Firefighting Articles and News

| 03/22/2012

Indianapolis, IN – March 15, 2012 – RAE Systems Inc., a leading provider of toxic gas monitoring systems , is combining with the Fire Smoke Coalition to deliver the “Know Your Smoke” Symposium for emergency responders – including firefighters, EMT’s and paramedics – in North Carolina on July 20 and 21. Read More...

Relevant Tags: hazmat, firefighter training, emt, paramedic, RAE systems, north carolina, first responders, fire smoke coalition

| 03/16/2012

The North Carolina State Firemen’s Association (NCSFA) is coordinating with the Piedmont Association to hold three focus group meetings in the Piedmont region. The purpose of the focus group meetings is to give you and other fire chiefs in North Carolina the opportunity to tell the NCSFA how they are doing. They want to know what things are important to you and your members and would like suggestions on how the state association can better meet your needs. Read More...

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| 03/01/2012

The Eastern Carolina Firefighters Association is pleased to announce the application period for the 2012 scholarship awards. As you are aware, the cost of education has increased in recent years. The Association is very happy to be able to assist in the education of firefighters in Eastern North Carolina. We encourage all member departments to take advantage of this opportunity by submitting one application for each of the following scholarships: Read More...

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| 01/11/2012

The S.C. State Firefighters’ Association and the S.C. State Association of Fire Chiefs have announced, during the 2011 S.C. Fire Chief’s Conference in Anderson, the intended co-location of conferences for both of the Associations. Read More...

Relevant Tags: conference, rescue, state, training, ems, south carolina, carolina fire, fire conference, firefighters’ association, product reviews

By Mike Coffey | 01/11/2012

Loss control — originally a civilian affair (in the city of New York until a few years ago) by the insurance companies of the day — is designed to assist fire companies in reducing damages to property before, during and after fires and other occurrences. Within this category are two specific tasks — salvage and overhaul. Salvage is a task that can be done during and/or after fire attack — usually an afterthought of command officers. Providing protection for one’s or a family’s personal property is, by far, the best way to enhance our reputation. Overhaul is seeking hidden fire and beginning to determine the cause of the fire. Both can actual... Read More...

Relevant Tags: fire, damage, water, loss control, pre incident, returning foundations, fire attack, foundations ventilation, after fires, salvage overhaul, incident planning, primary damage

Ken Farmer | 01/11/2012

It is said we all must face death and taxes. Neither are fun and here lately about the only way to escape more taxes seems to be death! Even then you don’t get away as your family is left behind to write those big estate tax checks. Read More...

Relevant Tags: Barnyard Management, family, funeral, sunday meeting, barnyard management

By Todd Shoebridge | 01/11/2012

Hypoxia, asphyxia, cardiac arrest, and then death. Hopefully, I have your attention. Modern technology has changed the way we fight fires, and the ways fire burn. Due to the chemical make-up of manufactured materials, fires today burn hotter, flashovers occur more rapidly, and the smoke is much more toxic. As a result of these factors, firefighters have been dying at a greater rate than ever before from toxic chemical compounds like Carbon Monoxide (CO) and Hydrogen Cyanide (HCN). In the mid 70s George Kimmerle listed eight major factors that can cause death in fires and to those that are involved in them. 1 They are as follows: Direct consu... Read More...

Relevant Tags: hcn, firefighters, fire service, carbon monoxide, manufactured materials, cyanide hcn, todd shoebridge

By Glenn Clapp | 01/11/2012

The question of “What in the heck is that?” will almost invariably arise regarding the new title of this section — “Sixty-One Delta One.” Sixty-One Delta One was selected as the title due to the fact that in the standardized Emergency Fire Dispatch (EFD) protocols being adopted in many locations throughout the nation, 61-D-1 is the dispatch code corresponding to a hazardous materials incident that is uncontained or moving, which is basically the worst-case scenario of the hazmat dispatch series. The title also represents an attempt at tongue-in-cheek hazmat humor, to which I know most readers will answer “Is there such a thing as hazmat humo... Read More...

