If you think about everything you really need to be prepared to respond to someone's emergency, it could easily take hours, if not days.
In conjunction with the Firefighter Safety Stand Down for 2007, Firehouse.com has put together a complete package with training articles (below) and a host of standard operating procedures and guidelines that can be adopted or adapted by your department.
This year's theme - Ready to Respond - is simple. Be ready at a moment's notice.
But if you think about everything you really need to be prepared to respond to someone's emergency, it could easily take hours, if not days.
Does your department have map books or an onboard computer that tells you where the closest hydrant will be to the house fire? What about that small section of 18th Street that is located on the other side of the railroad tracks, forcing your to respond several blocks out of the way to the closest railroad crossing? Did you inform the others on your crew about the sprawling mansion on Piping Rock Road that has the shutter-like floor in the sun room? That's the one that covers the pool and can easily collapse, dropping a firefighter into 14 feet of water.
How about the aerial ladder on Truck 8? As the driver on Tuesday night, did you tell Wednesday's driver that you struck the parapet wall with it? How about the officer on Engine 104, did you tell your relief that hydrant valve had some problems last night?
And, for the new firefighter on Engine 531, how many times have you stretched the pre-connect up the stairs at the local school? Have you done a dry run to see how many lengths it would take to reach the rear of the four-story garden apartment complex on Broad Street.
For the first time ever, the annual stand down effort also includes EMS. Ambulance crews face a multitude of challenges on a daily basis. They also must be prepared to tackle the unexpected.
Below, you will find many articles that highlight dozens of issues. From weekly training articles and drills to the webcasts and podcasts, Firehouse.com offers its readers a wide variety of formats. Print these articles, and review them with your crew. Post them so everyone can learn.
Firefighter/EMT Safety & Wellness articles featured on Firehouse.com
- Who is Responsible for the Unfit Firefighter? by Michael Stefano
- What Is Killing America's Firefighters? by Robert J. Brown
Click here to view more from in Firehouse.com's Safety section and here to view the Health & Fitness section.
Firefighter Survival articles featured on Firehouse.com
- Firefighter Survival Tactics by John Salka
- Rapid Intervention: Are We Really Prepared? by Jim McCormack
- What Tools Are in Your Pocket? by Michael M. Dugan
- Trics Of The Trade: Nylon Tubular Webbing by Tony Tricarico
- Rapid Intervention Team Staging and Task Force Operations by James Crawford
- Dynamic Risk Assessment on the Fireground by Steve Dudeny
- Mayday! Mayday! Mayday! by Burton Clark
Click here to view more from the Firehouse.com's Safety section.
Firefighter Strategy & Tactics articles featured on Firehouse.com
- Strategy and Tactics for Large Enclosed Structures - Part 1 by William R. Mora
- Trics of the Trade: Window Gates, Bars and Barred Windows by Tony Tricarico
- Fire/EMS Response Considerations for Mass Shooting Incidents by August Vernon
- Webcast: Fireground Search: Critical Do's and Don'ts For Effective Search Operations by John Salka
- What's New in HazMat? by David Peterson
- Surviving the Offensive Attack by Jeff Johnson
- Reading the Fire: Building Factors by Edward Hartin
- Understanding the Dangers of Lightweight Truss Construction by Jeffrey Pindelski
- A Building Marking System by Michael M. Dugan
- 10 Step Action Plan for A Safer More Effective Interior Fire Attack by Timothy Sendelbach
- Thermal Imaging Training - Covering the Basics by Jonathan Bastian. Click here for all of Jonathan's Thermal Imaging training articles
- How to Minimize Company Freelancing by John DiBacco
- What Are You Thinking? by William Carey
Click here to view more from the Firehouse.com's Strategy & Tactics section and here to view from the Rescue Operations section.
Training featured on Firehouse.com
- Company Level Training - An Introduction by Larry Manasco. Click here for the entire Company Level Training series
- Stopping Unsafe Practices by Clarence "Smiley" White
- Basic Firefighting: Ground Ladders by Clarence "Smiley" White
- Basic Firefighting: Forcible Entry by Clarence "Smiley" White
- Offensive Versus Defensive Tactics by Clarence "Smiley" White
Click here to view more from the Firehouse.com's Training section.
Click here to view the Firehouse TrainingLIVE webcasts, instructed by America's top fire service instructors.
Visit the Firehouse.com Video Network which includes training videos.
Visit Radio@Firehouse to download or stream dozens of podcasts from Firehouse.com
Apparatus safety articles featured on Firehouse.com
- Radio@Firehouse Podcast: Apparatus Architects Live - Stand Down Considerations
- Apparatus Placement by Robert C. Dube
- Webcast:< EVOC: Anatomy of a Rollover Accident by Michael Wilbur
- Apparatus Seating Assignments by Pat Grace
- SAFER Driving Operations Offered by Jim Baird
Click here to view more from the Firehouse.com's Emergency Vehicle Operations section.
Commentary featured on Firehouse.com
- Are You a Man or a Mouse? by Tony Tricarico
- Why Are We Still Loosing Firefighters? by Jeffrey Pindelski
- Spinning Wheels?...Nah - I Don't Think So... by Billy Goldfeder
- Tragedies Like the Coos Bay Fire Cause Us to Think ... As They Should by Billy Goldfeder
- Firefighter Safety vs. the Dinosaurs by Paul Hashagen
Related articles
- 2007 Stand Down: Sample Standard Operating Procedures and Guidelines for the 2007 Firefighter and EMS Safety Stand Down
Click here if you would like to submit training articles or ideas Firehouse.com for publication.
