Science/Fire Testing/Building Construction
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A Building Construction Alphabet
A glossary of building construction terms
Author: Vincent Dunn
Tags: Building construction, Vincent Dunn, fire attack, firefighting, collapse, structural components, truss, beams, fire attack, fire strategies
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Modern Residence
A scientific look at how today's residential construction methods & materials have changed the hazard zone.
Authors: Robert G. Backstrom, James M. Dalton, Steven Kerber, and Peter Van Dorpe
Tags: Building construction, hazard zone, residential fires, NIST, UL, building materials, engineered lumber, fire science, fire strategies and tactics
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Dangerous Voids & Hidden Spaces
Containing fire in single-family residences, plus a wood-frame construction primer
Author: Vincent Dunn
Tags: Building construction, Vincent Dunn, fire attack, firefighting, collapse, structural components, fire attack, fire strategies, voids, single-family residences, wood frame construction
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Steamy Suggestions
Recent fire research invites a hot, new fire-attack method
Author: Nick Brunacini
Tags: Fire science, fire research, change, progress, humor, editorial, satire
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Kill the Flashover
An article that discusses new approaches to preventing flashover
Author: Joe M. Starnes
Tags: Flashover, flashover research, fire science, test burns, air flow, flow paths, Kill the Flashover
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How Hot is Hot?
How heat-release rates can help us gauge thermal hazards.
Author: Dan Madrzykowski
Tags: Heat release rates, UL, NIST, fire science, fire tests, HRR, modern construction, legacy construction, contents heat release rates, structure heat release rates
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Reading Smoke
All that smoke has something to say. Learn how to interpret smoke's signals for a smarter, safer fire attack.
Author: Dave Dodson
Tags: Smoke, reading smoke, fire attack, fire strategy, smoke volume, smoke velocity, smoke density, smoke color, flow path
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Danger Down Below
Recent live fire tests reveal scary truth about basement fires.
Author: James M. Dalton & Peter Van Dorpe
Tags: NIST, UL, Fire Research Group, Chicago Fire Department, basements, basement fires, size up, ventilation, collapse, collapse times, floor sounding, lumbar, engineered wood, I joists, trusses
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The Key to Commercial Success
Tips to help you fight fires in commercial buildings & get out alive.
Author: Vincent Dunn
Tags: Building construction, Vincent Dunn, fire attack, firefighting, commercial buildings, high rise, fire strategy, large floor plans, cellars, subcellars, trapdoors, elevators, high ceilings
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The Bigger They Are, The Harder They Fall
Working in smaller buildings adjacent to larger burn structures can have dire consequences.
Author: Vincent Dunn
Tags: Building construction, Vincent Dunn, fire attack, firefighting, fire strategy, collapse, large buildings, small buildings, incident command, IC, command, hazard zone, collapse zone
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The Key to Commercial Success II
Additional tips to help fire crews stay safe in commercial structures.
Author: Vincent Dunn
Tags: Building construction, Vincent Dunn, fire attack, firefighting, commercial buildings, high rise, fire strategy, large floor plans, cellars, subcellars, trapdoors, elevators, high ceilings
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Control & Command for Collapse Incidents
When responding to a building collapse or explosion, the IC must control the scene before commanding rescue operations.
Author: Vincent Dunn
Tags: Command, incident command, incident commander, collapse, building collapse, explosions, search and rescue, rescue personnel, collapse zone
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Type Casting
Author: Vincent Dunn
Building types offer clues to predictable fire-spread problems.
Building construction, Vincent Dunn, fire attack, firefighting, fire strategy, Type I, Type II, Type III, Type IV, Type V, fire resistive, non combustible, ordinary, heavy timber, wood frame, construction types
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Miles of Trouble
Author: Vincent Dunn
Great lengths of combustible electrical cable hide behind walls, inside closets & above ceilings.
Great lengths of combustible electrical cable hide behind walls, inside closets & above ceilings.
