• Home >
  • Back Issues >
  • Firehouse Magazine >
  • September 2013
  • September 2013

    For The Record 9 13 Campus Fir 11104815
    Community Risk Reduction

    For the Record 9/13

    Sept. 12, 2013
    College Campus Fire SafetyEach year college and university students, on- and off-campus, experience hundreds of fire-related emergencies nationwide. There are several specific...
    Photos by Rick McClure/EPN
    Firefighters work to open up and gain access to the structure.
    Operations & Training

    Cover Story: South Central Garage Fire

    Sept. 1, 2013
    Units from the Los Angeles, CA, Fire Department were called to a fire in a one-story detached garage located on an alley. The late-night fire caused about $10,000 in damage. Task...
    'Practically speaking, FirstNet won't replace LMR until users trust the network and see the value. At the end of the day, it's really about adoption.' —Chief Jeff Johnson
    EMS

    Fire Technology: FirstNet: A Fire Chief's Journey

    Sept. 1, 2013
    Chief Jeff Johnson is the fire service representative appointed to the FirstNet board, which was legislated into place to build a nationwide public safety broadband network. This...
    Photo by Rick McClure/EPN
    On pages 64-65 we present a few more photos of the events surrounding the memorial service that was held in Prescott, AZ, to honor the 19 fallen Hotshots firefighters.
    Safety & Health

    Eisner: Some Things May Need To Be Changed

    Sept. 1, 2013
    Editor’s Note: The Firehouse staff wanted to share some of long-time Editor in Chief Harvey Eisner’s work. Harvey, a fixture on New York City firegrounds and at major events and...
    Photo by Mike Meadows
    Aug. 11: Riverside County, CA – The 'Silver Fire,' which started in Riverside County, CA, on Aug. 7, 2013, spread across the San Jacinto Mountains burning 20,292 acres. Twelve people were injured including 11 firefighters. As of Aug. 11, the fire was 95% contained. During the height of the fire, more than 1,400 firefighters using 62 engines, 59 fire crews, nine helicopters, five dozers and 10 water tenders battled the blaze. Several photographers, including Shawn Kaye (shown in bottom left of photo), grabbed a garden hose and stopped fire in a garage from extending into a house. As Kaye was operating, Mike Meadows found some fire crews to respond.
    Operations & Training

    Fire Wire 9/13

    Sept. 1, 2013
    July 3: Newport Beach, CA – Vapors from a plastic boat-fuel container wafted into a water heater pilot light, causing an explosion at the home of the estate of Buddy Ebsen, who...

    More content from September 2013

    Photo by Joel Gebet
    WHITESVILLE FIRE COMPANY 1 in Jackson, NJ, has taken delivery of a Rosenbauer Viper 109-foot aerial ladder
    Apparatus

    New Deliveries 9/13

    Sept. 1, 2013
    WHITESVILLE FIRE COMPANY 1 in Jackson, NJ, has taken delivery of a Rosenbauer Viper 109-foot aerial ladder built on a Spartan Gladiator chassis. Components include a 525-hp Caterpillar...
    Photo by Paul LaRochelle
    If any part of fireground strategy must be structured and systematic, it is during size-up. It is unwise to rely on a 'gut feeling' during size-up; it would be reckless to let your gut determine whether or not there's fire in the basement.
    Operations & Training

    Fireground Operations: How to Nail Your First-Due Strategic Responsibility: Part 5

    Sept. 1, 2013
    Although the term “aggressive strategy” may be new, the concept is not. Consider the following.My dad was hired as a firefighter in 1950. His academy graduation photo shows a ...
    Photos by Timothy R. Szymanski/LVFR
    This photo was taken with an iPad after a car veered off a roadway and crashed into the patio eating area of a Las Vegas restaurant. Ten people were injured with four trapped under the vehicle. The photo was sent out before the media arrived on scene and it was all around Las Vegas within minutes.
    Photos by Robert Burke
    Both police hazardous device technicians and fire hazardous materials technicians went down range in appropriate PPE and evaluated the substance.
    Hazmat/Specialty

    Hazmat Studies: Fire and Police Combine For Hazmat Response: Part 2

    Sept. 1, 2013
    Gwinnett County, GA, has one of the most comprehensive hazardous materials and hazardous devices response protocols in the Southeast. The county’s response to incidents involving...
    Ess Rollbar Lens Exchange 11074368
    Eyewear

    New Products 9/13

    Sept. 1, 2013
    High-Impact SunglassesESS (EYE SAFETY SYSTEMS) has introduced Rollbar ballistic sunglasses with interchangeable lenses. The sunglasses come standard with two sets of interchangeable...
    Used properly, thermal imagers can help crews more effectively monitor fire conditions, place personnel in key areas to create control lines, enhance safety during firefighting and improve the control of prescribed burns.
    Thermal Imagers

    Thermal Imaging In Wildland Firefighting

    Sept. 1, 2013
    Used properly, TIs can help monitor fire conditions, create control lines, enhance safety during firefighting and improve the control of prescribed burns.
    Photo by Jay K. Bradish/IFPA
    Having fewer firefighters on the fireground means more time is needed to carry out essential functions.
    Safety & Health

