Thursday, January 8, 2009
When White Lies Become a Whitewash
[ Ronny J. Coleman ]
Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practise to deceive. Sort of a pity isn't it? A modern-day translation of that might read, If you're going...
Lessons Learned From My Worst Officer
David L. Murphy
I learned a lot more from my worst officer than from my best. Here are 10 traits of unsatisfactory officers that you should not emulate. ...
EFOP Symposium Rescheduled for June
Medic Merger
By Bill Lowe & Alex Cohilas
On March 18, 2002, newly appointed Fire Chief Alex Cohilas issued a directive abolishing the Clayton County (Ga.) Fire Department's almost 20-year history...
Watch Your Mouth for Profanity Insanity
[ Ronny J. Coleman ]
At the tender age of 17 I joined the U.S. Marine Corps. As a young man in Oklahoma, I learned my fair share of four-letter words. After all, I had been...
Changes to Standards Help Drive New Ideas
[ Bruce Evans ]
Modern and progressive fire departments now look to achieve some level of accreditation, review or award from an outside source to benchmark their service....
Make Your Dreams of the Future a Reality
[ Ronny J. Coleman ]
One of the communications terms we often hear in our society is sound bite. Derived from film and broadcasting vernacular, it's a very short snippet of...
Combo Chiefs Offer Up Conflict Solutions
[ Mike Chiaramonte ]
Two fire chiefs, one of a volunteer and the other of a combination department, who had been friends for years decided to take a trip to Italy. They arrived...
Firefighter Suspensions Must Heed Due Process
[ Philip Stittleburg ]
In August 2002, Richard Greene was discharged from his position as a volunteer firefighter by the Medford (N.Y.) Fire Department. The events leading up...
Sink or Swim for Better Budget Development
[ Ronny J. Coleman ]
When I learned to swim, I learned the hard way. My father and I were riding horses one day right outside Riverton, Kan. We became all hot and sweaty in...
Dress Blues
By Mica Calfee
With changes in society and new NFPA regulations, many departments are weighing their uniform choices. While the trend toward the casualization of work...
Budget Buttress
By Kelvin J. Cochran & Brian A. Crawford
Fire departments struggling to secure funding for maintaining service levels can face frustration over elected officials' lack of support for budgetary...
His Kind of Town
New Chicago Fire Commissioner Cortez Trotter isn't afraid to think big, advancing more training for all members....
Unacceptable Behavior
By I. David Daniels
The recent NBA skirmish involving both players and fans shocked the sporting world as well as the rest of the nation. Opinions vary on who was at fault...
Aesop's Fables and Firehouse Culture
[ Ronny J. Coleman ]
Aesop told a lot of really good stories, with almost all of them including some sort of moral that was revealed by the interaction between a couple of...
Search Ability Added to Fire/EMS Law Site
VFIS Develops 'Volunteer Fire Company Planning Processes'
VFIS
Just Like a Business
By William F. Jenaway
The volunteer and combination fire service of today is simply not an emergency response agency. Today's version is a quasi-business, recognized as being...
Follow the Leader
By Gary Johnson
The subject of succession may stir feelings of defensiveness, indifference or passion. The emotional volatility of the subject is rooted in its most vital...
Supremes on ADA, trucks get religion
John Rukavina
On May 17, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its decision in Tennessee v. Lane (No. 02-1667), a case raising the question of whether a state was liable...
Leaders Must Embrace the Power of Paradox
[ Ronny J. Coleman ]
Do opposites really attract? That witticism is often uttered to explain away how two very different people can get along very well, implying that the...
Qualified Privilege May Not Block All Evidence
[ Philip Stittleburg ]
Sept. 11, 2001, injured so many people and organizations in so many different ways. Certainly, one of the most grievously injured was the Fire Department...
Best in Show
By Brian Davey
Many articles promote better ways to manage fire departments. They provide ideas, describe tools and provoke discussion for managers, be they crew or...
Ticket to Ride
By Robert P.Avsec
Strategic project management can work in a fire and EMS organization if the fire chief is behind the project and everyone in the organization knows it....
Concentrated Effort
By Dannie C. Smith
Budget planners are increasingly tightening belts and making tough decisions. It's certainly not uncommon to read about cities considering staff and service...
| Commentary | Special Reports | Station Style |
|---|---|---|
|
Mutual Aid is a blog of news and views from FIRE CHIEF staff and industry experts — a virtual conversation about the issues important to you as a fire service leader. |
In Service provides information on fleet management, apparatus specifying and maintenance. Keep abreast of new trends and changes to emergency vehicle apparatus. |
Station Style focuses on the architectural design and needs of fire and emergency stations today. See the latest in design trends and learn about the Fire Station Design Awards. |
