Here is the moment you all have been waiting for...The winners for the Black Diamond Boots Fire & EMS Blog of the Year for 2010-2011 are:Iron Firemen.com - Fire CategoryA Day in the Life of an Ambulance Driver - EMS Category

There are some good ones out there, but by and large you can tell that most of them were not created by firefighters. I say this because I think it is our duty to come up with better motivational and/or demotivational posters. Don't ask, I don't know what the difference is between the two. They are simply funny posters that mimic the original styling of posters someone came up with. The object is to be funny.

The Fire Service Warrior offers this unique "mission statement" that has been dubbed the Ethos of a Fire Service Warrior. Ethos? Yeah, I had to look it up although I kinda figured what he meant by it. Ethos: English word based on a Greek word and denotes the guiding beliefs or ideals that characterize a community, a nation or an ideology.

What if there was something on the fireground killing firefighters that you cannot see, you cannot feel, you cannot smell, and you cannot hear. What if I told that that it could increase your chances of a heart attack and/or stroke even up to 72 hours AFTER you leave the fireground AND your exposure to it happens after MOST of the danger on the fireground is over.What if I told you that it can kill you immediately.

I have to admit, it has been an enjoyable ride. To think that these guys have so much fun just because I am 5'7" tall. Hell, I have never had a problem with my height. They also enjoy the fact that I look young for my age. Again, something that has never really bothered me. So what If I get a reminder of how young I look every time I purchase alcohol.

The winner of the Thanksgiving Day Giveaway is Kingsport, TN Station 6. Their submission is below.I will be honest, I had the guys at the station pick a number without knowing what the number was for. Kingsport is the winner.They have won a complete set of Emergency Services Monopoly including the Firefighter, EMS, and Law Enforcement versions.

Last year, I offered my top ten Christmas Gifts for Firefighters (last years list is here). The article has remained very popular even this year. Just in Time for Black Friday!This year, I am redoing the list for 2010. There are many new gifts out there and I want to make sure that the firefighters are getting what they deserve...The Best Christmas Gifts for Firefighters!This top ten list could be easily used year round. Be it birthday, anniversary, Christmas, Hanukkah, or whatever these gifts are bound to make you popular with the firefighter you gift them to.I challenge you to come up with a better list!

...Chenoa firefighter Don Nagel, 47, was taken to OSF Saint James Hospital in Pontiac, after a Chenoa fire engine crashed on the way to the scene around 4:55 a.m., Illinois State Police said.The engine was negotiating a "left sharp curve in a wet two-laned roadway" when its 1,000 gallons of water shifted abruptly, police said in a statement. The engine overturned on its left side and ended up in a ditch.

For several reasons, this years is simply titled top ten firefighter calendars for 2011. Basically, it wasn't fair to single out just the female calendars. I have plenty of readers who are female and many might enjoy the men's/coed calendars.

So here’s your chance. Write out a draft policy on social media/networking for members of your department. Chances are good that most of you don’t already have one in place. Be serious about it as your work might be a catalyst for change, and could help prevent your department from experiencing some of the problems we’ve read about – and will continue to read about. Check our you current disciplinary process to be sure your draft policy is fair and legal.