It’s been a long week at ELAFF HQ and the list is a little late going out, but here it is:

1. We Are Not Cyborgs – Gea Leigh Haff, Fire Service Warrior
   We had an especially tough fire in the “ELAFF Local” last weekend. This post went up on the FSW main site within 48 hours, just in time to read it prior to heading to the CISD myself. A fine article and excellent reminder.
2. 35′ of Getting the Job Done – Firefighter Basics
   “There is hardly a reason to have more than 2 members raising the 35′ ladder.  The job does go quicker with 3 people but usually the 3rd person gets in the way.”
3. That Idea Would Never Work Here! – Craig Nelson & Dane Carley, Fire Engineering 
   “Why are new ideas important to the fire service and, more specifically, to your department? Ideas turn into innovation, and innovation is how departments adapt to a changing environment.”
4. Tactical Nozzle Considerations – Dan Doyle, Fire Engineering

-Pete

Here’s the list:

1. Around Here – Mark vonAppen, Fire Service Warrior
   “Cuts to training budgets can no longer be an excuse. We have to invest in ourselves. In order to win the fight, we have to be in the fight. Being in the fight means doing it on your own and leading from everywhere.”
2. An Honest Look at Training – Ryan Royal, Irons and Ladders
   One from the archives of Irons and Ladders.
   “Focus on practical training with street value. Each time you set up a drill ask yourself what can I do to make this more realistic, how can I add practical teaching points to this, and then when we get this step right, how can I make it more challenging?”
3. These Firefighters Who Are ‘aging out’ Are Still the Bravest – Denis Hamil, New York Daily News
   A mainstream media look at the age-mandated retirement of two FDNY members, including the Rescue 1’s Capt. Morris, a name that you should be familiar with.
   “Capt. Robert Morris of Rescue 1 and Firefighter Kenny Ruane of Ladder 16, both in Manhattan, will ‘age out’ at 65 this weekend, but after all they’ve been through they still want to work with FDNY, among the city’s bravest.”
4. A video from the NY Daily News covering Capt. Morris’ final tour on Rescue 1.
   

-Pete

Here’s the list:

1. A Hero W.O.D. in honor of the Granite Mountain 19 from Fire Service Warrior:
   19 mountain climbers
   3 mile run
   19 mountain climbers
   45 lb. vest/pack
2. Study of the Effectiveness of Fire Service Vertical Ventilation and Suppression Tactics in Single Family Homes – Steve Kerber, UL FSRI
   Don’t let the long title scare you. Take some time to read it in pieces, or print out the summary report to look over with your crew. Discuss the findings, how they could potentially affect your department’s operations, and how they might affect your personal considerations. Depending on your department, this may be old news common-sense that has been taught at the academy for decades or it could be some revolutionary information. Either way, it shouldn’t be dismissed or overlooked. Take the data for what it is and work it out for yourself.
3. The Missing Pieces of Firefighter Survival – Brian Bush, Fire Service Warrior
   “Firefighters must be presented with the true context of situations where lives are being threatened.  The belief that situational awareness can be maintained during chaotic events; that firefighters will be able to function at full capacity, recall and execute training, and communicate in a highly dynamic environment is false (Gasaway, 2012).”
4. Firefighter PASS Device Study Yields Surprising Results – NFPA Fire Service Today
   “During one experiment a small trash can fire was lit to see what effect a small fire had on the sound of the PASS alarm signal. The sound became muffled and quieter and the fire seemed to merge the multiple tones into one sound.”

*I try to catch as many articles as possible, but I inevitably miss some. If you see anything worth learning from, send me an email at ELAFFHQ@gmail.com.

-Pete

Here’s the list:

1. Halligan – streetsmart firefighter
   “Three articles about the most versatile tool in the fire service.  Take the time to get better every day.”
2. Choices –  Irons and Ladders
   “For all of the new guys, these are CHOICES. It is up to you!    We can tell which one you choose.”
3. The Most Important 6 Inches – Jason Jefferies, Fire Service Warrior
   From the FSW Archives:
   “Take a good hard look at your gear and how wear it into combat.  Screwdrivers, door chocks, webbing, and various other “add ons” are useful, but where we position the most important items that could save your life is one of the most important decisions you will make.”
4. MacGruber Bag – Gary Lane, Fire Service Warrior
   Another one from the FSW Archives:
   “This is just one way I’ve been able to stay in a “Warriors mindset” without over burdening myself with an extra 20 pounds of stuff in my pockets.”
5. Registration is open for the 2013 Colorado 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb. Here’s a video from the event last year, which I was able to participate in. SIGN UP HERE!
   
6. Registration is also open for the 2013 Charlotte Stair Climb. I climbed in Charlotte last year and will be climbing there again. SIGN UP HERE!

-Pete

Here’s your weekend reading assignment:

1. Mentors – Mark VonAppen, Fully Involved
   “You never know when a mentor will show up, who they will be, or how they are to influence you or your life as a whole.  We might not know how someone has molded us until years later as we hear his or her words echoed in our own.”
2. Because We Can –  Jonah Smith, Fire Service Warrior
   “As you sit down at the firehouse, you can think about whether to retire to the recliner for the day or find something to train on.  I am sure that there are plenty of fallen firefighters’ families wishing that their loved one could be training with you shoulder-to-shoulder every day you work.”
3. Developing Door Control Doctrine – Ed Hartin, CFBT-US
   “Fire scene photos go up by the hundreds daily on the Internet. Critiquing them for best in “Equipment Omission” does not solve safety issues. It makes you look petty.”
4. Focus – Dan Manning, Fire Service Warrior
   A look back in the FSW archives with this Dan Manning post.
   “To be truly great at our business takes a lot of work — a lot of work for the entirety of your career. If you find yourself not working too hard you may have hit a plateau from which you need to keep building and learning.”
5. Finally, stay up to date on the latest research from the UL Firefighter Safety Research Institute by giving their new Facebook page a “like”.
   Also, check out their main site at http://ulfirefightersafety.com/

-Pete

Here’s your weekend reading assignment:

1. The Deadload Isn’t Dead – Brian Brush, Fire Service Warrior
   “I personally find beauty in the 2 ½” hose.  The simplicity and efficiency of the line is second to none. A 2 ½” flat loaded, in a static bed is a work of art to a fire nerd like me.  If you are the one other guy out there who agrees then this was easy. If you are the other 99.999% and you need a little more convincing before you flip your 2 ½” hose bed around, put a nozzle on it and toss a double female in your hydrant bag, here we go.”
2. Conventional Methods for Defeating Window Bars –  Brian Brush, Fire Service Warrior
   Two assignments from Brian Brush this week. Be sure to open, read, save, and print the PDF at the end of the article, or you will miss out on a ton of additional information.
3. Safety ADHPD (Attention Deficit Hyper Photography Disorder) – Ray McCormack, Urban Firefighter Magazine
   “Fire scene photos go up by the hundreds daily on the Internet. Critiquing them for best in “Equipment Omission” does not solve safety issues. It makes you look petty.”
4. Absorbent Filled Training Hose – Streetsmart Firefighter
   A quick tip for the training toolbox that might work for you.
5. Facebook Pharisees Throwing Stones – Bill Carey, Backstep Firefighter
   “Give it rest, will you? We know, we know, but life isn’t perfect and this isn’t a fireground and it may come as a surprise to you but you and your fires aren’t perfect either.”

-Pete