FireRescue1 Articles

Sponsored content from RESCUE Intellitech By: Robert Avsec, Executive Fire Officer When historians look back on the COVID-19 pandemic and how it was mismanaged in the U.S., one of the key failures at the federal level will be the lack of a communication strategy that’s familiar to anyone who’s has education, training, and experience as an emergency manager. The coronavirus ...

By: Mrs. Avsec Shhh! Don’t anyone let him know that I’ve commandeered his PC to post this blog. But it’s really important that I do this. Why? Because he does a lot of good things for many people, most of all me! (Hey, he knows where his bread is buttered!) And it’s not often that I get the chance to ...

As taxpaying citizens of the U.S., we all have “skin in the game” when it comes to how wildfires and all natural disasters in the U.S. are prepared for and handled when they happen. And if we don’t take climate change seriously and pressure our elected officials to take it seriously, we’ll only see more acres burn. We’ll only see bigger and stronger storms—from hurricanes to tornadoes to winter storms—affecting all parts of the U.S. And don’t even get me started on coastal areas that will become non-existent for future generations.

Recently retired Fire Chief Marc Bashoor of Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department, where he led that department for more than six years and served for more than 29 years in total, has joined the Praetorian Digital Group team as the Executive Editor for FireRescue1.com and FireChief.com.

Buying a thermal imaging camera (TIC) with too many or too few bells and whistles is not a good use of department money; here are 10 steps to help you get more TIC for your buck.

Second, there's the increasing number of patients and EMS providers that are being killed and injured in ambulance crashes each year. Those mortality and morbidity numbers prompted the International Association of Fire Chiefs to begin working with the National Fire Protection Association in 2009 to develop a true standard for a safer ambulance. Their work culminated with the approval of NFPA 1917: Standard for Automotive Ambulances in August 2012.

We have to be able to seamlessly move from firefighter rescue to firefighter patient care. And that will entail additional training and practice on the part of both firefighters and the EMS providers — who may not be firefighters. Why? Because in addition to a firefighter who may be in need of life-saving medical intervention, such an event is also a workplace injury site if the firefighter survives, or the site of a line-of-duty death if resuscitation efforts are unsuccessful or the firefighter later succumbs to his injuries.

With the median cost of a structural firefighting ensemble (without SCBA) being $1,500 or more, cash-strapped fire and EMS departments can't afford to lose that gear to a CBRN exposure. Fortunately, there are a growing number of solution alternatives to the protective clothing challenges for fire and EMS departments.

Not a day goes by, it seems, that we don't learn about fire and EMS apparatus being taken "for a ride" by unauthorized persons. From fire stations to emergency scenes to hospital parking lots, fire trucks and ambulances are not only being illegally taken, but also used to create general damage and mayhem before the perpetrators are apprehended.

Having the ability and resources to build a new fire station that's more energy efficient with a smaller carbon "footprint" is certainly desirable, but what about sustainability challenges for existing stations out there?