Thanskgiving week has arrived with a swift blast of cold air, reminding us that winter is all but here. During this week of giving thanks, I would like to stop and say thank you to all the firefighters around the world. I understand the sacrifices that everyone makes to serve as a firefighter. From missing family functions, to no sleep, dealing with exhaustion, to personal injury or death we all have chosen to serve our communities 24-7-365. In giving thanks to everyone, let’s review what Thanksgiving is all about. On Nov. 26, 1789, George Washington proclaimed Thanksgiving "as a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favours of Almighty God." We should all show...

Get the truck up! How many times have we all heard those words on a fire scene? I have spent the majority of my career riding the engine, but my best friends have been truck firefighters. When the truck firefighters arrive carrying, more ladders than a sign hanging company who do you think they are there to help? Duh! What good are all those ladders if they never hit the ground and the aerial ladder stays in the bed? None!  Firefighters may arrive on different types of trucks, squads, ambos, or engines, but our mission remains the same. Protecting life and property is our main goal.  Even more importantly is making the fires scene safer for us! How many ladders did you have in place for means of egress on your last fire?  Did the...

Good morning from the Jumpseat everyone and welcome back. It seems to be a growing concern in the fire service today that more and more firefighters are showing up to a call unprepared.  It is like they automatically assume a fire alarm or smoke investigation is a false alarm. This can be a dangerous mix.  How many times must we preach the need to step off the truck #jumpseatready for every call?  Look, if you are riding on a "fire truck" and you call yourself a "firefighter" shouldn't you be showing up expecting "fire?" We all are experiencing false alarms and run numbers that keep increasing as our funding and staffing decrease. This can get us in the disgruntled mood and we can let this affect our everyday responses. How...

Good morning from the Jumpseat! On this chilly fall morning I wanted to take a moment to ask you a question: what does "Senior Firefighter" mean to you?   In our business, we gain respect as we spend time on our departments and many members take advantage of this situation. When was the last time that you have seen a 10-plus-year member of your department hitting their knees to perform a skill with the new batch of probies? I vote not very often.  Being the senior firefighter in your department should mean that you are proficient in your skill set. Should we show respect for their seniority? Yes. Can we go to them with questions and expect a real world answer? Yes. Should they continue to train and use their experience to set the tone...