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Best of the Rest – Alt Kilt, MN8 Contest, Boston Fire Gear, Random Tweet of the Week and Much More!

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New addition to “Best of the Rest” is the “Random Tweet of the Week”! Scroll down to see this one.

Willie and I are getting geared up for more traveling in 2012. We are looking forward to hanging out with the MN8 FoxFire team at FDIC. In September, Bob Gard is planning one helluva a good time in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. If you are anywhere in the vicinity you will want to be at this event. Willie and I will be speaking, and there will be plenty of other stuff going on as well! We will post more information soon.

In May, Dave Statter and I are presenting in Ohio at the Ohio Fire & Emergency Services Foundation’s 2012 Leadership Conference…Dave has been looking forward to this to some time. He gets to share the stage with his hero err idol (ME). Join us in Newark, Ohio for May 23 & 24.Click here to sign up

If you want to have Willie and I, or Dave and I, or all three of us speak at an event near you just let us know! FireCritic@FireCritic.com

Be sure to check out Fire Critic on Facebook and Click “LIKE”!

Voting for the 2012 Blog of the Year Contest, hosted by EMS1, FireRescue1 and FireCritic.com, and sponsored by the American Military University, will begin tomorrow (March 14th). There are some great blogs on the ballot in both Fire and EMS categories! There were almost 400 nominations for 55 blogs.

AltKilt.com

Shoutout – Alt.Kilt

Web Site: http://www.altkilt.com/

Facebook: Like them on Facebook: lt.Kilt

Twitter: @Alt_Kilt

Our purpose is to provide functional, stylish and well-made kilts that are individually designed and handmade custom for each client.

Alt.Kilt is making Willie Wines Jr. and I custom kilts. Hopefully, we will be wearing them at FDIC!

Quick Drills

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

News and Opinion

Brotherhood Cuts – Willie Wines Jr. has an update from this past weekends inaugural “Brotherhood Cuts” fundraiser. The event raised around $2400 for local departments.

I visited the Shoals Volunteer Fire Department. I was there for the 1st ever Brotherhood Cuts Event.

Brotherhood Cuts” is a fund raising event specifically designed for the fire service. It raises money through the National Firefighters Endowment who in turn, provides much needed funds and equipment to Departments in need all across the Country. Read more here

BostonFireGear.com

MN8 FoxFire is looking for your designs…and you could win!: MN8 Foxfire, you know…the photoilluminscent company, wants your help designing their new shirt! The new shirt will feature the MN8 FoxFire logo on the front and your design on the back.  The winner will recieve a $100 MN8 FoxFire credit and a t-shirt. The winning design will be available at FDIC. Check out details of the contest.

There might be a FireCritic/IronFiremen/MN8FoxFire shirt in the near future!

Boston Fire Gear: I just got my St. Patrick’s Day long sleeve t-shirt today from Boston Fire Gear. I love Boston, St. Patrick’s day is one of my favorite days to drink holidays, and as a good friend of mine told me yesterday…that is where Irish people are from! NICE! Get your Boston Fire Gear here

STATter911.com: Dave “The Investigator and UL Tester” Statter is at it again with the vinyl siding. This time, two houses go up in Loudoun County…in broad daylight. Check out the pre-arrival video and Dave’s investigative reporting here.

4 Factor "Thin Red Line" Door Chock

4Factor: Matthew Ritter, one half of the now known writers at ELAFFHQ.com, has branched out. Welcome 4Factor to the mix. Right now they are offering hand painted “Thin Red Line” door chocks. Check out the site here. Like them on Facebook here. I haven’t got my hands on one yet…but I will soon. They retail for $4….however read below.

**Current donations, for EACH wedge purchased , are going to Team ELAFFHQ.com bucket brigade for the National Firefighters Endowment! What this means to you is as follows: For EACH wedge you purchase, we make a donation to the bucket brigade in YOUR name. Each donation in YOUR name enters you into a DRAWING for a Phenix TL-2 Leather Fire Helmet! The more wedges you purchase, the better your odds in winning that helmet! Good luck Brother and Sister Firefighters!

FDNY Supports World Record Attempt: A SCARBOROUGH firefighter’s plans to enter the world record books are gathering pace as his fundraising challenge gets the green light in New York. Justin Rowe, who lives in Scarborough and is watch manager at Malton Fire Station, is planning to run to every fire house in New York in seven days. He will be joined in the challenge by Ryedale station manager Andrew Blades, Whitby station manager Mark Naylor and York firefighter Terrence Gregg. Read more here

FireRescue1.com: Are cellphones that important? Worth your life? FireRescue1.com has the story of a woman rescued from a trash compactor after trying to retrieve here cellphone she accidentally threw away. Read about it here

Magnesium Fire in Bellevue, Ohio

Magnesium Fire in Bellevue, Ohio: FireGeezer.com has this story which hits close to home for The Fire Critic. My Mother’s side of the family lives in Bellevue including my Grandparents. I was just up there for a short visit not too long ago. Paul Hasenmeier shared this photo to the right from miles away.

