Volume 2, Issue 1, hits the intertubes

Dear Blue Card Subscribers:

Check out B Shifter’s latest installment at http://bshifter.com/SelectMagazines.aspx.

Our latest installment features Joe Starnes discussing flashover causes and prevention. Some firefighting friends from Oz talk about the Australian fire service—complete with a lessons-learned tale of communications gone wrong. Bruno introduces two new reader-response columns, and Vincent Dunn discusses fire-supression techniques in single-family residences. Lots of free downloads! Take a look!

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

A New Legal Advisor Would Help, Too

THE JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI, FIRE DEPARTMENT has got itself in a pickle after 26 recruits in a class of 28 flunked the State Certification Exam.  It was learned that the final exam was administered in November, but after the massive fail rate the fire department has been trying to get the Minimum Standards Board to permit the city to re-test the recruits themselves.  The recruit schools run for 12 weeks in Jackson's own academy which has recently started another school of 12 recruits. 

WLBT image

The Jackson Clarion-Ledger reports:

Jackson Fire Chief Raymond McNulty would respond to questions from The Clarion-Ledger only in an email through city spokesman Chris Mims. Some of McNulty's responses were not clear or did not appear to directly answer the questions.

The Minimum Standards Board established a committee to inquire into the situation regarding Jackson recruits when the board discussed the matter in November.

The situation with the recruits apparently arises from a discrepancy between what JFD taught and what actually is on the minimum standards test, though the Minimum Standard Board approved Jackson's curriculum.

WLBT-TV posted this video report on the situation:

In the meantime, the 26 FF's that failed have been getting paid while they await the settlement of the problem.  The fire chief says that state law requires them to be certified before they can be allowed to perform as firefighters, so they remain in limbo.

Not true, says Joel Jones, attorney for the Mississippi Fire Personnel Minimum Standards and Certification Board.

"Jackson apparently has an internal policy that they don't actually use guys as firemen until they've passed the course. That's a Jackson policy," Jones said. "State law says after they hire someone they have to be certified in a year. There's no restriction in the state law as to how they use that person, they just can't pay them after a year unless they're certified."

The Clarion-Ledger says that this isn't the first time that Jackson has had learning problems:

An internal affairs report dated Sept. 20, 2005, obtained by The Clarion-Ledger, states that "approximately 80 percent of 2005 recruit class felt that the class was poorly organized and did not receive the quality of training expected."

The report further states: "The class stated that they were given a book for Jackson Fire Department Training Class and later it was determined that this was the wrong book. Instructor (Keith) Simpson told them that they will continue to train from the book. The recruit class felt that improper material affected their academic performance on the Minimum Standard Test."

The report concludes that "The overhaul of (the training) division may be the key to better this department in the future."

Apparently they didn't get a new key.

Read the full article in the Clarion-Ledger HERE.
Jackson Fire Department WEBSITE.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Amazon's Gold Box Deal of the Day:

Pioneer VSX-521-K5.1 Home Theater Receiver

The receiver will accept and play
wireless input from Blu-Tooth devices

Today – $137.99 (27% off)

CLICK HERE to read all the details and order yours.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

*  *  *

Join Billy D. Hayes on Monday, January 23, 2012 at 9:00 p.m. EST as he hosts a special episode of STOP, DROP, and ROLL With the Punches.

Past episodes have included the Who’s Who in the fire and emergency service, but this one will be the view from the trenches. Billy’s guests include firefighters and company officers on the line to share their thoughts on why fire prevention and firefighter safety may succeed and/or fail.

We often miss the opportunity to listen to those in the trenches, so this episode is sure to be a hit! Join us on Monday, January 23 at 9pm ET for this LIVE internet radio show!

Here's the link to get started listening and the call-in number:  Stop Drop and Roll With the Punches.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

It was only dormant, not deceased.

It started as a small itch in Fall 1984. I was teaching a fire science course using Ronnie Coleman's Management of Fire Service Operations.

One of the students, coming from a sleepless night at a busy house, exclaimed in frustration that "this is all bull###!"

I could see the point. A book heavy in theory, with west coast examples. It was hard seeing how these concepts made any difference when the student returned to the fire station.

Application One = fail

The first attempt to link the concept with local fire department practices was a fail. Using real life examples quickly pulled us into the personality and politics of the situation.

Never got to explore the application of the theories and concepts in the course.

Brazenly borrowing from the National Fire Academy

The National Fire Academy used a standardized municipality to apply concepts and techniques during the residential courses. Maybe a smaller example would work for me.

Welcome to Wombat City

The seat of Commonwealth County, Wombat City Fire Department has seven fire stations organized into two battalions. 

Battalion 1 is all career, with four person fire company crews serving the downtown and built-up parts of the city. Most fires occured in the 1st.

Virginia went through an annexation craze in the 1960's that affected fire departments served by the community college. Battalion 3 represented the results of a 1967 annexation.

