Chief Dennis Reilly and Jason Hoevelmann discuss leadership for firefighters and fire officers specifically regarding being a consistent leader and officer using the Leadership Triad. It comes downs to a strong moral compass and the firm foundation based on ethics and doing what’s right.   THE MORAL & ETHICAL OBLIGATIONS OF BEING AN OFFICER: […]

      In the last few weeks I posted about being aggressive. In that post I mentioned that we, our department, will search without a hose line.  This seemed to raise some eyebrows and concern about what I said. This podcast addresses what I mean by that and some ways to search without the […]

This episode we discuss some items to consider when dealing with service and misc. calls.  It’s important that we don’t take these incidents lightly.  Each call has the potential for being a challenge, not matter how it is dispatched or what you think it might be. For CO calls follow your guidelines for calling out […]

By Frank Lipski of Engine House Training, LLC Check out our Class at FDIC 2016 Fire Forces Bailout in Virginia Introduction The process of choosing a bailout system for your agency can be difficult to say the least.  In this article, I am going to share with you my step-by-step guide to ensure you are able to […]

By Jason Hoevelmann with Steve Heidbreder Tool or No Tool? When we go to conferences or sit around with other engaged firefighters there is no lack of lively conversation and debate. From world affairs, to sports teams, bands and of course, tactics! There is no better time spent with other firefighters learning about what others […]

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 […]

      Attached is an outline we used for a quick winter operations class at work. I ran across this the other day and thought it would be appropriate to post now.  The podcast is here for this topic as well.  Feel free to add and use this as you see fit. If you […]

  In my years as a younger firefighter, both as a volunteer and during my career training, it was driven home that we enter building fires with a low profile.  More specifically on our hands and knees.  I was never going to question my instructors, the books or the more veteran firefighters that mentored me. […]

With all of the debate about exterior versus interior, I wanted to share a video that I use in many of the tactical classes that I teach and offer a few observations.  First, this is a video that is used for learning, not to critique the methods or tactics that were or were not deployed […]

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 […]