Fire Rescue EMS Safety News

Todd Shoebridge | 10/14/2011

When I started in the fire service 30 years ago, we were riding the tail board of the trucks, had SCBA’s (Self Contained Breathing Apparatus), in plastic boxes on the side, or in the compartments of the truck, wore three quarter length day boots and the old “dog bed” lining long turn out coats. We have come a long way since then. We didn’t run medical calls, do hazardous materials, confined space, swift water, high angle or any other rescue. We ran the occasional traffic accident, but our time at the fire house was much slower paced than it is today. Read More...

Relevant Tags: fire, safety, service, air, firefighters, training, fire service, hazardous materials, low air, minute cylinders, tail board, carbon monoxide, self contained, fire department

Dave Murphy | 04/29/2011

“No stop signs, speed limit; Nobody’s gonna slow me down. Like a wheel, gonna spin it; Nobody’s gonna mess me round.” Lyrics from AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell” Read More...

Relevant Tags: Highway to Hel, fire, department, emergency, highway, safety, fire department, highway hell, stop signs, common sense, fire apparatus, education training, fire safety, industry news

Dave Murphy | 01/11/2011

“What we have here is ... failure to communicate.” This unforgettable line was spoken in the movie, Cool Hand Luke, by Strother Martin who played the infamous “Captain,” a sadistic warden of the southern prison work farm where Luke, played by Paul Newman, attempted numerous escapes and was eventually killed. The reference inferred that the Captain was talking, but Luke was not listening. Read More...

Relevant Tags: Fire Safety - Training, fire, listening, safety, service, listener, fire service, fire safety, safety training, good listener, hear them, mind right, prison work, southern prison, warden southern

Tim Wojcik | 01/11/2011

When you are checking the same truck for the 100th time this year, do you ever wonder why you do it? I mean other than the fact that it is on the daily duty list and your officers require it. Let me impart a slightly different perspective. Have you ever stopped to think that your truck check off might just save your life? Read More...

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Glenn Clapp | 07/25/2010

Hazardous materials personal protective equipment (PPE) is one component of the hazmat response that is often taken for granted. Civilians, for instance, think that a fully encapsulating vapor protective suit (often referred to as a “moon suit” by persons not in emergency services) is a veritable suit of armor that will protect responders against any chemical threat. We as Hazardous Materials Technicians should know that is not the case, however do we know as much as we really need to about our PPE? In addition, do we train as much as we should on PPE and receive as much “suit time” as we should on a regular basis? And think carefully about ... Read More...

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David Greene | 07/25/2010

While we hear the term “back to the basics” frequently, we don’t always take the time to truly recognize its significance. It is certainly possible that our responsibilities, tactics and tasks that we perform in the fire service are advancing so quickly that we are having a harder time seeing the basics. I am frequently enraged while reading another publication that offers annual heroism awards. They usually come in the form of a single firefighter, acting in a manner that is not within the Incident Action Plan (IAP), sometimes without the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), and usually results in the saving of a civilian, and the fi... Read More...

Relevant Tags: FIRE,incident, service, tactics, ppe, rescue, fire service, fire rescue, rescue ems, justify means, without use, essentials manual, management system, heroism awards

Charles Bortle, M.E. NREMT-P | 07/25/2010

Hydrocarbons are a class of chemicals that we deal with daily. They are so common, and come in so many forms, that we often forget about some of the more unusual toxic situations that can occur with exposure. Hydrocarbons are common in modern society, and are consistently spilled, released, inhaled, and intentionally or unintentionally ingested. Responders routinely encounter fuels (gasoline, kerosene, diesel fuel), oils (mineral, motor, lubricating, lamp, fuel), solvents (dry cleaning solutions, spot removers, degreasers, paint thinner), and others (glue, paint, propellants). We find them in tanker trucks, in industry, in dry cleaning estab... Read More...

