15
2012
Dedication and Commitment: The Guts to Do More
Blog by Doug Cline International Society of Fire Service Instructors, Vice President As instructors, we have a duty to provide the highest quality of service and instruction. We need to be our students’ inspiration, pushing them to strive for excellence. But there’s a question we need to answer: Are we, ourselves, dedicated and committed enough? Instructors need to... Continue Reading
8
2012
Learning to Be the Boss
Blog by Alan Brunacini Retired Phoenix Fire Chief and Author of “Functional Boss Behaviors” I’ve studied bosses, and I’ve noticed that the best predictor of behavior in an organization is to look at the way the boss behaves. Often times, however, we lose sight of the fact that the relationships between bosses and workers have a very direct impact... Continue Reading
1
2012
Boiling Point: Avoiding the Hypertensive Fallout
Blog by Todd J. LeDuc Deputy Chief, Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue (Fla.) A published study by the Institute of Medicine calls attention to a national epidemic that is particularly threatening to firefighters across the globe – untreated hypertension. With cardiovascular events one of the leading causes of firefighter morbidity and mortality, unrecognized and untreated... Continue Reading
23
2012
The Paradoxical Commandments of Leadership
Blog by Doug Cline International Society of Fire Service Instructors, Vice President It’s always good to remember what we were taught by our mentors. Listed below are “The Paradoxical Commandments of Leadership,” which I was raised on during my early years in the fire service. These commandments are right on, not only for those of us in the fire service, but every... Continue Reading
18
2012
CDC Makes It Clear: Vaccination Records are Your Responsibility
Blog by Katherine West Author and consultant on infection control In December of 2011, the Center for Disease Control published updated guidelines and recommendations regarding vaccine records. The document clearly stated that EMS personnel are indeed covered under these guidelines, stating “Health-Care Personnel (HCP) might include (but not limited to) physicians,... Continue Reading
3
2012
A Case for Company Performance Standards
Blog by Bill Sturgeon Retired Division Chief of Training for Orange County Fire Rescue Department in Florida During the 1970s, the fire service became involved in Emergency Medical Services. Then, during the ’80s, it was Hazmat. And in the ’90s, it was technical rescue. After 9/11, Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) became the new service everyone wanted to provide. We... Continue Reading
21
2011
Celebrate Your Department’s Legacy
Blog by Battalion Chief Chris Hubbard Hanover Fire & EMS Training Academy I liken it to Tom Brokaw’s bestselling novel “The Greatest Generation.” That sparsely populated group of remarkable individuals who left a footprint on our profession without even knowing. You know whom I’m talking about. The “old-timers.” The ones who don’t come around quite... Continue Reading
13
2011
What’s the Best Way to Maximize My Personnel’s Training?
Blog by Jacob Johnson Pearland Fire Department in Texas It’s natural for fire service instructors to question whether they are training their personnel properly. They may wonder, “Am I training my people on the right things?” The answer to that question is simple: Training coordinators should focus on what needs to be covered, as well as what personnel wants... Continue Reading
5
2011
Stop the Entertainment During Fire Suppression Operations
Blog by Christopher Naum Chief of Training, Command Institute, Washington D.C. There’s an often overlooked factor contributing to unsafe practices during fire suppression operations, one that we rarely talk about. In short, we need to stop “entertaining” ourselves during operations and instead focus on comprehending and reacting to evolving risks. Rather than... Continue Reading
30
2011
The Power of CRM: Collective Situational Awareness
Blog by Paul LeSage Author of ‘Crew Resource Management: Principles and Practice’ The trauma call was going smoothly. Emergency responders Kyla and Nick were communicating well with the paramedics, and the 46-year-old male patient had just been successfully intubated based on all clinical and technical indicators. The veteran Nick asked Kyla if she wanted to... Continue Reading