See you in Chicago!

Dear Jumpseat Readers,

I haven't been able to post many new updates due to the weather and the holiday season. But I received a HUGE email today. Ryan and Chief Winter from the Charleston Fire Department have been selected to present at Fire Rescue International in Chicago August 24-28 2010. It is a huge accomplishment for both of us and at the same time a huge undertaking. We are going to pull from our experience's in training to put together a new and exciting program. You might say it's a little OLD SCHOOL with a lot of NEW SCHOOL. This is a great opportunity and can't wait to share some of our experience with the world. Thanks for all the support from everyone and I will have a new posting up soon to close out 2009...!

Man...the surprise's keep coming...

Hello from the jumpseat!

Once again the blessing's keep pouring out... View's from the jumpseat has hit 700 hits now....just a few weeks from the 600 mark.....Thank's agian for reading....I can't count all the blessing's in 2009. I look forward to some new and exciting post's and experience's in the year 2010!

Thank you from the jumpseat...

Today is a huge day for the View's from the jumpseat. View's hit the 600 visit mark! I would have never imagined that I would hit 100 much less 600. Thank you to all that have taken time to stop and read View's. I hope to expand view's toward the future. I hope to add some Podcasting, Video, and Some new article's. I am so excited for the potential to deliver my idea's and thoughts to each of you. Please continue to stop and I hope to earn your return with some exciting new idea's. Thank you again for visiting the jumpseat and Have A Great Weekend Everyone!!!!

Senseless Acts of Firefighting!

I heard a new saying around the fire service today. “There is no common sense in the fire service, “Everything that we do is a learned behavior that must be learned, relearned and drilled on over and over again. So is it true, is there no common sense in the Fire Service? Does this statement apply to us and what we do every day. Is it fair to say that the thousands and thousands of men and women that pull on their boots and roll out the door looking to help their fellow man and protect the property have No common sense. It seems like this couldn’t be true, but let’s spend some time analyzing it from one point of view. Let’s use the view from the jump seat that’s where I am riding and let’s use it for a starting point to determine if the fire service “Has no Common Sense”.

Help, Help, my house is on fire! This is a statement that you and I would say if indeed your house were to catch fire. We probably be saying it as we are running or crawling out the front door or looking for a place to jump. But here they come, like knights in shining amour on the BRT(Big Red Truck) or whatever color your trucks are, they jump off grab a hose and into a raging out of control force that is looking to destroy everything that comes in its path. So, is there any sense to what they are doing? Just like the old adage states “Why do they go running in while everyone else is running out”? Well it’s this simple we have chosen to serve our community and been trained in how to mitigate emergencies or is it that we are all adrenaline junkies looking for the next high? Maybe a little bit of both. I think that we can have common sense while doing senseless acts as long as we revert back to our training, experience and COMMON SENSE!

View's is getting Published!!

Hey everyone, View's from the Jumpseat is moving up to the big leagues. Check out Views on Firehouse.com/members blogs.

http://www.firehouse.com/blog/ryan-pennington/views-jumpseat

Please take the time and check it out....Please leave comments.


Thank you to Pete Mathews at Firehouse.com......You da man Pete!

Thanks to all that Serve!

View's from the jumpseat would like to take the time to salute the men and women of the armed forces. Today is your day and you deserve it!!!! Happy Veterans Day! God bless you and God bless America!

What to do when the what if’s happen!

Have you ever set down and thought about the “What if’s” of the fire service? In our line of work the what if’s are too many to list, but have you ever set and thought about how some of them would affect you. These variables that you face can and will have a negative effect on the outcome of your incident; they may even cost you your life. So what if we trained to expect the unexpected. What if while you are training you practice for the unexpected variables that might cause harm while handling your next emergency. What if we learn how to handle the situation’s that you might not see but once in a career? Can we keep our wits about us to realize that something is wrong before we lose our life? Can we rely on our training and knowledge to get us through the emergency? Maybe we should look a little deeper and learn to mitigate these situations before game day. Just like any good athlete practice makes perfect so let’s start right here and practice before the what if happens to you!

In this Picture....Note the HVAC unit that was on the roof! Now inside the Building! A BIG WHAT IF!

The Iso Man is a comin!

Good morning all from the jumpseat.....I received a call yesterday from a chief asking for assistance in preparing for a ISO rating at my home department. So it got me thinking, who is ISO, what does it mean to me, and why do we care? Well these are all question's that I will be finding out and answering soon as I embark on a journey to maintain and possibly improve my department's ISO rating. It may be possible to become WV first ISO class 1 fire department. If anyone has any suggestions or tips please leave comment's and I will be updating often. Thanks Everyone and Keep the wheels on the road and your rear in the seat,,,, IN A SEAT BELT!

Reaching New Heights for Safety!