Relevant Tags: FIRE,hydrocarbons, exposure, paint, gaba, dry cleaning, paint thinner, most hydrocarbons, hydrocarbons more, hydrocarbon toxicity, gaba receptor

Lee Junkins and Billy Leach, Jr. | 07/25/2010

With vehicle technology constantly changing, it is virtually impossible for responders to keep abreast of each and every change. Therefore, we should strive to create a s-i-m-p-l-e procedure that is applicable to all vehicles. In doing so, we will create a safer rescue operating environment. Read More...

Relevant Tags: VEHICLE COLLISION,responders, vehicle, srs, vehicles, scene, window curtain, curtain srs, approaching vehicle , responders must, vehicle collisions

David Hesselmeyer | 07/25/2010

How many times have you wished that you could tell the future? Maybe to win the lottery. Maybe to see if that hard decision would be the best one. Maybe to see if that job opportunity would be the correct choice. Nevertheless, we all have probably wanted to see into the future. Read More...

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Mike Coffey | 07/25/2010

In this section, we will look into fire streams. Noticing that this is a large “can of worms” that evokes strong feelings, let’s choose to keep an open mind and use this as a training topic. More or less — why do fire streams exist? They are our main battle tool against “old man fire.” There are as many uses for different streams as there are different fires. Some fires require smaller lines with low gallon per minute flow; some fires require more water application than we can provide with equipment on scene or requested. Read More...

Relevant Tags: FIRE,fire, attack, hose, streams, attack lines, fire streams, inch hose

Paul Jarrett and Bradley Dean | 07/25/2010

Early on the 28th of December 2009, the Lexington Fire Dept. responded to a vacant commercial structure fire. The response was to a commercial area consisting of several buildings separated by firewalls. The initial response consisted of three engines, a ladder truck, and a shift commander, Paul Jarrett. Engine 2, the first arriving, reported working fire with heavy fire showing and began a defensive operation covering exposures. Although there were initial reports of individuals inside, the current fire conditions were too great for survival. Read More...

Relevant Tags: FIRE,vacant, plywood, conditions, vacant buildings, windows doors, lexington fire, fire rescue, rescue ems, fire service, hello anybody, paul jarrett, deteriorated conditions

David Hesselmeyer | 04/26/2010

This month I will be starting something new here in my tenure with the Carolina Fire Journal as I review different firefighting items. Hopefully, this will assist you in researching products to make your work in firefighting easier. Product Review Cairns 1044 Fire Helmet Recently, I tested and got familiar with the Cairns 1044 fire helmet. Cairns has been making fire helmets for many years, and makes helmets that range from manufactured leather to standard 660 helmets — many call “salad bowls.” Read More...

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TIM WOJCIK | 04/26/2010

In 1975, James Kidd wrote a book entitled, How Adults Learn . In his book, he outlines 10 “commandments” for adult educators. In last quarter’s Journal, we talked about the first five commandments. In this edition I would like to unpack the last five of these words of wisdom, slightly paraphrased, and apply them to educating our firefighters and EMS providers. Read More...

Relevant Tags: KEEPING YOU SAFE,students, safety, public, class, educators, public safety, thou shall, safety educators, every student, commandments public, our students, rescue ems, fire rescue, carolina fire, knowledge skills

STEVE BAIRD | 04/26/2010

Responsibility to community -- Every place of business should provide their employees an environmentally friendly and safe workplace. Fire stations and emergency response facilities are no exception. They know the importance of clean air. Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is only one of many ways we should move toward a more environmentally friendly place of work. One the most recognizable methods of IAQ in fire stations are separation of chemicals and installation and maintenance of proper ventilation and exhaust systems that remove air borne chemicals from living and administrative areas. Emergency response personnel are exposed to chemicals of som... Read More...

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| 04/26/2010

The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) have announced the theme for the 2010 Safety, Health and Survival Week: Fit for Duty. Safety Week is June 20-26, 2010. Read More...

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