How much fire can your water can (fire extinguisher) put out? It has always amazed me that fire departments like FDNY have a firefighter dedicated to carrying a 2 1/2-gallon water can with them. Here is the second largest fire department in the world carrying all their equipment and always carrying the can. Why? How much fire can you put out with a can of water? You would think they would carry a hoseline, tools, or something that could knockdown more fire than a water extinguisher. That was my thinking before I had the chance to really get into live fire conditions with a water can and experience just how much fire you can control or hold back with it. "Wow," was all I could say. Early on in my paid service career I had the chance to...

Good afternoon from the Jumpseat. It seems like today’s firefighters are struggling with a tried and true method of operating: with your fire gloves on. Whether it's something that I have witnessed, someone shared a story with me about or I saw a photo of, it seems to be a struggle for many firefighters. Often when I am teaching new firefighters, they seem to grab rescue gloves or leather gloves to perform their firefighting skills. Back the truck up! This is a huge problem; do you fight fires with your rescue gloves on? The answer should be a huge no!  Rescue gloves offer dexterity that fire gloves do not, but they do not protect you from steam or fire at all.  Why is this blog article even needed? I believe this is a huge...

Good afternoon from the Jumpseat. When I teach fighting fires in hoarding environments , the question that is asked the most is which type of nozzle should we use? I know the nozzle debate has continued since the days of the steam pumper, but the intent of this blog is to hit a few key points on selecting the right attack method for fighting fires in hoarding conditions.  Let’s look at these key points in selecting your nozzle: will a smoothbore nozzle be able to penetrate into the piles of belongings? How much water will it take to absorb the intense heat that is produced from the extra fuel load? Can you use a combination of methods to attack this monster?   These are questions that come up often, so let us break them down one...

Thirty years ago, hundreds of fire buffs from around the country made an annual pilgrimage to Detroit to witness the fiery day before Halloween named "Devils’ Night." It peaked in 1984 when more than 800 fires were set and followed with between 500 to 800 fires in the days and nights before Halloween in a typical year. Buffs would book rooms in downtown hotels that overlooked the city, and sit by windows, ears glued to radio scanners and watch the city go up in flames.   Fast forward to "Angels’ Night" (the official name was changed in 1995), where you can see the effects of the declining population of the city, the efforts of patrolling volunteers and the cold, rainy tailings of Hurricane Sandy. This year, officials say the city saw...