November 2007

After a long absence (about 28 years' worth), it has been great to return to Washington, DC and once again put on a DC firefighter's uniform. After I completed six years of service...

Coverage of a structure fire that caused a house to collapse; plus the latest "Hot Spots on the Web."

Brett Lacey and Paul Valentine describe ways in which a fire department can build a year-round fire prevention culture.

Manufacturers display the latest in fi re-rescue and EMS apparatus.

Tom Shand and Michael Wilbur discuss the purchase of a new apparatus as compared to basketball: both need written guidelines that all personnel understand in all positions. But...

Mark Emery continues this series with Command-ment VIII: Thou Shall Ensure That Eight Assignments Are Made Early.

"I want to tell you today that the Hometown Heroes Act will be fully implemented. This program will be administrated the way it was intended to be administrated."Those emphatic...

By request of the author, this article is not available online

Before we get to this month's Close Call, a word of appreciation and cautious optimism: We (along with 7,000 other firefighters and firefighter families) attended the 26th annual...

"M other-May-I?" is a children's game that some of you might have played in your younger days. One child plays the "mother" role and the other children stand on the other side...

On April 25, 2007, a suspicious early-morning fire destroyed a historic mill in East Rochester, NH. Despite extreme radiant heat, an adequate water supply from the municipal water...

SUBJECT: Volvo XC 90TOPIC: Dual Roof Airbag SystemOBJECTIVE: Given a scenario involving a Volvo XC 90 vehicle collision, the rescuer will develop department procedures for dealing...

Recently, first responders have been blasted in the news — and perhaps justifiably so. Some of the headlines: "Ambulance Driver Charged with DUI, with Patient Aboard"; "Autopsies...

I received an e-mail from a firefighter in Canada:I have a question for you. Following the rekindle of a fire in an apartment building, a question arose over the use of the thermal...

Who's Going to Perform Our Critical Functions in the Future?There are two extremely critical questions that more people in the fire service should be asking: Who is going to perform...

By request of the author, this article is not available online.

I recently was privileged to speak with a few of the firefighters who were involved in the sofa store fire in Charleston, SC, that occurred on June 18 and where nine firefighters...

BROOKLYN, NY: Nov. 5, 1907 — A century-old mansion built by a Dutch family was destroyed by a fire that apparently was started by young boys. The huge house at the corner of North...