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When we get dispatched to a medical call, we should use 3 rule outs to prevent us from getting tunnel vision and to assist in finding the underlying medical problem. Think of three medical problems that the patient complaint may be caused by and use those rule outs to help get a...

Since 2011, the United States has seen a marked increase in the number of mass violent events (Active Shooter/Terrorism) (FBI, 2014). These increases have put a spotlight on the Public Safety communities’ response. Since the events of Columbine High School, Virginia Tech...

Just when we thought that firefighting wasn’t dangerous enough, firefighters are facing a whole new set of hazards when we respond to fires involving clandestine drug labs (CDLs).  In this article series, we will discuss what can be produced at CDLs, how we can recognize them,...

As firefighters & officers we have a responsibly to take an active role in the fire investigation because putting an arsonist behind bars may potentially save the life of a brother/sister firefighter -Scott Ebbert Fire is the most costly public safety problem in the United...

In the last article I covered the first 4 fundamentals of carrying out an extrication at a motor vehicle accident (MVA). Today we will cover the last 4. #5 – Taking The Glass & Covering The Patient If you need to take the glass, it is imperative to cover the patient. A...

Motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) are a common response for us in the fire service. Many times these incidents involve injuries and frequently are more of an EMS response than fire. We may secure the vehicle’s power, protect the scene with our apparatus and apply an absorbent...

Fire Service Elevator Phase 2 Operations In the previous article, we discussed how to operate Phase 1 of the Fire Service Elevator Controls. Now we will discuss how to use Phase 2 of the Fire Service Elevator Controls. Phase 2 Fire Service Control ON” (Fire Service Mode) “OFF”...

When we respond to incidents in buildings with elevators do we know how to best utilize the tools that have been built for us? I am speaking about the use of the Fire Service Elevator. The Fire Service elevator will assist us in gaining access to upper floors in a timely and...

Flammable liquid fires are an often overlooked incident that firefighters may face sometime in their career. These are incidents that are rare in their occurrence and when encountered are often small in nature; such as a ruptured gas tank...

How many of you have thought, “If I just had one more firefighter on this job it would be much easier on my crew physically and we could actually work more effectively.” I am sure it has crossed your mind. It has crossed mine many times. Well the National Institute...