Whats Our Creed

A few weeks ago I read a post on WWW.Workingthejob.com by Jason Jeffries. In his post he dissected the Navy Seal Creed and how its ideals applied (or should apply to the fire service). While he is not comparing the Firefighters to Navy Seals a lot of their values stated within their creed are values that the fire service should adopt (including a more rigorous selection process).

Since I read the post I have looked on the internet for a “Firefighters Creed”. There is the firefighters prayer (2 versions even) that some call a creed, but it is not. We have no creed, we have nothing that the lay person can look at or read to determine what the values of a firefighter are. We have nothing to show people interested in becoming firefighters what is expected of them.

One thing I did find was a citizens interpretation of a “Firefighters Creed” Stemmed from the Obion County Incident (if you do not know look it up) here it is:

I am a contracted firefighter.  I look out for myself, the firefighters to my left and right, and no one else.
I will always take advantage of the fact that I can finally tell Smokey the Bear to pound sand, and will do so at every possible occasion.
Less than $75 to put out a burning house is unacceptable.
I care not for ribbons, nor awards for valor.  I do this job for the opportunity to put out fires and to finally get that speedboat I’ve always wanted.
In any firefighting situation, be it urban or rural, I will always locate the beer and women, because I can.
I will deploy on my terms, and if it ever gets too stupid, I will simply find another fire department that pays me more.

While people may think this is in relation to one incident, I have heard several times out in public how negative our profession is viewed. One person even told me that his “friend” was a firefighter and that his friend told him it almost felt like stealing for getting the amount of money he made for the amount of work he did. That almost made me sick when I heard it an even now to type it I get a little queasy in my stomach.

The even worse truth is I know a lot of guys who that above “creed” applies to. Guys who are in it for the pay check, and the awesome schedule. I am no different from most as I to in this tough economy need a part-time job to make ends meet and live the lifestyle I want to live. However I will not take leave for my part-time job, I place my fire department job FIRST, and take the fact that I am a fireman VERY seriously.

I do not pretend to be perfect, I have been in the fire service 15 years, and am still learning everyday. I owe it to the citizens I serve, the men and women I serve with, and my family to be the very best I can be at all times. I will often fall short of perfection, and may never get there, but I will never ever quit.

I think a great example of who the fire service should emulate is that of the U.S. Soldiers Creed

I am an American Soldier.I am a Warrior and a member of a team.I serve the people of the United States, and live the Army Values.I will always place the mission first.I will never accept defeat.I will never quit.I will never leave a fallen comrade.I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills.I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself.I am an expert and I am a professional.I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy, the enemies of the United States of America in close combat.I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life.I am an American Soldier.

It is short, simple, and to the point. It embodies everything we should be, and do. It talks about being physically tough, being trained, maintaining equipment,discipline, professionalism, teamwork, and most importantly placing the mission FIRST.  In fact if you replace a few key words with firefighter, or fire service then it is almost perfect for the fire service.

If we base our actions on those values above we can not fail as a fireman, or as a fire service. If we base our actions on the “greed creed” then there is no way you can succeed.

Make the choice to be the best you can if not for you for the other impacted by your actions. It is difficult, it takes hard work, and others will try to pull you off your path. In the end though it will be worth it.

Do not forget that FDIC is just around the corner, and keep following along on twitter @averagejakeff.

I’m back on shift tomorrow and Sunday, and running the Monument Ave. 10k on Saturday so posting chances will be limited.

As usual thanks for reading, spread the word, and STAY SAFE!

 

Medical Mayday

We all know the statistics that are out there. Firefighters and other emergency services workers are dying of cardiovascular issues typically heart attacks that cause cardiac arrest.

However we still focus our firefighter rescue training on drags, bailouts, etc. While important that is only half the battle. Once we get them outside we then have to continue life saving measures (CPR, defib, intubation, drug therapy just to name a few).

The below video gives you a good drill you can do at your firehouse, and gives you a glimpse of how hard it is going to be to start these life saving procedures.

We know that the real answer to this problem is to increase our fitness level, and start to eat healthier but until that happens we have to be ready for the inevitable.