A MAGNESIUM FIRE PRESENTED THE BELLEVUE, OHIO, firefighters with an unusual challenge Tuesday morning when they responded to the MagReTech factory across the road from the Bellevue Hospital. Read more here

Random Tweet of the Week

Follow @FireCritic on twitter for more news 24/7!


Early Video from JB’s General Store Fire in Brewster, Ohio

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Here is some early video of the JB’s General Store fire.

Earlier coverage of the Brewster, Ohio Fires here

Collapse Danger of Exterior Walls While Operating Exterior…or Interior

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Firefighters must realize the collapse danger of walls while operating at fires. No matter the construction, I assure you buildings can and will collapse after being attacked by fire. Hose streams can also assist in weakening walls or finishing them off after the affects of fire.

While operating on the scene, and more importantly when we arrive on scene we must place our apparatus out of the collapse zone and operate at a safe distance if a collapse were to occur. Parapet walls, cantilevered walls, fancy facades, awnings, and signs on the buildings all have a tendency to collapse or fall.

I just got finished reading the chapter on Michael Goff in “Last Alarm” by Jerry Laughlin. The book was published in 1986 and features 5 true stories about firefighters who died in the line of duty. Michael Goff, a Petersburg (VA) Sergeant was killed when a wall collapsed on him following an explosion at an apartment complex. The explosion also injured many firefighters, EMT’s, and civilians (some who had just been rescued).

Even if you are just beginning as a firefighter and have not had time to delve into building construction, you need to know the risks of collapse.

In the videos below, you will see a parapet wall collapse, a building collapse, and firefighters operating inside a 1 story residential after the roof has collapsed.

Parapet Wall Collapse in Brewster, Ohio

Building Collapse Collapse videos from large Pawtucket, Rhode Island mill fire.

Statter911 covered this video yesterday with an additional video and information on taking great video on scene of fires.

2 large fires that evening

More from STATter911 here and FireGeezer here on these two fires

Here is a bonus video of another fire in Brewster Ohio that they fought earlier in the evening

Firefighters inside after roof collapse

I must admit that I love fighting fire. However, it makes no sense at all to be inside this structure from my vantage point. That being said, maybe they saw something I didn’t. One thing is for sure, they don’t really do a lot of good in putting the fire out from the inside. I am not sure where this fire occurred.

Quick Knockdown in Fort Worth

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Check out this video from Fort Worth Texas. The two guys on the line do quick work of knocking the fire down.

I would say textbook, but the textbook probably would have said to put the fire out by entering through the back/side door and pushing it out the front. In the video we cannot see all four sides.

Either way, I would have done the same thing as the guys in this video. In my department, had I gone around to a side or back door, another crew would have put it out by going in the front door.

Top Ten Best/Funniest Firefighter Dance Videos

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You might remember me posting a video of Firefighters dancing to Poker Face by Lady GaGa back in August of 2009. The video was removed from Youtube, but then I found it again and added it back to the page. I have now taken the time to pick out some of the best firefighter dance videos.

Fire Daily posted one of the videos here (360 Burn Size-up of the Fire Web 3/2/2010) as I had hit on it a while back here.

The Top Ten Best and Funniest Firefighter Dance Videos…Enjoy!

10. Firefighter Dance
Description: the video starts out sllow but please watch all of it and rate and comments are welcome. i do not own any of the audio used and simply mixed together a few songs that sounded good with a few dj tools and myself and another fellow firefighter danced to it while another firefighter recorded it

9. Just Dance Lady GaGa Bunker Gear Dance
Description: With only 5 min of planning….Take 1…Action

8. Firefighters Got Rhythm
Description: Helping out the community

7. Firefighter Dance Video
Description: Some helicopter crewmembers take some time to develop some dance skills

6. Jake the dancing Fire Fighter
Description:

5. Newport Firefighters Doing Solja Boy
Description: four firefighters do soulja boy in front of their truck

4. The Firefighter Dance
Description: TRAINING BURN (since some thing he is neglecting his dutys)…Unprompted response after a firefighter sees the camera on him after fighting fire while training. But remember, after the work is done – nothing wrong with having a little fun. Be safe out there!

3. Fireman Pole Dance
Description: Fireman pole dancing on the fireman’s pole used to slide down to the fire engines from the upstairs floors. (with some unforseen consequences…)

2. Dancing Firefighter
Description: rookie firefighter paid to dance and man can he dance

1. Fire Fighters in Poker Face Music Video
Description: none