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THE PLACE TO BE- Friday night at FDIC.

Going to FDIC at Indy?  Excellent!

Like beer?  Wine?  Soda (south) Pop (north)? Appetizers?

I Thought so.

So where’s THE place to be when you’re at Indy on Friday night, April 23rd?

Join with hundreds of thousands (or so) of your brothers and sisters at the famous Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery just blocks away from the Convention Center at 10 West Washington.

This party promises to be one of the largest “Meet-Up’s” to date.  It offers tremendous opportunities to network with your favorite Fire & EMS bloggers from the FireEMSBlogs.com community like Statter and Tiger, Chief Reason, oh my!

Also indulging right next to you will be contributors to FireRescue Magazine. Members of our FirefighterNation.com family and many of our Facebook fans will be bumping our elbows, so don’t spill your drinks while laughing at their hilarious stories.  Get all the event details here.

Become my Facebook Friend here, become my FirefighterNation friend here.

What?  You want to buy me a drink, too?  Sure!

I’ll do you one better and give YOU a free drink ticket.  After all, I don’t want you to shake my hand unless your holding a beverage in the other!  After you listen to me long enough, you’ll need a another drink…

So, stop by any of the booths listed below to latch onto one of a limited number of free drink tickets to get you started! The Meet-up is sponsored by our friends at:

  • FireRescue Magazine, FirefighterNation.com and FireEMSBlogs.com: Booth #3755
  • Black Diamond: Booth # 410
  • Black Helmet Apparel: Booth # 138

By the way, those two trailblazers over at Firefighter Netcast will be podcasting live from booth 3755 Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, thanks to the generosity of the folks over at FireRescue Magazine, FirefighterNation.com, and FireEMSBlogs.com

Stop over and say hi and pick up a drink ticket from them.  You might even get them to sign their brand new mug for you (ala FireGeezer muggage)

After the great experience in Baltimore last month, I am really exited about this bigger and better upcoming meet-up and looking forward to pressing the flesh with as many of you as possible.

I hope you can make it!

Buy me a drink.  You’ll need it.

Posted in Firefighters, In Da House, Just For Fun, NetCast, News, Tradition

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Posted by on April 6, 2010 • 6 comments

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

Posted by on February 21, 2010 • No comments

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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Posted by on February 18, 2010 • No comments

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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Posted by on February 11, 2010 • No comments

360 Burn Size Up of the Fire Web- 1/13/10

And the Winner is……….

Mark Glencourse, the creator of Medic999, emerged victorious in what ended up to be a neck-and-neck race to the finish for the Best Fire/EMS Blog of 2009.  Congratulations, Mark!

FireGeezer sure gave him a run for his money, as they each traded leads in the exciting final stretch.  But Mark had an entire Kingdom of loyal readers mobilized and they came through as the contest ended last night. He stayed up late (1:00 am UK time) to take the honor of becoming the first guest on the live premiere edition of FirefighterNetCast to accept his “award”.

Obvious to all but the most childish (;->), no one here wanted an Oscar or was hurt because they weren’t considered or didn’t win.

There are no trophies, but there is the sheer triumphant joy of “bragging rights”. Those that truly know the fire and EMS services can appreciate the value bragging rights bring.

On the NetCast, Mark spoke eloquently to the goal of the “contest”: a means by which to expand the awareness of so many excellent bloggers out there, whether in the contest or not.

He is “spot-on” (methinks is a favourite saying acrost the pond) with that viewpoint.   We really are fortunate to have so many high-quality bloggers sharing their thoughts, views, and perspectives.  If you have a few favorites which you regularly visit, be sure to take time to check out some of the other talent out there as well.

To those of us who lost and have the bitter taste of defeat today- I say- wash that taste away with a high-end lager and say what we always say here in in The Windy City (home of the Cubs): “Just wait ‘til next year!”

You can read Mark’s reaction to his win here.

Appreciation must go out to my buddy and partner Rhett Fleitz over at FireCritic for spending is valuable time, talent, and treasure in creating and hosting the contest.  If he wasn’t running the project, there is no doubt you would have seen FireCritic vying for the gold as well.

Also a quick shout-out to my Mom- Hi Mom, thanks for voting for me!  Yep, just you and 14 others!  No, it’s OK, I’m fine.  Again…

Congratulations again to Mark, as well as all the other fire and EMS bloggers.  Let the 2010 games begin now!

Helmet Cam and the Outside Vent Guy

Speaking of excellence in fire/EMS blogging, head on over to Traditions Training Blog and catch an excellent helmet-cam video of DC Firefighter Joe Brown as he performs the tasks as the “Outside Vent Guy”.  While viewing the video, Joe adds important training tips on laddering, opening up windows, gaining access, and vent-enter-search practices.  This is a must-see video for any firefighter that wants to be on top of his game as a truckie.

