Fire Chief

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

A Powerful, Destructive Force? 

Mike DeGrosky

I tried the comparison out on my wife, who knows a lot about leadership but was on her last fire 20 years ago. She liked the analogy and made some great...

Empty Words 

Jules Leboeuf Enforcement Section Head Department of Sustainable Resource Development Alberta, Canad

Fatalities continue to occur as the result of poor communication. Wildland fire agencies need to take an honest look at the human factors of this problem....

Beyond Sirens 

On Jan. 6, DHS Secretary Tom Ridge announced the long-awaited completion of the National Response Plan, the cornerstone of a nearly two-year multi-agency...

On-Call Assists 

By Jeff Rubin, Ph.D.

Overhead teams take ICS to the next level by providing strategic support for extraordinary responses....

NIMS Center Offers Web Self-Assessment 

The NIMS Integration Center has released a Web-based self-assessment tool to help all levels of departments and agencies evaluate incident preparedness...

Andrew's Legacy 

By Joel Gordon

While you're hunkered down trying to shelter yourself from 150mph winds that are tearing the roof off of your home, and torrential rains that are creating...

Mutual Understanding 

Last March, the Department of Homeland Security announced the completion of the National Incident Management System, a comprehensive incident response...

Ridge Completes National Response Plan 

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge unveiled the completed National Response Plan at a Jan. 6 press conference at the National Governor's...

NIC Extends NIMS Implementation to FY 2007 

Pat West, Senior Editor

NIMS Compliance Self-Assessment Tool Ready 

Department of Homeland Security

DHS/FBI Warn Terrorists May Use Public Safety Vehicles, Uniforms 

Effective Planning Takes Planning 

Chief Dennis Compton (Ret.)

The importance of active, integrated planning in a fire department can't be over-stated. When an organization is floundering and lacks focus, the reason...

NIC Revs NIMS Start-Up Resources 

The Department of Homeland Security is ramping up tools and resources for implementation of the National Incident Management System. The resource materials...

Prescribed Fire's Useful Lessons 

Seven fire management officers shared some of their cumulative experiences and lessons learned from their several decades of combined experience managing...

His Kind of Town 

New Chicago Fire Commissioner Cortez Trotter isn't afraid to think big, advancing more training for all members....

Buckle Down 

By Gordon L. Gholson and Bttn. Chief Kim J. Bolan, Calif. Dept. of Forestry

Departments require that riders and equipment be secure before a rig goes out on a call, so why is it that hose tie-downs often are forgotten? The consequences can be severe....

Accountability Back in the Hot Seat 

Mike DeGrosky

I recently moved my office, and as I sorted through some old files, I came across a copy of the field team report assembled for the TriData Firefighter...

Command on the Run 

As one of the early proponents of mobile command vehicles for military, police and fire, Larry LaGuardia has seen many changes in the rigs, including...

Fire Season Less Severe for Lower 48 States 

Despite going into the fire season on the heels of continuing drought and dry fuel conditions, 2004 looks like it will be a below-average year for wildfires...

What Does This Viewpoint Suggest? 

Mike DeGrosky

The bickering continues, and the shining star in the office, citing a stressful work environment, jumps ship for another agency. Following a particularly...

Command Confusion 

By Bill Sager (Ret.) California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection

Some departments argue that the training needed for ICS is beyond their means. That is just one misconception that prohibits departments from implementing the system....

Get on the Grid 

Down the road, as passive Global Positioning Systems that help incident commanders track on-scene assets become more integrated with personnel accountability...

Collapse CD, DVD Released 

By Douglas Page

Roof collapses are always a concern to firefighters during structure fires, and a government multimedia blitz is addressing the issue. A new CD-ROM and...

Give 'Em Shelter 

By Pat West

Still fresh from the disaster left behind by Hurricane Charley in August and going a second round with Hurricane Frances in early September, fire department...

Command Begins with Self-Control 

[ John Linstrom ]

There are different levels of training that must be undertaken to prepare the emergency service work force. There is initial training, skills training,...