In the very best of scenarios, tower rescue for the professional can be a daunting task. But the obvious dangers of extreme height, high voltage, microwave radiation, radio-frequency...
It was a Tuesday afternoon on January 12, 2010, and while most of the school kids in the U.S. were getting ready to end their day, students in Haiti were in the middle of their...
There is an old saying that's famous in the music world: "How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice." It is the same in the fire and emergency services. Unless...
Part two of this article takes up where we left off in April, when we discussed a fire in a residential high-rise and some of the lessons learned or reinforced. This post-incident...
21ST CENTURY HIGH-RISE TRAINING SERIES During the major Northeast blackout in 2003, numerous emergency generators in the New York City area failed within the first 30 minutes,...
Explosions of natural gas pipelines are unexpected, violent, and frequently result in significant loss of lives and property. They can occur anytime, anyplace on land and at sea...
On Monday, Feb. 2, 2009, a three-alarm fire in downtown Tyler, TX, destroyed one building and damaged three historic structures. The two-story building that was destroyed was ...
The Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) is one of my favorite activities of the year, as I get an opportunity to interact with firefighters from all over the world who...
Firefighters love pictures! And, they love taking pictures. Technological advances have made it easier than ever to take on-scene photos and videos. And, there are innumerable...
Many commonalities are shared by the suppression and communications functions of a fire department. Both must respond to emergencies at a moment's notice. Both rely on accurate...
SUBJECT: Total Sidewall Removal TOPIC: "Blowing Out the B-Pillar" Evolution OBJECTIVE: Remove both doors and B-pillar on one side of a four-door vehicle TASK: Given a simulation...
For the past 20-plus years, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (MDFR) firefighter/paramedics have accompanied the Miami-Dade Police Department's (MDPD) Special Response Team (SRT) on responses...
A recent study released by the website Careercast.com (http://www.careercast.com/jobs/content/ten-most-stressful-jobs-2010-jobs-rated-0) ranked firefighting as the most stressful...
On Nov. 21, 2009, two firefighters who comprised the interior attack crew from the Wheat Ridge, CO, Fire Department became trapped and initiated a Mayday while operating on the...
The Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI) recently held the 22nd Annual CFSI Seminars and Dinner event in Washington, DC. The turnout was excellent, and the attendees had...
It happens in every fire department — the routine structure fire that you're familiar with that turns into a complex incident because things didn't go as planned. Perhaps there...
Energy-efficient and renewable technologies on and in commercial buildings are becoming more commonplace as businesses "go green." Due to the upswing in sustainable construction...