This is one of the topics I will be discussing in my “Engine Company Emergencies” class room session at FDIC which is approaching its final weeks of preparation! So come out and check it out.

Do not forget to keep following along on twitter @averagejakeff

As usual thanks for reading, spread the word, and STAY SAFE!

 

Medical Mayday, posted with vodpod

IAFF/NIST Crew Size Study

Unless you have been living under a rock, I am sure you have heard about the IAFF/NIST Study on Crew Size Effectiveness. They published the study, and now have this video explaining and showing the difference.

Now those of us actually doing this job already knew that the more people we have the faster we can get critical tasks accomplished on the fireground. Sadly the people who do not know also have no idea about this study or the impact it has on them, I am of course talking about the citizens, and government officials.

We need to be throwing this in their face! Your governing body, mayor, city council, county manager, citizens etc. need to see this! It is time we were honest with the people we serve and use the plain language of people are going to die if you take away our or reduce our staffing. Do not allow people to tell the ones you serve that their service delivery is not going to change.

This is something that hits close to home as the department that serves my home, and protects my family while I am working has had to deal with so many budget cuts that they have already begun to have certain engine companies run with 2 people. I do not blame the department as I know they are doing what they have to do in order to at least have some kind of protection. I blame the so-called leaders who do not give resources to critical functions.

Bottom line is no one else can do what we do. You can teach the garbage man to work a steam roller, on a road crew, but you can not get them to put out your fire, pull you out of a burning building, etc. Only your fire department can do that and it takes people to get the job done.

Get this video out there, talk to your citizens in the grocery store, or on calls and make sure they know what we do, and how many people it takes to do it.

Remember to keep following along on twitter @averagejakeff

Also FDIC is getting closer everyday if you are not gonna be there then follow on twitter, and on FDIC.com for the daily updates!

As usual thanks for reading, spread the word, and STAY SAFE!

 

IAFF/NIST Crew Size Study, posted with vodpod

Wildfire Pro App Review

I was contacted a few weeks ago by Firewhat.com (www.firewhat.com) and asked to review their Wild Fire Pro App for the Iphone, well since I don’t have an Iphone I had to pass the review on to my brother Danny O below are his thoughts:

Wildfire Pro By: Firewhat

 

                The Wildfire Pro app for the iPhone is a very dependable and informational app.  Although it is mostly geared towards wild land fires it could also be used for structure fire as well.  This app has a lot of information for the reasonable price of $4.99.  Some of the features of the app include a map of incidents, a guide section, and calculators.

The incident map shows where there are current wild land fires in the United States.  When you click on the individual fires more information pops up.  This information includes the size of the fire, the latitude and longitude, the area where the fire is (State, City, and County), the % of the fire that is contained, and numerous other topics of interest when dealing with wild land or structure fires.

The guide section is broken down into 4 sections; size up, safety, operations, and weather.  Each section provides very detailed information and reminders on each topic. You can almost consider them as mobile checklists if you’d like.  They provide definitions, guidelines, and overall general information about each of the above topics.  This is a very good addition to the app.

Overall this is app is very helpful if fighting wild land fires is up your alley.  This app has lots of room to expand and I personally can’t wait to see what else these guys come up with.  This app has lots of potential and is receives the Average Jake stamp of approval.

It seems like this app is very functional and is perfect for Wild Land Firefighters, and even those of us that are in structural departments yet have to respond to wild-fire incidents. Firewhat.com also offers a wide variety of other apps and information and they are developing new stuff every day. Head on over and check them out at WWW.Firewhat.COM

As usual thanks for reading, spread the word, and STAY SAFE!

VA LODD

It has been a tough year for Virginia already and today with the announcement of the loss of another brother this time from Norfolk Fire and Rescue.

Lets keep the family of Jonathan Myers and the Norfolk Fire and Rescue family in our thoughts. Also let us honor our brother by committing 100% to the fire service by putting time in the gym, and training every shift.

RIP brother, we will take it from here.

