You know them. They've been around long enough to know it all.
They especially love to demonstrate their vast experience by puffing out their chest at a rookie, who probably doesn't know yet how full of stink this tough guy is. You gotta show these newbies who da boss. Like we need another boss, right?
Down boy.
These crusty old jakes deserve to be brought back into reality.
I like to use some good ol' fashioned fire service history. You know. The traditions that define who we are and upon which the foundation of the fire service is built.
Today, let's chat fire plugs.
In the 1600’s, water was only available after firefighters dug down through the ground to drill a hole into the nearest water main. As the water poured out into the hole, a well of water formed. Water was scooped out and moved by bucket brigades. When they were done, a wooden (usually redwood) plug was driven into the hole.
Since it was easier to knock out one of these ”plugs” to get water the next time it was needed, firefighters tried to remember where the “plugs” were located and often marked them. Then a firefighter would get his water supply with the swing of an ax, filling the old depression in the ground once again.
Water mains of old were actually made of wood. In this picture, Capt. Bob Adrian, right, and firefighter/paramedic Chris Morrison of the Alpena City Fire Department in Michigan examine a section of wooden pipe that once served as the city’s water system. The log is bored through the center, sheeted in metal and coated with a creosote or tar sealant. Sweet grab, guys!
The four-year veteran just became a four-year student. Don't be a veteran. Be a student for your entire career.
“Warning: This video is graphic and depicts a man being rescued from his burning home.”
That’s the disclaimer shown at the beginning of this video posted on YouTube by NewsWorking out of Pennsylvania.
On NewsWorking’s website, an accompanying article tells of firefighters arriving to a woman telling them her husband went back into their burning home to rescue their dog.
The video shows various emergency responders in action including police officers and firefighters removing the victim from the front door and the eventual arrival of EMS.
Everyone in the fire service can point to a time in their career where they developed a bad attitude. Many times, the attitude was the result of something that happened earlier that may or may not have been fair. It could be argued that the bad attitude was “deserved”.
I’m here to tell you: that is crap.
The moment you put on your job shirt or uniform, you have NO RIGHT to be pissy about anything. In our brotherhood, there is no room for it- now or ever.
I’m not saying you should never get upset about something that you feel strongly about- that’s to be expected in our high-stress work environment.
Yet there is a time and a place to be Mr. Negative, and that place is not at work. Your bad attitude is highly contagious. It has already affected you, and will quickly spread to everyone around you. Nope, work is the time to show up with your A-game.
Every minute of every day, you owe that A-game to your crew. That’s the time to show them that –no matter what- their safety is paramount. They can count on a clear-headed partner when the shit hits the fan. Everyone Goes Home. Remember the old cliché “Your crew is only as strong as it’s weakest link?” Don’t be that weak link. Don’t ever let your buddies know that you are capable of being the weakest link.
You also owe it to yourself, my friend. Do you truly take pride in your work? Not the kind of pride in that you help people and save property- that’s all well and good, but it’s also automatic. It’s handed to you when you walk in the door.
I’m talking about the pride you have to earn: The pride in THE WAY YOU OPERATE as a person- especially when you have every right to be pissy.
Will others say that you are THE GUY they would want to be with on the line inside a job gone bad? Maybe you’re not quite as good as you want to be yet, but you have the mindset to be focusing on constant improvement. That’s great.
But if you can’t come to work without leaving your crap attitude at home, we don’t want you here, brother, Do us all a favor and call in sick and stay home with Mr. Pissy. Come back when you're not so sick.
Remember how stoked you were when you first found out you were hired? You have the best damn job on the planet, and you love it! You wouldn’t trade it for any other job, would you? So, come to work with that stoked feeling every shift. That’s the contagiousness we all need these days in the fire service.
In part 3 of our series, listen in as Chief Pat Kenny bares his soul about his struggles, both personally as a father and professionally as a chief officer at his department, with the tragic suicide death of his young son.
