In the digital age, there is a blog for darn near everything (look at us!) Fire fighters and rescue professionals are no different.
We have compiled an excellent list of resources available online geared and crafted towards fire and rescue staffs of all sizes and specializations. Everything from training tips to remarkable stories from the field are showcased on these web pages, that inform and entertain rescue professionals and the citizens they protect all the same.
Let’s take a look…
Fire and Rescue Magazine
Featured Article: Purpose vs Position
Fire and Rescue Magazine is a tremendous resource for firefighters, EMS workers, and really anyone involved with rescue and safety operations. The provide expert insights about tactical strategy, equipment review, leadership, fire prevention, hazmat, and technological advancements directly affecting methods of rescue and fire prevention.
In the article we featured today (which you can read here), they analyze the importance of rank and position versus the purpose of each individual on a rescue staff. Centrally, the piece reflects on the bureaucratic nature of many fire and rescue crews, and how careful consideration should be taken before anyone accepts a position of leadership.
Against the grain, this editorial rages against the old-fashioned methodology of assuming the most tenured member of the staff should become a de facto leader, regardless of skill level or knowledge.
Wildland Firefighter
Featured Section: Wildland Training
As with Fire and Rescue Magazine, this blog is another member of the FIRE/EMS Blog Network, a group of loosely related blogs covering just about every topic known to mankind in the realm of fire and rescue operations.
Wildland Firefighter provides a wealth of knowledge regarding (in case the name didn’t give it away), wildfire and rescue operations, on both large and small scale. Even if you do not find yourself in a wildfire hotspot, the feature some wildly entertaining and informative pieces covering wildfire prevention, rescue, combat, and news.
We have featured a section of their website hosting several videos of wildfire training and combat techniques that are quite remarkable. Check out the video documenting and interviewing fireline lookouts. They are the people who track wildfires to relay intel back to the fire combat crews to track and coordinate effective termination strategies based on coordinates, weather factors, etc.
Jon’s Mid-America Fire Apparatus Blog
Featured Article: Attack Line Configurations: How To Store Hose Loads On Your Rig
Jon’s Mid-America Fire Apparatus really goes above and beyond to add value to their blog. As a fire and rescue truck retailer and service shop, they have taken their industry and equipment expertise and transformed it into helpful advice that any individual in the field may find useful.
The article that we have featured today breaks down attack line configurations and the many options each department can choose from (to what best suits their needs and best utilizes the skills of each firefighter on the unit). They emphasize the importance of making the configuration a democratic group effort and take into account what types of fires the crew typically faces as a factor into which configuration would best suit the team.
They also consider the type of fire and rescue vehicles the crew has at their disposal, as this will also affect the choice of which configuration is best for the team. You can read the full piece by clicking here.
Onspot’s Blog
Featured Article: Response Time Challenges For First Responders And Rescue Drivers
Onspot is an ingenious rescue and commercial trucking solution that engages tire chains by the flip of a switch during adverse and inclement road conditions. No longer are the days of standing in subzero temperatures or swampy mud to laboriously apply tire chains. This one-step solution is as easy as turning on a light switch. You think I’m joking? I am not joking. You can check that out here.
Additionally, they have a great blog!
We are highlighting a piece that is very near and dear to our hearts: fire and rescue vehicle response times. This article analyzes the most common factors that are crucial to optimum response time in a fire and rescue emergencies. They take into account dispatch time, turnout time, and response time that can cost crucial minutes when time is of the utmost importance. For the full article (it’s definitely worth a read), click here.
Holmatro’s Blog
Featured Article: Educate Yourself!
Holmatro is an industry leader in fire and rescue tools, jacks, cutters, and other lifesaving devices that fire and rescue professionals rely on to complete their duties with maximum performance. Cutters, spreaders, lifting bags, you name it, Holmatro makes it. They also have a great blog providing fire and rescue knowledge that is first class.
The featured piece we chose to highlight urges fire and rescue professionals to continuously educate themselves, as it will directly translate to their effectiveness in the field. Continuing self-education is great advice for any professional of any trade, and it is no different for fire and rescue pros. They even provide some additional training resources, and how to avoid misinformation in a sea of varying opinion based resources that are not accurate. Click this sentence to read the entire piece.
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