 |
| Firefighting - Live It Strong |
Firefighter gifts and the bond of brotherhood is the gift of giving, to the public we protect and the firefighters we serve with. My blog, like my life, is filled with personal firefighting experience, news, firefighter links the largest gift shop of fire dept holiday gift ideas for firefighters and their families.
Showing posts with label firefighter bunker gear. Show all posts
Showing posts with label firefighter bunker gear. Show all posts
Firefighter Bunker Gear Doesn't Make You A Firefighter
Firefighters know that Firefighter Bunker Gear and a uniform doesn't make you a firefighter. Going the extra mile every day, every call, every training does. Do it from the heart and live it strong.
The Fire Academy and Firefighter I Training
Did you grow up wanting to be a firefighter, riding on fire trucks and putting out fires while wearing all the bunker gear, boots, helmet and SCBA or did it just seem like a good idea one day? Sometimes people witness a fire or emergency before they decide it's something they want to do also. Whether you have always dreamed of it or decided recently to become a firefighter, all the formal training starts the minute you join up at the firehouse and continues on into the fire academy when you start your Firefighter I Course.
Whether you are taking Firefighter I to become a career firefighter or volunteer firefighter, the training is totally the same. If you enroll in classes at the academy nights and weekends it's about three and half months of some intense training including classroom lecture and hands on live fire training.
Or learning how to hook up a hydrant
Remember to give it your all. Learn it, practice it over and over. Go back to your station and talk to your firefighters there, I'm betting they will be happy to do it with you. They remember because they were at the Fire Academy once too. You may not have to use all the skills you learn, and you may not use all of them often, but when you need to use them seconds count. Lives are on the line.
Make your education and Firefighter I mean something not only when you are a rookie but later on when you are the seasoned veteran working in the field and teaching the new recruits.
Be proud of your graduation from the Fire Academy. Trust me, you will work hard to learn how to be a good firefighter. And just when you think you learned it all because you graduated and passed your Firefighter I test, well, the learning just begins. Great firefighters never stop learning. They practice, train and keep their skills as sharp as their axes.
Whether you are taking Firefighter I to become a career firefighter or volunteer firefighter, the training is totally the same. If you enroll in classes at the academy nights and weekends it's about three and half months of some intense training including classroom lecture and hands on live fire training.
Go to each class prepared. Get some binders or notebooks because you really want to take alot of notes. You will get a textbook and a work book and homework. Yes, homework and reading assignments too. Being prepared for the Fire Academy means showing up for every single class with your reading assignment and homework done, properly shaven, alot of fire academies have a dress code for class and they mean it too.
Bring your gear, all of your PPE and SCBA when its needed for that class. Whether you pack it in gear bags, wear it or carry it, make sure you have it or your class is wasted and there's a good chance the instructors will send you home for the day with a class to make up. Firefighters Need To Be Prepared - So Do It Right.
Bring your gear, all of your PPE and SCBA when its needed for that class. Whether you pack it in gear bags, wear it or carry it, make sure you have it or your class is wasted and there's a good chance the instructors will send you home for the day with a class to make up. Firefighters Need To Be Prepared - So Do It Right.
Being a firefighter means learning right from the beginning that there are rules to follow and many of them will save your life or someone elses.
It means understanding from Day 1 that we are a team. We work together, we learn together, and very often we laugh and cry together. Always a team.
Whether you are learning to pull your 1-3/4" handline off the first response fire engine to do an interior attack on a structure fire
Or learning how to climb out a window of a structure on fire maybe with a victim to rescue
Or learning how to hook up a hydrant
Remember to give it your all. Learn it, practice it over and over. Go back to your station and talk to your firefighters there, I'm betting they will be happy to do it with you. They remember because they were at the Fire Academy once too. You may not have to use all the skills you learn, and you may not use all of them often, but when you need to use them seconds count. Lives are on the line.
Make your education and Firefighter I mean something not only when you are a rookie but later on when you are the seasoned veteran working in the field and teaching the new recruits.
Be proud of your graduation from the Fire Academy. Trust me, you will work hard to learn how to be a good firefighter. And just when you think you learned it all because you graduated and passed your Firefighter I test, well, the learning just begins. Great firefighters never stop learning. They practice, train and keep their skills as sharp as their axes.
