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Did You See This:
Young Leaders in Today’s Fire Service
This
article was intended to be “Young Officers in Today’s Fire Service”,
but in writing it I have come to realize that it should not matter if
you are an officer, you can still lead. A leader can be anyone from the
oldest Chief to the youngest junior member. I want to focus on the young
leaders in today’s fire service. It seems young leaders are becoming
more common, and the disdain is growing. I am also witnessing these
young “leaders” act like more of a boss, which is not how it should be.
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Training Our Fire Service Minds
It’s
your first day at the training grounds. Your instructors seem to be
well seasoned and know the subject matter well. You eagerly learn all
you can about the drill at hand and can’t wait to put the information
learned to good use. It’s your turn to enter the structure and search
for victims. While in the structure, you recall the skills learned and
practiced and start to put them into effect. But suddenly you look back
and your partner is not there. Your mind starts racing… What could have
happened to them? They were just there! You turn around and head back
in the direction you came from with a sense of urgency. Your heart is
beating faster and your breathing has increased. As you come around the
corner, you find your partner entangled in some debris and they are
panicking also. You quickly try to help them get disentangled so you can
continue your search. You both work tirelessly to free him. Once you
have freed him you realize you are almost out of air, but have no idea
where you are in the structure. Should I try to go back? Should I
quickly move forward? What should I do?
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Firefighters and Operation Warm – More Than A Coat
One
of the main focuses of the Leatherhead Mafia staff is to motivate and
uplift the fire service. We do this by offering knowledge, sharing
stories, and promoting programs we support.Firefighters for Operation
Warm is a program which provides brand new American made winter coats to
underprivileged children through partnership with local IAFF
Firefighters union. “Operation Warm is dedicated to helping families in
need. We believe that every child deserves to feel warm, healthy and
valued. The important gift of a new winter coat provides children with
the freedom and confidence to play more, learn more, and do more.”
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A Man’s Take on Women in the Fire Service
Women
in the fire service are a very touchy subject. Is it that big of a
deal? I tend to think NO, solely on the fact that women can do the same
job, sometimes maybe better than some men. Now do not get your tighty
whities in a bunch and just hear me out.
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The Cost Of Doing What Is Right
Almost
every emergency service entity has questions in the interview process,
about your belief in ethics, and doing the right thing. They like to ask
about what your actions would be if you witnessed a co-worker stealing,
or taking a bribe. They ask you if you would cheat on a test, or help a
co-worker cheat. And yet, we have gleaming examples every day in the
news about these same situations, in nearly every community. But
generally, these ethical questions address issues only of criminal
actions. Things get a little grayer when talking about the black and
white of “right and wrong”.
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Why Do Firefighters Continue To Die?
We
routinely say that we would lay our lives down for our fellow brothers
and sisters. We sometimes take certain things for granted. When people
ask us how many firefighters die each year, we routinely say 100. Let’s
think about this number… over the next 10 years we can potentially lose
1000 brothers and sisters and close to a million will be injured. Why
have we accepted these numbers?
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The Stuff You Wish Someone Told You When You Were A Rookie Firefighter
An
article from contributor David Hernandez of Fir Na Tine Training.I love
to train new firefighters and recruits. They are usually like sponges.
Over the years, the one thing they all ask me is ” What should I expect
or know when I am a rookie firefighter?”. As I sat there with a good
friend, John, I started developing this list. I have read and
experienced every one of these rules. I figured the best thing to do is
put them in writing and then ask my Fire Family what they thought and
what they wanted to add.
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Firehouse Expo 2014 – Baltimore, MD
This
past weekend a few of the Leatherhead Mafia staff traveled to Baltimore
Inner Harbor, Maryland for the 2014 Firehouse Expo. While we were there
we were able to celebrate myself and Spark’s birthdays. As well as meet
with readers and network with other fire service based companies. Here
is our review of the weekend.
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#WeAreAshleyBrown – UK Firefighters Call for Support
The
firefighters of the United Kingdom are fighting a different battle than
fire these days. The firefighters are currently striking against
attacks on their pensions. According to the Fire Brigades Union (FBU)
website “The firefighters’ dispute has continued for months as
firefighters are facing the imposition of a pension that ignores the
physical demands of the job they do.” With little negotiation and
flexibility from the government the FBU has taken action and
firefighters across the UK have gone on strike.
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Optix International Brand Apparel Product Review
Lately,
it seems as though everyone is recycling decommissioned fire hose. I
have seen belts, wallets, tool pouches, and cell phone sleeves made. One
of the companies leading this trend is Optix International. What stood
out to me about Optix International is that the fire department who
decommissioned the hose receives a portion of the proceeds made. Not to
mention that they are made right here in the good ol’ USA, cannot beat
that.
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