. Although there are certain variables associated with heart attacks that we can’t change (i.e., age, gender or family history), we can maximize those variables that are controllable.”

Disasters and Social Media a look at how social media plays a role in sharing information during disasters.

A Dose Of Mortality an excellent post about learning from shared information on a LODD with his son and aspiring career firefighter. 

What Happened to the Big Green Truck Donated to Detroit Fire? Charlie LeDuff is still at it in Detroit. This time uncovering a donated truck that should have been in service but instead just sitting idle in a lot.

Another False Alarm: A Tale of Complacency

“Recently on one of my trips I was startled awake at 2:53am by a fire alarm activation. The alarm only rang about 10 seconds. Knowing what I know about night clerks at hotels, I suspected the alarm had been prematurely silenced. My suspicion was confirmed when I went to the lobby and heard the clerk on the telephone telling someone the alarm panel is indicating the fire pump is running. I was the only patron of the hotel who came to the lobby.”

 Exclusive: Grieving FDNY Father Seeks Recognition for “Black Sunday” Son Retired deputy chief Joseph DiBernardo wants recognition for his son Joey DiBernardo.

Video: Wildfire Crew Bosses can’t speak Spanish and are laid off 

Firefighters need to be healthy. I am no health nut, nor will you be seeing me in a firefighter calendar anytime soon.

However, I have been trying to be a healthier firefighter. I am not talking about wearing SCBA…I have always done that. I am talking about strength training, eating healthy, and being fit.

I am talking about being fit and eating healthy. As I type this, my whole body is sore from a chest workout on Monday alone at the firehouse, a tremendous leg workout on Tuesday with my wife, and some vigorous training this morning in Troutville on Rapid Intervention Teams…needless to say, I took the day off from working out.

Please do not take this post as being a “lecture” about what you should be doing. I just want to share some of my inspiration for finally making a difference for myself. I am not a nutritionist, nor am I a personal trainer. In all, I have lost 15 lbs. in the past 6 months. That may not sound like much, but I only weight 155 lbs. now. I am not a big guy. I did have some excess weight and still have some “baby fat” to loose!

13 years in my department. I was 155 lbs. when I got hired. The only difference between then and now is that I had well defined abs then. Now, they are still covered by a layer (not a beer gut) of fat. I am working on that! 13 years of eating whatever the hell I wanted and I was blessed with only gaining 15 lbs. I can’t complain.

Feel free to let me know what works for you.

This is where I draw some of my inspiration:

My wife with IFBB Pro Nicole Wilkins. This is one of the women my wife draws her inspiration from.

My Wife Becky

My wife is an amazing woman. Over a year ago, she decided she was going to begin working out. She got a personal trainer and started a regimen of working out twice a week with a personal trainer. Soon after, she realized that her goal would be to compete in a local figure competition. This summer she will achieve that goal. After a year and a half of training, strict dieting, and pushing her body to the limits, she will compete. I am so proud and excited for her. I began working out with her and her trainer several months ago. Two days a week, I wear myself out in the gym right next to my wife. Above the fact that we are working out, we get to spend time together away from the children and get to have fun, cut up, and workout. It has been beneficial to us as a couple as well as individually for our bodies. My wife works out other days of the week on her own. I join here when I can.

Even after working out with her and the trainer, I still lacked motivation to work out at the station…until last week. I have finally turned the corner and seen some results of working out and want more. I don’t have any set goals for what I want to accomplish with working out, but putting on some muscle is good enough for me. Don’t worry…I am not splitting shirts yet!

Me and my wife finishing our first ever 5k together.

Friends who run

For years, I have seen friends on facebook, twitter, and blogs who run. Greg Friese and Chris Hebert are two that come to mind immediately. They run. Greg probably runs more than I ever will. I still have not found that Runner’s high, and I don’t run regularly. What I have found that drives me is running 5k races. I have done several now and enjoy my time pushing myself each time. The messed up thing is that I don’t really train for the races. We will see where this goes. I will also note that my wife ran in the San Francisco Women’s Marathon a couple of years ago…another accomplishment of hers that she set her mind to. Unfortunately, she incurred and injury during the marathon and was only able to compete the 1/2 marathon.

