Emergency Response

WARNING!  This post may offend some, but it is 2013 and to have house fires today with NO WORKING SMOKE DETECTORS, well someone needs to get offended.  That 4-year old little girl DESERVED better and I will not relent to political correctness when we are KILLING our children because we have misplaced responsibilities!   This…...

This FREE four-part webinar series is brought to us by the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) and provides information on the roles and responsibilities, health and safety considerations, and practical application of skills for Incident Safety Officers (ISOs).  This is a GREAT series for personnel working within an Incident Command structure who may be called upon to serve…...

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), the leading organization representing the volunteer fire and emergency services, recognizes that many departments may have difficulty adopting these standards in their totality. The reasons for this are varied and may include factors such as limited resources or unfamiliarity with the standard. Small volunteer departments may face additional challenges…...

Anyone who has worn an SCBA has logically wondered “how long will this cylinder last me?”  And we have all gotten the answer… “It depends”.   The United States Fire Academy (USFA) has gone one step further and conducted a study with the City of Seminole Fire and Rescue Department to determine just how long…...

While there is no one personality type that seems to create the “perfect” Incident Commander, there are some common characteristics that are desirable. An effective IC should: Think and act strategically.  Be objective driven.  Have strong communication skills.  Be able to delegate authority.  Facilitate a collaborative atmosphere.  Be trustworthy.  Be adaptive.  Be a multitasker.  Be…...

The REVISED 2013 standard NFPA 1981 – Standard on Open-Circuit Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus for Emergency Services was officially changed in 12/2012.  Manuafctuer’s are now making SCBA’s that will meet the new NFPA requirements for Open-Circuit SCBA’s.  The new standard contains some significant chnages that will certainly aid the user of open-circuit SCBA’s.  Those changes include:…...

Last week I wrote about SCBA’s being stored and used in low temperature environments and the special instructions that many manufacturers have developed (and require) the user to follow for such use.  As usual, my article generated a lot of questions regarding SCBA’s that are intended for “emergency use”.  So I thought it would be…...

The Incident Commander is the only position in the Incident Command System that is always filled regardless of the size or complexity of an incident. The IC has the responsibility for the overall management of the incident. Whatever functions or responsibilities that are not delegated to others remain the responsibility of the IC. … Membership Required...

Have you ever worn an SCBA in temperatures below freezing?  Are any of your SCBA’s (or any SARs) stored outside in freezing temperatures? If you answered YES to either of these questions and you have never heard the phrase “Low Temperature Operation Instructions”, you may want to sit down before reading further.  You will not…...

PHMSA’s Hazardous Materials Safety Assistance Team (HMSAT) will be conducting training presentations across the country to assist those million-plus firefighters who may be missing opportunities to receive training on the Emergency Response Guidebook.  Understanding that time and money are often deciding factors when seeking new/refresher training, we are eager to host these sessions to ensure…...

Some help from OSHA on what a HAZMAT Team member’s physical exam should look like.  It has been well established for years that a HAZMAT or Fire Brigade member must undergo a more EXTENSIVE physical than the traditional respirator physical.  In this LOI, OSHA explains the difference between the two:… Membership Required You must be...