The original Battalion 3 included a rural station taken over by the city, a one station VFD that was running out of resources and a vibrant two-station VFD that was expanding.

Enough diversity to cover many supervisory and administrative situations.

An unhealthy obsession

Each time Wombat was used in a college or certification course I would add a little more detail. First a organizational chart.

Then brief description of the stations and companies assigned.  That got more and more detailed, here is the 2012 version:

Then added a detailed annual report, using some operations research techniques to make the workload realistic and variable.

It was a weekend in the middle of nowhere, while teaching a fire officer certification course in the 1990s, when I built out the career roster of the 168 member department that worked a three platoon schedule. By now I had the full blown Wombatitis virus.

As unbelievable as a "reality" show

As the description of the city grew, some of the examples started to resemble a Jerry Springer show.  They were just as ineffective as using real situations in 1984.

Dumped the overly complex soap opera stories and focused on issues and situations appropriate for the rank or role. Honed down like a Law & Order  dramatization "ripped from the headlines."

"How did you know?"

Hit a sweet spot with the simpler examples. Often the students would come up and ask "How did you know about ……?" 

I did not know.

There are similar issues and themes at almost every fire department. When presented in fictional Wombat City, the students could evaluate the issue and mitigation choices without the local drama.

Return of obsessive-compulsive Wombatitis

The downside is the obsessive-compulsive state I get into when using Wombat.

Seven days ago I started building a replacement course for a distance education EMS Operations and Management course.

Needed 14 sessions with learning objectives, work plan for each session with appropriate readings, 3 to 5 discussion questions and student assessments (tests). It had to be reviewed and approved by the department.

Needed an applied activity. Decided to dust off Wombat City so the student could role play as an EMS Supervisor and the EMS Deputy Chief. It has been six years since I looked at Wombat.

Caught myself updating the apparatus roster in Wombat City when I still needed to complete a half-a-dozen weekly discussion questions.

That buzzing is back in my head …

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

Coming to you live Wednesday night at 9pmET on Firefighter Netcast!

Whether it is in a large urban city, a coastal community, or anywhere in between, special events require considerable pre and post event planning.

Former Fire Chief of the District of Columbia Fire and EMS department (DCFD) Dennis L. Rubin, and retired DCFD Assistant Chief of Operations Larry Schultz will discuss their experiences while serving the in the nation’s capitol and the coordination required in the capitol region.

In contrast and comparison, Fire Chief Hartley Brokenshaw and Deputy Fire Chief Keith Martin will share their experiences of large events occurring in their jurisdiction that draw similiar crowds with less resource capabilities.

Topics will include: case studies from events that have made the headlines, fire and life safety requirements, pre and post event planning, and the political considerations that have an ever present impact.

So join us here this Wednesday evening at 9:00 p.m. EST as Billy D. Hayes hosts Stop Drop and Roll With the Punches.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Unexplained Flash Fire Causes Serious Burns

A MIAMI-DADE, FLORIDA, FIRE LIEUTENANT, Kevin McCrea was seriously burned Friday morning while he was preparing a simulation car fire device for a class at the fire academy.

MDFR photo

Witnesses say that McCrea was only wearing a polo shirt and regular pants when the accident occurred.  He was connecting a propane hose to a model car used for auto fire training when something happened that caused a leak.  The pressurized gas then flashed and burned McCrea in the face and on his arms.

WSVN-TV image

The firefighters standing by for the session immediately put out the fire and began life-saving procedures on McCrea while an air ambulance was summoned.  He was transported to a burn unit where he is in serious but stable condition.  Doctors say that he will NOT need any surgery and is expected to recover ok.

CBS Ch. 4 provided this video report:

(if the above video player fails to load on your browser, CLICK HERE)

Lt. McCrea has been in the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue department for 11 years and been in the training division for the past three years.

WSVN-TV has the story plus another video report HERE.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

The Problem is Strictly Financial

THE FIRE SCIENCE ACADEMY AT THE University of Nevada, Reno will probably be shut down by the end of the year and sold to the Nevada National Guard.  The modern facility is widely used by firefighters from all over the world and also contributes to the Elko County economy.  But the school has an unsustainable debt that continues to increase with no foreseeable turnaround.  There is a $24 million bond indebtedness and a $12 million operating deficit.  The closure will cause the layoff of 28 people, as well.

Fire Science Academy photo

The Elko Daily Free Press reports:

"It is my decision to go to the Board of Regents to propose the closure. The actual decision will be with the Board of Regents,"UNR President Marc Johnson said Monday. "The reason is completely financial," he said.

The university plans to recommend the closure to the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents at their meeting Dec. 1-2 in Las Vegas, according to UNR’s announcement Monday.

Elko County, the City of Elko and the Elko Convention and Visitors Authority all contributed $25,000 a year under a sustainability effort to keep the doors open, and Carlin provided a break on water rates. Academy clients also contributed.