NEVER GIVE UP

We may often fall short of our goals, but we must still never give up and never quit. We owe it to our families, citizens, and brothers to be the very best we can be every shift.

1 hour in the gym, 1 hour training minimum every shift! No excuses.

Baltimore City Fire Movie

No not Ladder 49 (although that was a great movie), this is an actual documentary of what it is like to be a firefighter in the City of Baltimore Maryland.

The movie is titled 13 BOX and follows a group of fire fighters working in the west side of Baltimore.

Baltimore while having its issues (like most other places in america) is a great Fire Service host city, hosting the annual Firehouse EXPO. During this time the city opens its doors to Firemen nationwide and host several events.

I have to admit I love films like this! Sure movies like Backdraft, Ladder 49, and Towering Inferno are great for entertainment, but movies like Brotherhood, Still Riding, and shows like Firehouse USA, First In, and The Battalion http://www.thebattalion.tv/ show the REAL story of what we face as firefighters. Shows like Rescue Me and Third Watch in my opinion are purely for ratings as while I have met guys like that at work, those characters are sensationalized just to get you to watch.

Hopefully this movie will get a wide-spread release, or at least come to an area near here. I would love to see a screening of it in an actual theatre. if you want to keep up with the movie and it’s progress go here: http://13box.wordpress.com/ there you will find out about screenings and you can get some business cards to hand out to all of your friends (free of charge) in order to promote the movie.

Lets do our profession a favor and promote films like this. Lets make sure that people know the REAL story about what we do, not the Hollywood version.

Only a few mere weeks left until FDIC, have you registered yet? If not WHY NOT!!!!!! Also do not forget to vote for your favorite Fire and EMS blogs in the 2012 Blog Of The Year Contest http://firecritic.com/2012/03/14/voting-for-your-favorite-fire-andor-ems-blog-of-2012/

You can of course always follow along on twitter @averagejakeff

As usual thanks for reading, spread the word, and STAY SAFE!

 

 

Baltimore City Fire Movie, posted with vodpod

St. Patricks Day

TOP O THE MORNING TO YA!!! Today is St. Patrick’s day, I wanted to get this post out earlier but I ran out of time, and had some training to do for my new part-time job.

Unfortunately St. Patty’s is not as big a deal here as it is in other cities. There is no parade, and only a very few events that are not very “family friendly” per say.

I do like to go out an “celebrate’ St. Patty’s but ever since I celebrated a few years ago at the OTT House (A famous bar in Emmitsburg Maryland that is a must visit when you go to the National Fire Academy) most other celebrations have fallen short.

I feel like Hank Williams Jr. cause like him all my Rowdy friends have settled down. Most of my buddies are like me married with kids, and a lot of them have scary wives that to be honest I would not ask to go out either if I had to live with them (just kidding ladies). My wife on the other hand she tries to find reasons to get rid of me so when I informed her that I had no plans for the evening she was not excited (lol).

So if you are out an about tonite lets not give our brothers a reason to leave their comfy chairs to come and take care of us. Have a driver, take a cab, stay at a friend’s house. The long and short is have a great time, embrace the brotherhood, but be responsible.

Only 29 days until FDIC!!!!! Keep following along on twitter @averagejakeff

As usual thanks for reading, spread the word, and STAY SAFE!

 

St. Patricks Day, posted with vodpod

High Rise Training, and Blog of The Year

 

While I normally try not to post about work, or my department because a lot of people (mostly the bosses) do not like the fact that I blog, or write articles for magazines I feel that when we do something revolutionary, it needs recognition.

The department I work for was given a once in a lifetime chance to get some high-rise training in a real life building with working stand pipes, elevators, etc.  A few years ago all of the Metro Richmond Departments participated in a High Rise Training Initiative in order to get all departments on the relative same page, and to asses the interoperability functions between departments. Unfortunately we did not have a high-rise building to train in so a lot of it was done with simulation (pretending the third floor of a burn building was really a 6th floor).

But this building we have been using is an 8 story hotel that allowed companies to stretch from standpipes, force real doors, search real rooms, climb real stairs, etc. I can not emphasize enough how valuable this training is.

