Welcome, Tim Sendelbach - FireRescue Magazine

5 years later, Chief Page’s influence lives on

Over the course of a lifetime, each us will experience events or meet certain individuals that leave an indelible mark in our memory—a lasting impression that changes our lives. In some cases, the memories of these events and/or people bring about great sadness; for others, they become influential experiences that set the course of their careers.

For me, that event occurred on May 28, 1977. It was a warm summer evening in the small town of… Continue

Departmental excellence comes from a proven action plan, not a high-stakes bet

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to participate in a site visit of a department applying for re-accreditation. As a long-term student of the fire service, I’ve always found value in visiting other departments and learning how they operate and seeing what tools and techniques they’ve tried and/or rejected. I’m always amazed by the creative minds and innovative methodologies that make our profession so uni… Continue

Your credibility should come from performance, not a battle-scarred image

A few years ago, I had the pleasure of traveling overseas to visit the Fire Service College at Moreton-in-Marsh in Gloucestershire, England, as a participant of a United States/United Kingdom exchange program. In its 40-year history, the Fire Service College has established itself as one of the leading fire service academies in the world.

The size and complexity of the facility is absolutely breathtaking. The camp… Continue

From the fireground to the budget review, it’s not always about who wins or loses

“Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.” —John Wooden

Very early on in my fire service career, I was given the advice to become a student of leadership, to read everything I could about the character traits of effective leaders. I’ve tried my best to heed this advice and I’ve spent many hours reading about distinguished leaders from all walks of life.… Continue

After receiving a phone call from a friend of mine, I sat in front of the television with absolute amazement. I was shocked by what I saw, but at the same time I was proud. Some called it luck, others called it fate; New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg called it “the Miracle on the Hudson.”

The textbook landing of US Airways Flight 1549 by Captain Chelsey “Sully” Sullenberger was likely the purest demonstration of crew resource management (CRM) ever witnessed.

Nearly 3 months have past since… Continue