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TMI: Are we creating distracted drivers in our apparatus?

I saw this bumper sticker while speeding down the Northwest Tollway on my way home from O’Hare the other day. I knew I had to have one.

So I whipped out my iPhone and went to “store”.

I searched for, located, then downloaded the iPhone app that connects me directly with eBay.  After logging in with my username and password “eastcoaster”, I simply typed in “h-a-n-g-_-u-p-_-a-n-d-_-d-r-i-v-e” in the search box.

As usual, I had to backspace a few times to get the correct term typed in, but I eventually persevered.  Alas, too many results came up.

Blowing past Elmhurst Rd, I tried again, this time typing in “h-a-n-g-_-u-p-_-a-n-d-_-d-r-i-v-e–_-b-u-m-p-e-r-_-s-t-i-c-” before some jerk-off driving his wife’s mini-van while chatting away on his phone nearly cut me off before I could finish.

I quickly stashed my venti vanilla skim latte in its holder and simultaneously honked and waved with less fingers than my left hand contains, while clutching my iPhone in my right.  What was this chucklehead thinking?

By the time I was ready to exit onto Barrington Road, I still hadn’t found what I was looking for on eBay.  I was miffed until I realized how the trip down the tollway seemed to take no time at all.  In fact, I couldn’t really remember driving it.  What just happened for the last 20 minutes?

I decided to postpone my eBay search until I got home.  It was time to pay some serious attention in case a deer decided to jump out in front of me.  Gotta be extra alert out by me…

That’s one of my peeves, and I would bet many of you share it as well.  It’s the self-important “distracted drivers” that piss me off as they try to multi-task while guiding a multi-ton vehicle hurtling down the road.

Losers.

The whole episode reminded me of a story I had seen in at NewYorkTimes.com, that addressed the increasing amount of gadgetry gradually accumulating in the cabs of emergency vehicles.  In addition to the normal gauges, lights, dials, mirrors, radios, and sirens, more and more electronica is competing for our attention as we attempt to safely navigate our way through traffic as quickly and as safely as possible.

Like a litter of eleven puppies competing for six nipples, we’ve been inundated with computers, map routing and GPS devices, cell phones, and multiple radio frequencies- all looking for a spot in our collective cerebrums as we try to wrap our heads around pre-planning our first few steps upon arrival at the emergency scene.

I ask you this: How much is too much?  When do WE cross the line and become just another distracted responder?

As the NYT article explains, there is no data currently being collected regarding accidents involving emergency responders distracted by TMI.  But there are several anecdotes:

“Philip Macaluso, a New York paramedic, recalled a moment recently when he was rushing to the hospital while keying information into his dashboard computer. At the last second, he looked up from the control panel and slammed on his brakes to avoid a woman who stepped into the street.

In April 2008, an emergency medical technician in West Nyack, N.Y., looked at his GPS screen, swerved and hit a parked flatbed truck. The crash sheared off the side of the ambulance and left his partner, who was in the passenger seat, paralyzed.

In June 2007, a sheriff’s deputy in St. Clair County, Ill., was driving 35 miles per hour when a dispatcher radioed with an assignment. He entered the address into the mapping system and then looked up, too late to avoid hitting a sedan stopped in traffic. Its driver was seriously injured.”

Even my own friend and fellow podcaster Greg Friese was quoted in the article, citing his own experience in which he felt it necessary to demand the distracted driver of his ambulance to step away from his cell phone:

“My partner was checking baseball scores as he was driving a patient to the hospital. I looked through the passageway and said, ‘You’ve got to stop that right now,’ ” recalls Greg Friese, a paramedic in central Wisconsin, who was treating a patient in the back. Mr. Friese also develops online training programs for medics, E.M.T.’s, police officers and firefighters.

“We’re dealing with the carnage, which ranges from the trivial to the tragic, of distracted driving,” he said. “We should know better.”

Yes we should.

As we decide how to utilize the constant array of new technology, we need to address the amount of distraction we’re placing upon our responders.  We need to recognize and accept that too much input may result in a decreased ability to process the information in a way that is useful.  Worse yet, distracted emergency responders may bring increased civil and criminal liabilities upon our departments.

The last thing I need is another fire engine flying past me with a distracted driver while I’m trying to surf the web and revise my fantasy hockey roster.

Jerks.

Posted in Change, News, Technology & Communications, WTF?, technology-communications-ems-topics

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“I do not proposition women. I don’t have to. Women usually proposition me. God has blessed me like that.”- Chicago Fire Commissioner John Brooks.


Well, then.

I guess this is the type of egotistical and flippant response that is in order when accused with the rather serious charge of sexual harassment.  Apparently, this is why we are supposed to believe that the allegations must be unfounded.

Just change the focus.

Then get out of Dodge for an “extended 30-day vacation.”

According to a report by the Chicago Sun Times, mayoral chief of staff Ray Orozco, a former fire commissioner himself, was described as livid about Brooks’ remarks. That leaves me wondering how the normally animated Mayor Richard Daley must have reacted.

When the mayor was repeatedly asked last week if Brooks still enjoys his confidence, Daley refused each time to say “yes”.

Oops.

Again, methinks Brooks is bestowed with enough confidence already.

From the exclusive report by staff reporters Fran Spielman and Frank Main, a payroll auditor for the Fire Department, Deidre Green, claims Brooks told her he “desired her in a sexual manner” and wanted to see her breasts, Green said. She claims that Brooks called her repeatedly and moved to lay her off when she refused his advances.

“He told me he liked me and to call him back, which I did,” she said.

But she said she didn’t like his attitude in later calls.

“He would say, ‘I am a breast man. I want a wild woman,’ ” Green claimed. “I said, ‘I don’t like this picture.’ He felt I was subordinate to him.”

If Brooks intended to help her professionally, he didn’t need to do it in late-night calls on his personal phone, Green said.

“Why would we talk at 11 o’clock at night? Why would I have his personal number? When things didn’t go his way, he got upset with me,” she said.