Firefighter Gear Forever
Firefighter Gear - the only thing that ever fit me perfect. I'll take my bunker gear over your suit and tie any day, and the job that goes with it!
 |
| I'll take my firefighter bunker gear over your suit and tie any day. |
Fire Prevention Lessons From The Kids
Fire Prevention is every firefighter's responsibility. Traditionally in the fire service we take at least one full week in October proclaimed "Fire Prevention Week" and reach out to our community to educate them about home fire safety, family meeting places and always focus on smoke detectors, changing their batteries in the smoke detectors, using 911 and how to prevent fires from happening when possible.
My fire dept has two kindergarten through 5th grade schools, a religious childrens academy and a large childrens day care/pre school in town totalling about 2,000 children and that's where we focus each year on Fire Prevention Week.
It is amazing to me each year how open the children are to meeting the firefighters and learning about "stop, drop and roll", crawl low in smoke and their favorite is when the fire chief asks everyone if they know the number to call in an emergency. They enthusiastically all yell "911". Do we call 911 if there is smoke? "YES". Do we call 911 if we want to order a pizza? "NO". Where do we call 911 from? A neighbors house - Don't hide, go outside they all yell over eachother. Does everyone have smoke detectors in their house? "YES!" and then there are 25 or so stories about mom was cooking and the smoke detector went off...... Everyone's homework that night is to tell a grown up in their house about changing the batteries in their smoke detectors. We know they all do it too, because their parents let us know the kids are relentless until they do change them!
After the kids are comfortable with us and having some fun, we have a couple of our firefighters put on their bunker gear one step at a time so the children can see we are the same not so scary firemen they were having fun with that may be coming to their house. Then we get down with our gear on and SCBA hooked up and interact with the kids, crawling among them, giving them a chance to feel our gear, hear how we sound and ask the firefighters questions one on one.
The kids love the interaction. They love to learn and their minds are wide open to what we have to say. So many questions. Some of our favorites are "What do you do if your firehouse is on fire", "What if my goldfish is on fire will his water put him out", "What if its nighttime and your sleeping and its dark out will your mommy still let you come to my fire". Some of the braver kids love to try on the firefighter gear and say one day when they are bigger they want to be firefighters too.
Firefighter Fire Dept Bear Heart Stickers by bonfirefirefighters
Check out other Firefighter Stickers at zazzle.com
Fire Prevention Week is a great time to educate the children in your community. And firefighters can learn alot from the children as well. As adults we can learn from children to keep our minds open to learning new things, remembering old lessons and to keep learning something new everyday of our lives. Learn to face what we fear, find out more about it and bring that new discovery back to someone else young and old, so they can keep learning too.
My fire dept has two kindergarten through 5th grade schools, a religious childrens academy and a large childrens day care/pre school in town totalling about 2,000 children and that's where we focus each year on Fire Prevention Week.
The kids love the interaction. They love to learn and their minds are wide open to what we have to say. So many questions. Some of our favorites are "What do you do if your firehouse is on fire", "What if my goldfish is on fire will his water put him out", "What if its nighttime and your sleeping and its dark out will your mommy still let you come to my fire". Some of the braver kids love to try on the firefighter gear and say one day when they are bigger they want to be firefighters too.
Firefighter Fire Dept Bear Heart Stickers by bonfirefirefighters
Check out other Firefighter Stickers at zazzle.com
Fire Prevention Week is a great time to educate the children in your community. And firefighters can learn alot from the children as well. As adults we can learn from children to keep our minds open to learning new things, remembering old lessons and to keep learning something new everyday of our lives. Learn to face what we fear, find out more about it and bring that new discovery back to someone else young and old, so they can keep learning too.
Firefighter Rehab
Fighting fires is hard work. Firefighters hooking up hydrants, putting up ladders, ventilating roofs and fighting structure fires while wearing turnout bunker gear are adding some serious stress and heat to any common activity. This is true whether it is the cold of winter or heat of summer.
Firefighters don't always want to go to Rehab mostly because they don't want to have stop their firefighting activities, but EMT's are ready for them whether the set up big rehab stations with tents and chairs or a separate area away from the fire scene with water bottles and blood pressure cuffs.
