Best of the Rest – Rescuing Myself, Fat Firefighters, Complacency Kills, FF Certification, Kenny Hendrick Memorial, and Quick Drills

As the “Best of the Rest” column continues to grow, I have added a Facebook Fan Page of the Week and two Quick Drills by FirefighterCloseCalls.com. More regular content to be added in the future. As always, if you have something to share, send it in!

Over the weekend, we reached over 3000 fans on our Facebook fan page. Click “like” here to join as well. I offer plenty more information on Facebook than you will see on the blog. I also have over 2500 followers on Twitter @FireCritic. If you are more into Google +, I have got that set up too. Check out Fire Critic on Google + here.

I just got finished watching Food Inc. It left me wondering what the hell I am eating. I shall continue my ways of eating healthier foods. My wife and I eat healthy at home, but I think we shall make the move to organic. I might have puked in my mouth a little when watching the documentary. Read more about it here.

Shoutout:

Facebook Fan page: Rescuing Myself

Rescuing Myself – Check out this newer blog that has been online since September 2011.

Now, on to a more serious topic. One of the biggest reasons I am looking forward to being at FDIC, the 9-11 Memorial Stair Climb. I signed up today and can honestly say just submitting my information kind of choked me up a little. This will be my first stair climb, hopefully not my last. I will be climbing in honor of Captain Terence Hatton, Res1cue. Read it here

The site is run by Trevor: I’m a 19-year-old second generation fireman. The fire service has always been a big part of my life. I started writing this blog to pass along things I see and feel. Good and bad. I expect no one to take any of this as a gospel, but I expect myself to learn a lot.

Keep up the great work Trevor! I will see you at FDIC.

Quick Drills:

You can view all of the weekly drills by FirefighterCloseCalls.com here. Try these two at the firehouse this week:

News:

California High School student devises possible cancer cure – Angela’s idea was to mix cancer medicine in a polymer that would attach to nanoparticles — nanoparticles that would then attach to cancer cells and show up on an MRI. so doctors could see exactly where the tumors are. Then she thought shat if you aimed an infrared light at the tumors to melt the polymer and release the medicine, thus killing the cancer cells while leaving healthy cells completely unharmed. Read it here

Hero Rush – Do you have what it takes to complete? Hero Rush gives you the chance to put your mettle to the test. You’ll run an intense 5k+ race with multiple fire-related obstacles. Climb ladders and slide down poles, crawl through windows and break down doors, scramble through HAZMAT slime and locate trapped victims — but be careful — you might get the fire hoses turned on you! Don’t just play in the mud — be a Hero! Read more here

IronFiremen.com – Willie recently travelled without me. This time, back to Cincinnati. Read about it here: Firefighter Innovation…Homemade Tools and the 1st Road Trip of 2012. He posted an even better post on Sunday…Becoming Infectious

1st Generation Firefighter– Another blog from Southwest Virginia? Apparently so, although I have no clue who it is. Two posts have been written. We will give them some time to see if they last. Latest post: Experienced Based Training

FireGeezer – The self proclaimed Geezer has a story of a pre-historic tree that burned in Florida. We think at the very least, he is still young at heart! Read it here

Leatherhead 109 –   A skilled, attentive fire officer is much like that with his company.  Observing, critiquing, suggesting, …disciplining, but all the while remaining a “Brother”.  Like a file taking the burrs from an axe blade.  What kind of officer are you? Do you “hone” the firemen you lead?  Or are you like a grinding wheel, gouging, burning, removing too much steel? Read more here

Backstep Firefighter – Complacency can KILL YOU.Treat every alarm as the real deal… your life as well as the lives of your Brothers and Sisters may very well depend on it. Read more here

Mike Elston and Smitty attended the Pride and Ownership class and expanded on their experience on the 2 House Blog

2 House Blog – A local blog near me talks about the Pride and Ownership class we attended. Read it here

Average Jake FF – Why Aren’t You? The big question I have is WHY AREN’T YOU? Why aren’t you writing articles, reading up, drilling? Why don’t you care? I know putting yourself out there for all to critique can be hard, but for me even if one person comes up and says “I really liked your article” then it was all worth it.  Read more here

S.A.F.E Firefighter – First Due Friday; 2-Story Balloon Frame Rockin’ on the Peninsula

Fire Law Blog – Florida Firefighters Sued for $1.4 Million in Fatal Accident

FireCritic.com – I have written two parts of an in-depth look at Pride and Ownership in relation to my department. Check out part 1 here, and part 2 here.

STATter911.com – Dave Statter typically stays in front of the big news even before Fire Engineering, Fire Rescue1, Firefighter Nation, and Firehouse.com… Check out these articles:

Fire Rescue 1 – Chicago brotherhood embraces fallen NC firefighter’s family. When Fire Capt. Will Caviness of North Carolina died running the Chicago Marathon, the brotherhood of firefighters took care of his family. Read it here

Firefighter Nation– Rescue Operations on Italian Cruise Ship Halted. Costa Concordia ran into a reef Friday night and capsized into the port area of Giglio. Read it here.

Fire Engineering – Ray McCormack asks if the fire service should have an Annual Attack Certification for Firefighters. My biggest question is: Would there be a Volunteer Certification and a Career Certification? Read it here

Firehouse.com – Study Finds Firefighters Have Higher Rates Of Obesity Than Public. This is just embarrassing. Hey LAZY ASSES, get off your asses and do something about this. Talk about black eye for the fire service… NO EXCUSES. Read it here

Kenneth Michael Hedrick is remembered with a service 20 years after his death in the Line of Duty. Watch it below. Another perfect example of Never Forgetting.