Green said they spoke a few more times on the phone before she confronted Brooks in the office, saying she heard he had a girlfriend.

“He said, ‘I saved your job.’ He said, ‘They want to get rid of you. I can hire you, and I can fire you, and you can sue to get your job back.’ “

The calls ended in October 2008, Green said, but she claims Brooks continued walking past her desk and making harassing comments.

As if that weren’t enough, also in hot water is the Commissioner of the Office of Compliance, Anthony Boswell, who is already serving a 30-day suspension for allegedly mishandling an intern’s sexual harassment claim against a 911 Center deputy. Boswell denies his guilt and is appealing the suspension.

Boswell, a friend of Brooks, is also accused by an unidentified source of trying to spike the investigation of Green’s claims, according to the Sun Times.

Methinks the self-professed well-endowed and God-blessed Brooks will have plenty of opportunity to fend off the women once the investigation by the city’s Office of Compliance has been completed and he finds his calendar wide open, unencumbered by the suffocation of the time constraints of any continued duties as fire commissioner.

giant black cock

Posted in Administration & Leadership, Chicagoland, News, WTF?

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Don’t I Know You?

Imagine meeting, for the first time, friends you have already known for a long time.

For months, I have collaborated with a very special east-coaster blogger.  You may have heard of him.  He is Rhett Fleitz, editor of Fire Critic.  He was born out on the east coast just two years before I battled my first red devil, yet Rhett has been one of the first of many who extended their hand in helping me develop the fledgling FireDaily presence since it’s inception late last year.

This east-coaster and I have since partnered up to produce iTunes most rapidly growing podcast called Firefighter Netcast.  If you haven’t heard it yet, the voluminous set of shows (3) are still available for download there and at our website.

The east-coaster and I had emailed, telephoned, skyped, and instant messaged hundreds of times.  Even our kids have met online and become friends.

But not until this east-coaster strolled into town under the cover of darkness at 1am last Friday morning had I actually met him in person.  But it was like I knew him for a long time.  And I did.

The next morning, my east-coaster friend and I set out to network with similar friends, those with whom we had been in almost daily contact, yet whom we had never met.  Rather than try to recount each individual meeting again, you can find a mostly-accurate description of each meeting over at my east-coaster friend’s post entitled “EMS Today in Retrospect, Thanks for the Memories and Meeting Everyone in Person”. He refers to me as Chris Farley (you know, the guy who lives in a van down by the river), and to himself as David Spade.

Hmm- Tommy Boy, eh?  Who’s you favorite baseball team, Rhett?

The Yankees?

From moment one, the ball busting started and never stopped.  I don’t think It never will

Here’s a video from Dave Statter that captures the evening

Great personalities I met for the first time in no particular order:

Mark Brady (@PGFDPIO) the PIO for PG County, Md., always in the news like it or not

Sebastian Wong (@SebWong). Seb and his Musings, EMS Chief (?) San Francisco Fire Department

Dennis Rubin, Fire Chief of DCFD who stopped in to see us on his way back home from Emmitsburg

Mike Ward, FossilMedic, Associate Professor at GWU and longtime EMS guru with an infectious laugh

Dave Statter, STATter911.com and DC TV reporter with an infectious sense of humor

Chris Kaiser, @CKEMTP, firefighter/paramedic and blogger of Life Under The Lights. with an infectious, well…

Justin Schorr, The Happy Medic, San Francisco firefighter/paramedic and the new Johnny Gage of Chronicles of EMS

Mark Glencorse, Medic999.com, UK paramedic and the new Roy DeSoto of Chronicles of EMS

Thaddeus (Ted) Setla, @setla, the constantly-energized producer of the next big thing in EMS online, Chronicles of EMS

Chris Eldridge (@thedridge), videographer with Setla and did wonders for Chronicles of EMS.

Dave Iannone (@cooldavej), Elsevier Public Safety and Go Forward MediaFireEMSBlogs.com, FirefighterNation.com

Chris Hebert (@chebert13). DCFD firefighter also with Elsevier Public Safety and Go Forward Media, FireEMSBlogs.com, FirefighterNation.com, Vikings fan, Capitols fan, half-marathoner, needs twitter followers

Chris Montera (@geekymedic) of the EMS Garage

Jamie Davis (@podmedic) of MedicCast and ProMed Network (an EMS podcasting hub)

Tom Bouthillet (@tbouthillet) of EMS12lead.com, lucky enough to be one of Mick Mayers’ company officers

Kevin @NJDiveMedic bought me more beer than I needed

Matt @Squirrl325 ditto. Matt helped us find a watering hole late Friday night. Lotsa pressure, not a problem for him. Thanks, Matt!

Carissa O’Brien @Carissao

@Ms_Paramedic

Kelly Grayson (@AmboDriver) of A Day in the Life of an Ambulance Driver and father of one of the cutest kids on the planet

The great blogger TOTWTYTR (Too Old to Work, Too Young to Retire) who wishes anonymity. Another great in the blogosphere.

@Medic61 of Sam the EMT and the podcast GenMedShow

Jared Scott, @MyRTLife, also from the GenMedShow, who taught Chris Kaiser not to leave his smartphone alone while in the restroom

@slayd someone so quiet, he made Kaiser nervous at Saturday lunch Thanks @slayd!

David Konig (@davidkonig) of DavidKonig.com. David and Greg Friese (@gfriese) of EMSEduCast , EPS411, and Everyday EMS Tips created PIO Social Media Training. Greg had a previous engagement, but we will cross paths as well!

April Saling @Epi_Junky Pink Warm and Dry

PLEASE, if I forgot you, let me know.  I want to make this list complete. There is a fog I am trying to penetrate!

Taking nothing away from any of the others I met, I had the honor and privilege to have Mike Ward introduce me to the one and only FireGeezer, Bill Schumm (@FireGeezer).  Bill made the 90-minute trek out to the convention center on Saturday to meet up with all of his fellow bloggers in attendance.  Damn if I didn’t forget my FireGeezer mug for the signatures from these two greats. They promised another opportunity this summer in Chicago, and I eagerly await that special occasion.  True to form, FireGeezer took no time in blogging about our meet-up.