Chief Kenny tells us how they all made the painful journey in a way which turned the page on how his firefighters related to that incident and how they will pbe better equipped to handle this type of medical emergency- before it becomes fatal.
Over the past few days and weeks, the fire service news has been inundated with stories of firefighters who have taken their own lives. It’s times like these which force us to pause and realize that the mental health challenges we face every day are truly no different than any physical challenge such as a bum back or sprained knee that keeps us from operating at our best. Why then are we treating these obstacles in such a different way?
The truth is that now, more than ever before, our brothers and sisters in the fire and EMS services, along with our families, have an incredible amount of new resources with which to assist us as we begin to change our attitudes toward the way we address these issues which have always been there, but we were always afraid to confront. The result is that more and more of us are emerging from our behavioral issues as much more healthy, productive, and happy firefighters, moms, and dads.
Now that’s great news.
Firefighter Netcast is suspending our regular programming schedule to bring you re-broadcasts of some of this great news so we can apply it as its needed- starting now.
One of our most listened-to shows was originally netcast late last summer and features two special guests who lead a thought-provoking discussion on firefighter behavioral health. Battalion Chief Jeff Dill of the Palatine Rural Fire Protection District in suburban Chicago is an Illinois licensed counselor of behavioral issues specifically for firefighters.
Chief Dill is joined by another suburban Chicago Fire Chief- Pat Kenny, retired chief from the Hinsdale and Western Springs fire departments. Chief Kenny is the Assistant Executive Director of the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association and a representative at the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Seminar on Depression and Suicide held last summer in Baltimore.
Moreover, Chief Kenny is the father of Sean Kenny, who took his own life back in 2006. Listen to Chief Kenny as he offers a firsthand account of what its like to go through the torture of having lost your son to suicide, and how to deal with his loss publicly as a chief officer in his own department.
It’s very powerful stuff.
I urge you to listen in to each of the segments of this Stand Down for Firefighter Behavioral Health. It’s our hope that we can learn to approach these issues we face with a new attitude, and realization that we are winning these battles, just as we have overcome countless challenges over the storied history of this, the greatest service on earth.
Do you know what you should do if you think your buddy needs some help?
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B/C Dill is a nationally recognized authority on behavioral health issues within the fire service. He established Counseling Services for Fire Fighters, LLC based on the tragic events that surrounded Hurricane Katrina. When speaking with firefighters who returned after serving the community of New Orleans, Jeff heard the pleas of firefighters who had a difficult time talking with counselors who did not have any firefighting experience. They became frustrated and never did seek the help they needed. You can listen to Jeff’s last appearance on the Firefighter Netcast Show here:“Counseling For a Firefighter- By a Firefighter” In this program, Chief Dill tells us about a new resource coming to the aid of the fire service. Last month, Chief Dill announced the formation of Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance (FBHA). The new 501(c) (3) organization was established to directly educate firefighters/ Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel and their families about behavioral health issues such as depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), anxiety and addictions, as well as firefighter suicides. FBHA's sole goal is to promote good mental health to the men and women of the fire service/EMS and their families, as well as make a significant difference in reducing the numbers of firefighters who are turning to suicide to ease their pain. FBHA Founder Jeff Dill holds a Master's Degree in Counseling, and is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Illinois.
Joining Chief Dill will be a very special guest- retired Fire Chief Patrick Kenny of the Hinsdale (IL) Fire Department. Chief Kenny is the Assistant Executive Director of the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association and a representative at the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Seminar on Depression and Suicide.
Tragically, in 2006, Chief Kenny lost his son Sean to suicide. He reflects on the obstacles and challenges he faced as a father as well as a chief officer during his personal nightmare. Since then, Chief Kenny has traveled across the nation and around the world sharing his intensely personal story and promoting advocacy of mental health awareness in the fire service and beyond.
