Everyone has new years resolutions.  I don't.  I take personal inventory pretty frequently, usually when I have a change in my life or I when someone I know does.  Today I'll share my lessons for last year and how they motivate me for this year.  I'll try to be brief.     Last year was a big year […]

As most at this point in the year start really taking inventory of their lives, what to be thankful for, New Years Resolutions. Have you taken the time to do a Fire Life Inventory? Fire Life Inventory yes! Does not matter if you are Paid or Volunteer are you happy with your career? Where do […]

With the changes in the fire service being brought about through social media, NFPA (The world's leading advocate of fire prevention and public safety) has announced a new certification; NFPA 1521E. This standard will be known as the E-Safety Officer (ESO), Keyboard Safety Chief (KSC) or the Internet Old Salty Jake (Let Me Tell Ya […]

I’m going to dip into the “We Search” subject for just 1 article, I hope. We search, yes it sounds good and it’s catchy. But HOW do we search? I would venture a guess the phrase “We Search” is an overstatement. It’s probably more like “We stumble around, call out and hope for the best” […]

Long Lug Out Smooth, Bump, Bump, to the Pump We were going over this basic firefighter safety drill with a class a while ago.  I started the evolution by letting them know that this should not even count as a skill.  Just like putting on your pants or SCBA.  You should know it as if […]

Many firefighters just don’t appreciate learning opportunities or recognize when learning opportunities present themselves. Recently, I thought about several examples I witnessed during “rookie schools” around the country. Rookie school, or Basic Fire School, is where you are taught “The Basics” and are expected to learn “The Basics” before applying them on the job. A […]