Special and sincere thanks to everyone involved in making the meet-up possible.  So much was done and planned and paid for to make it possible for us to all come together.

Dave Iannone and Chris Hebert and their staff at FireEMSblogs.com led the charge from start to finish, in addition to their duties at the busy JEMS booth during the EMS Today conference.

Mike Ward (FossilMedic over at FireGeezer.com) has long been associated with George Washington University’s Emergency Health Services Program, who generously sponsored the Meet-up at Uno’s in Baltimore along with JEMS and FireEMSBlogs.com, graciously ensuring we were satiated with food, drink and merriment Friday night.

Chris Kaiser was instrumental in the planning stages as well.  You all kicked ass in making this such a memorable event.

So much more happened on the trip that was funny, funnier, downright damn funny, and friggin’ hilarious.  Much cannot and should not be shared, if for no other reason than to guarantee future similar escapades in the future.

That’s what happens when friends get together- even those who have known each other for a long while, yet have only met for the first time.

Even an east-coaster.

Posted in Brotherhood, Just For Fun, News, Videos

Fireproof House?

All week long, I’ve been looking at new fire service technology.  Always one for gadgets and things with buttons, I’m still amazed by some of the products that are under development.  Big changes in the way we fight fires are right around the corner!

In my research, I ran across one of the new ways that homeowners are tackling the protection of their houses without standing on the roof with their 5/8 line during the inevitable wildfire season.

Most houses are in danger well before flames hit their doorstep — burning embers can travel up to a mile in the wind. So the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) teamed with Foster-Miller to adapt a tent typically used to protect military vehicles from chemical attacks into a system that deflects flames from houses.

A year and a few hundred yards of fireproof, rugged nylon cordura later, they produced the SAFE Quick Cover, a rooftop system that automatically covers a house or other fire-threatened structure with fireproof fabric. It rolls out the fabric at the flip of a switch, covering an evacuated house in minutes (you couldn’t stay in the covered house, because the fire’s heat would still kill you). “

There are 3 steps to the fireproof tent deployment process:

1. The Quick Cover system is activated, this sets off a semi-explosive chemical reaction similar to inflating a car airbag that unfolds fireproof fabric from roof-mounted storage.

2. Two large fans, like the ones at carnival bounce tents, pump air into airtight, flexible exoskeleton tubes.

3. The fabric cover follows the exoskeleton lead and unfolds along the roof, dropping over the sides of the house.

The system reportedly works and remains rigid, even in strong winds. It could potentially save hundreds of people who die each year trying to save their homes in the face of fire. Additional benefits include the cost savings to insurance companies and home owners who are spared from property loss because of the protection.


Posted in News, Wildland

21st Century Wildland Firefighting Technology

A view of Los Angeles 2009 Station Fire.  (Kevin Dean/Flickr.com)

Just like Groundhog Day kept kicking Bill Murray’s ass, we can count on the upcoming wildfire season to provide a boot of its own- yet again.  As she has for ages, Mother Nature will provide wildland firefighters with more than enough with which to contend.

As state and federal agencies face dwindling resources and taxpayer funding, wildland firefighters find themselves thinking outside the box- looking for new and creative methods to meet these challenges.  Constantly-evolving 21st-century technology are generating some pretty cool new arrows to fill their depleted quivers.

Personal Personnel GPS

Even the simplest GPS navigational devices can also prove indispensible in the hands of out-of-town firefighters trying to locate water sources fast while working in unfamiliar territory. Devices like the Spot Personal Tracker, a budget-friendly gadget and service combination used by some hikers in mountainous terrain, also has potential. It sends signals to a satellite where there is no cell tower or pager network. Just as it does for hikers, it could send “here I am” messages from firefighters back to a server, which would mark a global map with dots or spots giving fire commanders critical firefighter location information at a glance.

Flying Eyes

Imagine you are footing it around the side of a mountain, looking for the best way to attack the fire as it burns in areas close by, yet unable to be seen due to terrain. Wouldn’t it be nice to fly your eyeballs around your immediate area to avoid wasting time and energy going somewhere to look?  Now, an innovative system designed to fly small unmanned aerial vehicles around, rather than above, forest fires. It’s so compact that it could be used by firefighters on scene and stored on fire trucks when not in use. SwissCopter’s Fire Mission system consists of a mobile cockpit, a backpack and the Peyelot helmet, a headset that can pick up signals within the UAV’s 10-kilometer (6.2 miles) range. If you move your head while wearing the helmet, the camera on board the UAV will follow your movements in real time. It looks like you are on board the UAV, and you see everything as if you were on board. No time is lost in getting the images and information to the firefighters; because they are operating the system themselves.

At a potential cost of zero, San Diego State University has an interesting take on another UAV that can be used virtually anywhere by almost anyone. The drones are demonstrated in this video.  They carry two cameras, one for high-resolution photos, and another for real-time video that can be monitored by an IC on the ground. They offer better imagery than NASA’s Ikhana UAV for a mere fraction of the cost and immediacy that can’t be beat.

These UAVs clearly are a welcome new tool. Improved models are definitely viable and will likely be developed as budgets permit, so it can be expected that the civil use of UAVs in wildfire fighting will expand. With the optimal craft, you could fly around a fire, collect imagery, process it, send it down to the ground, and maybe get a fire perimeter every 10 minutes.

Tree-mounted sensors

Better situational awareness is only the beginning. Knowing precisely which areas are at highest risk of fires could transform how we fight them. Voltree Power in Canton, Massachusetts, has developed a shoebox-size sensor that, planted one per acre, could gather microclimate information, such as spikes in temperature and drops in humidity, that signal a nascent fire. In April the Forest Service began field-testing the device, which can run for a decade on voltage generated from the pH imbalance between a tree and soil.