Eating Healthy

I am the firehouse cook at my firehouse. I enjoy cooking and am able to control what is served at lunch and dinner. I might add that I am a pretty

My wife and I in the kitchen. Notice the apron...I know my place.

decent cook, know how to do it on a budget and the guys seem to like my cooking. Over the years, I have worked in firehouses where I cook on a rotation or might not cook at all. I have learned all kinds of recipes. While I am not a health nut that researches healthy recipes…yet. I do follow some basic rules with firehouse cooking. They took a little while to catch on for some of the guys who REALLY enjoy “comfort” food, but I do what I can. The only thing I can’t control is portion size. While I may be cooking healthier food, these guys might get three plates of it. That might be a little counter-intuitive, but at least the piles of food they put in their mouth is better for them. They just quite follow the simple caloric input/output ideology.

Here are some of my cooking rules:

• No dinner rolls…except for Thanksgiving
• Wheat wraps when possible instead of breads
• Olive oil if I have to use it (hurts the budget)
• I rarely fry anything
• Fresh veggies…almost always
• Canned foods only when necessary
• Desserts are rare
• Spenda instead of sugars…this also helps with one of my guys who is diabetic

My wife is helping me with the dieting aspect of healthy eating…I am working on eating every 3 hours. Two protein shakes and snacks of fresh fruit accompany my three meals a day. My breakfast is typically 4 eggs (or egg whites when possible).

Again, I am still learning.

Chris Brennan of the Fire Service Warrior

The Fire Service Warrior

If you pay attention to Chris Brennan and Brian Brush of The Fire Service Warrior, they talk a lot about fitness. Chris especially speaks of his crossfit workouts. Between the blog, Facebook, and Twitter @ChrisFSW (be sure to follow the hashtag #FSWTraining) Chris is always sharing about his burpee sessions and other CrossFit workouts. While I don’t participate in CrossFit, I have watched his videos and understood his ideology. He is inspirational simply the way he shares what he is doing. He doesn’t guilt you into doing anything, his efforts are more on creating a community at FSW that promotes working out.

After way to long, this is a part of what has inspired me to get me in the gym and continue on.

The Thinning of My Department

Just today I bumped into a firefighter who probably isn’t ashamed to say he had put on some excess weight. He has lost a bunch since the last time I saw him. It is amazing. He isn’t alone. Several guys, including Willie’s Battalion Chief has lost dozens of pounds. I am amazed when I see some of these guys. Our department of 240 firefighters has offered several over the years. You see them after not being around them for a while and they are thin and trim. I try to make it a point to give them props for looking great. I am certain they appreciate it.

I know how easy it is to eat whatever the hell you want and as much as you can stuff in your mouth as quick as you can. I am still learning to have constraint when eating. After all, every once in a while I cook something that I just don’t want to stop eating. You should try my chicken salad! AMAZING…not as healthy as I would like but it doesn’t have any mayo and is excellent.

Those Guys

We all have “those guys”. You know, the ones who are built like Mack trucks. Standing next to them makes you feel like such a pussy. We have several guys who have worked out for years. They are freakishly huge, but they are stout and muscular. These are the guys who pose in firefighter calendars. I have worked around these guys for years and never had the motivation to take the first step to build muscle like them. Given, it doesn’t happen overnight…but I am working towards broadening my shoulders a little bit so that I don’t look like a high school explorer next to them!

So there you have it…that is where I am at. What about you?

Read all of the “Owning the Job” articles here

Maybe you have seen these…

• Life Safety Initiatives
• Courage to be Safe
• Seat Belt Pledge
• Rules of Engagement (pdf)

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?

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…

Read all of the “Owning the Job” articles here

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

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

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

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

The Fire Critic Rhett Fleitz with Chief Rick Lasky

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PrideAndOwnership.com

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

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

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!

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