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Truss Issues
Author: Vincent Dunn
Bowstring truss roofs are inherently unsafe for firefighters. Learn how to size them up for safer ops.
Building construction, Vincent Dunn, fire attack, firefighting, fire strategy, bowstring truss, truss, collapse, building failure
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Chief Dunn's Top 10
Author: Vincent Dunn
Building construction guru Vincent Dunn shares 10 things you must know about firefighting in 2.5-story structures.
Building construction, Vincent Dunn, fire attack, firefighting, fire strategy, 2.5 story building, command, incident command, incident commander, ground ladder, hoseline, venting, ventilation, aerial ladders, Type V, wood construction, collapse
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Tracking Toxic Exposures
Author: Dan Suhr, PhD & Henry Ryng
Firefighters work in an unseen cloud of dangerous substances. Improved exposure-tracking methods could provide a valuable snapshot of these toxins.
Toxins, toxic, exposure tracking, cancer, IDLH, Emergency
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9 Tips for Type I Buildings
Vincent Dunn
Chief Vincent Dunn tells us what to keep in mind when working in fire-resistive structures.
Building construction, Vincent Dunn, fire attack, firefighting, fire strategy, Type 1, Type One, fire resistive structures, HVAC, ceiling space, void spaces, curtain wall, SFRM, spay on fire resistive material, sprinklers, sprinkled building, sprinkler failure, standpipe, standpipe failure, stairways, elevators, elevator failure
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A Sound Solution
Eric Tomlinson
A Washington State fire department solved on-scene communications problems with a simple, inexpensive hearing device.
ambient noise, chaos, loud, hearing loss, hearing aids, communication, on scene communication, radio communication, earpiece, radio feedback, Kent Fire Department Regional Fire Authority, ear protection, hearing protection, audiologist
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7 Tips for Type II Buildings
Vincent Dunn
Chief Vincent Dunn explains the hidden dangers in noncombustible/limited combustible structures.
Building construction, Vincent Dunn, fire attack, firefighting, fire strategy, Type II, noncombustible, limited combustible, fuel load, steel, steel failure, trusses, steel-bar joists, roof operations, protected steel, unprotected steel
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SLICE-RS
The latest fire research has prompted a different tactical approach. Read on to learn the truth about this sometimes-controversial SLICE-RS concept.
By Eddie Buchanan
Fire research, fire science, UL, NIST, modern fires, tactics, tactical, SLICERS, firefighting, controversy
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Type III Ordinary Construction
Chief Dunn explains how to stay safe when operating in or around brick-and-joist buildings.
By Vincent Dunn
Type III, building construction, collapse, voide spaces, masonry walls, parapet wall, concealed spaces, coping stones, poke-through holes, suspended ceilings, open-joist construction, fireman's cut
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Rapid Fire
What you need to know about quick-moving fires in lightweight wood-truss structures.
By Vincent Dunn
building construction, Edgewater Fire, lightweight truss, wood truss, voids, void spaces, concealed spaces, fire spread, structural components, spinklers, sprinkled
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Unholy Dangers in Holy Structures
Preplanning & careful size-up are imperative to successful, safe fire attacks in places of worship.
BY VINCENT DUNN
church fires, places of worship, synagogue, mosque, temple
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A Tragedy Avoided
Smart command training helps Oregon fire department survive a catastrophic bowstring truss collapse.
By Brian Smith
bowling alley, incident command
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Tread Carefully
Better watch your step. Stairways of all kinds present numerous safety hazards.
BY VINCENT DUNN
stairs, stairway, building construction, hazards, safety, stairwell
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Wood-Floor Collapse
You can’t always trust the ground beneath your feet.
BY VINCENT DUNN
building contruction, floors, wooden floors, failure, collapse, safety, hazard zone, command training, floor beams, floor alterations, terrazo flooring
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Cherry Road: What We Know Now
Live-fire tests support applying water to the fire as quickly as possible.