Find out more by visiting any the links above, or browsing these others:
Listen to this very special firefighter's podcast here
Over the past few days and weeks, the fire service news has been inundated with stories of firefighters who have taken their own lives. It’s times like these which force us to pause and realize that the mental health challenges we face every day are truly no different than any physical challenge such as a bum back or sprained knee that keeps us from operating at our best. Why then are we treating these obstacles in such a different way?
The truth is that now, more than ever before, our brothers and sisters in the fire and EMS services, along with our families, have an incredible amount of new resources with which to assist us as we begin to change our attitudes toward the way we address these issues which have always been there, but we were always afraid to confront. The result is that more and more of us are emerging from our behavioral issues as much more healthy, productive, and happy firefighters, moms, and dads.
Now that’s great news.
Firefighter Netcast is suspending our regular programming schedule to bring you re-broadcasts of some of this great news so we can apply it as its needed- starting today. One of our most listened-to shows was originally netcast late last summer and features two special guests who lead a thought-provoking discussion on firefighter behavioral health.
Battalion Chief Jeff Dill of the Palatine Rural Fire Protection District in suburban Chicago is an Illinois licensed counselor of behavioral issues specifically for firefighters. He formed “Counseling Services For Firefighters” to offer just that- firefighters who know where firefighters are coming from and thus are best quipped to relate and help their brothers and sisters. Chief Dill is joined by another suburban Chicago Fire Chief- Pat Kenny, retired chief from the Hinsdale and Western Springs fire departments. Chief Kenny is the Assistant Executive Director of the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association and a representative at the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Seminar on Depression and Suicide held last summer in Baltimore. Moreover, Chief Kenny is the father of Sean Kenny, who took his own life back in 2004. Listen to Chief Kenny as he offers a firsthand account of what its like to go through the torture of having lost your son to suicide, and how to deal with his loss publicly as a chief officer in his own department.
It’s very powerful stuff, and I hope you’ll join us for the next few days as we bring you all of the segments of this amazing show. It’s our hope that we can learn to approach these issues we face with a new attitude, and realization that we are winning these battles, just as we have overcome countless challenges over the storied history of this, the greatest service on earth.
B/C Dill is a nationally recognized authority on behavioral health issues within the fire service. He established Counseling Services for Fire Fighters, LLC based on the tragic events that surrounded Hurricane Katrina. When speaking with firefighters who returned after serving the community of New Orleans, Jeff heard the pleas of firefighters who had a difficult time talking with counselors who did not have any firefighting experience. They became frustrated and never did seek the help they needed. In this program, Chief Dill tells us about a new resource coming to the aid of the fire service. Last year, Chief Dill announced the formation of Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance (FBHA). The new 501(c) (3) organization was established to directly educate firefighters/ Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel and their families about behavioral health issues such as depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), anxiety and addictions, as well as firefighter suicides. FBHA's sole goal is to promote good mental health to the men and women of the fire service/EMS and their families, as well as make a significant difference in reducing the numbers of firefighters who are turning to suicide to ease their pain. FBHA Founder Jeff Dill holds a Master's Degree in Counseling, and is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Illinois.
Joining Chief Dill will be a very special guest- retired Fire Chief Patrick Kenny of the Hinsdale (IL) Fire Department. Chief Kenny is the Assistant Executive Director of the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association and a representative at the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Seminar on Depression and Suicide.
Tragically, in 2006, Chief Kenny lost his son Sean to suicide. He reflects on the obstacles and challenges he faced as a father as well as a chief officer during his personal nightmare. Since then, Chief Kenny has traveled across the nation and around the world sharing his intensely personal story and promoting advocacy of mental health awareness in the fire service and beyond.
Find out more by visiting any the links above, or browsing these others:
The final version of this superb video is finally available. Brought to us by our friends over at the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and
featuring my fine friends at the Chicago Fire Department, this is excellent training and should be seen by every firefighter everywhere.
