May 2021

The May issue of Firehouse Magazine includes feature articles covering technology & communications, apparatus innovations, higher education, hazardous materials response and a preview of this summer's Station Design Conference in St. Louis. There is also a special "Technology for Today's Fire Department" supplement.
Ron Moore
Careers & Education

For the Record 5/21

May 17, 2021
Firehouse Hall of Fame Class of 2021
Sda 5e9771603b063
Careers & Education

Scuttlebutt 5/21

May 17, 2021
Nominations for Station Design Awards
Peter Matthews
Leadership

As Firehouse Sees It: May's Focus on Mental Health & Medical Services

May 17, 2021
Firehouse Editor-in-Chief Peter Matthews recognizes the value of fire service observances while stressing that the best practice is to "observe" on a daily basis.
Fir A1 A12 Technology Supplement Page 01
Special Content

Firehouse Supplement: Technology for Today's Fire Department

May 17, 2021
From tablets and updated radio standards to new alerting systems and AI learning tools, Firehouse has you covered in this special supplement.
Photo by Zackery Newton
Zackery Newton 2 Xx 21 Bexar Bulverde, Tx Apt Bldg Pic 9
Operations & Training

Hot Shots 5/21

May 17, 2021
May Hot Shots includes LAFD's use of its industrial robotic firefighting vehicle on scene of a massive commercial building fire.

More content from May 2021

John Salkav3
Leadership

The Fire Scene: Tool Talk

May 17, 2021
John J. Salka, Jr., lauds a New York fire department's innovation in regard to assisting members with their knowledge of equipment and devices for the fireground.
May 21 Health Wellness Behavioral Author Pic 60414ac259a30
Safety & Health

Health & Wellness: Making Mental Health Mandatory

May 17, 2021
Derek Maxfield explains how the welcome reception by firefighters to West Jordan City, UT, Fire Department's mandatory mental health program should get others thinking.
Rick Bossert 5c8aa7ac3c133
EMS

EMS: Your Life as an EMS Provider

May 17, 2021
Richard Bossert believes fire service and EMS personnel must have each other's backs on and off the job.
New Brett Ellis Headshot 5e482915565f3
Leadership

The Company Officer: Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

May 17, 2021
Dr. Brett Ellis urges company officers to move past arguments and move toward conversations.
Photos by Ron Moore
Premise 1. This destructive overload test had the standard grab hook placed over the weld side of the chain. Only slight bending of the hook resulted, with some marks on the link that the hook was grabbing. Note that the chain link that actually failed (upper right) wasn’t at the grab hook and didn’t fail at the weld.
Vehicle Extrication

University of Extrication: Rescue Chain and Hook Research

May 17, 2021
Ron Moore dispels myths about rescue hooks. Along the way, he confirms the legitimacy of rules that some might have doubted.
Photos by Joseph Cassetta
The priority of fast water and a sustainable water supply shouldn’t exceed life safety rescue operations.
Operations & Training

Command & Control Success: People Before Water

May 17, 2021
Curt Isakson explains why fireground commanders shouldn't prioritize water/supply ahead of rescue.
Michael Daley
Operations & Training

First Due: Clues for the First-Due Officer

May 17, 2021
Michael Daley provides invaluable guidance about where to find decision-making indicators in the first few minutes on scene.
Photos courtesy of RedLine Gear Cleaning
RedLine Gear Cleaning created its Mobile Extraction Unit (MEU) to facilitate an on-premises gear-cleaning service to hasten the cleaning and inspection of turnout gear. The Massachusetts Department of Fire Service was impressed and purchased a vehicle from RedLine to manage and clean all of the PPE for the Massachusetts Fire Academy.
Apparatus

On-Site PPE Cleaning: Innovative Cleaning Apparatus

May 17, 2021
Peter Ostroskey explains how the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy uses a laundromat-on-wheels to clean and maintain 600 sets of turnout gear.
Getty Images
The Firehouse 2021 Station Design Conference will be held August 24–26, 2021, at the Hilton at the Ballpark, St. Louis.
SD Awards and Conference

Station Design Conference Preview: The Pandemic, Civil Unrest, RFQs & More

May 17, 2021
How to craft an RFQ is among the new-for-2021 subjects that will be covered at Firehouse's 2021 Station Design Conference.
May 21 Fire Law Pic
Careers & Education

Fire Law: Pink-Collar Theft

May 17, 2021
Curt Varone offers expert legal insight into how and why fire department embezzlement can occur.
Photo courtesy of Georgia Bureau of Investigation
Although meth “cooks” don’t intend to create an improvised explosive device, that is in fact what they create. At a one-pot lab that was seized in northwestern Georgia., the cook went through the added step of incorporating a valve and pressure gauge to containers. Although pressure regulation might be more accurate via this approach, the cook created a PVC pipe bomb.
Hazardous Materials

Clandestine Drug Labs: A Tactical and Practical Approach

May 17, 2021
Scott Burgess furnishes numerous pieces of vital information for the firefighters who respond to a call at a make-shift laboratory that produces methamphetamine.
May 21 Higher Education Opening Pic
Colleges & Universities

Higher Education: Courses of Action

May 17, 2021
Jared Renshaw tells why it's a mistake for fire chiefs to rest on their laurels when it comes to their education.
Photo by Glen. E. Ellman
May 21 Tech Supplement Radios Pic 1
Radios, Pagers & Accessories

The New NFPA 1802 Portable Radio Standard

May 17, 2021
John Facella explains how NFPA ups its game when it comes to requirements for portable radios and remote speaker microphones.
Photo courtesy of FLIR Systems
With qualitative thermography via a thermal imager on a drone, a victim can be seen clearly through smoke.
Drones

Drone Thermography

May 17, 2021
Andrew Starnes demystifies color palettes' role in the use of drones on the fireground, at a hazmat scene and for missing-person searches.
Photo by Tod Sudmeier
May 21 Tech Supplement Cover Tod Sudmeier
Tech & Comm

Tablet ICS Integration: The Time Has Come

May 17, 2021
Charles Werner's discussion with two fire departments that use tablets on the fireground exhibits how the requirements of the devices and apps for the ICS are quite established...
Photo courtesy of FirstNet Authority
May 21 Tech Supplement Alerting (gainesville Fd (002))
Tech & Comm

Answering the Call: New Alerting Solutions

May 17, 2021
Barry Furey illustrates how improved ways of providing information to personnel and of controlling numerous station functions are continually evolving.
Tech Supp Photo
Tech & Comm

The Importance of Data to the Fire Service

May 17, 2021
Lori Moore-Merrell lays out clearly why the generation and collection of data must be at the forefront for every member of a fire department.
May 21 Volunteer View Author Pic 60708f4092362
Careers & Education

Volunteer View: Don’t Treat a Volunteer Fire Department Like a Business

May 17, 2021
Cody Santiago warns that a volunteer department's capability to retain members suffers when the department is run as something other than a volunteer operation.