BY DAN MADRZYKOWSKI
fire science, research, UL, NIST, live fire tests, Cherry Road, LODD, line of duty deaths, maydays, ventialtion, wind-controlled fire, fire control, water, water application, uncoordinated ventilation
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Let's Have a Mayday!
Hosting your own mayday isn’t fun, but it sure is easy. Just follow these simple steps.
BY NICK BRUNACINI
mayday, LODD, line of suty death, near miss, close call, safety, abottville, safety, what not to do, training, strategic level, task level, water application, ventilation, fire control, 360, incident command
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Interior Layout
The more you know about a structure’s interior configuration, the safer you will be.
BY VINCENT DUNN
building construction, interior layout, doors, transoms, ceilings, collapse, floors, railroad flats, dead ends, hallways, window sills, windows
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Key Characteristics
Savvy company officers know their first due buildings’ unique fixed critical factors.
BY DAVID HAAG
company officers, company officer development, COD, leadership, critical factors, size up, size-up, initial radio report, 360, critical incident factors
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Triple Threat
Part 1 of a 2-part series on how to manage fires in triple-decker structures.
BY VINCENT DUNN
triple deckers, building construction, three-story buildings, firefighting tactics, safety
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Wind & Fire
Structure fire development basics. Part 1 of a 2-part series.
By Dan Madrzykowski
wind driven fires, ventilation limited fires, fire science, UL, NIST, pressure, wind, gas, flow path, fire research
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Wind & Fire 2
Structure fire development basics
By Dan Madrzykowski
flow path, wind, exhaust, air intake, fire attack, fire suppresion, size up, wind-driven fire, smoke, ventilation
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Triple Threat, Part 2
Part 2 of a 2-part series on how to manage fires in triple-decker structures.
BY VINCENT DUNN
wood furring, cockloft, returns, building construction, fire, fire attack
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Nozzle Tips
Recent studies show how nozzle type, movement & spray pattern affect air entrainment. Learn how to use this information to your advantage.
BY DAN MADRZYKOWSKI
fire attack, firefighting, nozzles, hose streams, water, spray pattern, air entrainment, air movement, NIST, UL, streamm patterns, science, fire science
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Science & Shifting Tactical Priorities
Should recent fire-research findings change our approach to primary search?
BY VINCENT DUNN & DAN MADRZYKOWSKI
science, fire reesearch, tactical piorities, life safety, primary search, fire control, ventilation
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Flash Phenomena
Flashover, rollover & flameover present different threat levels in smoke-filled rooms.
BY VINCENT DUNN
fire attack, fire tactics
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Blue Card’s Tech Partner Develops Risk-Awareness & Training Platform
technology, inXsol, HazPrep, training, interactive, Small Business Innovation and Research grant, learning activities, peer discussions
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Working above Basement Fires
Is it ever safe to operate above a working fire?
BY VINCENT DUNN & DAN MADRZYKOWSKI
fire behavior, science, floor collapse, building construction, fire search, search and rescue, fire attack, water, risk factors, LODD, line of duty death, close calls, stairs, stairway, trapped, size-up, structural collapse, below-grade fires,
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Understanding Flameover
Although not as common as flashover or rollover, flameover events can create life-threatening conditions.
BY VINCENT DUNN
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Fire Glossary, Part 1
A two-part series that defines & describes important fire elements & phenomena.
BY VINCENT DUNN
building construction, Chief Dunn
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Command Training/Managing Training Programs
Making the Case for a Slick New Ride
Texas fire department eyes tricked-out vans as potential BC vehicles.
By Gunther von Seltmann
commpand post, IC, incident command, command positioning, command van, command vehicle, BC, battalion chief, BC van, BC vehicle, sprinter van
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Goldilocks & the 3 Incident Organizations
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The Fire Chief's Guide to Blue Card
Bruno explains what every big boss should know about supporting Blue Card & other incident-management programs.
By Alan V. Brunacini
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Joint Fireground Training for Synergy & Success
Learn how hands-on ops drills strengthen working relationships, hone key command skills & reinforce best practices.
