Fire Critic An Unadulterated View of the Fire Service
It does not look like I will be making the trip to Fire Rescue International this year. All of the plans have fallen apart, and I will gear up for next year.
Where will I be next?
Capital Region Fools Training Seminar
Where: Fuller Road Fire Department Albany, NY
When: Saturday, September 28, 2013
Captain Wines and I will be speaking on social media in the fire service, motivating firefighters, and improving morale.
Facebook event page here
More info on getting us to speak in your area here
Fire Critic on Facebook – Advertise on FireCritic.com
Fire Service Warrior: iGeneration by Garrett Rice
I recently sat on our department’s interview board for first-round interviews. I have done this before in past years, but this year I wanted to see if what I have been hearing about our “New Guys” is correct. This would be an experiment to see whether or not the iGeneration, or whatever you want to call it, truly existed, and whether or not “OUR” fire service as we know it would, and will, continue on in the traditions that we have all come to love.
As I climbed aboard the engine, one of our rookies asked me a question. This particular rookie asks a lot of questions, most of them thought provoking, forcing me to think harder than I’d like, and exposing my glaring lack of knowledge in certain areas. It’s hard as a captain to say, “I don’t know,” or, “I’ve never thought about it that way.” He causes me to bury my head in manuals or extend questions to my fire service buddies via text messages to find the right answer. He usually finds out on his own, before I do, rapping on the office door he says, “I looked around and here’s what I came up with cap…”
What is the “Execution of Excellence”? As in many cases, words can have different meanings depending on how they are said and the context in which they are used. By no means does this refer to dispatching excellence with extreme prejudice as was suggested by a good friend. The term was used last week on a show called “Shark Tank”.
MDFireNews.com: Brand new site is up and running!
Join us in welcoming the all new MDFireNews.com to the mix of news related sites directed towards firefighting in Maryland and DC. They already have a bunch of fires covered on their site. It seems as though they are plugging away to get some other parts of the site populated with information. I look for this to be a busy site in the near future.
BRENTWOOD, N.Y. — The East Brentwood Fire Department has canceled a beer pong tournament that was advertised to be held after the Town of Islip Fireman’s Parade. The tournament, which was meant to be a fundraiser held at the department after the Aug. 10 parade, angered some Brentwood residents and members of the Northeast Neighborhood Committee, a community watch group.
The San Francisco Fire Department supervisors who took charge of the Asiana Airlines Flight 214 crash scene were not alerted by firefighters that a 16-year-old passenger had been found near the plane, leaving them powerless to prevent the girl from being run over by a rig after she was covered by fire-retardant foam, footage of the incident shows. The footage was recorded by a camera mounted on the helmet of a battalion chief who took charge of the firefighting and rescue response within an hour after the Boeing 777 crashed at San Francisco International Airport on July 6.
NFFF: Young Children of Fallen Firefighters Have the Slime of Their Lives at Camp
A place that provides fun, games and memories for the whole family again proves it’s serious when it comes to helping survivors of our nation’s heroes. Nickelodeon Suites Resort in Orlando, Florida, has again partnered with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation to sponsor the Hal Bruno Camp for Children of Fallen Firefighters who have been honored at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial located in Emmitsburg, Maryland. The camp will be held August 8-11.
EUGENE, Ore. — A 57-year-old Junction City woman was killed early Wednesday afternoon when her sport utility vehicle crossed the centerline and crashed head-on into a city ambulance on Clear Lake Road near the Eugene Airport, state police said. The ambulance was occupied by two firefighter-paramedics employed by the Eugene/Springfield fire department, and a patient who was being transported to a local hospital. All three suffered injuries that police described as minor.
Lately there seems to be a lot in the news of the media “exposing” EMS providers for things they’ve posted on Facebook and other social media. While I am the first to say that people need to watch what they post, since it can be used against them, let me just say this: I know personally some of the people who have had media use things against them by omitting or twisting facts to craft a story that fits their agenda. To those who feel it is appropriate to resort to this type of “journalism”, I offer the following: GO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE!
Firefighter Hurt in Maryland Blaze Charged with Arson
Authorities say a volunteer firefighter who was found in his burning home in Midland has been charged with arson. The Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office said Wednesday that 24-year-old Denzil Halbritter Jr. has also been charged with reckless endangerment. The Times-News of Cumberland reports (http://bit.ly/16G0ddh) that he was arrested this week after being released from the Western Maryland Regional Medical Center in Cumberland, where he was taken after the July 22 blaze.
Pa. Firefighters Hear Tearful Message About Victim
When a firefighter is involved in a crash while responding, sometimes they and their colleagues don’t think about the impact on civilians, their family and friends.
Pa. Fire Commissioner Ed Mann broke down Friday morning while reading an e-mail from the wife of a man seriously injured when his van was struck by a volunteer firefighter responding to a crash.
Firefighter vows return to duty after sudden fall at funeral
On July 8, longtime Spokane firefighter John Knighten was laid to rest in Spokane at a funeral attended by hundreds of firefighters. One of Knighten’s pallbearers, firefighter Mike Rose, walked with the coffin as flag-bearer, a folded American flag against his chest. Suddenly, Rose collapsed next to the coffin.
New Products Debuted at Firehouse Expo
Fire service trade shows continue to be a great place to see new products and Firehouse Expo 2013 in Baltimore was no exception.
Ride Backwards continues to offer great deals on discontinued stock. They also have all of their new apparel online. Check them out!