Firefighters should be hydrating all day because there is no telling when the next fire will happen. Thirst is one sign of dehydration but by the time you feel thirsty you may already be dehydrated. Other warning signs of dehydration may include dizziness and lightheadedness, headache, dry mouth, nausea or vomiting and excessive fatigue. EMS rehab helps firefighters avoid heat stress syndrome, it provides firemen whether career or volunteer firefighters a time out for their heart, mind and body to recuperate and the EMT's will ensure they are ready to resume firefighting activities before releasing them.
Firefighters don't always want to go to Rehab mostly because they don't want to have stop their firefighting activities, but EMT's are ready for them whether the set up big rehab stations with tents and chairs or a separate area away from the fire scene with water bottles and blood pressure cuffs.
 |
| East Windsor Rescue Squads #1 and #2 set up Fire Rehab for firefighters providing medical evaluation including heart rate and blood pressure monitoring, fluid and food replacement as necessary, relief from the environment including shade from the sun, fans to cool the area, tents for protection from bad weather conditions and an area away from the firefighting action for rest and recovery. Pictured above EMT Kevin Hood East Windsor Rescue #2. |
Firefighters should be hydrating all day because there is no telling when the next fire will happen. Thirst is one sign of dehydration but by the time you feel thirsty you may already be dehydrated. Other warning signs of dehydration may include dizziness and lightheadedness, headache, dry mouth, nausea or vomiting and excessive fatigue. EMS rehab helps firefighters avoid heat stress syndrome, it provides firemen whether career or volunteer firefighters a time out for their heart, mind and body to recuperate and the EMT's will ensure they are ready to resume firefighting activities before releasing them.
Fire departments should include reporting to Rehab in their SOG's and Fire Chiefs and Officers should encourage their firefighters to check in at Rehab for continued health and safety of all members.
 |
| Firefighters and EMT's pictured above take a time out to cool off and allow themselves to physically de-stress after fluids and monitoring by EMS. |
Firefighter Buddy System
The Firefighter Buddy system is real. From the day you join the fire department whether you are career or volunteer you are no longer on your own. Once firemen and female firefighters of every size, shape, color or ethnic background don their bunker gear they are a buddy. Firefighters don't respond to or extinguish a fire alone. When you do an interior attack on a structure fire you never do it alone. At least two firefighters go in with their handline charged and ready. They stay low, they stay together. One firefighter is on the nozzle but they both put out the fire. One firefighter breaks out the windows but they both ventilated the smoke and supercharged life threatening environment. If one firefighter is ready to go out, both firefighters go out. Together. Bonded.
The firefighter bond is a gift you learn, you give and take, you live by.
Firefighter t-shirts with fire dept maltese cross logos, station names and slogans are more than just identification and pride. They stand for a brotherhood bond that goes beyond the borders of response districts, states and even countries.
Featuring firefighter apparel for firefighters, fire rescue, firefighter emts and paramedics and great gift ideas filled with flames and fire trucks for fire dept family members. We have your back because we know the job, we live the job.
Be our "buddy" and hit the Facebook LIKE button for firefighter gifts and firefighting theme apparel at:
The firefighter bond is a gift you learn, you give and take, you live by.
Firefighter t-shirts with fire dept maltese cross logos, station names and slogans are more than just identification and pride. They stand for a brotherhood bond that goes beyond the borders of response districts, states and even countries.
Featuring firefighter apparel for firefighters, fire rescue, firefighter emts and paramedics and great gift ideas filled with flames and fire trucks for fire dept family members. We have your back because we know the job, we live the job.
Be our "buddy" and hit the Facebook LIKE button for firefighter gifts and firefighting theme apparel at:
Visit us on Twitter for up to the minute firefighter news, links and gift ideas
Firefighter Gear and Equipment Bags
Firefighters always need great gear and equipment bags. Whether you need a bag big enough to fit all your bunker gear, helmet and boots in, or a bag to hold your extra clothes for shift change or special assignment we have some great bags for all of your needs. Rescue and bunker gear bags are a great gift idea for a firefighter for holidays, graduation from the Fire Academy, retirement after years of service and the perfect birthday present for firefighters of all ages.
Shop for more emergency services themes bags and personalized t-shirts, gifts and collectibles at: Firefighter Gear and Equipment Shop
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)