BY MATT BLACK
Fire
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Joint Fireground Training for Synergy & Success
Learn how hands-on ops drills strengthen working relationships, hone key command skills & reinforce best practices.
BY MATT BLACK
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You're a New BC. Now What?
Feeling lost at sea amid the sharks? A battalion chief who lived through year one offers his survival tips.
By Brian Smith
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LOST!
An experienced Australian BC explains how he lost 2 crews at a routine commercial fire.
Author: Roger Stevens
Tags: Communications, resources, dispatch, post incident critique, post incident review, lost crews, miscommunication, mistakes
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A Strategic Second Wind
Reinforced ops provide a much-needed dose of tactical support to incidents with mature hazards.
Author: Nick Brunacini
Tags: Incident command, command training, reinforced ops, reinforced operations, command transfer, IC, IC Number 1, IC Number 2,command vehicle, command post, fast attacking IC, communications, radio reports, structural firefighting
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Fire's Final Frontier
Firefighters at the Vandenberg Air Force Base ready themselves for rocket launches & missile tests—plus the usual fare.
Author: Mark Farias
Tags: Vandenberg Air Force Base, firefighting, Blue card, Blue Card Command, rockets, missiles, NASA, space, space launch, Atlas V Spacecraft, Delta II Spacecraft, Pro Board, military base, firefighter training, training facility, training grounds, Vandenburg Fire Department
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Getting Defensive
When initial & reinforced ops can’t knock down the fire, it’s time to escalate operations.
Author: Nick Brunacini
Tags: Incident command, command training, defensive ops, defensive operations, command transfer, IC, IC Number 1, IC Number 2, command vehicle, command post, fast attacking IC, communications, radio reports, structural firefighting, warm-zone bosses, logistics, safety, incident strategy, IAP, incident action plan
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A RIT Intervention
Rapid intervention teams are a risky bet in a dangerous, high-stakes game.
Author: Brian Houska
Tags: Rapid intervention, rapid intervention teams, RIT, rapid intervention crew, RIC, safety, mayday, save yourself, save each other, near miss, fatality, firefighter rescue, self-rescue
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A Team-Based Approach to Self-Survival Training
Learn how one department worked with its neighbor to fund & staff the IAFF’s Fireground Survival Program.
Author: Pat Dale
Tags: Mayday, mayday preparedness, IAFF Fireground Survival Training Program, IAFF, safety, survival, mayday prevention, firefighter rescue, self-rescue, Olympia, Washington
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Greetings from Maui
Say "aloha" to the Maui County Fire Department. Beaches, big surf, volcanoes & valleys make its response area one of the most beautiful & perilous in the United States.
Author: Amos Lonokailua-Hewett
Tags: Maui, Maui Country Fire Department, Blue Card, Hawaii, Hawaiian fire service, beach rescue, water rescue, cliff rescue, training, islands, command training center, CTC, portable CTC, volcanoes
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Blue Card Vocab Primer
Definitive answers to your Blue Card terminology questions.
Author: Nick Brunacini
Tags: Blue Card, vocabulary, communications, commo, communication, radio, glossary
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What's in a Name?
You can call a turd a tulip, but it will still smell like poop.
Author: Nick Brunacini
Tags: Division, group, sector, vernacular, language, communication, communications, editorial, humor, satire
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Training Hits the Street
A recent incident in the Pacific Northwest proves that command training transfers to the real world.
Author: Pat Dale
Tags: Apartment fire, incident review, incident command, IC command, hazard zone, Blue Card, initial attack, transfer of command, command transfer, Olympia, Washington, Olympia Fire Department
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Are You Mayday Ready?
The IAFF’s Survival Training Program outlines how to prevent & manage maydays.
Author: Chris Stewart
Tags: Mayday, mayday preparedness, IAFF Fireground Survival Training Program, IAFF, safety, survival, mayday prevention, firefighter rescue, self-rescue, GRAB LIVES, company officer
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Florida's Space Coast
Brevard County Fire Rescue manages an eclectic array of challenges in the land, air & sea.
