Tag Archives: leadership

The working length of hose is critical when it comes to an engine companies ability to rapidly extinguish a fire. The working length is that first 50 feet of hose from the nozzle to the first coupling. It is the ...

Placards are used to help us identify what a vehicle is hauling. They usually have a corresponding number in the ERG to let us know what to do when we encounter the corresponding material. However would you be surprised to ...

Webster’s Dictionary defines Tunnel Vision as: constriction of the visual field resulting in loss of peripheral vision   extreme narrowness of viewpoint : narrow-mindedness; also : single-minded concentration on one objective In the Fire service, we often associate “tunnel vision” ...

“You are trying to do the hardest thing possible, you are trying to lead from the middle” Chief Andrew Baxter *The above quote was told to me by Chief Baxter at a low point in my fire service career. I ...

As we pulled out of the station and started up the hill, black smoke poured over the horizon. We have got a fire I spoke out loud to the engine driver. He was the only one to hear it, as ...

I fully understand the irony of this post as I sit here on my laptop, with my big screen TV, while checking my smart phone, and posting a blog… When I was a young volunteer officer the internet became a ...

I am a firm believer that “Leaders are Readers”. With the rapid pace the fire service takes these days, and its transition to more scientific research, and an emphasis on analytical data for decision making it is impossible to keep ...

Two of the best pieces of advice I have ever been given while coming up in the fire service had to do with mountains and elephants. While this may seem weird please allow me to explain. Whenever I was struggling ...

One of the biggest things I always here about why firefighters do train everyday is time! To be honest I get it! Most firefighters in the country are volunteer and are working a full-time job, raising families, and still trying ...

No matter what you do in life, you always need someone to talk to, to bounce ideas off of, to confide in. I call them mentors, but no matter what you call them that person plays a significant role in ...