You may also want to check out Joe in yet another DC Fire helmet cam video of ”Outside Vent Guy” at my earlier post, “Be This Guy.”

We are so pleased to have Traditions Training Blog as one of our newest partners here on FireEMSblogs.  Traditions Training is composed of fire department veterans from around the country, including the Washington, D.C. metro area and City of New York. The mission of Traditions Training is to teach “beyond the book” and provide knowledge and skills that will enhance your safety, efficiency, and knowledge as a firefighter.  Be sure to bookmark them and stop in regularly!

Too Aggressive or Too Safety-Conscious?

One other member new to FireEMSblogs.com, but certainly a seasoned veteran fire chief and nationally-recognized fire service leader and educator, Christopher J. Naum joins us with his newest blog The Company Officer.

In a recent post entitled Company Fortitude & Courage to be Safety Conscious,  Chris tells us that “dynamic risks must be managed at the company level with a balanced approach of effective assessment, analysis and probability within company and command decision making that results in safety conscious strategies and tactics.”

Does your company have this level of courage, or is there room to evaluate your ability to recognize the situation and adjust the manner in which you accomplish your fireground tasks?  Let this blog plant a seed in your head as you embark out into the new year.

Content Was King!

A final thank you to all who listened and participated in the live premier of Firefighter NetCast Tuesday night.  Despite the technical glitches that seem to always be lurking in the shadows, Rhett and I were absolutely thrilled and honored to have the caliber of discussion and listener participation to make the show truly special.  Special thanks to our featured guest, Bill Carey over at Backstep Firefighter for his vast knowledge and continued focus on Line of Duty Deaths.

A live netcast brings special surprises, as we found out by calls from Chief Art Goodrich (Chief Reason Art) and Christopher Naum (see above).  The interaction between these three guests was simply extraordinary.  I believe this may have been the first time these gentlemen spoke together on one show, as well as relating to input from our listeners in the live chat room.  We are indeed proud to be a part of that.

If you missed it, you can link to the raw feed at our site (hurry, before I have a chance to splice and dice out the glitches!) and make it available on iTunes.

Our next NetCast will also be live, this time at 9pm ET on February 4.  The featured topic will be Old School vs. New School and Social Media.  All the information can be found here.  We hope you can join us!

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Human Horror

As we watch the unimaginable human horror unfolding in Haiti where thousands have perished in the most intense earthquake there in 200 years, our hearts pour out to all those affected.  On a personal note, our family has an adopted child next door in the Dominican Republic and despite several attempts, we still aren’t able to determine her conditions.  Please pray for all of the victims.

We are so proud of the USAR teams and other specialized rescue workers from the United States who are either mobilizing now or are already on scene doing what they do best.

An earthquake survivor carries a small baby in a shanty town on the outskirts of Port au Prince, following a major earthquake in Haiti, Tuesday Jan. 12, 2010. (AP Photo/Matt Marek/American Red Cross, ho)

Posted in 360 Burn, Command & Leadership, Disasters, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, In the Line of Duty, Leadership, Line of Duty, LODD, NetCast, News, Tips and Tricks, Training, Training & Development, training-fire-rescue-topics, Videos

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Posted by on January 13, 2010 • No comments

What Simple “Tailboard Drills” Have You Found Valuable?

Baby it’s cold outside.  It’s our busy season.

That’s why it’s so important to stay on top of our game, now more than ever.

It’s a great time for a simple “tailboard drill.”

I’m looking for your suggestions on quick company drills that you have found to be great ways to spend a few minutes while stuck inside.

Let’s gather some ideas and we’ll use them on a future Firefighter NetCast as well!


Firefighter NetCastEpisode 1- Live Premiere Tuesday, January 12 at 8pm ET

Posted in In Da House, NetCast, Tips and Tricks, Training, Training & Development, training-fire-rescue-topics

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Posted by on January 10, 2010 • No comments

See How Fire Daily Made the Cut…

Fire Daily has advanced to the top ten final round of the Fire EMS blog of the Year 2009.

What?

I am fully humbled and completely surprised that I was nominated at all, let alone advancing out of the evening gown portion of this highly competitive contest.

Here’s how I made it this far  (Eat your heart out, Art Goodrich….) :

Now it’s your turn.  Have some fun and choose from an outstanding list of the other nine bloggers that truly deserve to have advanced to the final ten, whilst averting your eyes from the visual your brain will so cruelly conjure up of FireDaily in a swimsuit.

STATter 911 Statter911.com

The place to go for up to the minute coverage of daily stories of anything emergency services.  If it seems like the coverage is from a real-life TV journalist, it is.  Looking for a video and want to find it fast?  Check out Dave Statter’s site first!

Rescuing Providence RescuingProvidence.com

True stories from Michael Morse, a medic in Rhode Island with an amazing ability to string together words and form a movie in your head.  My newest regular read.

