Category

Technology today has its eyes on everyone and everything, and it can be sent around the world in an instant, and there is nearly no stopping it. I tell my guys that as soon as the bay doors open someone’s watching. Not only are they watching, but our words and actions are being...

Calorie and Activity Tracker Each year during the annual firefighter fitness tests that I do here in Oregon, the firefighters I work with are required to complete a nutritional analysis on themselves using an online calorie tracker. While this always drums up a lot of moaning and...

Poor communication I heard a marriage counselor state that most people learn how to “not talk to each other” by getting married. He went on to say, walk into any restaurant and you can immediately tell who most of the married couples are. They are the ones sitting there silently...

When transitioning from firefighter to officer, the first thing we have to realize is we are now the leader first and friend second. If you want to remain buddies with everyone, then don’t take the position of officer. The crews need a leader and a leader leads. Before you make a...

In part 1 we discussed how the leadership compass is built and how you as a leader in the fire service need to develop a leadership philosophy. Putting Together A Plan, Need An Example? Once you’ve answered these questions for yourself, write them into a philosophy that you can...

You don’t have to be around the fire service long before you will find cancer in the fire service. I am not talking about the cancer that affects our physical health.   I am talking about the toxic cancer that effects our moral. The mocking and hurtful things we say and do to...

Marriage Accountability In marriage, if we are not growing closer together we are probably drifting apart. Understanding the need to constantly invest in your marriage helps to put our priorities in order. Your marriage takes maintenance. As a couple, you need to be investing in...

Frontal boundaries bring some of the most drastic changes in the weather that we perceive.  Most of you who live in the middle latitudes (30-60 degrees north or south, North America) can probably recall a time where it was warm one minute and then the wind shifted and it started...

The United States Navy continually monitors the performance of its warships to ensure that they are always battle-ready. Over time, naval leaders noticed that some ships were performing at a higher level than others. This was puzzling because the ship classes were standardized,...

Do you need to recharge your batteries? From time to time there are great networking opportunities to connect with like-minded individuals who share our passion for brotherhood and hunger for education. PLUG IN! Let’s really examine what it means to recharge our batteries. There...