Author: Larry Collins
Tags: Space Coast, Brevard County Florida, Kennedy Space Center, Blue Card, Brevard County Fire Rescue, rockets, space shuttles, missiles, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Patrick Air Force Base, Blue Card, command training
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Orland Takes Command
Author: David Piper
A high-volume department near Chicago improves on-scene coordination & performance with command training.
Blue Card, command training, command training center, Orland Fire Protection District, MABAS, training, skills, education, incident command, officer training, mutual aid
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Is Everybody Ready?
Author: Brian P. Kazmierzak
Effective incident management requires multilevel training.
Drills, training, practice, education, multilevel training, IRR, initial radio report, company level drill, quick drill, multi-company drill
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The Evolution of Wainwright
Author: Nick Brunacini
Give the weakest links a safe place to crash & learn.
Command training, command, command training center, practice, drills, sets and reps, training, repetition, mistakes, learning, be nice.
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Tough Calls
Authors: Vincent Dunn & Robert T. Mahoney
We make life & death decisions on every shift. Learn the subtle difference between acceptable & unacceptable life loss.
LODD, line of duty death, injury, death, loss, risk, risk assessment, decision making, decisions, life and death decision
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It's Time for Radio Rehab
Author: Mike Worrell
Standby as the committee charged with developing NFPA 1802 considers ways to make portable radios safer, sturdier & more reliable.
NFPA 1802, radio, radios, radio communication, communication, radio failure, MIL-SPEC, MIL-STD, PPE, safety, radio reliability
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Orland Takes Command
Author: David Piper
A high-volume department near Chicago improves on-scene coordination & performance with command training.
Blue Card, command training, command training center, Orland Fire Protection District, MABAS, training, skills, education, incident command, officer training, mutual aid
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RAFT: Regional Alliance for Firefighter Training
Author: Rich Marinucci
Amid a sea of training & budget shortfalls, RAFT supports & unifies suburban Detroit fire departments.
RAFT, Regional Alliance for Firefighter Training, Detroit, Michigan, training, budgets, partnership, synergy, education, team work, cost savings, extrication, company officer, officer training, regional training
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All-Season Response
Author: Scott Bridges
Winter fun? Summer sports? Vail Fire & Emergency Services provides top-notch service to its large, fluctuating tourist population despite staffing limits.
Vail, Colorado, Vail Fire & Emergency Services, snow, ice, winter weather, rescue, all weather response, blizzard, resident program, officer, officers, officer training, Blue Card
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Oly's Training Shake-Up
Author: Pat Dale
Good timing, bad disasters, federal funds & local bonds help a Washington State fire department build a synergistic training center.
Blue Card, command training, command training center, training facility, Olympia Fire Department, earthquake, bonds, FEMA funds, FEMA funding, training, skills, education, incident command, regional training
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Delaware Delivers Big Training
Author: Tucker R. Dempsey
The Delaware State Fire School offers statewide training for the task, tactical & strategic levels.
Blue Card, command training, command training center, training facility, Delaware, Delaware State Fire School, training, education, drills, courses, curriculum, hands on, practical training, practical skills, IFSTA Fire and Emergency Services Instructor, officer training, officers
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From Street to CV
John Tippett Jr.
One department shifts gears to embrace the command vehicle.
Command, incident command, incident commander, IC, communication, communications, hazard zone, command van, command vehicle, Charleston Fire Department, Sofa Super Store Fire, Routley Report
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Blue Card Goes Coastal
The Oceanside Fire Department uses its new CTC to train & unify area departments.
by Joe ward with Stu Sprung
command training, Oceanside, California, Blue Card, command training, joint training, unified training, online training, ocean, Camp Pendleton, experience, company officer, captain, local IMS, incident management system
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Mid-level Incident Management
Warm-zone bosses help balance the span of control between the strategic & task levels.
