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    More content from May 2014

    The dual-powered BH-20 from BlowHard
    BlowHard FansMore and more firefighters around the globe are reaching for the dual-powered (battery and a/c) BH-20 from BlowHard. Its lightweight (weighing 59 pounds with battery...
    May 1, 2014
    A typical electrical circuit panel is shown in this image.
    A thorough investigation confirms information provided by a thermal imager.
    May 1, 2014
    Photo by Bill Noonan
    The fire extended to the upper floors from the basement. Apparently, welders were working on the adjacent property to install a railing when the fire ignited and spread to the basement where the two firefighters were trapped and later found. Winds from the Charles River in the rear of the structure were from 30 to 45 mph.
    BOSTON, MA, MARCH 26, 2014 – Boston Fire Lieutenant Edward J. Walsh Jr. and Firefighter Michael R. Kennedy died in a fire that was ignited by welders working next door. The fire...
    May 1, 2014
    Fortherecord 5 14 811990 Ficem 11361654
    Federal Agencies Coordinate to Advance EMSIn an effort to further coordinate federal efforts in emergency medical services (EMS), the members of the Federal Interagency Committee...
    May 1, 2014
    Photo by Ken LaBelle
    WOONSOCKET, RI, MARCH 15, 2014
    WOONSOCKET, RI, MARCH 15, 2014 – Two firefighters fell through the floor and were able to stop their fall with their arms. They gave Maydays and extricated themselves before the...
    May 1, 2014
    John Salka 11355234
    John J. Salka Jr. explains why learning from mistakes can help firefighters operate more safely and efficiently.
    May 1, 2014
    Photo courtesy of the author
    A great deal of responsibility and accountability accompany that gold chief's badge and white helmet. Almost every fire department activity subjects personnel, the department, and the municipality to potential liability and the risk of a lawsuit – even training. As long as you perform your duties within reasonable, basic guidelines or established standards, and you document what, where, when and how you did it, you are laying the groundwork to cover yourself legally.
    Leading a rural fire department has a set of unique challenges that can trouble even a seasoned fire chief.
    May 1, 2014
    Harrycarter 11360170
    In my April column, I shared some thoughts about how the newly promoted chief officer should think, act and perform. It is my fervent hope that you chose to remember the part ...
    May 1, 2014
    Photo by Jay K. Bradish/IFPA
    Firefighting is arduous and requires high levels of health and physical fitness. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends that fire departments phase in mandatory wellness/fitness programs, conduct physical performance evaluations to ensure firefighters are physically capable of performing the essential tasks of structural firefighting and 'ensure that firefighters are cleared for duty by a physician knowledgeable about the physical demands of firefighting, the personal protective equipment used by firefighters and the various components of NFPA 1582.'
    Our department just finished another round of our annual firefighter physicals under National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1582: Standard on Comprehensive Occupational Medical...
    May 1, 2014
    Photos by Lee Genser
    Deputy Chief Mark Kiess gives instructions as Tower Ladder 8724 operates its master stream through the front door.
    As we reported last month, on Jan. 18, 2014, the Manhasset-Lakeville Fire Department (M-LFD) of Long island, NY, was alerted to respond to a reported fire in a dwelling. What ...
    May 1, 2014
    Dennis Compton 11375995
    One of the realities of politics is that it’s present in everything we do that really matters in the fire service. Sometimes, the politics is internal within the fire service,...
    May 1, 2014
    Photos by Ron Moore
    The horizontal dash support pipe (yellow) and the two dash tie downs (black) are shown in this vehicle display. With the instrument panel, dash, and all normal components in place, these items are all hidden from sight.
    Ron Moore explains why an interior dash roll may be needed on late-model cars.
    May 1, 2014
    Photo courtesy of the author
    Three firefighters were responding to a wildland call in Wyoming last summer when their U.S. Forest Service Type 3 engine was involved in a rollover accident. The engine was destroyed, but the crew survived. They were seated and belted, and escaped through the driver's-side door.
    Mike Wilbur explains how firefighters jeopardize their own lives and the lives of others.
    May 1, 2014
    Photo courtesy of Paul Hashagen Collection
    Fifty New York City firemen were overcome while battling a blaze in a cheese warehouse on Greenwich Street in Manhattan on July 17, 1921. The Ninth Avenue elevated subway was shut down for six hours to help firemen battle the fire.
    AMITYVILLE, NY: MAY 3, 1914 – Flames broke out in the hayloft of a large barn on the estate of Benjamin F. Yoakum, a railroad tycoon. The quick-moving fire spread to five other...
    May 1, 2014
    Gary Ludwig 11403927
    A recent scan of the headlines says it all: “New York Struggles With Heroin Overdoses”; “New Report Shows Explosive Growth of Heroin in Kentucky”; “Ohio Struggles With Epidemic...
    May 1, 2014
    Photo courtesy Harold Hinson Photography
    Kevin Harvick and his 18-month-old son, Keelan, visits the Oak Ridge (NC) Fire Department.
    Harvick Thanks Oak Ridge FirefightersFour months after NASCAR driver Kevin Harvick and his wife DeLana woke up to the sound of their home’s smoke detector going off, the driver...
    May 1, 2014
    Ten U.S. firefighters recently died in the line of duty. Four career firefighter and six volunteer firefighters died in nine incidents. Seven deaths were health related, one death...
    May 1, 2014
    KUSSMAUL ELECTRONICS has introduced the Auto Charge 40/20, a fully automatic battery charger for vehicles with a single battery system.
    Automatic Battery ChargerKUSSMAUL ELECTRONICS has introduced the Auto Charge 40/20, a fully automatic battery charger for vehicles with a single battery system. The unit has a...
    May 1, 2014
    Photo courtesy Kansas City, MO, FD
    Six firefighters were killed fighting a gasoline fire shortly after this photo was taken on the border between Kansas City, KS, and Kansas City, MO.
    Robert Burke provides an understanding about the levels of training to operate at hazmat emergencies.
    May 1, 2014
    Ch37118 L 11287396
    Reelcraft’s new Series CH37000 hand crank hose reels are ideal for industrial applications requiring longer lengths of 1 inch I.D. hose. This new reel design helps to eliminate...
    Dec. 30, 2013