Did you know that drowning is the number one cause of death for children between the ages of 1-4? Approximately 3,400 people drown each year in the United States (Stop Drowning Now, 2023). Many fire departments around the country have continued to expand their response capabilities as the needs...
Pre-incident plans or pre-fire plans are most often associated with structures or other man made sites. However, some target hazards that involve deployment of technical rescue assets, involve topography challenges, or are considered wide area search operations that might garner special...
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Have you ever experienced the issue of having personnel or teams that are trained to a standard, yet struggle to effectively apply their training when necessary at an actual incident? Perhaps the issue is not that there is a need for retraining, the issue is in applying what they have learned....
Let’s discuss exposure issues and tactics over the next few installments. Where I worked in North Hudson (NJ) Regional Fire & Rescue, we almost never have a fire without an exposure concern. This concern must cause the Incident Commander to recognize that the stakes of the game have been...
Congratulations! You have just been put in charge of driver training for your entire fire department. No worries, it’s not like fire apparatus crashes are one of the greatest liabilities a fire department may ever face, often paying out millions of dollars for a lawsuit. And it’s not like...
At 0100 hours, local fire companies are dispatched to a structure fire in the residential area of Anytown USA. On arrival, the company officer/incident commander (IC) conducts a size up and communicates an initial arrival report. Several moments later, a chief officer arrives on scene, conducts...
Overview This article provides techniques and technical information for the use of ground ladders at emergency scenes. It is designed to be used as part of a hands-on class over the use of ground ladders. The Click Method Some situations may require a ladder to be extended without being...
COVID-19 has greatly impacted the fire service as it has for every other aspect of daily life. This insidious virus has claimed many lives and sickened many others while stressing fire and EMS services alike. This has required adjustments to the realities of our new normal as we move forward....
By Connie McNamara Imagine this horrific scenario: You hug your son or daughter as they head out the door to school. Hours later you get a call from the principal. Your child has been severely burned in a science classroom demonstration and is being transported to a burn center. Later, as you...
With the current status of the nation focused on the COVID-19 Pandemic, most fire stations across the country are limiting travel and visitors. In addition, many are cancelling or postponing trainings to assist with the social distancing. That being said, company level training must continue to...