Running a patient who has special needs is not a matter of “if” but “when.” Ignoring the problem creates anxiety for the responder, tension for the patient, and frustration for others on scene including family members and care givers. Ultimately, this could result in poor patient care or undesirable citizen service. A responder who is in this situation may have the best intentions but may not be aware that his or her actions are having an adverse impact on the community.

Joe Sommers, Director of HR Services for ZERORISK, has some great interviewing tips to help you in finding new candidates that fit with your team. The success when interviewing for ‘fit’ is “knowing where you’re going.” By that I’m referring to – what does ‘fit’ mean to you and your department? Is it the ability to understand others, to respect each other as unique individuals, and to be accountable to the team?

In the fire service we rely on fellow firefighter’s to help us get through the dangers of the job. In life, we look to friends and family to help us through life’s struggles. Why then, do we resist working with our colleagues to manage a successful fire agency?

Generational differences are nothing new in the fire service, but unique challenges exist today. First, the pace of change has accelerated in just about every aspect of the job: strategy and tactics, leadership methods, legal mandates, equipment and technology, community demographics, scope of service, and the need to do more—often much more—with less.

One of the most difficult and challenging transitions in the fire service is going from “us to the them,” particularly the jump from company officer to battalion chief. One day you’re riding shotgun in the engine supervising a crew of typically one to four personnel, and the next day, you’re most likely driving the SUV [...]

If you’re like anyone in the fire service who reads the press about members of our profession who have gone crossways with legal issues, city policies, moral-turpitude issues or financial miss-dealings and your response to reading such offends your moral compass, you aren’t alone.

Even in these tough times, new opportunities present themselves. An airline fare war has broken out – good news for those looking to travel. On many routes, fares are 50% lower than 9-12 months ago. So as you make your travel plans for FRI, now is the time to act on of some great airfare deals to Dallas.

We recently spoke with Billy D. Hayes, about his upcoming presentation “Courage To Be Safe” at FRI 2009. The first and most important is to re-enforce the message of firefighter safety. Everyday, our first responders take risks to protect the public. However, some of the risks can be significantly reduced by merely changing our behaviors.

You want to attend FRI but in these economic times, you’re not sure how to approach your city manager. The best way to improve your chances is to be armed with the facts.

Sports is used very often to draw analogies to everyday life situations. And in fact, there are a number of parallels between professional sports and the fire and emergency services industry.
Both are team activities that require everyone on the field and at the scene to know and execute their responsibility. The incident commander and the [...]