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“What’s most important is that we all go home. We’re not Superman. We have families that need you to, so…we have other obligations as well. “
“When you’re a young kid, you got that cape on. you wanna go through walls. And if you don’t have the old timers, they’ll kinda pull you back a little bit, They say hold on kid, understand what your doing, and why you’re doing what you’re doing, and to give yourself a way out.”
“Have a wife turn to you, and look at you and say, “What the hell happened here? Where the hell was his hood? Who was in charge? How did you guys let this happen to him? Why him? What do I say to them?”
“If you think you’ve got some good reason for not wearing this or for not doing things the right way , write it down. Because I need to read that to your widow. Because I’m not going to know what to say. You say it for me.”
I think the worse day I’ve ever had in my life is when I was five years old and my father was killed in the line of duty. That day stays with me forever. It’s like it happened yesterday. I don’t want anyone else to have to go through that. And I don’t speak just for myself, I speak for my family, I speak for the firefighters that worked with my father that were next to him when he got killed. It never leaves you. It’s a scar you’ll always have.
“We don’t have any more room for badges on the wall.”
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Any kid can smear on the war paint. It’s what you do once you’re all “warriored-up” that shows your true worth on our battlefields.
The firefighter I want with me on a line or with a tool by my side is a brother who is not only aggressive and eager to do the job, but also has the knowledge and seasoning to know when to go and when to think twice when it’s appropriate. I don’t need young, dumb, and full of a battle cry and a death wish.
If he aint got no brains, send him the f*&% away..
To have a wife turn to you and look at you and say, “What the hell happened here? Where the hell was his hood? Who was in charge? How would you guys let this happen to him? Why him? What do I say to them?”
As you probably already know, an unprecedented meeting of the American fire service met in Tampa back in 2004. The Life Safety Task Force generated a list of 16 Life Safety Initiatives. I’m sure most of us had seen or heard them. But, if you are truly dedicated to saving your lives and the lives of those on your department and your crew, you will have come pretty damn close to memorizing them. Yes, they are that important.
I’d like to touch on one of those today. It is the fourth initiative, and it reads as follows: “All firefighters must be empowered to stop unsafe practices.”
In preparation of our latest program over at Firefighter NetCast, I was exposed to the arguments both for and against the use of positive-pressure attack. Chief John Kriska, a proponent of PPA, was the featured guest for the program which can be found at our site http://FirefighterNetCast.com or over at iTunes under firefighter podcasts. I ran across what may well be the best video out there to demonstrate what happens when a PPV is set in a doorway and started before adequate thought is given to its potential effects.
I have accumulated a fair amount of training whether it has been in the classroom, at a controlled practical evolution, or on the fireground itself. I know you have too, because I’ve seen you there as well, learning new ways to perform tasks, honing skills you’ve already learned, and perhaps even sharing your knowledge with others.
Help me then if you will, to figure out why we continue to see examples of near-fatal consequences on the videos regularly making the rounds on the internet? Surely you know of a few of these head-shaking videos, and you may have seen this one as well.
This article is not meant to argue whether or not PPA/PPV should be used on your fireground. Rather, as you watch the video, count how many “trained firefighters” it takes to kill an interior crew. Take a peek:
As this video clearly shows, there are several on the fireground who seem to have forgotten some of the basic stuff we learned in our very first fire training classes: fire behavior. As a “trained firefighter”, can you read the smoke? Does it tell you what is happening inside this “box”? Has the fire vented? Will it? What’s going to happen when it does vent? Where do you want to be when this happens? Would you have done anything differently before crawling inside?
Of course!
Sitting here in front of your computer monitor, not many of you would miss the signs of an impending hostile fire event, would you? I wonder if the guys in this video would see the same signs if they were watching the video rather than performing the dance toward death. If they were “trained” they probablywould have seen the problems. Why then, did no one speak up in a real situation?
