FE Volume 164 Issue 4

The Latest

How to Identify and Develop Quality Instructors

How to Identify and Develop Quality Instructors

Competent and enthusiastic instructors are critical to the fire service. Without them, how effective would our personnel and departments be? The selection process for instructors should be such that we tap those with the greatest talents and potential within our departments.
Firefighting
Turn an Idea into a Class in Five Steps

Turn an Idea into a Class in Five Steps

To say that providing up-to-date, relevant training in today’s fire service is a challenge is an understatement. Training officers and instructors must meet a variety of ever-changing requirements from the National Fire Protection Association, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and the state as well as address local needs. How do they find the lesson plans and course materials to meet these challenges? What options do they have when they can’t find a lesson plan that meets their needs?
Firefighter Training
Developing ARFF SOGs and Response Cards

Developing ARFF SOGs and Response Cards

If your department is responsible for covering an airport in your district, developing standard operating guidelines (SOGs), response plans, and response cards should be on your mind whether your airfield is Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Part 139 indexed or not. As far as aircraft rescue firefighting (ARFF) is concerned, indexing determines the level of protection needed based on the number of scheduled flights per day and the size of the aircraft. The smallest classification is General Aviation (GA); no protection required followed by A (minimal protection) up to E. The exact determination and qualifications for indexing are found in FAA Part 139 Subpart D 139.315.
Aircraft Fire & RescueTechnical Rescue
(fireengineering.com)

(fireengineering.com)

As with many things in the fire service, training has evolved over the past 50 years. My dad was chief of training, as was I. Before I came on, Dad talked about major training programs that he was working on. He developed the first bomb squad and water rescue unit and coordinated the first paramedic class for the Toledo (OH) Fire Department. These were the beginnings of technical rescue for the department.
Firefighting

More FE Volume 164 Issue 4

Response to Emergencies in Wind Turbines

Response to Emergencies in Wind Turbines

As fossil fuels become more scarce AND harder to locate and exploit, researchers have explored alternative energy sources such as solar, biofuels, wind, and ocean waves, with more or less positive results, as some of the viable solutions. Of these solutions, wind (aeolic energy) is proving to be a substantially clean and efficient alternative energy source although quite costly because of engineering, fabrication, and exploitation expenditures.
Firefighting
The Right Handline

The Right Handline

The right handline, properly placed, will quickly stop the spread of fire and create a safer environment for the victims and the firefighters. A handline that is too short, too small, or not in the proper location can result in greater property loss and potentially the loss of life. Many variables dictate which line is best for the situation at hand, and the decision should not be taken lightly.
Firefighting
Free Training from the Firefighters Support Foundation

Free Training from the Firefighters Support Foundation

In these lean times, some agencies have been forced to cut training to levels below those legally required. Even in the best of times, there are the 10 percenters in every agency who want to soak up as much training as possible. However, funding is usually the constraint. There are some governmental sources—both federal and state—that offer free or low-cost training; these should be taken advantage of as much as possible.
Firefighter Training
The One Percenters

The One Percenters

The Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) is the home of the “one percenters” of our profession: the hard-core professional firefighters—dedicated, passionate trainers and teachers. Teachers love history. Most of us think we have a good grasp on history, especially history that has occurred during our lifetimes. We all remember December 1, 1955, as the day that Rosa Parks became the first black woman to refuse to sit in the back of the bus. But was she?
FDIC Coverage
Fireground Tactical Decision Making

Fireground Tactical Decision Making

Firefighters must master the ability to take a mental snapshot of the situation presented to them and use that to make critical tactical decisions. Our business boils down to making decisions in a high-stress environment with life-and-death consequences. It does not matter if you are talking about a structure fire, a heart attack, or a technical rescue incident. Operating under those circumstances can be overwhelming, especially for a firefighter just starting out. If we want our people to thrive in that kind of chaotic, stressful environment, it is imperative to train them in fireground tactical decision making.
Firefighting

FE Volume 164 Issue 4

Issues
Training Like the Astronauts

Training Like the Astronauts

When the nine firefighters in Charleston, South Carolina, lost their lives in the Sofa Super Store fire on June 18, 2007, everyone stopped and contemplated the largest loss of life in the American fire service since the 9/11 attacks. This loss of those nine firefighters prompted a number of reports that many firefighters and chiefs read closely to understand how that accident could have been prevented. The tragedy caused many in the American fire service to reevaluate their strategies, tactics, and response to many “routine” calls.
Firefighting
Live Burns: Maximizing Safety

Live Burns: Maximizing Safety

In the summer of 2007, a small Oregon fire district conducted a training burn in an acquired structure in a rural area outside the city limits. This rural department serves a small community with approximately 35 volunteer firefighters and one paid, part-time chief. The incident commander (IC) of this training event was a volunteer officer with this department and also an experienced career firefighter from a larger neighboring jurisdiction.
Firefighter Training

At the Crossroad: Fire Service Marketing and the Strategic Plan

Firefighting

The Hazards We Face

Firefighting

A senator’s view on Fire Grants Reauthorization Act of 2010

Firefighting

It’s Easy to Get Fooled

Fire Apparatus

Courage and Valor Award Recipient: FDNY’s Demontreux

FDIC Coverage

PRODUCTS/SERVICES/MEDIA

Firefighter Training

Names in the News

Firefighting

APPARATUS DELIVERIES

Fire Apparatus

Using the Ladder Tilt to Rescue a Downed Firefighter

Technical Rescue

Firefighter Burn Injuries

Firefighting

The Fire CATT

Fire Apparatus

COMPANY/ASSOCIATION NEWS

Fire Department LeadershipFirefighting
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