The Apparatus Architects: Budget Concerns and Inspection Trips
This month’s edition of the Apparatus Architects looks at the important role of the in-process and final inspections. While some city hall workers believe these trips are not justifiable, skipping these vital visits can be costly. They often wind up saving money in the long run. Better to catch the changes mid-stream than wait until the piece is delivered.
With the ever-present budget crisis hitting departments and the rising costs of equipment for manufacturers, the Apparatus Architects speculate on the future of the custom cab and chassis. Find out their predictions on the future of custom apparatus. Will apparatus be standard across the country?
The Apparatus Architects offer advice to help on future cost avoidance because of the upcoming NFPA 1901 Standard changes, including stowing away more tools and equipment. Also, tune in to find out why Caterpillar and Detroit Diesel will be leaving the fire apparatus industry in 2010.
The show wraps up with a myriad of issues including the best choice of warning lights and the need for a firefighter to be stationed at the turntable during an incident.
Please send any suggestions, questions or comments, to: podcast@firehouse.com
Related Links
• Emergency Vehicle Operations
See the Apparatus Architects Live
The Apparatus Architects, Tom Shand and Michael Wilbur, will host a live podcast during the upcoming in July. After kicking some tires on the exhibit floor, stop by the classroom on Saturday, July 27 to ask the experts about your upcoming purchases. Shand and Wilbur will be presenting “Design Considerations for Heavy Rescue and Squad Apparatus” and “First Due Operations with the Engine and Truck” during the classroom lectures.
Sponsored By:
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• iTunes - Subscribe to Podcast FREE Here
The Leader's Toolbox: The Fire Chief vs. City Hall
It’s that time of year — festivals, car shows, sports events and community activities are in full swing. And, they want you!
How do you accommodate them, and make the most of the event for your department? Will the crews be available for calls or will they be committed to the community events?
Join Chief Richard B. Gasaway for his tips on turning the standby into a public education and recruitment event.
Also, listen to what he has to say to a Pennsylvania chief whose feet are being held to the fire because of a volunteer shortage. Some novel recruitment and retention ideas will be tossed around. It’s your department’s future. Tuning in just could save it!
See Chief Richard B. Gasaway Live! Chief Gasaway will be presenting 50 Ways to Kill Your Brother: Understanding Fireground Command Decision Making Under Stress on Wednesday, July 23 at the Firehouse Expo in Baltimore.
Please send any suggestions, questions or comments, to: podcast@firehouse.com
Related Links
• Fire Corps website
• National Volunteer Fire Council Retention and Recruitment Guide (PDF)
• News Article: Arkansas Areas Struggle Finding Volunteers
• News Article: Wisconsin Looking for Volunteers
• News Article: Experts Offer Volunteer Departments Remedies for Recruitment, Retention
• News Article: West Virginia Convention Focuses on Volunteer Shortage
• News Article: Wanted: Volunteers in South Carolina Community
• News Article: Ohio Volunteer Firefighters Battle Dwindling Ranks
• Firehouse Expo
• Fire Rescue International
IPOD Compatible:
• iTunes - Subscribe to Podcast FREE Here
Near-Miss Listen & Learn: Reports for Safety, Health and Survival Safety Week
In this first edition of Near-Miss Listen & Learn the focus is on the three topics of the 2008 Fire/EMS Safety, Health and Survival Safety Week. Reports covered include a seatbelt saving a firefighter from falling out of the truck when the door handle was struck, an annual medical physical resulting in bypass surgery and a report to remind us of the importance of using all PPE, including facemasks, on vehicle fires.
A two-day interactive educational session is available at Fire-Rescue International 2008 in Denver on Tuesday, Aug. 12 and Wednesday, Aug. 13. For more information, e-mail nearmiss@iafc.org.