I’ve seen it locally. Firefighters with decades of experience seem to forget some of the basics. Perhaps they take a shortcut, emboldened by the lack of disaster as their shortcut worked so many times before. These are trained professional firefighters, many of them friends I have known for years. They know better. Why, then do we do stupid things on the fireground?
Maybe it’s because we have gotten away with it before.
Maybe it’s because no one stopped us before.
Maybe it’s because “that’s the way we’ve always done it.”
But, maybe our luck will run out one day, as it does about every 80 hours here in America.
As a firefighter, do you feel you have the ability, indeed the responsibility to say “NO” to your company officer? As a company officer, do you feel you have the ability, indeed the responsibility, to say “NO” to your chief officer?
In this video, who should have said, “NO”? Everyone. Even the camera operator, if he/she were a “trained firefighter” should have the ability, indeed the responsibility, to keep our brothers and sisters from killing themselves, purely because we don’t feel it is our place to say “NO.”
Departmental policies, procedures, and guidelines must allow for “All firefighters must be empowered to stop unsafe practices.”
But moreover, each member must realize that they are not only able -but as trained firefighters- also responsible to stop unsafe practices. We need to establish ownership of this responsibility.
If you or your department hasn’t made this paradigm shift, the time is yesterday. Take your own steps now to enact each of the 16 Life Safety Initiatives. Let each of us “trained professional firefighters” all work together to get the job done safely so we all go home at the end of the day.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, co-workers, and friends of Rocky Mount, Virginia Fire Chief Posey Dillon, who died today along with Firefighter William Daniel “Danny” Altice in a horrific traffic accident while responding to a house fire.
I’m following this tragedy from many sources, but I know my partner Rhett is all over it at VA FireNews. If the initial reports coming out of Rocky Mount are true, these two firefighters have died while not wearing their seat belts.
I’ll say it:
WTF.
We will never know if seat belts would have made a difference. Initial reports seem to say that a vehicle hit the apparatus. Nothing they could do, right? Plus, anytime any fire apparatus flips multiple times, the chances for survival are bleak.
But what are the chances for survival if the occupants are not belted?
As we all pause, yet again, to claim that our thoughts and prayers are with the firefighters and their families, make a difference. Vow to never let your apparatus turn a wheel unless EVERYONE IS BELTED.
Whether you are the company officer, the driver, or riding backwards- never accept- for any reason- that the apparatus moves without everyone belted. Period.
Has your department attained 100% compliance with signing the International Seat Belt Pledge?
International Seat Belt Pledge
“I pledge to wear my seat belt whenever I am riding in a Fire Department vehicle. I further pledge to insure that all my brother and sister firefighters riding with me wear their seat belts. I am making this pledge willingly; to honor Brian Hunton my brother firefighter because wearing seat belts is the right thing to do.”
Last week at Firehouse Expo, I had the honor and priviledge to sit down and talk with Dr. Burton Clark, originator of the seat belt pledge. He is a man who has, for years, tirelessly been spreading the word for firefighters to buckle up.
We were recording an interview for Firefighter NetCast in which this wise man brought up a very valid point:
Wearing seat belts save firefighters lives, yet not all firefighters are wearing them. We can all make the decision to wear them. We can “decide”, as an entire group, to save lives.
This is different from deciding that heart attacks won’t kill us. This is different from deciding that walls won’t collapse, and stairways won’t fail. This is different from from deciding that flashovers and backdrafts and all the other hostile fire events won’t take us out.
We can’t decide on these. But we CAN DECIDE that failure to wear seat belts will no longer kill us.
I am sickened at the continued unnecessary gut-wrenching agony we all face as we begin the process to bury more brothers. Especially if it isn’t necessary.
As we watch the funerals, refuse to accept anything less than complete adherence to wearing belts. Commit to save ourselves from ourselves.
Put some oomph into your words concerning thoughts and prayers.
Fridays are for the four year veterans. 
plugs.
Any kid can smear on the war paint. It’s what you do once you’re all “warriored-up” that shows your true worth on our battlefields.
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