To paraphrase an old saying: The only constant in life is change. Life changes every day for every person in some way. The same hold true in the fire service. Technology has lead to some significant changes to the tools we use to fight fires over the years. However the actual buildings we fight fires […]

The construction industry began using pre-manufactured components and lightweight construction methods  over 50 years ago in order to improve the efficiency of the construction process and to reduce costs associated with materials. One of the major things that many firefighters have written and taught about over the years is Metal Gusset Plates. Metal gusset plates […]

CLINTON, Md. (WJLA) — A 13-year-old boy who made a dramatic call to 911 and his 9-year-old sister were rescued from a house fire Sunday morning by Prince George’s County firefighters. PGFD firefighters describe the rescue of two kids from a burning Clinton house. (Photo: Jeff Goldberg/WJLA) As the boy talked with the 911 operator, […]

Firefighters from Abingdon Fire Company, The Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company, Joppa Magnolia Volunteer Fire Company, Inc. (Official) and Aberdeen Proving Ground FD have the Winterberry Drive fire under control (20min). One civilian male taken to a regional hospital for treatment of minor injuries. Media: Jenn will be POC for your calls. Rich/Jenn Original Source: […]

This post is in honor of Firefighter Mark Falkenhan on the forth anniversary of this tragic incident. The best way we can honor Mark is to review the lesson learned and make sure we are keeping doors closed on the fireground until fire is under control and we  also all need to make a greater effort at educating […]

Most people are aware that homes built in the last 15 to 20 years have made some attempt to be energy efficient. However, there has been significant increase of builders and consumers raising the bar to achieve Superinsulation. No, ‘superinsulation’ does not have a cape, or a big S on it. It is also not […]

In this post we will honor the loss of Lt. Arnie Wolff and the sacrifice of Firefighter Jo Brinkley-Chaudoir. By examining this incident in detail, we will discover lessons that will we can share with others. Incident Summary: At 12:24 PM on August 13, 2006 the Green Bay Fire Department (GBFD) was dispatched to a […]

This webinar will cover the results of a study commissioned by the Fire Protection Research Foundation to develop a baseline of information on the intersection of “green building” design and fire safety. The study identified gaps and specific research needs associated with understanding and addressing fire risk and hazards with green building design. Instructor: Brian […]

Spray Foam has struck again! Back in September I wrote a post to raise awareness of Spray Polyurethane Foam (SPF) for the fire service. In this article I referenced that there had been several fires that happen during the application of  SPF. By the initial reports it is appearing that a recent mansion fire in Middlebury Connecticut […]

While there has been much discussion about interior stream vs. exterior or transitional vs. interior fire attack. This short post isn’t about rather you should or shouldn’t. To me there is a time and place for both. However if you decide to make the push interior, door control is essential until you have a charged […]