I got to go yesterday and I gained a lot from it. It was a good assessment of my current physical fitness level, a good assessment of what our staffing levels can really do, and I picked up some really neat forcible entry tricks on hotel doors.

For more about it check out the video below. I also want to give a HUGE shout out to the Fire Training staff, and Instructor Cadre. This was an awesome drill that people will be benefitting from for years to come and it could not have happened without them.

 

In other news the 2012 Fire and EMS Blog of the Year Contest is upon us, and even to my surprise I am one of the finalists! I am humbled to be mentioned with such blogs as www.fireservicewarrior.com and www.workingthejob.com. Would I like to win? OF COURSE but even just being in that company is like winning.

 

Blogging has been love and hate for me, especially because I hear a lot of negativity from some of the people I work with. However the positive things I hear all out weigh them. The goal I have is to share my journey as a firefighter, pass along things I learn along the way, and share my personal views and feelings on the fire service. If that helps just one person then MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! Trust me there is no money in this, and while there are perks they are few and far between. I do this for the love of the fire service and the hopes my experiences can and will help someone.

So go here http://firecritic.com/2012/03/14/voting-for-your-favorite-fire-andor-ems-blog-of-2012/ and vote for your favorite fire blog and EMS blog.

Also do not forget about FDIC, and keep following along on twitter @averagejakeff

As usual thanks for reading, spread the word, and STAY SAFE!

 

 

High Rise Training, and Blog of The Year, posted with vodpod

How far have we really come?

Take a look at the clip below. It comes from the show “Rescue 911″. If you have ever read the blog before then you already know that Rescue 911 was a huge influence on me.

People before me had Emergency to influence them and drive them to the Fire and EMS services, but the biggest influence for me other than my dad was this show.

The show was great but that’s not what I want to focus on today. This episode aired in 1993 which means the incident probably happened in either the late 80′s or early 90′s. Some people will look at this and see the apparatus, gear, SCBA, and think that we have come a long way in the fire service since then. I know in the last 15 years (since I have been on the job) leaps and bounds have been made in technology of PPE, SCBA, and fire apparatus. When I was riding an open cab Seagrave Ladder truck as a 17-year-old kid I would never have believed you that one day Fire Trucks would have airbags, at the time my car did not even have one!

Of all the things that have changed, one thing from this video that seems to have not changed is the attitude about our own safety.

Sure back then we did not know a lot of things we do now, but now we know that smoke is dangerous, we know that heart disease is rampant, we know that most of our LODD’s are cardiac related. Furthermore we know how to control those factors (wear your PPE, SCBA, work out and eat better) or at least minimize their risk. Yet you still see guys going into fires without SCBA, or proper PPE. We still see guys stuffing their faces at the table and not working out. We still see guys NOT TRAINING!

At the end of the video the fireman who almost lost his life even says that he feels he was saved to tell firefighters to be more physically fit and watch what they eat. THIS WAS BACK IN THE EARLY 90′s, almost 20 years ago and we still have not learned our lesson.

So how far have we really come? Are we now more advanced than our yester year counterparts? Or are we more ignorant than them because we have all of the things they never had, and yet still choose not to use them.

Sure one day we may all be called to make the ultimate sacrifice, but let’s make sure that we have done everything in our power to minimize that risk by wearing our PPE and SCBA, working out, eating right, and getting physicals. We need to fight for ourselves so that we can fight for the citizens, and people we serve.

No one is foolish enough to think that 100 percent of LODD’s are preventable, or that we will ever get to 0 LODD’s. However the number CAN be reduced by taking control of the things we have an influence over. You control your physical fitness, you control how much you eat, you control your PPE and SCBA usage, and you control your seatbelt usage.

Do not forget to keep following along on twitter @averagejakeff

Also remember that FDIC is right around the corner, sign up for the 5k Courage and Valor Fun Run, or the 9/11 Stair Climb or BOTH. I will be doing the fun run, along with my wife @stickysidedwn .

 

As usual thanks for reading, spread the word, and STAY SAFE!

 

How far have we really come?, posted with vodpod