Fire & EMS Leader Pro The job of old firefighters is to teach young firefighters how to become old firefighters!

There's probably no single piece of firefighting protective clothing that arouses more passionate discussions among firefighters than gloves. Proper fit, manual dexterity and overall durability are usually the primary topics of those discussions.

Many in the fire service have an affection for brush trucks, wildland engines, grass rigs, patrol pumpers or any one of half a dozen other names for the quintessential firefighting tool for fires in the wild. Brush trucks do it in the dirt, where their larger cousins fear to go.

Teaching a firefighter how to safely, effectively, and efficiently drive a piece of fire apparatus is one of the most awesome responsibilities that an instructor can undertake. That challenge becomes greater all the time as fewer firefighters come to the job having had at least some experience driving a large truck.

In August 1988 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in Current Intelligence Bulletin 50, Carcinogenic Effects of Exposure to Diesel Exhaust, described the workplace hazard presented by diesel engine emissions. It said that studies on animals confirmed the potential carcinogenicity of whole diesel exhaust and that the exhaust should be regarded as a potential occupational carcinogen.

The scope of operations for many fire and emergency services organizations has expanded greatly over the past 50 years or so. First came the delivery of emergency medical services; this was followed by response and management of hazardous-materials incidents.

Big water goes by many names in the fire service. Master stream appliance, monitor, water cannon, deluge set (gun), turret pipe and wagon pipe are just a few of the more common tags hung upon the equipment that firefighters rely upon when a big fire needs big gallons per minute.

Protective clothing and equipment manufacturers have been making tremendous strides in developing performance-based products, and nowhere is that more evident than in the Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear world.

I'm a confirmed hose jockey for life — even in retirement. But even an engine guy can appreciate the simplicity and functionality of one of firefighting's most basic tools: the ax. It has no moving parts, relatively easy care and maintenance, and is built to last a long time.

Fire service ventilation practices have evolved greatly in both their applications and the equipment that firefighters have at their command. Ventilation, also known as smoke removal, has seen its stock price increase in terms of its more frequent and timelier implementation on emergency scenes.

Imagine the communications and information sharing challenges that a small town in the United States would encounter if faced with events like these: