When I’m asked what the best structural turnouts are, my response is usually the same: “It depends.” The conversation turns to what the fire department needs and wants the protective garments to do. It comes down to what the department’s expectations are.
This is a very broad topic for discussion and over the next couple of columns I will offer some ideas on conducting a proper risk assessment.
is designed to improve health services and provide financial compensation for 9/11 first responders who were exposed to dangerous toxins and are now sick as a result. It would establish a federal program to provide medical monitoring and treatment for first responders, provide initial health screenings for people who were in the area at the time of the attack and may be at risk, and reopen the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund to provide compensation for losses and harm as an alternative to the current litigation system.
According to a recent article on Firelink.com, people’s lives often depend on the quick reaction and competent care of emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics. Incidents as varied as automobile accidents, heart attacks, slips and falls, childbirth, and gunshot wounds require immediate medical attention. EMTs and paramedics provide this vital service as they care for and transport the sick or injured to a medical facility.
Lt. Michael Swiman of the Wake Forest (NC) Fire Department says there's on better career than a career with the fire service.
By Lt. Michael Swiman
Wake Forest (NC) Fire Department
Looking back at the classes and training I have done this year, I have had a lot of civilians ask me, “How do I get involved in the fire service?” My recommendation for anyone that wants a career in public safety is to come see it first hand for yourself. Ask questions and find out what the job actually entails.
I often invite civilians to come to the training grounds when I am teaching at an academy so they can get a first-hand look at the training and rigors that the recruits endure to succeed in their future careers. You can also go to your local department and ask to ride along or job shadow for a day. For people who do not really know what firehouse life is like, this will give them a small glimpse of one of the greatest – if not the greatest – profession there is.
When we think about police dying in the line of duty, we tend to flash to a thought of a criminal maliciously gunning down an officer.
But a more common fate for law enforcement officers is to be killed in a vehicle collision. According to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, as of last week there had been 70 officers killed nationwide in vehicle incidents compared with 54 killed by gunfire in 2010. Crash fatalities among officers were up 49 percent over the same period in 2009. The majority are killed in crashes involving a single moving vehicle.
Firefighters are no strangers to lifting heavy loads while on the job, often from awkward positions. Now a new free course from the Firefighters Support Foundation shows some simple techniques to use your body more efficiently when lifting, especially when you’re in confined spaces or off balance.
How much do you know about firefighter turnout equipment? If you fill out the brief survey below, you will be entered to win a Paul Conway American Heritage leather structural firefighting helmet. It shouldn’t take you much more than 10 minutes, so don’t miss out!
Please click here to take the survey. If you want to be considered for the contest, be sure to include your email in the field on the first page of the survey.
If you’re interested in discussing personal protective equipment further, be sure to check out our Lion Connects Ideascale site, where you can submit and vote upon ideas for new products or revisions for existing pieces of protective equipment. You’ll get feedback from real LION staff and product managers and maybe even see your new idea develop into an industry-first product.
Nickelodeon Suites Resort in Orlando kicked off its 2nd annual Hero Appreciation program this spring and by November 22, raised $9,277.28 for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. While community heroes enjoyed discounted rates, antique fire truck experiences, bucket brigade games, the Resort pledged two percent of every room night booked through the program to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.
“We continue to show our appreciation of community heroes by giving back and are proud to deliver a check of more than $9,000 this year,” said Jim Struna, director of marketing and revenue management for Nickelodeon Suites Resort. “Nick Hotel is all about families and so it is extremely rewarding for us to be able to give back to a family-focused organization like the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.”
In this “Kitchen Table Debrief” Ed Raposo, chief officer with the Nasonville Fire Department in Nasonville, Rhode Island, talks about the way we communicate and the efforts to make what we say clear at a scene and on the radio.
How Do You Say “Get Out”?
When you need to move people out of a building, or you want your people (firefighters) to withdraw from a building because you have changed strategies, or because of urgent new information, what do you say? “Get out”?
Maybe I’m jumping into this too quickly. Let me start with a less dramatic example:
When I’m asked what the best structural turnouts are, my response is usually the same: “It depends.” The conversation turns to what the fire department needs and wants the protective garments to do. It comes down to what the department’s expectations are.
Those who were anxiously watching the progress of 
How much do you know about firefighter turnout equipment? If you fill out the brief survey below, you will be entered to win a Paul Conway 
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