We are on our way to the local civic arena to test the latest crop of rookie in their job skills abilities. Our department uses this test to measure the skill level that a new person has achieved in the first year of joining our department. I arrive, on the ambulance that day, to see our 105’ ladder truck sitting up proud and beautiful against the parking garage sixth floor wall. The guy’s are finishing up the final preparations to administer the test. While we are waiting I noticed a captain climbing the ladder. He had his ladder belt, helmet, gloves, and turnout’s on as he ascended up. You could tell that he was comfortable with the ladder but was still paying close attention to the climb. Then it hit me, wow what a concept. Here he is climbing our 105’ truck with all his safety gear on and he’s totally focused on safety. When was the last time that you climbed a ladder truck and was not 100% focused on safety? I think that we could put the perspective of climbing the ladder truck to work in our everyday routine as firefighter’s and Ems workers. When was the last time that we did any task with 100% focus of safety? You might be thinking that everything that we do doesn’t have the dangers associated with it like climbing the ladder truck. Well maybe that thought get’s us into situation’s that end up hurting or even killing us. Please join with us in this article as we compare climbing the aerial ladder to safety procedures in our everyday operations. “Reaching new heights for safety” is not only a slogan for our behavior but a topic that we should all preach and follow through on every day?

The Boy's in Blue are Going Pink

Everyone will be seeing a different side of firefighters starting this Friday. The boy's in blue are going pink to support breast cancer awareness. October is breast cancer awareness month and IAFF 317 is putting on the pink! Don't be alarmed if you dial 911 and see pink it will be the same brave men and women responding to your emergency and responding to the call for breast cancer awareness. All the proceeds will benefit breast cancer research. Everyone join in with IAFF 317 in supporting this cause that affects many of our mothers, wives, or children!

Are you ready for the "What If's?"

Recently I heard a story about a fire department who ran a structure fire where everything that could go wrong, went wrong. With that in mind are you ready for the WHAT IF'S? By what if's I am referring to the unexpected situation's that you might find at your next emergency scene. Maybe it's a bridge that your engine cannot get across, or maybe it's a house that is full of trash from floor to ceiling. Keep these situation's in mind the next time you head out to participate in your next drill. Expect the unexpected and prepare for the "WHAT IF'S!" Have a safe day everyone and thanks again for riding with View's from the jumpseat!

Don't Breath that Crap!

Responding to a car fire these day's is like responding to a HAZMAT call due to the petroleum based construction that these things are made of. I am going to use a quote from Chief Goldfedder, "Put on your SCBA and Don't Breath That Crap!" Just remember that the affects from the smoke may not show up for year's to come. Do us all a favor and wear your air pack. The air in them is free and our department's gave them to us for protection not to look at! Remember that smoke is toxic and anything toxic doesn't belong in our lungs! Be safe and remember that while in the Jumpseat Grab Your Air Pack!

Check out the New Firehouse.com

http://staging.firehouse.com/

Good Morning all! Everyone please take a moment and check out the new look on Firehouse.com! Take a look and leave some comment's!

Combat Ready!

Good evening from the Jumpseat. I wanted to give a shout out for the effort and job that the Charleston Firefighters did in the Scott Firefighters Combat Challenge. Local 317 did a wonderful job. They represented Charleston well! A big shout out to my probationary Capt. Moore. He served his country for the past few months and came back a lean, mean, fire fighting machine. He is an inspiration to us all! HEY, good job Capt. Moore you are a great role model for us all! Oh, and by the way, Combat Challenge 2010 I will be right behind you! Good night all and thanks again for spending some time with "Views from the Jumpseat!"

All Tied Up?

Have you ever had a day like this? Today the CFD conducted their evaluation of the latest crop of rookies. Our "Civic Center Test" has came under some controversy as of late. It is a physically and mentally demanding test that will push you to your limits. Sound familiar? The only difference between the rookie testing and a fire scene is that no one's life is at risk during the test. It seems more than fair to me ,due to the nature of our chosen business , that we must be "Fit to Fight". As rookies we need to make sure that they are prepared for what is ahead of them. But what about the guys that are not "Rookies". Myself personally I am struggling with a fitness program. Teaching here and family there puts a time strain on all of us. But when should our fitness be as important to us as it was back when we were rookies? It should be more important because as we lose the advantage of youth experience has to kick in! So, once again I will set out on a journey to become "Fit to Fight" because you will never know when the day will come when the bell hits and we rush out the door just to get all tied up! Thanks again for reading "Views from the Jumpseat"!

We will never Forget!