Win the Second Annual National Fire Fighter Near-Miss Award
Submit an essay describing how your department demonstrates its commitment to firefighter safety by using the near-miss program. E-mail your essay (500 words or less) to nearmiss@iafc.org; by July 11, 2008 and you could be the winner of the Second Annual National Fire Fighter Near-Miss Award.
Related Links
• Fire Fighter Near Miss website
IPOD Compatible:
• iTunes - Subscribe to Podcast FREE Here
Sponsored By:
Fire Panel Tackles Issues from Community Fire Protection to Line-of-Duty Deaths
The National Fire Sprinkler Association is proud to present a panel discussion featuring Chief Alan Brunacini, Chief Dennis Rubin, Chief Sean Decrane, Chief John Buckman, and Bob James with Underwriters Laboratories. NFSA’s Shane Ray will be the moderator. Please join this excellent group as they discuss a wide range of issues in the fire service including current studies from UL to traditional tactical concepts.
The panel also will discuss a range of topics including firefighter line-of-duty deaths and injuries, thermal insult, fire department capabilities, old and new construction, the code process, and the role fire sprinklers play.
We have the opportunity to chart the course for the future. Let’s grab that brass ring.
IPOD Compatible:
• iTunes - Subscribe to Podcast FREE Here
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Through The Smoke: Charleston & The Routley Phase II Report - Part 2
One year ago, on June 18, nine firefighters from the Charleston, SC, Fire Department (CFD) were tragically killed in the line of duty in a commercial building fire.
An independent panel, lead by retired Fire Chief Gordon Routley, that was hired to study the CFD following the Sofa Super Store tragedy has now released the Phase II section of the report. This report clearly identifies what went wrong - and why. It says the department inadequately trained and supervised its personnel and those problems directly led to the men being exposed to excessive risks on the night of the fire. The report also cites that firefighters did not follow standard practices and had obsolete equipment when battling the Sofa Super Store blaze. There was no command, control or accountability and the tactics were woefully inadequate.
Join Chief Billy Goldfeder for a discussion with Chief Gordon Routley and panelist Chief Mike Chiarmonte as they discuss the issues specific to moving forward and the re-building of the Charleston Fire Department.
Related Links
• Charleston Phase II Report: Poor Training Led to Deaths
• Charleston, SC, Sofa Store Fireground Audio
• Phase II Report (PDF)
• Firehouse.com’s Charleston, SC, Tragedy Coverage
• Through The Smoke: The Charleston Fire - What’s Changed? - Part 1
IPOD Compatible:
• iTunes - Subscribe to Podcast FREE Here
Sponsored By:
VCOS Radio: Fire/EMS Safety, Health and Survival Week
In this edition of VCOS Radio, host Tim Wall talks with a panel of chief officers from across the U.S. about the upcoming Fire/EMS Safety, Health and Survival Week, being held June 22-28.
Guests on this show include Chief Jeff Cash from the Cherryville, NC, Fire Department; Chief Joseph Florentino of the Little Elm, TX, Fire Department and Chief Jerry Holt from the Urbandale, IA, Fire Department. The guests are all members of the Volunteer and Combination Officer Section (VCOS) of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC.)
The panels members talk about issues including response safety, the proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and fitness and wellness programs. This discussion also includes how these chiefs, along with their officers, make sure that the members of their departments follow their guidelines and talk about the method of discipline that they use.
Tim Wall, who is a chief in Connecticut and serves as the chairman of VCOS reviews the SAFER grant application process, which is due by the end of June. His guests offer advise on how to add funding to their departments budgets.
Related Links
• 2008 Fire/EMS Safety, Health and Survival Week
• 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives
• VCOS Website
• National Volunteer Fire Council Website
IPOD Compatible:
• iTunes - Subscribe to Podcast FREE Here
Sponsored By:
An Inside Look at Firehouse Expo 2008
This year, Firehouse Expo will celebrate it’s 25th Anniversary in Baltimore, MD. The week-long event, starting July 22, features the best fire service instructors from across America and the largest exhibit floor to date.