Tree-mounted Weather Sensor: One of Smokey’s new tools for keeping fire at bay  Courtesy of Christopher Huang

To help deal with the flood of new information, the Forest Service and the National Park Service will use the the Wildland Fire Decision Support System, an online tool that crunches data in real time, using fire behavior models and weather forecasts to determine whether to attack flames on foot or call in planes to dump fire-suppressant gel.

Even with technological advances in firefighting, perhaps the best way to minimize damage is to recognize that fires play a necessary role in restoring certain ecosystems, and so we should stop building in at-risk areas and use fire-retardant materials, says fire ecologist Max Mortiz of the University of California at Berkeley. Mortiz recently published data predicting that climate change will increase wildfire activity across much of the U.S. “We don’t fight earthquakes and floods — we coexist with them,” he says. “We need to learn to do the same with wildfires.”

As we progress toward this end, we may begin to see Groundhog Day scenarios give way to the the upcoming advent of spring- and St. Patrick’s Day!

Posted in Change, Fire Prevention & Education, Firefighting Operations, Technology & Communications, Wildland

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360 Burn Size-up of the Fire Web 3/2/2010

The Dance of the Company Officer

We start out this week by pointing to one of my “favoritest” partner bloggers at FireEMSblogs, Mick Mayers of FirehouseZen.

You know, I really enjoy the dance that occurs between the top and the bottom in the fire service organization.  At the top, the vision and direction of the group are put into play.  Those at the bottom need to accept, or buy into that vision in order for the group to move forward in a unified and cohesive manner.

In the middle we find the officers and supervisors.  Their commitment to the success of the organization is demonstrated by the way they convey the direction and vision from the top to their subordinates.  If they are effective, the organization becomes a well-oiled machine.  However if they don’t buy into the message, there is little hope for their subordinates to do the same.

This is where the officer needs to be able to put the needs of the organization ahead of the need to be pals with their guys.  This is one of the most difficult issues facing company officers.

Therein lies the dance.

As usual, this issue of change and leadership is best addressed by Chief Mick Mayers over at FirehouseZen.  From his latest post entitled “Get Everyone on Board”:

“Regardless of your organization, you are going to have personnel who are resistant to change, and while the troops may or may not decide to go willingly, it is a requirement that your officers or supervisors are.  If your small unit leaders aren’t on board, don’t count on the personnel they supervise joining in to resist them.  It will be much easier on those troops if they can get along with their misdirected officer than if they embrace the change, so you can count on the message not getting through when it is most needed.”

Read his post as there is much more on this topic that is important for all your officers to understand.

Fire Rescue TV

Check out Fire Rescue TV- a new website for firefighters that brings breaking news,new product reviews, and a special weekly fire rescue TV news segment.  All the video is extremely professional and rivals anything found on your home TV.

When we spoke with Executive Producer Martin Grube last week on Firefighter NetCast, he revealed an additional exciting element they have planned.  They will be visiting various firehouses and accompanying their crews during all aspects of the cooking portion of their shift.  Starting with planning, then shopping, then cooking and eating, Fire Rescue TV will follow the entire process from start to finish.  If the station’s crew draws a call, the video crew tags along as well. It’s a unique way for non-firefighters to witness this daily station activity.

So if you are in the mid-Atlantic region and want some excellent exposure of your department, invite Fire Rescue TV to your station!  They also welcome video submissions as well.  Make this new site a regular stop when perusing the interwebs.

Pole-Dancing Fireman

Speaking of videos, here’s some dessert for making it this far in the 360 Burn today.  This came to me courtesy of a tweet from our friend Chester Kopco, AKA FatherCabbage on the twitters.  It reminds me of someone I know.  Howabout you?

Stay stoked!

-J

Posted in 360 Burn, Change, Command & Leadership, Just For Fun, Leadership, Technology & Communications, Videos

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Ten years later, Worcester tests new technology that could have saved all 6 lives

New system enhances situational awareness

Ten years of research and development will be put to the test as the Massachusetts Fire Academy’s burn building is fitted with sensors designed to detect changing fire conditions- offering real-time situational awareness to the incident commander.

Firefighters will also be fitted with sensors on their SCBA harnesses.  The sensors will constantly track their location within the fire building, and monitor the environmental conditions as they move throughout the structure.  All information is sent to the IC’s laptop where it is integrated into the strategy being deployed.

Separate sensors in their masks will track their heart rate, respirations, and pulse ox.  Heart attacks are the leading cause of firefighter line of duty deaths.

Firefighters will also deploy an environment-sensor box that extends a mast to measure floor-to-ceiling heat differences. The system has been developed by James Duckworth and David Cyganski, engineering professors at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.  They are looking to simulate conditions that lead up to flashover during the testing situations at the burn building.

Worcester (MA) Fire Chief Gerard Dio is helping test the system.  Chief Dio lost two of his men in the 1999 cold storage fire, then lost four more who went in to rescue them.

From the article in Popular Science:

“Years ago, before we got hoods, we’d burn our ears and necks, and that would tell us ‘That’s too frickin’ hot, let’s get out,” says Chief Dio.  Now, firemen feel the intense heat only when it’s seconds from flashover.

“Considering that they’re risking their lives, it’s pathetic that firefighters are using what’s essentially 19th-century technology,” Duckworth says. “This will bring them up to date.”

“I know we did the best job we could at the time,” Dio says, “but this system could have saved all of their lives.”

The researchers hope to have the system in the field by 2013.  Click here for further details and photos.

Posted in Firefighter Safety & Health, Never Forget, News, Technology & Communications

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Murphy’s Law for Springfield IL city council; 2 videos to watch -IN ORDER-. No cheating!

As promised this week, the city of Springfield, IL laid off 17 firefighters and began rotating station brownouts this weekend due to their budgetary meltdown .  This brings to over 100 municipal employees that have felt the ax this year. Here is a video from WICS ABC 20 about the lengthy response times feared by citizens in the area of the first fire station closed just yesterday (Sunday).

Oops.

Oh, boy. Ummm…

Talk about timing…

WICS ABC 20 put out another video- just hours after the first one:

When is election day for the city council?