We will never forget! It is the night before September 11th 2009. It is so hard to believe it has been eight years. Just like everyone else, I can remember that day like it was yesterday. I was home in bed after working a overtime shift on the bolance. My wife came and woke me up to show me what was going on. The first words out of my mouth were "It's going to collapse". Man I wish that I was wrong. God bless the men and women of the FDNY, NYPD, and Port Authority. God bless everyone who lost their life on 9/11. God bless the first responders that protect America everyday! Let's join together on this day to stop and take a moment to remember and honor their sacrifice. Let's also take this time to take to look at our situations and take a step back. From the jumpseat to the front seat let's all make safety our number 1 priority so we can honor the fallen and protect the future. God bless America!

Thanks Pete Mathews from firehouse.com for the use of his picture.

Welcome to the WEST SIDE!

Just stopped to share a pic from our new rims on Medic 437! We found these along the road and thought they would be a nice addition to the ambulance! It's never to late to enhance the looks of your ambulance. Public appearance is a big part of what we do. I don't know if our selection in wheel's are chief approved...but....they sure do look good! Ok, we didn't really leave them on but they made for a nice photo op. Thanks everyone for stopping a sharing a moment with "Views from the Jumpseat". I hope everyone had a Great Labor Day Weekend!

Shift Happens!

Well it's the final day's of summer and I'm riding them out at work. I love the fire and ems service a lot, but sometimes it stinks like SHIFT! For all the rewards of shift work there are some trade offs. Like paying back shift trades, time away from family functions, and generally missing out on some things. The pro's out way the con's but sometimes dealing with the con's STINK! So, just put your head down and get through it! Aaron Tippen said it best "A long hard Day sure Ain't Much Fun, but ya gotta get it started if you're gona get it done!" Happy labor day weekend everyone. Take the time to grab your love one's and tell them how much you love them because before you know it......SHIFT HAPPENS! Be safe and keep ridin with "View's from the Jumpseat!

Move right with lights?

Once again I would like to thank everyone for the support of my article on firehouse.com. On a safety note a KCEAA ambulance was involved in a minor accident yesterday. The detail's are still coming in but from what I can figure out it was passing a SUV on a two lane road when the SUV swerved left into it's path. First, I hope everyone is OK. Second, I would like to take the time and remind everyone to expect the unexpected. Sometimes people do the craziest things when they see us coming with our parade lamps on.(IE.... Light's and Siren's). Maybe we should put a sign across the hood of the ambulance or Engine " Move RIGHT for LIGHTS!" Thanks once again for sharing some time with me here at "Views from the Jumpseat".

Photo by Dave MacQueen, WSAZ

Thanks to Peter Mathews and Firehouse.com

Just stopped to send a BIG SHOUT OUT to Peter Mathews and Firehouse.com for publishing my first article. It's the full version of "When to Back the Truck Up?" I hope everyone enjoys it and starts a safety discussion with your companies. What if we all would make safety our number one priority? I believe that we owe it to our families to" Back The Truck Up!" Have a great day everyone and thank you for visiting "Views From the Jumpseat!"

Back Where I Came From!

Last night I had the pleasure of teaching at the place where I began my fire and EMS career. I started the night with a basic CPR class and turned it into a round table discussion on firefighter safety. We talked about seatbelt safety, proper PPE selection and use, and basic mayday procedures. It was an engaging conversation between firefighters and their views were right on the money. It was nice to share my "Views From the Jumpseat"!

There is a Monster in the Ambulance!

Stop the box, there is a monster back here! The Charleston Fire Department had the chance to demo a new “Power Cot” from Monster Medic yesterday. The salesman brought it in and gave a wonderful presentation on its feature’s. Cots or stretchers have evolved from the days of face to face lifting to a battery operated self lifting stretcher. Man what a concept, so what would ever make someone think that this is not a good idea? Let's do the math on this thing! How many times in a shift to you lift the cot up and down? Let’s see at least twice per run times six to ten runs a shift. That is twelve to twenty times you are lifting and loading a patient into your ambulance. That would be a good workout for anyone. Imagine that now you are going from twelve to two. Does this mean we have become lazy? Absolutely not! I think that we have let technology catch up with us. Sure this thing weighs more, sure it costs more, sure it…..well that’s about it. I would trade an extra 20-30 pounds of not lifting any day!

During the demo I heard every excuse in the book about power cots. They are too heavy, we will get complacent while lifting, or the best one of all it will catch more blood and nasty’s. Well ok, we may have to clean and maintain it more but man not having to lift these four, five or six hundred pound patients is a blessing in itself. Ems is a tough business filled with obese, overweight, and not fit providers. We need to look at this new invention and remind ourselves to put the cheeseburgers down and prepare for the next run. It all starts with some personal responsibilities. Diet, exercise, and training are great starting points in preparing for EMS. But all that we do personally will now be assisted by a big ORANGE MONSTER. Monster Medic thank you for your demo and hopefully you will be serving Charleston WV citizens very soon!