Fire Rescue EMS Safety News

By David Greene | 01/10/2013

On August 27, 1985, three firefighters were killed as a result of an explosion that occurred at an oxygen-limiting silo. On April 11, 2010, another firefighter was killed during a silo explosion that threw him from the ladder attached to the silo. National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Line of Duty Death (LODD) reports that include silo explosions are not as rare as one would think. So, what exactly are these silos and how are they killing us? Read More...

Relevant Tags: silo, fire, oxygen, conventional silos, silo fires, confined space, prevention efforts

By Dennis Amodio | 01/10/2013

Disasters like Hurricane Sandy that impact large areas and several types of infrastructure, cripple communities and cost us lives are an unfortunate reality we face as First Responders. As firefighters it is our mission to do everything we can to mitigate the impact events like Sandy have on the communities we serve. It is also important for the first responder community to view the preparation for, response to, and recovery from events like Hurricane Sandy as an opportunity to learn how to do our parts better, and as a reminder of how valuable our day-to-day technologies are in training for and mitigating the impact of these large-scale inc... Read More...

Relevant Tags: FIRE PRE-PLANNING, plans, building, responders, first responders, large scale, pre planning, hurricane sandy, response recovery, situational awareness

Brian Griffith and John Kelley | 08/01/2012

The 2012 Atlantic hurricane season began on June 1 and ends Nov. 30. However, before the official start of the season, tropical storms Alberto and Beryl developed early, the first such occurrence since 1908. Although damage was minimal, this may lead us to question what’s in store for the “official season.” Looking around eastern and central North Carolina, there is still evidence of damage from Hurricane Irene and the April tornadoes of 2011 – this should give us pause. Will 2012 bring even more damage and loss of property and lives? How will you respond? As firefighters and first responders, what can you do to better prepare yourself in ca... Read More...

Relevant Tags: THE STATION HOUSE, season, department, hurricane, fire, emergency, station, community, hurricane season, backup power, fire department, severe weather, service providers

| 08/01/2012

Several years ago I was at the scene of a 1,000 gallon Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) tank that was laying on its side leaking what was clearly liquid, creating a large white vapor cloud around the tank and creating a Lower Explosive Limits (LEL) hot zone of greater than 500 feet down wind of the tank. The fire department personnel went to work setting up hot zones, shutting down a major highway, performing evacuation and tactical strategies for entry to attempt mitigation. A second alarm for manpower was called for due to the heat and humidity. At this point you could say we were in the textbook. The following could be the picture in Webster... Read More...

Relevant Tags: Rescue, fire, safety, firefighter, service, fire rescue, aggressive ignorance, safety program, fire responses

Dennis Amodio | 08/01/2012

I’ve been in the fire service for over 35 years. I can say with confidence that pre-planning is essential, but not because of my years of fire service experience. What 35 years of experience yields is a long view of where pre-plans have been, a clear picture of where they are now and a good idea of where they’re going. Or where they could go. Or where they should go. That said, I’ve seen my fair share of approaches to pre-planning over the years. There are many different ways to pre-plan, and many different forms pre-plans can take. But it wasn’t until recently that I had the chance to work with a different, more dynamic, more interactive wa... Read More...

Relevant Tags: FIRE PRE-PLANNING, electronic, planning, information, pre planning, first responders, fire service, situational awareness, planning first

Mark Reese | 08/01/2012

The flowers are blooming and the air is warm and sweet! It’s time to go to the park. It’s time to float that river. It’s time to break out the camping gear, load the motor home down, hit the road and roast snacks over the open camp fire. It is absolute sunshine and nirvana! Read More...

Relevant Tags: Extrication Education, fire, summer, emergencies, practice, season emergencies, summer season, gear load

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...

Relevant Tags: Safety in Firefighting, truck, door, have, safety, doors, equipment, save life, safety firefighting, used save, wonder why, latching mechanisms, cab doors, ever wonder, checked truck, who checked, call one

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...

Relevant Tags: HAZMAT,protective, protection, suit, hazmat, vapor, ppe, ensemble, vapor protective, protective ensembles, protective suit, respiratory protection, hazardous materials, splash protective, liquid splash, prot

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...

Relevant Tags: FIRE,future, fire, ems, extrication, fire rescue, into future, tell future, break wear, side door, seeing into