small fire departments

The Latest

Fire Engineering podcasts

Podcast: In Their Own Words: Bob Fields on Tactics for Small Fire Departments

In this episode, host Joe Pronesti talks to St. Louis (MO) Fire Captain Bob Fields about his recent Fire Engineering article on big city tactics for small fire departments.
FirefightingPodcasts
Fire apparatus with hoselines

Big City Tactics for Small Town Fire Departments: Have a Plan!

Your department can borrow ideas from larger agencies and adapt them in a way that works for you, writes Bob Fields.
FeaturesFirefighting
Volunteers Corner

It’s Not Easy Being “Small” in the Fire Service

Nicholas DeLia has advice for smaller departments to compensate for lack of resources through improved tactics, strategies, and outside assistance.
Fire Department LeadershipFirefighting

Juggling Hats: Managing a Volunteer, Combination, or Small Career Department

Craig A. Haigh lays out a strategy for managing a volunteer, combination, or small career department that begins with recruiting members to formulating a successful strategic plan for guiding the organization’s growth and welfare for the future.
Fire Service CareerFirefighter Training

More small fire departments

Small Departments: Growing Beyond the Single-Line Mentality

Small Departments: Growing Beyond the Single-Line Mentality

Organizational competence is a great achievement, but don’t we owe it to our communities and our firefighters to be more than competent?
Firefighting
Speeding ambulance

To Ambulance or Not to Ambulance?

"Small volunteer fire departments need to consider not only the financials, but also the operational, administrative, and cultural changes that adding ambulance service to their mission will bring," writes Joseph V. Maruca.
Fire EMSFirefighting
Doing the Job with Limited Resources in Small Departments

Doing the Job with Limited Resources in Small Departments

Volunteer firefighters are a vital and sometimes overlooked resource within the communities they protect.  
Fire Department LeadershipFirefighting
Art Bloomer: Special Operations in Small Departments

Art Bloomer: Special Operations in Small Departments

Art Bloomer discusses the need to teach all departments the importance of special operations.
Fire Department LeadershipFirefighting
Oriented Vent-Enter-Search for Small Fire Departments

Oriented Vent-Enter-Search for Small Fire Departments

Much has been written on the benefits and techniques of conducting vent-enter-search (VES).
Firefighter TrainingSearch Operations
Attitudes and Fire Service Perceptions

Attitudes and Fire Service Perceptions

In this article, Richard Etheridge outlines how we owe those who came before and should uphold the fire service's reputation, image and honor by defending and carrying on their work.
Firefighting
Smaller volunteer departments need funds for safety initiatives

Smaller volunteer departments need funds for safety initiatives

Smaller, rural volunteer fire departments need more funding to implement the recommendations of the Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program, an initiative of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), according to a study published online by RTI Press.
Fire Safety
PREPARING SMALL DEPARTMENTS FOR THE BIG FIRE BY JACK FETROW

PREPARING SMALL DEPARTMENTS FOR THE BIG FIRE BY JACK FETROW

How do small volunteer and combination departments prepare for the inevitable big fire? Many things must be considered. In addition to strong tactical capabilities, at the top of the list are preplanning, mutual aid, and incident command. Any of these standing alone could not get the job done. It takes a well-balanced combination of the three to effect an acceptable end result.
Firefighting