Relevant Tags: SIXTY ONE DELTA ONE, hazmat, tube, equipment, carbon dioxide, delta one, hazardous materials, back basics, oxygen deficient, colorimetric tube, hazmat responders

By Jason Krusen | 01/11/2012

In January 2010, Columbia Fire Department’s Engine 6 was dispatched to an apartment to check for carbon monoxide (CO). Upon arrival the family was standing outside the apartment. They informed Engine 6 that their family member was admitted to the hospital a few hours prior with flu-like symptoms, but that the hospital had just informed them that the patient had CO poisoning. They were concerned that they too may be affected as they were spending a few days in the apartment while visiting the family member. Engine 6 was equipped with a standard four gas meter (O2, LEL, CO, and H2S) and immediately checked the apartment, but was unable to get a... Read More...

Relevant Tags: Hazmat, gas, fire, detector, carbon monoxide, columbia fire

| 01/11/2012

What are the pros and cons of adding zincs to my apparatus and why aren’t they installed from the factory? Sacrificial anodes are a long established corrective measure to slow or eliminate galvanic action within the apparatus plumbing system. Back in my day — when I was a puppy in this industry — all apparatus water tanks were made of steel and coated with some type of inner coating to prevent ‘corrosion.’ Tanks sprung leaks on an all too regular basis. Tank warranties required that the tanks be disassembled annually to restore corrosion protections and assure that none was occuring — like we were going to take the tanks apart annually, ya r... Read More...

Relevant Tags: Ask Ernie, apparatus, system, pump, service, coolant, cooling system, ask ernie, galvanic action, reserve apparatus, pros cons, attained maximum, nfpa 1911

By Willie Wimmer | 01/11/2012

Well brothers and sisters, let’s get started, this is the first of a four part series on how to spec a new piece of apparatus. These articles will give you insight and give you a few more things to think about other than what brand and what color. Each article will cover a different aspect of your process. I wanted to write this series because of some recent experiences I have had while in the field regarding some apparatus and items. These are things that should have been caught at the beginning of the spec process. Read More...

Relevant Tags: All About Trucks, apparatus, trucks, big boys

By Daniel J. Cimini | 01/11/2012

Is your department doing the checks needed to make sure your apparatus is ready to respond to a call? Most fire departments do not have a full time maintenance shop — most fire apparatus repairs are sent to a third-party fire apparatus repair facility. In these economic times we are facing financial challenges in our budgets, but there are several things that firefighters (career and or volunteer) can do on a regular basis in the fire station to head off issues early on and that will help to prevent the need for costly repairs. Read More...

Relevant Tags: All About Trucks, fire, apparatus, maintenance, pump, tank, department, inspection, fire apparatus, fire department, ready respond

By Brad Maness | 01/11/2012

In an earlier column we discussed the organization of your rapid intervention team (RIT) and how to overcome several roadblocks early on. Having a well trained, equipped team of firefighters ready to deploy for a fireground emergency should be a necessity. Even though most of us understand the extreme importance of staffing this team, not many firefighters jump at the thought of filling the RIT assignment. For those that don’t usually have a positive outlook regarding this assignment, you are inherently placing yourself and other firefighters at risk. Read More...

Relevant Tags: rit, equipment, officer, rit officer, rapid intervention, incident commander, intervention team, radio traffic

By Doug Ross | 01/11/2012

The following is a subject discussed in an article I wrote in the Carolina Fire Rescue EMS Journal in January 2010. Have you ever wondered if suspected arson fires were committed by organized gangs? Crime trends continually change. The use of fire as a criminal tool of retribution is one of the trends law enforcement and the fire service are noting with regularity over the past decade. Read More...

Relevant Tags: gang, fire, arson, carolina, ems, law, rescue, gang activity, gang members, south carolina, law enforcement, use arson

By Dave Murphy | 01/11/2012

Unless you live in a cave, you have probably noticed these are pretty tough economic times. Your last raise in pay is probably a distant memory while most everything else has gone up in price. Conversely, emergency services resources are most likely not as plentiful as they were a few years back. As a result, current firehouse conversations most likely expound on what you don’t have, as opposed to what you do have. While this is normally construed as a natural reaction to an adverse situation, it is ultimately one’s words and our subsequent actions that distinguish who and what we are. Read More...

Relevant Tags: fire, positive, fire department, fire service, emergency services, positive thinking, dave murphy