By Nick Brunacini
warm-zone bosses, tactical level bosses, operational levels, task level, tactical level, strategic level, span of control, attack positions, powerpoint
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Don't Get Trapped
Knowing a structure’s maze-like layout gives on-deck crews the upper hand.
By Matt Calus
on deck, RIT, RIT, house fire, structure fire, narrow streets, maze, lost, mayday, bed, hoarder, Michigan
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Street-Smart Training 2
Improve firefighter learning with timely feedback & thoughtful critiques.
By Brian Crendell, ED.D
training, training methods, adult learning, feedback, critiques, revision, performance management model, coaching, mentoring, positive reinforcement, hazing, sets and reps, training stress, Pygmalion Effect
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Accountability Counts
Passports are just one part of the accountability equation. Read on to learn a solid multi-level approach to hazard-zone accountability.
BY PAT DALE & NICK BRUNACINI
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A Tragedy Avoided
Smart command training helps Oregon fire department survive a catastrophic bowstring truss collapse.
By Brian Smith
bowling alley, incident command
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Blue Card on the Bayou
The St. George Fire Department in East Baton Rouge, La., refines its command skills for Type 4 & 5 events.
BY BOYD WESTBROOK
Blue Card, command training, command, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, hurricanes, NIMS, Type 4 & 5, training, St. George Fire Department, command training center, CTC
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Hold the Line
This issue’s data shows mayday firefighters frequently become lost/separated from their hoselines.
By Don Abbott
maydays, LODD, line of duty death, near miss, study, data, abbottville, close call, fire command, incident command, hazard zone
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The Blue Card-NIMS Interface
These two incident-command systems needn’t compete. In fact, they complement one another.
By Nick Brunacini
Blue Card, NIMS, Type 1, Type 2, Type 3, Type 4, Type 5, Types 1-3, Types 4 & 5, incident command, fire command, large events, local events, hazard zone
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Strong Leaders Foster Resilience
Choosing the right boss to manage our systems will make all the difference when bad things happen.
By Nick Brunacini
opinion, editorial, leadership, boss, LODD, mayday
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Fire Studio Beyond Blue Card
Here’s how to use Fire Studio to enhance your department’s training program.
BY RICH MERRIT
Blue Card, Fire Studio, Digital Combustion, fire simulations, simulations, sims, command training
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A Tragic Tally
To reduce the number of maydays, we must track where, how & why they occur.
BY DON ABBOTT
Mayday Project, maydays, LODD, line of duty death, near miss, close calls, safety, data, Abottville, study, data
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Shifting Priorities
Extinguishing the fire makes the hazard zone safer for everyone & should be our No. 1 tactical priority.
BY NICK BRUNACINI
drilldown, training, incdent command, tactical priorities, incident command, incident action plan, IAP, fire/hazard control, life safety, property conservation, firefighting, extinguish, put out the fire, fire control
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Does Blue Card Improve Performance?
Before committing to the Blue Card program, Clark County (Wash.) fire agencies assessed its ability to strengthen incident-command skills.
By Kristan Maurer
Blue Card, evaluation, incident command, command training, Calrk County, Washington, test, review, assess, proof
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Safety & Numbers
How many responders can an on-scene boss safely track & manage?
BY DANIEL DAWE
safety, hazard zone safety, incident command, safety officer, span of control, accountability, on deck, warm zone, warm zone bosses
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Cherry Road: What We Know Now
Live-fire tests support applying water to the fire as quickly as possible.
BY DAN MADRZYKOWSKI
fire science, research, UL, NIST, live fire tests, Cherry Road, LODD, line of duty deaths, maydays, ventialtion, wind-controlled fire, fire control, water, water application, uncoordinated ventilation
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Let's Have a Mayday!
Hosting your own mayday isn’t fun, but it sure is easy. Just follow these simple steps.
BY NICK BRUNACINI
mayday, LODD, line of suty death, near miss, close call, safety, abottville, safety, what not to do, training, strategic level, task level, water application, ventilation, fire control, 360, incident command
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