Johnson said the contributions from the cities and county were supposed to be a stopgap measure for three years while the academy sought funds elsewhere for long-term financial support, but that didn’t happen.

KRNV-TV posted this video report:

The sale of the academy to the National Guard is progressing and is expected to be completed within the next few months.  National Guard officials say that their usage of the facility will replace the room sales and related economic activities, plus a planned expansion construction program will benefit the area as well.

The Gardnerville Record-Courier has more DETAILS HERE.
The Elko Daily Times report is HERE.
University of Nevada press release HERE (click on letter for full size).
University of Nevada, Reno Fire Science Academy WEBSITE.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Real World Staffing

Tune in this week to the latest episode of The Front Seat on Firefighter Netcast. Last month we were excited to add Bill Carey of Backstep Firefighter and Firefighter Behavior as a co-host. This month Dave LeBlanc and Bill will dig into the meat and potatoes of the Fire Service’s mission and the resources available to fulfill them.

We are all aware of our oath to protect lives and property, but what happens when that oath comes in direct conflict with our ability to do that? The policy makers are usually nowhere to be found at 2am when heavy smoke is showing from a single family residence and we are the ones forced to balance our mission and the safety of the public with our resources and the safety of our crews.

As part of this month’s show we asked you, the listener, to share your tips and tricks of operating shorthanded. We received some good write ups and we will be sharing those as well. We are also looking for you to call in and make this a true "kitchen table" discussion. We will also announce the winner of the "Expect Fire" contest.

Tune in to Firefighter Netcast tonight – Thursday – at 9 pm Eastern and be part of the discussion.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Three Countries Participate

THE VIGILI DEL FUOCO, National Fire Service in Italy, held another of their well-regarded international fire training exercises on September 17 in Tarvisio, Udine.  This exercise included teams from Austria and Slovenia along with the Italian forces that also brought representatives from the National Volunteer Fire Brigade, some forest fire units and a mountain rescue group.

The event simulated:

* SAF (high angle rescue team) with rescue of persons in the channel of the river Slizza;

* A simulation of a search and rescue injured in an accident at work in the forest,

* The fire extinguishing of forest and interface,

* The rescue from a fire in a tunnel;

The exercise involved about 120 people. At the end there was a meeting at the Detachment of Tarvisio for debriefing and the ceremony of greeting to the Authorities and to the participants.

The Vigili del Fuoco national website carried the story  and a photo Galleria HERE.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Wednesday Morning – Stretch Your Training Budget

In the constantly-evolving world that we now live in, changes come quickly and often they are remarkable for their innovation and, sometimes, new directions. The concepts used in fire and EMS training are no exception and I want to take a moment to tell you about a new training program that I believe will become the standard for regional training.

One of the training/seminar modes that has been popular recently is the so-called Expo where a program is put together and presented in a conference center that combines lectures, discussions, hands-on training and the like. These expo's usually run from 3 to 5 days and rely on a few thousand firefighters and EMTs of all ranks to travel to the site and stay in a hotel while they are there.

Lately though, with budget crunches and dwindling funds we have seen a noticable drop-off in attendance at these functions. The quality of training and presentation is good, but the expense of sending a few department representatives is becoming tough to come up with. And thus the evolution of the Expo is about to take a dramatic turn. Instead of the attendees traveling to distant places for their specialized training, the Expo is now going to be doing the traveling and coming to where the students are instead.

The ground-breaker in this new concept is the parent organization of the FireEMSBlogs family that Firegeezer belongs to, Go>Forward Media. G>F is headed by the same group of innovators who founded and built the original Firehouse.com into the first online fire/rescue powerhouse before it was acquired by the Cygnus corporation. A few years later, this same group led by Dave Iannone along with Chris Hebert and Bill Carey reorganized and established Firefighter Nation and of course our blog family.

Now they are introducing Go>Forward Training with Chief Tiger Schmittendorf as Director of Training. He describes the program:

 From a fire service perspective, Go>Forward Fire offers "a conference in a box" solution to fire departments, training associations and related organizations looking for the opportunity to bring a national level conference to their neighborhood. Partnering with local fire service organizations, we work with you to tailor the content and agenda to your local needs and then bring top notch presenters and instructors to your region. Oh yeah, and we handle the logistics and marketing too.

The trainers/lecturers/presenters are nationally renowned instructors along with the up-and-coming next generation of fire and EMS educators. When you get a few minutes after the equipment check this morning, I'd like you to CLICK HERE to read Chief Schmittendorf's full introduction to this program. And then click on Go>Forward Training's webpage HERE to read about the two initial conferences scheduled for this fall in St. Charles, Missouri, and King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. This is the future of fire and EMS regional conferences and training.

Now let's get our own equipment checked out. I'm going to get some more coffee started, I think we'll be needing it. See you back in the day room.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *