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Firefighter Survival Gear – What Do You Carry?

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Constant training is required to remain proficient at any job – firefighting is no different. The excuse that “we don’t need to train – we do it every day” is nothing more than an excuse. Most of the busiest fire companies train on a continuous basis – staying prepared and keeping up with the latest techniques and technologies. What’s this got to do with firefighter survival gear, right? Basically, if you can’t take care of the basics during an emergency then it’s unlikely you’ll be able to take care of yourself or your crew!

What Could Go Wrong?
Who knows! It’s really not about what could go wrong as much as it’s about what you’re prepared to do about it. What do you carry, on a regular basis, that you consider survival gear that will help you survive? Are you proficient at using the survival gear? (more…)

The Two Sides of Firefighter Training

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There’s been a number of discussions lately that imply that our training may be what’s getting us into more and more trouble on the fireground. Here’s a few thoughts to consider…

We’ve been involved in firefighter survival and rapid intervention team training for a while now, in addition to basic engine and truck company training, and have found that as the years go by there are more-and-more images showing up that capture firefighters in very bad situations. The images also capture the fact that the firefighters are getting out of those bad situations. These situations, captured by the images, are like a double-edge sword. What do the images say?

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Managing YOUR Mayday

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MAYDAY! Sooner or later it just might happen to you. The big question is – are you prepared to deal with it? Consider the following scenario – upon arrival you encounter heavy smoke in a two-story double residence. The company you’re with is assigned to search and rescue, the first due engine is in the process of making the hydrant and advancing the attack line – the search begins. The house is very cluttered and it’s difficult to make progress. As you begin to make your way to the second floor the stairs give way and you’re in the basement – your partner already made the floor and doesn’t realize you’re not right behind. The engine crew runs into a slight delay and the fire begins to gain the stairway to the second floor. (more…)