Category Archives:

Ground Ladders: A Quick Discussion Podcast
December 8, 2015 | fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, ladders, RIT, size up, Training, training-development, training-fire-rescue-topics | dc802 | No Comments
Entry Img

This episode is a discussion about ground ladders. It’s a basic piece of equipment that has such a huge value to us on the fire ground, but in many cases, get’s forgotten.  They’re forgotten until they are needed, and then it could be a life and death situation for firefighters and victims. We talk briefly […]

How Dare You!-We Can No Longer Tolerate Incompetence!
June 29, 2015 | administration-leadership, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter holidays, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, fires, rescues, situational awareness, size up, Training, training-development, training-fire-rescue-topics | dc802 | 12 Comments
Entry Img

By: Captain Steve Heidbreder As many of you may have done over the Father’s Day weekend, I spent some time thinking about the day and what it means to me as a father. I reflected on my own Father, my Step-Dad, my Grandfathers, and those that were a father figure in my life. I then looked at myself […]

A Story of Survival with Kansas City Fire Captain Charley Cashen
February 17, 2015 | rescues, RIT, self rescue, situational awareness, size up, Training | dc802 | 3 Comments
Entry Img

In this episode of the Engine House Training Podcast, Kansas City, Missouri Fire Captain Charley Cashen shares his story of survival. Charley was caught in a rapidly changing fire while searching for a victim in the basement of a home in January 2015. Captain Cashen, a 30 year fire service veteran shares his experience, and lessons […]

My 2014 Take Away
January 19, 2015 | fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, fires, historic fires, in-the-line-of-duty, line-of-duty, major-incidents, self rescue, situational awareness, size up, Training, training-development, training-fire-rescue-topics | dc802 | No Comments

Since the end of 2014, I have been reading and listening to year end thoughts and data related to the fire service. There has been discussion on types of calls, near misses and, of course, line of duty deaths. Numbers are broken down and categorized for each type of injury or death that is fire […]

Significant Stuff from the UL/NIST Studies: Not Exterior Water Application
August 4, 2014 | administration-leadership, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, fires, situational awareness, size up, Training, training-development, ventilation, VES | dc802 | 6 Comments

I have been sifting through information, articles, blogs, classes, videos and everything in between for the past couple of years from the recent UL and NIST burns and research. We have all argued or debated about the application of exterior water and whether or not this is appropriate or not. While I believe there is […]

Opportunities for Training: Not Just on the Drill Ground
July 18, 2014 | firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, ladders, situational awareness, size up, Training, training-development | dc802 | 1 Comment
Entry Img

Many times we pass on opportunities to train or learn something although many situations lend themselves to doing so. Look for ways to incorporate the situation or circumstance that you are dealing with into a learning moment. The pictures below are of a company training on aerial ops with a candidate operator. It was a […]

Company Drill: Standpipe Operations
November 29, 2012 | buildling construction, fire sprinklers, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, fires, high rise, historic fires, in-the-line-of-duty, line-of-duty, major-incidents, mayday, RIT, scba, search, self rescue, situational awareness, size up, Training, training-development | dc802 | No Comments
Entry Img

  This is a great drill from a great Brother and friend, Lance Peeples of the Webster Groves Fire Department in St. Louis County.  Look for more great material from Lance in the future.     Daily Drill 1: Standpipe Operations   “The Daily Drill” is designed to spark discussion about operational issues in YOUR […]

Don’t Forget the Obvious: Basement Self Rescue
September 25, 2012 | buildling construction, engineered lumber, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, rescues, RIT, self rescue, situational awareness, size up | dc802 | No Comments
Entry Img

In our classes we spend a lot of time showing firefighters how to stay out of and how to get out of bad situations. Our fire service is seeing an increase in firefighters who are falling through floors into basements or sub-levels. This is large part due to the engineered flooring systems that do not […]

Behind the Back and Thru the Legs
July 16, 2012 | administration-leadership, command-leadership, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, fires, mayday, search, self rescue, situational awareness, size up, Training, training-development, training-fire-rescue-topics, Uncategorized | dc802 | 1 Comment

When we get to an advanced level of skill sets, it typically comes from past experiences and hours upon hours of training. With that training and experience also comes the ability to recognize situations that are not typical. These non-typical situations will require us, if trained appropriately, to make the best possible decision for the best possible outcome. The mantra of always use two hands to pass and catch the ball with thumbs turned down may not work or be appropriate in a certain situation because the desired outcome is not going to be achieved.

Drywall Ladder Escape
June 18, 2012 | buildling construction, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, fires, forcible entry, mayday, rescues, RIT, self rescue, situational awareness, size up | dc802 | 2 Comments
Entry Img

Next time you are performing self-rescue maneuvers in training consider trying this method. The more options you have and can quickly utilize one in a self-rescue the better

Page 2 of 612345...Last »