    Speak Up 9/2013: The Realities of Short-Handed Firefighting

    Sept. 1, 2013
    Staffing is a hot-button topic for many fire departments. We as firefighters know what is needed to safely and effectively get our job done, but all too often our towns and cities...
    Gary Ludwig 11078039
    EMS

    EMS: Rapid Response Times Versus Quality Care

    Sept. 1, 2013
    I still vividly remember TV commercials for Miller Lite beer that aired years ago. The ads featured many well-known names, such as comedian Rodney Dangerfield and former NFL coach...
    Photo by Chris E. Mickal/www.firelinephotos.com
    Whether through promotion, by attrition, by request or because of discipline, it is highly unlikely that anyone will go through an entire career with the same crew.
    Leadership

    Guest Commentary: Unintended Consequences Of Transfers in the Fire Service

    Sept. 1, 2013
    No matter how big or how small a department, the fire service is made up of small groups that work together very closely. Generally, cohesiveness is created in a relatively short...
    Photo by Jay K. Bradish/IFPA
    There is often a gap between expectations and the ability to pay because many elected officials (and most civilians) have no idea what services cost. All they know is when they need the fire department, they want the firefighters there fast; they want them to have the resources (apparatus, equipment and personnel) to handle their emergency effectively; and they want them to have expert problem-solving knowledge and skills.
    Leadership

    20 Tough Questions For the Fire Chief: Are You Prepared To Answer Them? Question 17

    Sept. 1, 2013
    The first part of this question insinuates that a change in governance structure is the precursor to enhancing service levels. The second part of the question concludes significant...
    NYLE ZIKMUND is chief of the Spring Lake Park, Blaine and Mounds View (SBM) Fire Department in Minnesota
    Community Risk Reduction

    Chief Concerns: Building a Culture Centered on Fire Prevention

    Sept. 1, 2013
    Nyle Zikmund explains why he focused on fire prevention when he became fire chief.
    Photo by Chris E. Mickal/www.firelinephotos.com
    In career departments, those riding the right-front seat usually deal with the same firefighters on a continuing basis. This familiarity helps you become familiar with each person’s role in the success (or failure) of your unit. Volunteer fire departments present a different challenge, since you never know who will be riding the right-front seat. This means you must learn more about the people in your organization so you can assess the people with whom you will be serving.
    Leadership

    Command Post: Riding the Right-Front Seat: Tips for Solving Problems

    Sept. 1, 2013
    Many of my columns are about problem-solving, usually at the organizational level. This month’s column is different. This time, I discuss problem-solving at the personal level...
    Photo by Ron Moore
    The driver's front seat of this GM vehicle has two seat-mounted airbags. On the outboard, or left side of the seat, one airbag 'ID' is visible along the upholstery seam. This airbag will deploy when this side of the vehicle receives sufficient impact.
    Vehicle Extrication

    University of Extrication: Front Center Airbag

    Sept. 1, 2013
    SUBJECT: Front Center AirbagTOPIC: General Motors Corporation’s Front Center AirbagOBJECTIVE: Understand how to identify the presence of the GM front center airbag system in a...
    Photo from Paul Hashagen Collection
    After the line-of-duty death of FDNY Deputy Chief Charles Washington Krueger on Feb. 14, 1908, a call for a fitting monument began. The idea expanded to include all firemen killed, not just the chief. Fundraising went on for years until the present memorial was constructed and dedicated in 1913. The monument even has a tablet recognizing the bravery and service of fire horses.
    Operations & Training

    Rekindles 9/13

    Sept. 1, 2013
    NEW YORK CITY: SEPT. 5, 1913 – Seven thousand firemen, including 1,500 from the FDNY, reinforced by delegations from Philadelphia, Baltimore, MD, Portland, OR, and Philadelphia...
    Photo by Mark E. Brady/PGFD
    Members of the Prince George’s County, MD, Fire/Emergency Medical Services Department (PGFD) responded to an arson fire in a single-family house at which seven firefighters were injured.
    Operations & Training

    Close Calls: Firefighters Trapped At Maryland House Fire - Part 3

    Sept. 1, 2013
    Safety and operational recommendations for Prince George's County firefighters following Riverdale Heights fire that left seven firefighters injured.
    The new Airshore Midpoint Brace
    Rescue

    Product Showcase 9/13

    Sept. 1, 2013
    AirshoreThe new Airshore Midpoint Brace supports the building of raker rails with an insertion height in excess of eight feet. The Midpoint Brace strengthens the triangle and ...
    Photo by Chris E. Mickal/Firelinephotos.com
    A three-alarm fire ripped through an old Seagram's factory building in Baltimore County, MD, on July 27, 2013.
    EMS

    2012 National Run Survey - Part 4

    Sept. 1, 2013
    The career fire service takes to the pages of Firehouse Magazine to share and compare statistics.