Posted in Fires, News, Staffing, Videos

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Fire Daily’s Back Page- Are We On The Same Page?

“MAYDAY, MAYDAY!”

Did you get enough training so far this week?  Because you are a proud and professional firefighter, I already know your answer.  So allow me to offer some more.

Here’s a little something to think about:

Is everyone on the same page regarding MAYDAY’s on the Fireground?

Many departments have “talked” about MAYDAY’s, maybe even practiced one on that burn down in September, remember?  No, seriously, do you remember?

MAYDAY’s are like aircraft crashes- very rare but we’d better be ready to act decisively when they occur.  This is when you need to be at your peak performance.  It’s Showtime.

  • Have you put much thought into what you should do if confronted with a situation in which you need to initiate a MAYDAY?
  • Do you know what information to give on the radio?
  • Have you heard of the acronym LUNAR?  Quick- what does it stand for?
  • As you come to realize you are having the worse day of your life, will you able to verbalize that information succinctly and effectively?
  • How will the other members of your own company respond to a MAYDAY report from a company operating nearby?
  • Is some form personal accountability utilized on EVERY incident?

The time to answer these questions is now, BEFORE the crisis, so that your actions will be effective and REFLEXIVE.  Your ability to respond to this nightmarish event WILL make the difference between a successful outcome and a department funeral.

So What Should I Do?

Start with a thorough review your department’s SOP’s/SOG’s on initiating and reacting to a fireground MAYDAY. Sit down with your company and make sure that you understand what will be expected of you should a MAYDAY occur.

Sadly, there are still some departments out there without an SOP/SOG for MAYDAY’s.  If that’s your case, don’t let that stop you.  Step up.  Draft one up with your group and submit it to the proper people on your department.  Get the ball rolling.  It’s your ass on the line, too.

Practice verbalizing your own MAYDAY.  Actually performing this task will make it more AUTOMATIC for you when the feces hits the fan.  That’s where you want to be in your head- AUTOMATICALLY ACTING.

Review the responsibilities of each crew operating at your incident when a MAYDAY is called.  Do you drop everything and save the firefighter?  Ignoring the fire can kill your trapped comrades, as well as those who need to effect a rescue.

Bottom Line: Everyone on your department needs to be on the same page so that you act REFLEXIVELY and EFFICIENTLY together when a MAYDAY is called.

*     *     *     *     *

Watch this video from the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation ‘Courage to be Safe Program’ of a MAYDAY in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  It will get your juices flowing to make sure you are all on the same page

» The Mayday – “Are you ready?”
Kevin Sehlmeyer, Chief of Training, Grand Rapids Fire Department (MI)

Next Steps:

If you haven’t already done so, visit the Everyone Goes Home Website and take advantage of the Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives Resource Kit Volumes 1 – 4.  DVD’s 1, 2, and 3 offered for viewing on this page.

Then click here to request a copy of DVD #4 be sent to you free of charge.

Finally, share them with every firefighter you can.  Keep on training. Help spread the word.

Help get your team better prepared so that Everyone Goes Home.

Stay Stoked!

-J

-Send me a note on a MAYDAY in which you may have been involved.

Share your experience so that others may benefit.

Posted in Close Calls, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, Training, Videos, training-fire-rescue-topics

US Supreme Court to hear another “Ricci-type” case today

The justices will decide whether blacks who were not hired in Chicago because of their test scores are due damages for years of lost wages.

Based on an article in the LA Times by David Savage

Although they share the building with the Chicago Bulls, nearly all of my visits to Chicago’s United Center have been to watch our beloved Blackhawks in action.  Now the UC is not just a sports stadium.  Holding nearly 23,000, the UC has been host to huge concerts and other events.  The circus comes to town for a couple of weeks every winter (insert Chicago joke here).

Last century (1995), the United Center drew one of its hugest crowds as 26,000 fire department applicants jammed into the sports arena to take an entry-level, paper-and-pencil test for jobs in the Fire Department.

Only those who scored 89 or above were considered “well qualified” for the jobs, the city said in January 1996. Assuming they passed a physical and medical test, these top scorers stood a good chance of being hired over the next eight years.

According to an article written by David Savage of the LA Times, about 76% of those in the “well qualified” group were white — 11.5% were black even though there were only slightly more whites than blacks taking the test. Mayor Richard M. Daley called the results “disappointing.” Those who scored between 65 and 88 were classified as “qualified” but were told they were unlikely to be hired.

Beginning today, the United States Supreme Court will hear a case brought by more than 6,000 African Americans alleging racial discrimination.  The group earned “qualified” scores, but who lost out to mostly white applicants who had higher, “well qualified” scores.  In their 1997 suit against the city, they relied on a part of the Civil Rights Act that says job standards, including tests, are illegal if they unfairly screen out applicants because of their race or gender.

The justices ruled for white firefighters in New Haven last year, who said they were victims of illegal racial discrimination when the city threw out the results of a promotion test. The whites had earned high scores and would have gotten nearly all the promotions. City officials dropped the test results because they feared being sued by blacks who were denied promotions.

Shortly after this ruling, the high court voted to hear the case of the black applicants from Chicago.

In the Chicago case, the justices will decide whether blacks who were not hired in Chicago because of their test scores are due damages for years of lost wages. The potentially $100-million civil rights case comes before a high court that has already shown its skepticism toward such claims.

“This case is the flip side of Ricci,” said Benna Solomon, deputy corporation counsel for Chicago, referring to the New Haven case. “It illustrates the tension that public employers face.”

The outcome of the Chicago case is likely to have a national impact, because most state and city agencies are required by law to use competitive tests for hiring.

Stay tuned….

Posted in News

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Pre-FireGeezer Fire Geezers – 1943 FDNY Video

(Here’s a video that will even make Bill feel young)

From the YouTube description:

This All Hands building fire took place sometime during the fall or winter of 1943, and shows the Fire Patrol arriving on the scene and carrying tarps in to protect property.

The engine that took the hydrant first was perhaps an American LaFrance, made in the early 1920’s.

