Firehouse.com's contributing editors and several new authors wrote on topics from tactics and innovations to leadership and reputation management in 2014.
Daniel Byrne has been writing about fire prevention for Firehouse for many years, but changed his focus this year after he has observed a serious change in the fire service.
"We are losing the one 'thing' that made the fire service the special profession it once was; the 'thing' that gave us the confidence to go rushing into places that others raced from in terror because those charging forward knew they were not going alone," Byrne wrote in "The Erosion of The Brotherhood: Guardians Needed." "'You go, we go' was the Hollywood expression that encapsulated what we were about and which bonded us when the situation, environment, and even the world, seemed to turn and come against us. The 'thing' to which I am referring to is 'Brotherhood.'"
Lt. Michael Daley wrote the second most popular article, "10 Ways to Prep Candidates for the Fire Academy."
"This initial period of exposure to firehouse life can be extremely influential on the candidate," he wrote in the article that shared several ideas that departments can teach their recruits. "It is critical that some vital information be passed unto them before they enter the academy doors."
Many cars, including BMW, Ford, GMC, and Jaguar contain magnesium, which can react violently when firefighters apply water.
Eric James wrote "Water and Magnesium Fires: Developing an Attack Plan," to help responders understand the dangers they can face when the two are mixed on the fireground.
When Firehouse Associate Editor Ed Ballam took over Tom Shand's "Innovative Rigs on the Street" column this year, he continued to share how fire departments design their unique apparatus based on their unique needs.
“It’s pretty amazing that they could take that scratching and make turn it into a fire truck,” Delton, Mich., Fire Chief Gene Muskovin said about Spencer Manufacturing's final product - a pumper that hauls 1,280 gallons of water.
Read "Innovative Rigs on The Street: Delton's Dream Pumper" for all the details of this very unique apparatus.
When New Jersey crews were called after a water treatment plant after a worker heard someone calling for help, they spent several hours rescuing a man who was trapped in a pipe.
Michael Daley detailed the rescue efforts in the fifth most read article, "Unorthodoxed Confined Space Rescue Challenges N.J. Responders."
Dr. Burton Clark has spent much of his fire service career focusing on firefighter safety and his "Firefighter Philosophy in One Word: Why?" article is the sixth most read feature this year.
Headlines about fire department members being arrested for theft appear to be on the rise. Candice McDonald's "Seven Tips for Avoiding Theft in the Firehouse" offers ideas to keep your department from falling victim to theft from the inside.
Dr. Harry Carter addressed why firefighters can continue to live in the past, despite all of the advances in training, equipment and cultural awareness.
Read the eighth most popular feature, "My Friends Are You a Prisoner of the Past?" for more of Carter's wisdom and insight.
The ninth most read feature was about a medium-duty rescue placed in service by Mulvane Fire Rescue in Kansas.
Ed Ballam wrote detailed the Toyne apparatus in "Innovative Rigs on The Street: Mulvane's Medium-duty Rescue."
At the beginning of the summer, Janet Wilmoth described how the design and construction plans for fire stations are once again being looked at across United States.
"Fire departments were once again pulling out plans and looking for ideas and current trends in new fire stations," Wilmoth wrote. "Most of the architects that we work with have reported re-hiring staff and putting in longer hours on fire station projects."
Read the tenth most popular feature from 2014: "Fire Station Design: Building is on the Rebound" for the scoop.
