Firehouse
July 2009
Houston, TX, Ladder 74 operates during a four-alarm-plus fire that ripped through a larged sprinklered furniture warehouse. Firefighters stopped the fire from spreading into a 100,000-square-foot landmark showroom. The fire occurred on May 21, 2009.
Dedication: This month's Firehouse is dedicated to Lieutenant Robert Strang, 60, of the Melbourne, FL, Fire Department; Fire Chief Mike Gilbreath, 55, of the Double Springs, AL, Fire Department; Firefighter Robert Andrew France, 45, of the Stateline, MS, Volunteer Fire Department; and Captain Manny Rivera, 43, of the Trenton, NJ, Fire Department. who died in the line of duty, March 2009.
Cover by: Brandon Jacob - FourAlarmPhotos.com
On Monday, May 26, 2008, the Fire Rescue Service of Prince George, British Columbia, was faced with managing four major incidents in a 12-hour period that would become the largest combined fire incident in the city's history.
Your thermal imager can be used for a variety of call types. I think, at this point, everyone knows that a thermal imager can be used for interior fire operations and direct fire-suppression activities. This month, we will talk about a non-traditional...
Saskatchewan is a "prairie province" in the West Central region of Canada covering 227,134 square miles with an estimated population of 1,023,810. Most of the population of Saskatchewan resides in the southern half of the province. The province's name...
I have attended more than a couple of fire service classes over the past few years, and I also have a stack of firefighting trade periodicals sitting on my desk that I read frequently. In each, I see the same theme being emphasized over and over again...
A group of bearded firefighters has won the latest round in the long-running legal battle over a District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department policy that requires firefighters to be clean-shaven.
SUBJECT: Advanced Steel TOPIC: Extrication Challenges of Advanced Steel in Vehicles: Part 3 OBJECTIVE: The rescuer will understand and explain the capabilities and limitations of various manual-, air-, and electric-powered rescue tools. TASK: Given the...
In case you were in a secret bunker like Dick Cheney or do not have a computer, you missed the video burning up the Internet in late May of an Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper who pulled over an ambulance going to the hospital with a patient in the back...
Last month, we began reporting on a dwelling fire that would change the way the Loudoun County, VA, Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Management (LCFR) would operate forever. During the May 25, 2008, fire, seven members of the Loudoun County...
The Obama Administration recently released its fiscal year 2010 budget, and as in the past, the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program is funded nowhere near the level of need. The Administration proposed only $170 million for the FIRE Act...
CHICAGO, IL: July 1, 1909 — Two explosions tore through the rooms of the American Film Service Co. on the third floor of the Security Building. The blast triggered a serious fire that injured three firemen and killed a night watchman.
Open Joist 2000 is the product name for a type of floor-truss system being used in today's building construction. According to the manufacturer, Open Joist Inc. of Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, Open Joist 2000 "is a trimmable all-wood open-webbed finger-jointed...
During a long-ago conference, my buddies and I spent time discussing the state of affairs in the fire service. Central to the discussion was the fact that younger firefighters and officers do not seem to know and be aware of what we aging veterans take as...
The CDL controversy has reared its ugly head again and so we thought it is time to revisit the issue and put out the facts, as we know them to be. The facts for this column come from a variety of sources, including the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Act...
True effectiveness of any aspect of marketing lies in the quality of the results for the customer. True quality will almost always be reflected in the essential truth of the mission, vision and values of an organization. The underlying premise is that...
In this third installment of the "Rube's Rules" series, we will discuss ensuring that the job at hand is completed safely, efficiently and effectively. I love the notion of great customer service in the ways in which we fight fires and save lives. This...
In 1858, the mayor and city council of Baltimore City, after much deliberation, passed an ordinance creating the Fire Department of Baltimore City. Five commissioners were appointed to oversee the organization. The size of the original department was...
On Thursday, Oct. 30, 2008, a three-alarm fire destroyed a historic 107-year-old textile mill in Columbus, GA. Firefighters encountered a large fire in an unoccupied building that was rapidly spreading throughout the structure. High winds were spreading...
For many years, fire departments have had to contend with multi-floor tenants who possess internal staircases that allow for quick and efficient travel of employees between floors rather than wasting precious time waiting for an elevator cab to come by...
As firefighters, we have come to rely upon accurate and uninterrupted communications as a means of enhancing our safety. While many of the tools in our arsenal are used frequently, none are used as routinely — or as often — as our communications...
Part 41 Sometimes, it's the little things that count. With all of the activities surrounding the fire service — response to alarms, training, physical fitness, meetings, staffing plans and budget reviews — it is difficult at times to step back and...
On Dec. 27, 1983, our nation suffered a tremendous tragic loss when five Buffalo, NY, firefighters were killed in the line of duty. These brave men answered their final alarm at the Chimera Radiator Co., located at North Division and Grosvenor streets...
If we took a snapshot of today's American fire service, what would we find compared to 10 or 20 or even 50 years ago? Sure, our vehicles have changed, as has our personal protective equipment (PPE), but have we changed how we do business, at least in...
I was conducting a leadership training class for a large fire department and I noticed a pretty big morale problem. When I started asking questions and getting to the bottom of the issue, I discovered that every decision that was being made in the...
What type of construction? You may be surprised. An important feature of a pre-incident plan is the classification of building construction. Classifying the type of building should be simple, quick and strategically relevant. The classification of a...
This marks the 26th year that we present the Firehouse Expo. For 24 of those years, the show has taken place in Baltimore, MD. This year, we salute the Baltimore City Fire Department as it marks its 150th anniversary. In this issue, we are proud to...
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