Note, the neat looking rig that the Fire Patrol was using.

The rest of the engines on the scene all appear to be Macks, some of which had open cabs while others had enclosed cabs.

Note the gasoline tanks were located behind the cabs.

On the enclosed cab engines you can see what looks like a Federal Sign and Signal Model l8 emergency warning light.

This video was complied and edited from movie film in the Stillman Fire Collection Archives. The original movie was silent. We added the sound track, and if you want to view it as it was taken then turn off your computer speakers.

Posted in Just For Fun, Tradition, Videos

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Open Phones Night over at Firefighter NetCast- Tuesday at 9pm ET

Firefighter Netcast is live again this Tuesday night at 9pm ET.  Join me and my co-host Rhett Fleitz (FireCritic) for the first “Open Phones Night” in which you- the caller- decide the direction of discussion.

As usual, Rhett and I will have our own takes on a few of the more interesting and notable firefighter stories out there.  We’ll also have a new Training Drill Bit as well as another look at the upcoming events at FDIC in Indianapolis in April.

Join us to participate either by phone or in the live chat room, or feel free to just listen in.

Of course, if you can’t join us live, we’ll always be available at iTunes where you can subscribe to our show and download past shows to your iPod or other mP3 player to listen to at your leisure.

All the information can be found at the Firefighter NetCast website.

Posted in NetCast, Tips and Tricks, Training, training-fire-rescue-topics

Chicago FD rescues two of their own in this awesome 1980 video

I ran across this video made in 1980.

Chicago Fire Department rescues two of their own the old-fashioned way-

climb on up and drag them out.

fire building 27th and Dearborn

Posted in Rescues, Videos

DeKalb County- four sides to every story

I’ve always said there’s three sides to every story: one side vs. the other- then somewhere in the nebulous mix, the truth is rooted.  Three sides.

I’m going to modify my adage now following further revelations concerning the storm clouds engulfing the DeKalb County GA fire department.

You may recall the tragedy in Dunwoody on January 24, 2010 in which Ann Bartlett, 74, died when a fire swept through her home after firefighters responded to her early morning emergency call and left when they couldn’t find a blaze. Five hours later, they responded to a second 911 call from neighbors and found the home fully engulfed.  Her body was found in the home’s remains after the fire was extinguished.

Less than a week later, acting officer William J. Greene, Capt. Tony L. Motes and Battalion Chiefs Lesley Clark and Bennie J. Paige were fired for “neglect of duty” following an investigation into fire response time in the Jan. 24 fire.  A little over a week after that, Fire Chief David Foster resigned

Before it was all over, a total of five firefighters and their leader- gone.

Hmmm.

The incident was the focal point of a lively discussion featured on Firefighter NetCast this month.  A similar refrain was heard during those discussions:  “This is too bizarre, there has to be more to the story that we haven’t heard.”

Hence, the fourth side of the story: that which we don’t know.

As the days and weeks progressed, little bits of information have bubbled to the surface.  Fourth sides.

Two of the four officers initially fired are looking to be reinstated.  They say they were fired for violating a department guideline in that they failed to establish command during the initial response.  They claim they could not establish command because they had no scene yet.

Now a story in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution is reporting another fourth side to the story.  A. Lee Parks, the lawyer for former fire chief David Foster, claims the resignation was retaliatory.

“It was not voluntary”, Parks said.

And if any of us fell into the trap that he was resigned due to the Dunwoody fire, we may need to pull ourselves up and out of that conclusion.

It seems that other dark storm clouds had been gathering before the cloudburst at Dunwoody.

According to DeKalb County CEO Burrell Ellis, the chief and county administrators have been talking for several months about a number of problems in the fire department. Ellis declined to identify those issues, saying they are now the subject of an internal investigation by the county’s human resources office.

Ellis confirmed that one of those issues was the Dunwoody fire.

“I had some concerns about his handling of things and the aftermath,” Ellis said. “It wasn’t the sole factor.”

Another factor may be that the chief had filed a discrimination claim two weeks before he was resigned.

As these new developments emerge, more questions are raised, including:

Why was the chief resigned?

Were the four other officers who lost their jobs and careers pulled into the developing rift between Ellis and Foster?

Is there any culpability in how the call was handled by the dispatchers?

And, I still maintain there HAS TO BE MORE to why the responding crews were unable to locate a burning building called in by its terrified occupant!

Maybe these fourth sides of the story will continue to surface.  Until then, best to hold off on your conclusions!

Stay stoked!

-J

Posted in Administration & Leadership, NetCast, News, WTF?

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Civilian Friends vs. Firefighter Friends

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Get upset if you’re too busy to talk to them for a week.
FIREMEN FRIENDS: Are glad to see you after years, and will happily carry on the same conversation you were having the last time you met.

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Have never seen you cry.
FIREMEN FRIENDS: Have cried with you.

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Borrow your stuff for a few days then give it back.
FIREMEN FRIENDS: Keep your stuff so long they forget it’s yours.

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Know a few things about you.
FIREMEN FRIENDS: Could write a book with direct quotes from you.

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will leave you behind if that’s what the crowd is doing.
FIREMEN FRIENDS: Will kick the crowds’ ass that left you behind.

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Are for a while.
FIREMEN FRIENDS: Are for life.

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Have shared a few experiences…
FIREMEN FRIENDS: Have shared a lifetime of experiences no citizen could ever dream of…

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will take your drink away when they think you’ve had enough.
FIREMEN FRIENDS: Will look at you stumbling all over the place and say, “You better drink the rest of that before you spill it!! Then carry you home safely and put you to bed…

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will talk crap to the person who talks crap about you.
FIREMEN FRIENDS: Will knock them the hell out for using your name in vain.

Can you think of any more?  Leave a comment…..

Posted in Brotherhood, Firefighters, Just For Fun, Tradition

All you need to know this weekend

Justin Shorr, Mark GlencourseThaddeus Setla, and Chronicles of EMS

Posted in Change, EMS Topics, technology-communications-ems-topics

What The Hell Were They Thinking?

