Thursday, August 7, 2008
Md. Town Mandates Sprinklers for New Homes
In the near future, all new homes built in Frederick, Md., will have at least one thing in common: a fire sprinkler system. The Frederick Board of Aldermen has passed an ordinance requiring all newly built one- and two-family dwellings to have sprinklers....
Polish Pilgrimage
By Mary Beth Michos
A trip to the Main School of Fire Service in Poland finds a fire service eager to learn....
Competitive Benefits
By Jim Weiss & Mickey Davis
It can be hard to replicate the high stakes of vehicular extrication during training. ...
Safe Returns
By Jeffrey Pindelski
Make sure firefighters train in rapid intervention while taking the proper precautions....
Tests Show Reduced Resin Fire Protection
Unsaturated polyester resins are classified by NFPA 30 as Class I flammable liquids, often Class IC, based on their styrene content. However, because UPR is a viscous liquid with a low vapor pressure and a high density, it has been postulated that UPR stored in drums might behave more like a melted plastic than a non-miscible Class IC liquid when subjected to fire, enabling the use of reduced fire protection system designs as compared to protection schemes ordinarily required by NFPA 30 for Class IC liquids. A recent test supports this conclusion...
Another Perspective
by Janet Wilmoth, Editorial Director
During last week's Chicago Fire Department Life-Safety Conference, U.S. Army Lt. Col. Ryan Yantis spoke during the general session. Yantis, who was at the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001, discussed some of the events during that period from a military perspective. He also offered his list of lessons learned over the past five years...
Command Coaching
By I. David Daniels, MHRM, MIFireE
The role and function of the incident commander can be compared plausibly with the pivotal positions of major sports teams. Incident commanders and quarterbacks, pitchers and point guards are similar in that all are leaders of teams and must be not only physically but mentally gifted to be most effective. Another similarity is that great players tend to flourish with the guidance of great coaches. Few would argue that Michael Jordan was the greatest player in the history of the NBA, but he didn’t win a championship until Phil Jackson became his coach. Can the same comparison be made with respect to incident commanders ...
Stay Afloat
By Sean Hidalgo
Catastrophic events often remind first responders of the need to continually hone and refresh their skills. Hurricane Katrina and the flooding in the...
Backstage Pass
By Janet Wilmoth
What's the difference between fans at a Nine Inch Nails concert and listeners at a classical music event? The Rosemont (Ill.) Public Safety Department...
Consider the “Safety Sandwich”
By I. David Daniels, MHRM, MIFireE
The command and management structures of the National Incident Management System are intended to be modular and scalable based on the size and complexity of incident. Some safety officers, however, have expressed concern about a potential limitation in the ICS portion of NIMS...
Permit Required
By Craig Byron
Over the last decade, fire departments and districts have assumed responsibility for an increasingly broader range of special operations. Today there's...
No Time-Outs in Tactics, Responses
By Ronny J. Coleman
Here's a question for you: How long does it take to play a one-hour football game? The answer is that it depends on the number of time-outs. Football...
So Long, Strauss!
Last month I took my Mom to an André Rieu concert to celebrate her birthday. More than 11,000 people crowded the Allstate Arena, which is located across from O'Hare International Airport. As the festive opening number ended, however, my mind began to play "what if." What if a plane came down too early into the arena? What if something caught fire and demanded a mass evacuation ...
Command On the Go
By I. David Daniels, MHRM, MIFireE
There is little to dispute the importance of a fixed command post, but there is a situation where the use of “command on the go” may be an applicable and effective strategic decision...
Shared Experiences
Ray E. Orozco Jr. has taken the reins of the Chicago Fire Department. First on the agenda? A life-safety conference that attracts chiefs from all over....
State of Readiness
By Doug Brandes
Oklahoma takes a collaborative approach to building a state-of-the-art regional emergency response system....
Course of Action
By Darren Hutchinson
Almost anyone who has been deployed to the interface has been involved in the triage of structures threatened by wildfire. For some you have days and...
Command and the 'Red Flag'
By I. David Daniels, MHRM, MIFireE
At the scene of an incident, it’s not only important that the incident command support the operations section, tactical-level management and single resources when they are going the right direction, but also be ready to challenge their assumptions where appropriate and necessary....
The 4th Element
By Jeremy Keller
The three Es of wildfire mitigation and prevention are joined by ecosystem management....
Battle Fatigue
By Dominic Colletti
The war on live-fire training promises to be long, with firefighters among the potential casualties....
E85 Fuel Fires Mean New Tactics
Fire chiefs should be aware that E85 fuel, an alternative fuel composed of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline, is gaining wider distribution. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, fires involving E85 should be treated differently than conventional gasoline fires....
Command and the 'White Flag'
By I. David Daniels, MHRM, MIFireE
Sometimes there is tendency on the part of incident commanders to take “determination” to the extreme, and in some cases to the detriment of their strategic goals...
Stubborn Drought, Hurricanes Add to Fire Worries
Gregg Garfin, CLIMAS Program Manager Robyn Heffernan BLM National Assistant Fire Weather Program Man
High fire potential across the Southern Plains, Texas, the Southwest and portions of Florida will continue through early summer, according to predictions...
First Class
By Philip Schaenman
A recent study says that the most comprehensive, intensive fire prevention program with the best sustained bottom line is that of the U.S. Navy....
It's About Time
By Azarang “Ozzie” Mirkhah
The high-rise safety needs of first responders are often overwhelmed by builders' financial constraints. Now is the time to make a difference....
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