(fireengineering.com)

By John F. “Skip” Coleman, Technical Editor

The theme of the month in the magazine is technology. About 15 years ago, I asked a question and I would be interested to see if the answers given then still ring true today.

Roundtable question: What is the most significant technological advancement in the fire service over the past 50 years?

Post your comments at fireengineering.com/roundtable.html.

WEBCASTS

On May 7, Deputy Chief Charles Ryan, Fairfax County (VA) Fire & Rescue, pre-sents “The First Five Minutes: Effective Size-Up, Decision Making, and Communications.” On May 22, Captain John Wright, Flower Mound (TX) Fire Department, pre-sents “Lessons Learned from a Near-Miss Mayday in Texas.” Webcasts are free, but you must register. They are archived on emberly.fireengineering.com for six months.

FIRE LIFE

In her column What Every Firefighter’s Spouse Should Know, Anne Gagliano writes in “Firefighter’s Sausage Fest 2014”: “This is no ordinary cocktail party; this is one wild ride. The sights of raw meat and bullets, the sounds of bagpipes, and the smells of cooking sausage all combine to make this an event that only firefighters could create.” Catch her sage relationship advice, only at www.firelife.com.

FDIC COVERAGE

Full coverage of the Fire Department Instructors Conference, held in Indianapolis, Indiana, April 7-12, can be found at http://emberly.fireengineering.com/fdic.html. See hands-on training videos and photos, keynote addresses, award presentations, special events, and more. The week was so action-packed that even those who attended might see something online that they missed in person. Also see the 2015 Call for Presentations link; submit your proposal to teach at FDIC 2015 before the deadline!

PHOTO OF THE DAY: The Fire Department of New York operated at a massive gas explosion involving two mixed-occupancy buildings in New York City in March; eight people were killed. (Photo by First On Scene Photos.) See more photos at http://bit.ly/1d7Anr8. Send your Photo of the Day submissions to Peter Prochilo (peterp@pennwell.com).

FEATURED ARTICLES

Eric G. Bachman, former chief, Eden (PA) Volunteer Fire/Rescue Department, writes in “Responsibility and Response Ability, Part 1”: “What a fire department protects goes far beyond the built environment; it should include a comprehensive understanding of what could go wrong in a community because emergencies do not only occur in buildings. What is your fire department responsible for protecting?” (http://bit.ly/1kHi8ej)

Brian Brush, lieutenant, West Metro (CO) Fire Department, writes in “Blitz Attack or Rapid Defense?”: “I can see the value in lighter weight, more portable, and compact ground monitors. The issue I have is when the vendors bring these to the fire service as a solution in search of a problem and we buy into it.” (http://bit.ly/1ed4m5e)

Matthew Hertzfeld, lieutenant, Toledo (OH) Fire and Rescue Department, writes in “Social Media: One Department’s Success Story”: “The Toledo (OH) Fire and Rescue Department is trying something new: reporting arson on its Facebook page. This feature is just the latest way we are reaching out to the public through social media. We were missing a key opportunity to strengthen our relationship with the public.” (http://bit.ly/1gnL5Gb)

Demetrius A. Kastros, battalion chief (ret.), Milpitas (CA) Fire Department, writes in “START Triage with RPM”: “Without question, the mass casualty incident environment is a chaotic scene. Quickly establishing a level of organization is essential.” (http://bit.ly/MY99H8)

COMMUNITY MEMBER OF THE MONTH
Name: Bill Gross. Department: Manheim Township (PA) Fire Rescue. Rank: firefighter. Years of public service: 33. Agency structure: volunteer department. Top issues in your department: staffing, retention. Professional qualifications: certified fire protection specialist, Level II New Jersey state fire instructor, Pennsylvania local level suppression instructor, ProBoard Fire Officer I, fire inspector.