"Maverick, you never leave your wingman!" How many of us have heard these words from the movie Top Gun as the senior flight instructor told pilot Maverick after he lost a battle in the sky. If we take those words and apply them to our world, they can hold the same amount of value. If you are riding in the Jumpseat, like me, you can take these words to heart, as we should never leave our officer. Call it freelancing, or no discipline, but we all need to work under the command of our officers. This starts with making sure to stay beside them as we function as a crew of two. A few months back, I wrote a blog confessing to the world that I might be a freelancer . Since that time, it made me realize that right beside my officer is where I...

As I sit in the fire station waiting for the bells to hit I often wonder what firefighters are thinking about at just that moment in time. I bet they are just like me: wondering what type of call will be next. Statistics say it will, most likely, be an EMS response. However, what if the next call is the most dangerous call of your life, are you ready? Truth is things can go bad in our business fast and your life can be at risk. This should not be a surprise to us at all. So why do we not spend more time preparing for the next call? How much time is "too much" spent checking our equipment and preparing? The more you prepare before the emergency happens the better prepared you are when it does. Let’s look at a few tips to keep you...

According to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) website, there has been an increase in U.S. home fire deaths as winter sets in. The site states that news media reports at least 148 lives have been lost in home fires already this year, 24 more than reported during Jan. 1-16, 2012. Please visit this new page (just put up today) on the USFA website to get the latest stats, information and links for free materials to help you and your department or organization with your fire prevention efforts. You can even click on a  map of your state to see how many fire fatalities have been reported so far this month. Until next time, stay safe.

While looking through Chicago fire photographer Steve Redick’s collection of photos he shot a few weeks ago at 4-11 alarm fire, something caught my eye. While the rapidly spreading fire consumed the large warehouse building on Chicago’s West Side, incoming companies were gearing up to stop it in its tracks, and that called for water -- a lot of it. Chicago’s water system is unusual in that it is of low-pressure, high volume design. Its unlimited water source is Lake Michigan and water surges through its mains at around 35 to 40 psi.  While that does not sound like much to those more familiar with higher pressure systems, keep in mind that even with high volumes flowing, the pressure rarely drops more than 15 psi. Engine 26 took...