FireFighterNation

Company officers are often the recipients of confidential information. Their crewmembers may confide in them, and they are also privy to information about the department or other personnel. The key: knowing what information needs to be kept confidential and what doesn’t.

After a reader writes to Nozzlehead to find out if she did the right thing by advising that a probie NOT to go on a particular call, as the probie only had one night of training under his belt, Nozzlehead explains that department policies can help clear up any confusion about how much a probie can participate—and when they can “graduate” to the next level.

With firefighters responding to such a wide variety of incidents these days, it’s critical that the safety officer has? a solid grasp of how to keep personnel safe during technical rescue incidents. Here, Jason Hoevelmann offers both general and discipline-specific guidelines for safety officers operating at such incidents.

Those engaged in water rescue know that extensive training and constant monitoring of the water they work in and around are essential for maintaining proficiency. Here, John Tippett offers two near misses that underscore the importance of understanding the power of water and respecting the forces of nature.

Having a game plan is crucial for any fire department function. Here, Desmond Fulton explains the benefits of having a game plan on the extrication scene, and offers a simple acronym (IS-SAVED) that can help firefighters understand where they fit into the overall game plan.

To overcome the growing WUI fire problem in the United States, many things need to happen, primarily, the improved protection of life and property. And to accomplish this, firefighters must first understand what they’re up against when battling a large conflagration that’s either burning in or toward a populated area. To help develop that understanding, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has developed a WUI fire data-collection system. Chief researcher Alex Maranghides describes this two-stage system and how it has helped his team gather useful data on fires in California and Texas.

Taking care of your people can mean many different things, but as Ray Gayk explains, in the fire service it involves four key items. Ray discusses two of those items, future focus and responsibility, and provides advice on how to accomplish both of them the right away.