Backing the truck up in Delaware!!

When was the last time that you got out of comfort zone and took time to visit other departments?  I recently had that opportunity to present a firefighter safety program to  the Seaford Vol. Fire Department  and the Delaware Vol. Fire Chiefs Assoc in Seaford Delaware and WOW is all I have to say!  The members treated me with respect and kindness as their Assistant Chief guided a tour of their facility and apparatus.  From the EMS room to the antique pumper it all was well kept and maintained.

The best part of the visit was interacting with the members of Seaford and the Delaware State fire Chief's Association.    As I sat at the wonderful dinner that was served I felt at home.  Wow, 7 hours from Charleston in a room full of 75-100 people that I didn't really know and I felt at home?  Really?  Yes, it was because we all share a common bond of the fire service!  

What did I learn from visiting Delaware?  I learned that Delaware doesn't have a vacant house problem, how they are dealing with a increasing EMS call volume, and most importantly how to treat a fellow firefighter.  Sharing knowledge and experiences is a wonderful thing but receiving is 10 times more valuable to those willing to listen!

I would like to send out a Heart Felt "THANK YOU" to the Seaford Delaware  VFD and the Delaware Vol. Fire Chiefs Assoc.   They truly are a class act.  

Maybe someday soon they will "Back the Truck Up" and save a firefighters life!

Pack of Air!

Definition of smoke: The byproducts of incomplete combustion. Wow what does that mean to me. Let's stop and think about it. Incomplete combustion means that whats burning is not completely burning away and leaving some of it's parts behind. These parts that are left behind are very toxic? As we respond to more fires in today's culture the content of our fires are becoming more and more petroleum based products. Plastics, foams, and synthetic materials make up everything we touch! These advances are great for us in many ways and bad for us in some major ways. The burn hotter, faster, and product more toxic gases that can KILL US!

This means that you could be crawling to your death! If you are anything like me Death is not a option that I am interested in the near future. SCBA use could very well be the key to your survival. Most of us feel comfortable with using our SCBA'S and have been trained on their emergencies. But as we progress through our careers can getting comfortable with our SCBA kill us! YES! But how? By using our experience as a reason NOT to continually train with our SCBAS and be aware of our air consumption rates.

Air consumption is a every changing variable and can be effected by many factors. Your fitness improving or declining, gaining or reducing your weight, having a cold, or more than one could affect your air consumption. This makes it very important to continually train with our SCBA to have a measuring meter to allow us to make solid decisions on just how far we can go into a fire and return safely! By spending the time to do a accurate test on your air consumption may be the key to saving you and your crew! Just remember when you don't feel like training with your "PACK OF AIR" the smoke we crawl into is worse now than ever and that when your bottle runs out......you're life runs out!!


Stay safe

thanks for the stop in the jumpseat!!!