Medic999 999Medic.com

What a year for Mark Glencourse, a medic from the United Kingdom who talks funny but packs a mean forearm! Part of “The Project”, Mark came across the pond late last year to see how EMS operates here in the U.S. and let us all in on the process. With a very engaging personality and a clever sense of humor, I’m really glad to have “met’” him.

The Happy Medic HappyMedic.com

The other half of “The Project”, Justin Schorr came out of the anonymous closet when it became apparent just how wildly public he would become.  After hosting 999Medic, Justin traveled over to the U.K. for his half of the adventure.  More success in inevitable for both Justin and Mark this year.  It will be interesting to see which one of the two finishes with a higher vote total.  Place your bets!

FireGeezer FireGeezer.com

One of the obvious front runners, FireGeezer probably needs no introduction.  If you have never heard of FireGeezer, welcome to our planet Earth. I’m proud to be the one to introduce you to a blog actually made up of three people: retired fire captain Bill Schumm (FireGeezer), retired fire captain Mike Ward (FossilMedic) and Jim Featherstone (LightRock) with over 30 years in the fire service. Frequently updated posts with some of the best titling this side of Uranus.  You read that exactly how it was meant to sound.

Firehouse Zen FirehouseZen.com

Chief Mick Mayers posts his thoughts, insights, and opinions focusing on two of the most fascinating areas in the fire service- change and leadership.  Any aspiring company officer, or fire service professional looking to better their leadership qualities should put FHZ on their daily reading list.  I do.

Everyday EMS Tips EverydayEMSTips.com

Greg Friese is a paramedic, EMS instructor, conference speaker, and EMS author.  Beyond that, he has clearly demonstrated a grasp of the successful utilization of numerous social media elements to put forth a wide array of EMS topics, tips, and tidbits.  Greg’s commitment to using the newest internet technologies to expand learning opportunities sets him apart from the norm.  And he lives in Wisconsin.  That should count for something, right?

Engine 9 RFD EngineCompany9.Blogspot.com

A highly-addictive look into the daily interactions of an engine company in Virginia.  I love this site because I feel like I know all the players when I read of their everyday exploits as a “fire station family.”  Get inside their heads as long as they let us…..

The EMT Spot TheEMTSpot.com

Steve Whitehead has an extensive history in EMS instruction and has written for several EMS journalists as a freelance author.  His content is update three times a week, and you can always count on quality information geared toward EMS topics.

Voting is simple.

Go here, select your choice, and click the button.

By the way, the rules say you can vote once every eight hours (a little more restrictive than here in Illinois).  Take a moment to make your choice.  Voting ends very quickly (January 12) and the winner will be announced on the live FirefighterNetCast next Tuesday night at 8pm ET.

Finally, hats off to Rhett Fleitz, a.k.a. Fire Critic for taking on this contest among all his other irons in the fire.  Make FireCritic.com a regular stop as well, you won’t be disappointed.  If he were not running the contest, he would be a serious contender.  Thanks, Rhett!

Posted in Just For Fun, NetCast, News, WTF?

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Posted by on January 6, 2010 • No comments

FirefighterNetCast- The Next New Chapter?

(not pictured: FireCritic)

Mark your calendars for January 12 at 8pm ET!

Firefighter NetCast debuts a week from tomorrow night with your hosts Rhett (FireCritic) and John (FireDaily).  God help us.

We will be hosting live netcasts, informative podcasts, and go live for any major incident.  Join us!

The first live NetCast on January 12 at 8pm ET will focus on Line of Duty Deaths.

The number for the year 2009 is below 100 for the first time in a long time.

Why?

Is it an anomaly, or the result of a concerted effort to reduce the causes for firefighters killed in the line of duty?

What will it take to keep this number on a downward trend?

Is it realistic to assume we can ever get to zero?

Has your department adopted Everyone Goes Home’s 16 Life Safety Initiatives?  Have you heard of them?

What obstacles have you found impeding your department’s efforts?

There’s much more, including the announcement of the winner of the Fire/EMS Blog of the Year 2009.

It’s free and easy to get involved.

After a quick registration on the BlogTalkRadio site, you’ll have complete access to our show (as well as others) and you’re in!

Join in the conversation by calling in at (347) 327-9920 on January 12 or just join in the chat room.  We would be honored with your participation.

If you can’t make the live NetCast, each archived show will be available for listening at your leisure.  In fact, our first attempt at the technical aspect is up now for a preview.  I’ll warn you, it’s 90 minutes of your life you’ll never get back… Also, look for us on iTunes in the very near future.

Check out our home site at FirefighterNetCast.com for all the updates.

We’re also on twitter (@ffnetcast) and Facebook.

When you have a moment stop in for a peek and become our friend.

Posted in In the Line of Duty, Line of Duty, LODD, NetCast, News

Posted by on January 4, 2010 • 15 comments