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    More content from December 2010

    As budgets continue to decline and layoffs, attrition, "brown-outs" and other "solutions" prevail, one thing is for certain — fewer firefighters are available and this trend does...
    Dec. 3, 2010
    DCFD Assistant Chief Lawrence Schultz, center, meets with retired Phoenix Fire Chief Alan Brunacini, left in foreground, DCFD Chief Dennis L. Rubin and other fire-rescue officials during the operations of the President’s 2009 State of the Union Address.
    Culture is defined as the beliefs, customs, practices and social behaviors of a group of people. We would all agree that the number of folks who have sacrificed their lives for...
    Dec. 3, 2010
    Even with the interior trim piece on the C-pillar peeled away, the steel inflator module is still not visible. The inflator unit is completely wrapped inside nylon airbag material. The exact location of the inflator can be determined by feeling with a hand to confirm exactly where it is mounted prior to cutting the rear C-pillars.
    SUBJECT: Electric VehiclesTOPIC: Part 5, Chevrolet VOLT Extrication Procedures OBJECTIVE: Given a crash scenario involving a 2011 Chevrolet VOLT with occupant injury and/or entrapment...
    Dec. 3, 2010
    As an avid Facebook user, I have more than 1,100 Facebook friends from around the country, mostly people in the fire and EMS community I met through my work, my travels and corresponden...
    Dec. 3, 2010
    A firefighter was injured when he and another firefighter entered this mobile home to search for children who were reported by neighbors to be inside. The children were not at home at the time.
    It's so often a combination of small "things forgotten or ignored" at a fire that can lead to tragic outcomes. In this month's continued close call, we learn how firefighters ...
    Dec. 3, 2010
    In my September 2010 column, "Collective Influence and Positive Relationships," I wrote about an issue that had emerged regarding fire service-based EMS systems. In that column...
    Dec. 3, 2010
    Did you notice in my headline I didn't say, "Do you take time to train?" There's a reason for that choice of words.Taking time to train sounds pretty random to me.Making time ...
    Dec. 3, 2010
    The memorial to the Union Stockyards fire depicts struggling firefighters.
    100 Years Ago: Dozens of Philadelphia Firefighters Trapped in Burning Debris PHILADELPHIA, PA: DEC. 21, 1910 — Firemen rolled out to a reported fire at 1114 North Bodine St., ...
    Dec. 3, 2010
    In an earlier column, I stressed that you as the person in the right-front seat had to have a firm grasp on just which type of rig you were riding. This time, I am making the ...
    Dec. 3, 2010
    Firemen’s Hall Museum of Philadelphia at 142 North 2nd St. in downtown Philadelphia was built within a 1902 firehouse. It houses a stained-glass memorial to all firefighters killed in the line of duty and plaques in front honoring the eight firefighters killed at the Gulf Oil Refinery fire.
    Early in the morning of Sunday, Aug. 17, 1975, a seagoing tanker was off-loading crude oil at the Gulf Oil Refinery in Philadelphia, PA, when accumulated hydrocarbon vapors ignited...
    Dec. 3, 2010
    The above photo shows an old “mixed multiple” occupancy with add-ons. The original building is of Type III construction (brick and joist) while the add-ons are made of wood frame. Note the separation distance between the two structures presents an exposure concern if a fire should occur.
    My previous column on buildings called "mixed multiple" occupancies, or "taxpayers," focused on basic engine and truck work (September 2010). This column addresses access and ...
    Dec. 3, 2010
    Photo 6. The litter during the descent.
    The high line system has several uses in rope rescues. It can be used for both high- and low-angle applications. It can be used to extricate victims from or move resources into...
    Dec. 3, 2010
    Technical rescue training takes time above and beyond the normal training requirements, but firefighters often will attempt a rescue even if it is beyond their capabilities.
    May 8, 2010, Middletown, OH — A worker conducting a non-entry inspection of a manhole is incapacitated and falls into the hole. Moments later, two firefighters lower their captain...
    Dec. 3, 2010
    I recently marked my last day on the job as an active firefighter. I have retired after 35 years of service in my fire department in New Jersey and three years on a department...
    Dec. 3, 2010