Head on over to Backstep Firefighter and watch this interesting video from 1982.

After watching the video, editor Bill Carey suggests some thoughts to contemplate as he begins his focus on “whether or not various safety initiatives and programs have developed a culture of digital safety officers and keyboard battalion chiefs.”

Like it or not, tomorrow’s technology is here.  In fact, next year’s technology will be here within months.  Such advances in the internet and social media continue to have profound effects on each of our departments and agencies (think back to all the “what the hell were they thinking?” YouTube videos as examples).

Bill also steers us to the last Firefighter Netcast which featured the topic of old-school vs. new school firefighting and the effects of social media and the internet.  You can link to that program here, or download the podcast for later listening over at iTunes.

So are we ready to handle all this technology?

When we see firefighters making mistakes on a video, the unfortunate yet inherent desire to criticize others combined with the immediacy and worldwide distribution that new technology offers often results in departments shying away from such exposure.

Yet, the same technologies that scare some away presents unparalleled opportunities for all of us to learn.  And the curiosity to continue learning is exactly what makes you a smarter, more professional firefighter (as opposed to the comfy-yet-surprised 4-year veteran I posted on earlier).

My hope is that we all reach a certain level of new-age maturity, where knee-jerk criticisms can be throttled so that departments increasingly share the wealth of what they have learned from their mistakes.

Because the reality is simple: with today’s technology, far away is now in your day room, and tomorrow is here yesterday.

Stay Stoked!

Posted in Change, NetCast, Technology & Communications, Training & Development

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How This Mid-Westerner Responded to Our 3.8 Earthquake Centered 25 Miles Away

Normally, a gargantuan boom that rattles the windows and occasionally knocks loose objects from their place of relative safety is commonplace in our home, especially with all the fiber we’ve been gobbling down by way of kidney and garbanzo bean-laden chili.

But I was awake and lying in bed at 4am today and knew this odiferous-free boom was not auto-generated from my body, and therefore wasn’t my fault.  Nor the dog’s.

In fact, we don’t have a dog.

I used to blame such events on our youngest daughter, but she’s old enough now to effectively protest her father’s unfounded claims that “she did it”.

So what had just happened?  Had an evil-intentioned criminal busted his way into Casa del Mitchell?  Did a car skid out of control on the ice and snow-covered road and hit the house?  Had a nearby neighbor again blown up their home as a result of the “imaginative heating” systems often employed in the season other than the “mosquito season” here in Northern Illinois?  And since we’re in questioning-mode, will the cast of Jersey Shore ever re-sign with MTV?

The savior of our family and all things emergencified, I leaped into action by slowly rolling over and nudging my slumbering wife, sans a reaction of course.

If at first you don’t succeed…. still nothing.  Crap!

Frustrated and grumpy, I realized that ONCE AGAIN, I would have to inconvenience MY comfortable existence if I wanted any answers.  Sheeesh!

I got up, armed myself, and hopped and twisted my way from room to room ala John Belushi (Animal House when he’s creeping around at night preparing to plant the horse) to ensure the safety and continued peaceful slumber of my family.

After an ever-so-brief stop in the kitchen for a quick breakfast burrito (1:20, turn over, then another 1:10 in the micro-nuker), I continued my search for the cause of the boom and shaking.

No car had hit the house, the deck had NOT YET collapsed due to the weight of the snow, and I could hear no screaming from the neighbor with the homemade wood-burning/natural gas heating system, nor any of that post-explosion smell of burnt, well, whatever.

Carb-laden and satiated, I yawned and returned to my warm bed, more sleepy now than curious.  I slowly fell back asleep hoping to re-join my dream of me and Will Robinson’s sister (not Penny, but the older one) flying around in our jet-packs, already in progress.

I HAVE to stop falling asleep watching MeTV.

Posted in News

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360 Burn Size-up of the Fire Web 2/9/2010

What God Hath Brought Together, Let No Man Put Asunder

We knew Justin Schorr and Mark Glencourse would find a way to get together for Valentine’s Day weekend.

The big news this coming weekend is the Online Premiere of The Chronicles of EMS.  Head on over to the official website to see how to watch live online with all the rest of us and view the trailer of the upcoming series.

What started out as two guys blogging has morphed into what just might be the second coming of EMS around the world.  Seriously!

If you haven’t yet been caught up in the furor and excitement of what’s happening, check out the emotion in the post by Chris Kaiser over at Life Under The Lights entitled Why I am Passionate About the Chronicles of EMSWe were honored to have Chris as our featured guest at Firefighter NetCast last week, along with an interview with Thaddeus Setla, Creative Director at Setla Film Productions, the producers of Chronicles of EMS.

Incidentally, that Firefighter Netcast is now available for download over at iTunes by searching for “firefighter” in podcasts.  You can also subscribe to our netcast there as well.  Finally, check out the Firefighter NetCast web site for all the links and more information.

Are you a Smart Firefighter or a Surprised Firefighter?

Smart firefighters are those who are settle into being comfortable after attaining a certain level of knowledge.  You’ve seen these four-year veterans before.  Just enough balls to tell everyone else how it’s done, yet constantly surprised when the feces hits the proverbial oscillating air movement device.

Here’s another reason why the level of your professionalism is directly proportional to the level of your curiosity:  Familiarity with the buildings and conditions that exist in your response area.

In VentEnterSearch’s blog post What It’s Not Telling You, firefighter Chris Hebert from DCFD Engine 13 shared some interesting information about some buildings that many of us have seen before at the National Mall in Washington DC. These approximately 300-400 square foot buildings are located throughout the National Mall in between the various monuments and museums. But have you really ever thought about them?  What goes on there?  How do the store and prepare all of the food and drinks?  How does it all fit?  Curious at all?

After checking out this blog post, transfer the lessons to your own particular situation.  Are you curious about any structure in your district?  Satisfy that curiosity and become a Smart Firefighter.

Heaven Help Those Who Set Fires to Churches

Two more rural east Texas church fires are being investigated as having a possible connection to seven others that have been deliberately set since January in Texas.  The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is continuing their investigation.  Mercifully, no injuries to the public or firefighters have been reported.