Hear from Firehouse Expo Program Director Harvey Eisner about some of the hands-on and classroom training sessions as well as the keynote speakers presentation and some of the special classes that review some of the highlights over the last 25 years.
Show Manager Mary Velline talks about addition of over 30 education opportunities for EMS personnel as the Cygnus Expositions Group includes the new EMS at Firehouse Expo. Mary also discusses the expanded exhibit floor, that brings in new EMS vendors.
To help learn from the tragic lessons of the last 25 years, you will hear from that took part in the collapse of a Hackensack, NJ, car dealership that claimed five firefighters, the Worcester, MA, Cold Storage Warehouse that took the lives of six firefighters and the recent Minneapolis Bridge collapse.
Learn more about Firehouse Expo and register at: FirehouseExpo.com.
The Apparatus Architects: Rig Replacement Programs and Current Trends
In this month’s edition of the Apparatus Architects, hosts Tom Shand and Michael Wilbur take a look at some of the recent trends in new units being purchased.
One of the new trends is the ever increasing size of pumpers. They discuss the features including length and added load capacity. Shand and Wilbur also look at the larger water tanks. They wrap up the trends discussion with a review of quints versus ladder trucks.
The Apparatus Architects talk about the importance of apparatus replacement programs.
Shand and Wilbur also discuss recent news items involving fire apparatus, including crashes and the death of a firefighter struck by a ladder pipe in Pennsylvania. They applaud NIOSH officials their quick response to publish a safety alert.
Please send any suggestions, questions or comments, to: podcast@firehouse.com.
Related Links
• NIOSH Releases Aerial Ladder Advisory Following Pennsylvania LODD
• Emergency Vehicle Response
See the Apparatus Architects Live
The Apparatus Architects, Tom Shand and Michael Wilbur, will host a live podcast during the upcoming in July. After kicking some tires on the exhibit floor, stop by the classroom on Saturday, July 27 to ask the experts about your upcoming purchases. Shand and Wilbur will be presenting “Design Considerations for Heavy Rescue and Squad Apparatus” and “First Due Operations with the Engine and Truck” during the classroom lectures.
Sponsored By:
IPOD Compatible:
• iTunes - Subscribe to Podcast FREE Here
Firehouse Magazine Insider: June 2008
The June edition of Firehouse Magazine features the first of a a three-part series titled “The Fire Service Food Chain,” authored by John G. Dahms, Richard A. Mueller and David F. Peterson, of the Wisconsin FLAME (Fire Leadership And Management Excellence) Group.
Firehouse.com talks with David Peterson about the development of the series that explores the responsibilities of fire service leaders, from the fire chief down to the company officer.
Peterson and members of the Wisconsin FLAME Group developed a system includes the department vision, mission and values or VMV to ensure all members of the department understand their duties and responsibilities .
Related Links
• David Peterson’s biography and list of archived articles
• Click here to subscribe to Firehouse Magazine
IPOD Compatible:
• iTunes - Subscribe to Podcast FREE Here
The Leader's Toolbox: Working with a Unmotivated Captain
In this edition of The Leader’s Toolbox, Host and Chief Richard B. Gasaway works with guest Chief Doug Cline to tackle a few issues listeners have mentioned. Doug Cline is the Chief of Eden, NC, Fire Department.
They assist a new officer who is looking to enhance his training and experience beyond the basics. Listen to the options available to fire service personnel. The National Fire Academy has a variety of online courses available.
The fire service has changed dramatically over the last few years. Hear what the chiefs have to say to a new firefighter who is trying to boost training. How does the new person on the block get the message across with tact? Cline offers great advice in hopes of keeping the dinosaur from hatching dinosaur eggs.
Related Links
• Exam Preparation for Fire Officer I & II by Doug Cline
• Officer Development Handbook published by the IAFC
IPOD Compatible:
• iTunes - Subscribe to Podcast FREE Here
