Firehouse Magazine

In This Issue: October 2011

Mike Meadows

A firefighter from Engine 39 operates at a well-involved garage fire in the Valley Glen section of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, CA. The fire occurred on Feb. 16, 2011.

Dedication

This month's Firehouse® is dedicated to Lieutenant Ronald Dwane Ruprecht, 51, of the Stone Lake, WI, Fire Department; Acting Battalion Chief Garet Rasmussen, 38, of Chelan County Fire District 1 in Wenatchee, WA, Fire Department; Firefighter Scott Davis, 40, of the Muncie, IN, Fire Department; and Assistant Chief Robin Erlic West, 55, of the Startex Fire Department in Wellford, SC, who died in the line of duty, June 2011.

Volunteer Leadership: Mission First, People Always

by Adam S. Roth
Created: September 14, 2011

My career in the fire service started comparatively late (at age 28) while also being a seven-year veteran of the U.S. Army. My first impressions of the volunteer fire service started in Germany as...
Effective Chief Fire Officer Behaviors

by Joseph L. Krueger and David F. Peterson
Created: September 13, 2011

Do you ever shake your head at what your fire personnel say or do? Does firefighter behavior continue to stupefy you and deny plausible explanation? If you feel a little exasperated with the myriad...
INCIDENT REPORT: Earthquake Rocks Virginia

by Charles L. Werner
Created: September 13, 2011

When Scott Keim assumed his new duties as Louisa County, VA, Fire & EMS chief on July 25, 2011, he did not imagine that he would be facing one of the most challenging incidents of his career in less...
On The Job: New Mexico

by Jay K. Bradish
Created: September 7, 2011

On Friday, June 11, 2010, a two-alarm fire destroyed an abandoned meat-packing plant in Bernalillo County, NM. The fire caused the evacuation of 250 workers and residents from neighborhoods around the...

Chief Concerns: The Dozen That Make a Difference

by Dennis Rubin
Created: September 26, 2011

“The Dozen That Make the Difference” presented in this series represent character traits a person should possess to be a good candidate for fire chief or for moving up in rank within a department...
Close Calls: Firefighter Through the Floor in Heavy Fire

by William Goldfeder
Created: September 20, 2011

When we take in a run, we rarely think about ourselves – that’s the nature of being a firefighter. However, when we pause and think about those we care about, we gain a little perspective...
As Firehouse Sees It: “We Didn’t Need an Invitation The First Time”

by Harvey Eisner
Created: September 13, 2011

“W e weren’t a block awaY the first time and I don’t think we’ll be a block away the second time.” Those words were spoken by Captain Al Hagan, president of the Uniformed Fire Officers...
Tools & Technologies: Searching for Answers

by Ed Ballam
Created: September 8, 2011

With devices tracking everything from planes in the sky to stolen cars in a city to the tiniest of screws in a vast warehouse, one would think it would be easy to track firefighters inside...
The Future of Thermal Imaging

by Brad Harvey
Created: September 7, 2011

The year: 2004. The topic: When would my mother-in-law and father-in-law decide to buy their first computer? The points of consideration were numerous. Did they really need a computer? What did it...
Marketing ICS: Reputation Equity

by Ben May
Created: September 7, 2011

R emember that overused line, “Happiness is wanting what you have”? Funny about how some of these old saws hang around for so long. I suppose it’s probably because there may be a grain of...
University of Extrication: Jammed Door Forcible Opening – Part 2

by Ron Moore
Created: September 7, 2011

In part one of this door-opening series, we addressed a quick technique for setting up a jammed door when the vehicle you are working on is resting on its roof. Pinching the rocker with the tips of...
EMS: The 70-20-10 Rule

by Gary Ludwig
Created: September 7, 2011

Some people really get upset when I say this: “Most fire departments are nothing but EMS agencies that sometimes go to a fire call.” Why? Well, it certainly breaks the glass in the traditional...
Fire Politics: Can Civil Grand Juries Double as Political Tools?

by Dennis Compton
Created: September 6, 2011

By now, many of you have heard of the Santa Clara County, CA, Civil Grand Jury report completed in May 2011. The report is titled Fighting Fire or Fighting Change? Rethinking Fire Department...
Leadership Lessons: Using Your Core Values to Evaluate Behavior

by Kimberly Alyn
Created: August 25, 2011

In my two previous columns, I talked about organizational values and personal values. Having strong clarity in these two areas creates the highest levels of organizational commitment. So now that your...
Fire Law: Can a Homeowner Just Say No?

by Curt Varone
Created: August 2, 2011

Alerted by a passerby, a 14-year-old boy dials 911 to report a possible chimney fire in his house. Fire crews are dispatched, but the boy’s mother calls back to report that she does not want the...

Product Showcase: 10/11

by Firehouse Staff
Created: September 20, 2011

Emergency Reporting Emergency Reporting is a powerful web-based service where first responders access fire, EMS and risk assessment reporting and records management services to enter incident...
Industry News 10/11

by Firehouse Staff
Created: September 16, 2011

THE FIRE APPARATUS MANUFACTURERS’ ASSOCIATION (FAMA) has awarded its 2011 Phillip L. Turner Fire Protection Scholarship to University of Maryland College Park student Chad Lannon. A sophomore...
Firewire: August Line-of-Duty Deaths

by Jay K. Bradish
Created: September 15, 2011

Fourteen U.S. emergency services personnel died in August. Four career firefighters, five volunteer firefighters and five civilian employees died in 12 separate incidents. Two deaths was the result of...
Hot Shots 10/11

by Firehouse Staff
Created: September 13, 2011

CAJON PASS, CA, SEPT. 2, 2011 – A vegetation fire started in the center divider of Interstate 15, the main highway for travelers between Southern California and Las Vegas, NV, the Colorado River and...
Scuttlebutt 10/11

by Steven Shaw
Created: September 7, 2011

Longtime Chief Retires Pullman, WA, Fire Chief Pat Wilkins has retired after serving the fire department for more than 40 years, with 27 of those years as its chief. Wilkins was instrumental in a...
New Products 10/11

by Firehouse Staff
Created: September 6, 2011

Rearmount Ladder KME has introduced the 109-foot AerialCat rearmount ladder, the newest addition to the steel-ladder line that includes the 79-foot, 100-foot, 103-foot and 121-foot AerialCat...
Rekindles 10/11

by Paul Hashagen
Created: August 23, 2011

HESHBON, PA: OCT. 1, 1911 – Roused from their sleep by the smell of smoke, Mr. and Mrs. Dias left their second-floor bedroom and went down to the first floor to investigate while their eight...

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Firehouse Managing Editor Elizabeth Neroulas talks with Deputy Chief Ray O'Brocki about his Chief Concerns article “It's All Hands On Deck When Disaster Strikes" which appears in the March 2013 issue of Firehouse Magazine . Listen as the two discuss how Baltimore City, MD, Fire Dept. handles emergency calls during extreme weather events. Read: It's "All Hands On Deck" When Disaster Strikes View: The March issue of Firehouse Magazine Subscribe to...

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