Yet.

Firefighters respond to a blaze at Dover Baptist Church in Smith County, Texas, on Monday. This fire is the latest in a rash of East Texas church fires, most of which have been ruled arson.  (photo by Christopher R. Vinn, Tyler Morning Telegraph, via AP)

Posted in News

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DC Snow Time-lapse Video: It’s like watching a marshmallow in a microwave

Even as we here in Chicago deal with the newest round of snow, we’re captivated by this short time-lapse video of snow falling last week in the D.C. area. Wonder if the microwave will explode when the next round of 1-2 feet hits this week!

Hang tough, my Mid-Atlantic friends!

Posted in Just For Fun, News, Videos

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“Haunted” Suburban Chicago Fire Station to be Featured on A&E This Week

According to a news article in today’s Chicago Southtown Star, Frankfort (IL) fire station 3 on LaGrange Road will be featured on the new A&E program “Paranormal Cops” Tuesday night at 9:30 CT and again at 1:30am.

Read the full story here, including these claims by firefighters:

Shadowy things going in and out of the ambulance…a darkened figure walking in front of a firefighter watching TV one night after the rest had gone to bed…..a tall blue shadow in the hallway….several silhouettes and shadowy figures going by doors or windows and standing over their beds at night.

“I’ve heard they are friendly spirits. I just wish they would do some work around here,” Lt. Kevin Linhart said.

Fire Lt. Kevin Linhart stands in a hallway Friday near where a ghost reportedly was seen at Frankfort Fire Protection District Station 3 in Green Garden Township.
(Matt Marton/SouthtownStar)

Posted in Chicagoland, In Da House, Just For Fun, WTF?

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360 Burn Size-up of The Fire Web 2/8/10

Not a great night in Indy…

According to firefighter reports, a man was heating grease on the stove when he decided he needed to go to the store.

Flamage ensued.

Although everyone got out safely, about 20 people were left without homes in the large apartment fire on Indianapolis’ northeast side late Sunday night. More on the story here.

“I don’t know what he was going to eat from that heated grease, but he’s probably a lot safer now then he would have been had he eaten it.” said one bystander.

iPod Charges, Chevy Suburban Crisps

Firefighters are warning drivers to unplug all electrical chargers from their vehicles when they are not running, after a charging iPod reportedly caused a Chevrolet Suburban to burn up last week. Read the full story at PublicOpinionOnline.com

Agreement Disagreement Changes Personnel Exchange Agreement Changing Personnel’s Pension Payout Agreement.

Damn.

Only a couple more months and he might have had it made.

If you missed it the first time around, be sure to catch Dave Statter’s story on Sarasota FL Fire Chief Kenneth Ellerbee and what could have been a monetary windfall for him on the shoulders of the taxpayers of Washington D.C.

See how a “Personnel Exchange Agreement” was worked out (before being unworked-out) for the former DC Chief, ironically in charge of Community Outreach.  Then, compare that to the treatment given to critically burned DC firefighter Joe Morgan in another story over at STATter911.com.

Posted in 360 Burn, Fires, News, WTF?

Indoor Video of a Catastrophic Fire Event

I’ve read about and heard from a few firefighters who have told me that they were in a room which flashed.

The mere fact that they are able to relate such an experience is almost always a clear indication that a flashover did not occur.  Certainly some type of catastrophic fire event (CFE) took place, but in all likelihood, no one survives a flashover and lives to tell about it.

So what happened?

A trick question that always gets my students is:  Does it really matter what type of CFE it truly is?

The answer is hell yes!  Why?

If we want our crews to survive, we need to constantly be aware of the what’s going on inside the burning box we’re crawling through.  Different CFE’s give different clues as to what will be occurring next.  Recognizing these clues will make the difference between crawling out of the structure, or being carried out by your brothers.

In the spirit of training, here is a cool video (from fireman985 over at FireRescue1.com)  of a catastrophic fire event taken from five feet outside the door of the room.  Watch it closely as it develops, then make your guess as to what type of CFE it may be.

Above all, learn to recognize these clues and keep your brain engaged constantly next time you’re crawling through that burning box.


FlashoverTV is powered by FireRescue1.com

This is a flashover as viewed from 5 ft away from the doorway. The fire was allowed to continue on purpose to achieve the flashover. I captured the footage with my special camera. A secondary smoke explosion in the attic blew two sheets of tin off. I use the footage for training. Hope you can use it for instruction as well.- fireman985

Posted in Firefighting Operations, Training, Videos, training-fire-rescue-topics

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How Many Tasers Are Needed to Squelch an Assistant Chief?

Fire Chief and Assistant Fire Chief Arrested During Firefighting Operations

Last Sunday, the “leaders” of the Franklin Township Fire Department put on quite a show, causing Pennsylvania State Police to step in, forcing the duo to end their two-act play before their curtain call.

According to a report by James Loewenstein at TheDailyReview.com, the Assistant Chief was not satisfied with the way Monroe Hose Company,led by Fire Chief Paul Bump, was putting out the fire at his house, Assistant Fire Chief Dale Stranger was yelling and shouting at firefighters on the scene and “had to be detained by fire personnel on scene,” Pennsylvania State Trooper Ben Bigus said.

Firefighters just wanted him to calm down or leave, but eventually were forced to summon police so they could continue their suppression activities without the irate interference of this highly-trained professional.

Upon arrival, state troopers ordered Dale Stranger to cease his actions.  However, he “again became disorderly and was taken into custody” after two TASERS were used on him, the state police said in their press release.

Donald Stranger, 61, of Monroeton, who is the chief of the Franklin Township Volunteer Fire Company, was also arrested when he  “became disorderly after failing to comply with orders from the state police,” the press release said.

So, the answer is two.

Posted in Administration & Leadership, Command & Leadership, Firefighting Operations, Leadership, News, WTF?

Bahhhh Groundhog!

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Posted in Just For Fun, News, WTF?

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