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The Size-Up or Situation Report (Sit-Rep) is designed to be clear, concise and brief. It paints the picture of the emergency scene for dispatchers and responding companies. Almost as important as what we say during our Size-Up is how we say it. It is imperative that we are calm...

TIP # 1: Identify and set-up shop in your team’s strengths and passions  It’s easy to lose focus of what we enjoy doing when we are drowning in administrative responsibilities, and/or dealing with difficult people on the job, especially when you go months or longer between...

One of the keys to improving your functional fitness and fire ground performance is to use The Big 8 of Firefighter Functional Fitness as your foundation.  The Big 8 concept is comprised of Core Strength, Cardiovascular Capacity, Flexibility, The Push, The Pull, The Lift, The...

“Audacity, more audacity, always audacity!” -Georges Jacques Danton, French Revolutionary Leader The term “Audacity” often gets cast in a negative light. It can be used to describe someone who offends or irritates. It is shocking and widely unappreciated by many. Without a doubt,...

When it comes to Firefighter Functional Fitness, you are only limited by your imagination with the tools and equipment you can use to improve your cardiovascular capacity, your strength, and your flexibility.  “Standard” exercise equipment such as barbells, and dumbbells, common...

Facing your biggest critic: “I have really come to hate this guy” As I watched the truckies cut on the car and work with the engine to lift the unconscious body onto the waiting stretcher, I couldn’t help but take the situation in. A single vehicle over the interstate guardrail...

There are no two ways around it: all firefighters love to eat.  Regrettably, most of us tend to eat the wrong foods and, they do not “love us back.”  Between negative peer pressure from fellow firefighters and “thank you” gifts from well-meaning citizens, junk foods, donuts, and...

Firefighter fitness success depends on our attitude, personal accountability, and action.  But when it comes to working out, we all know that the most common barrier is lack of motivation.  Nearly every firefighter agrees that being fit for duty is a fundamental requirement of...

“Get the fundamentals down and the level of everything you do will rise.” -Michael Jordan We have heard from plenty of firefighters who want a make positive changes in their fitness, but they have no idea where to begin.  If you haven’t participated in a regular exercise regimen...

Do you want to perform at your best on the fire ground?  We all say we do, and we spend countless hours training and practicing skills so that we can not only perform them with mastery.  After all, at end of the day, it is those skills that cannot let us down if something goes...