My heartfelt prayers for all involved in Honolulu Fire Department’s LODD from Station-7. Rest easy Brother Clifford Rigsbee.
Tag Archives: truck
Large header in Columbus #fire
Made a pit stop in Columbus today, and walked out to a header. Upon closer look…

Smelled different than a normal work.


All the foncy trucks attended. But sadly, it was only mulch. Basically large open burning.
But hey, at least the sun was out.

Spending my Sunday alongside @nbc4i , I’m @rusnivek –
Nice Firefighter tribute in CO
Looting a Doritos truck in Buffalo
Weather seemed pretty bad yesterday in Buffalo.
Supposedly 5ft – 7ft in a matter of hours!
Conditions were so dire, people witnessed several dudes looting a Doritos truck that was stuck on Seneca Street.
Oh the humanity!
So I guess this means…
Special visitors checking on our preparedness! #NatlPrep #Prepared2014
It is Tuesday and the final day of 2014 National Preparedness Month.
“Be Disaster Aware, Take Action to Prepare”
National Preparedness Day!!!!
This week’s theme is consistent with FEMA’s National Preparedness Campaign: Practice for an emergency
#30: Flat Stanley & Flat Stella stopped by the fire station to check out our emergency preparedness kits. #NatlPrep #Prepared2014
In honor of National Preparedness Day, we had two special visitors at our fire station. Flat Stanley and Flat Stella stopped by for a quick visit and tour.
They wanted to see if all Firefighters and Paramedics were participating and prepared as part of September’s 2014 National Preparedness Month which was held all month long.
Both Flat Stanley and Flat Stella checked our Emergency Preparedness Kit in Ladder-11.
Flat Stanley asked if we had enough water ready…
Of course we do!
Flat Stella asked to see our emergency contact list as well as my new smoke detector.
As you can see, our emergency contact information is contained in the Vial of Life Program. And smoke detectors are always free from the fire department.
Flat Stanley made sure these were fresh fire extinguishers and they were ready to go.
Both had an awesome chance to take a ride in BFD Ladder-11.
Special thanks to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Ready.Gov program.
Also thanks to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), FEMA’s Ready.Gov, Ohio Department of Public Safety (ODPS), Ohio Emergency Management Agency (OEMA), and the Trumbull County Emergency Management Agency.
What a month! I’m proud of everyone who participated in National Preparedness Month and extremely happy that everyone is more prepared for any emergency or disaster.
Technical jargon and giving actionable information Safety-PIO-SM-14-006
| 14-006: Technical jargon and giving actionable information | |
| Agency: Chicago Fire Department | Topic(s): Industry codes / Actionable info |
| Date: Fall 2014 | Platform: Twitter |
Industry speak or technical jargon is part of what we do every day. But using technical terms on a social media platform will be confusing to those who are NOT in the fire service. That’s what the Chicago Fire Department did yesterday at their big 3-alarm fire when they tweeted technical jargon.
The use of technical jargon is rampant in emergency services but when speaking to the media or the general public, we need to remember that everyone did not grow up with a VOX alarm or SCU tones. In this case, a “311” or 3-11 alarm means that there are 11 engines, 5 Trucks, 2 Tower Ladders, 6 Battalion Chiefs, 1 Rescue Squad, 2 Ambulances, 2 Paramedic Chiefs, Deputy District Chief, Deputy Fire Commissioner, and the 1st Deputy Fire Commissioner are onscene. There is no way to include all that information in a tweet, but using more simple terms will help your audience understand the scale of your ongoing incident.
Before you post images, make sure your pictures are rotated correctly. I know accuracy is sometimes overlooked in lieu of speed, but it takes less than 5 seconds to orientate/rotate a picture (In this case, it was going to be a long operation). And note, by just rotating a picture does not equate that you are “doctoring up” photos. But a correctly posted photo will help media repost and format your information quicker to the masses.
During an emergency situation, your constituents need the information pushes to be actionable and specific to your audience. Not only inform them of the danger, but tell them what they can do about it.
A more effective tweet could have read:
| Chicago Fire: Large 3-alarm fire at Harrison St x Fifth Ave. Traffic delays-avoid the area. (insert two pictures) |
By phrasing it this way:
- You cite the authority having jurisdiction and established incident command presence.
- You generally described the size/category of the ongoing incident and critical information to media.
- You identify the exact location of the incident.
- You describe the delays in the area and give actionable information to your constituents.
- You still have lots of room to push properly orientated pictures with your informational tweet.
Time is valuable, so tweet good stuff.
***To download this as a single-page printable format, click this file:
TechnicalJargonAndGivingActionableInformation-Safety-PIO-SM-14-006
LODD Captain Bowen’s Story by Randy Mantooth #Firefighter
Definitely a worthwhile video to watch pertaining to the Asheville Fire Department Captain Jeff Bowen Line Of Duty Death (LODD) in 2011.
*Personal note: Capt Bowen was one of my students in my Firefighter class.
Video produced by Randy Mantooth and sponsored by Masimo.
Jeff: Keep an eye out for all of us at the elevated IC.
Sutphen recall #Firefighter
FYI-Sutphen announced a recall on their ladder trucks.
Press Release – Five-Section Aerials
Dublin, OH **For Immediate Release**
Date: July 22, 2014
RE: Sutphen Voluntarily Removing 5-Section Aerial Devices From Service
Sutphen Corporation has announced that the Company is instructing customers to remove all SPH 100, SP 110, SPI 112, and SAI 110 Aerial devices from service, until further notice, effective immediately. The Company states that customers are instructed to use the affected apparatus in the capacity of an engine or support vehicle only. The Company will stay in close contact with its customers to report details and when the units may be place back in service. “At this time, our priority is the safety of our firefighters,” says Drew Sutphen, President of the Company. “In light of the recent incidents, we recognize there is an immediate need to take precautionary action. I would rather take every precaution necessary than to put firefighters at risk.” The Company states that it will be contacting customers with the affected units personally to inform them of the events that have occurred and the steps that are being taken to get the units back in to service in a timely manner. “We feel the need to personally assure our customers that we are working to investigate and correct the situation,” Drew continues. Sutphen Corporation is an Ohio based privately held, family owned business that manufactures custom built emergency response vehicles. The company’s headquarters are located in suburban Dublin, Ohio northwest of Columbus. For more information contact the sales office.
Hold the phone…literally!
Hold the phone…literally!
With the weekend upon us, this should serve as your Friday public safety message to start the weekend.
#smem #socialmedia #safety #ems #emt #paramedic #ema #emergency #management #fire #firefighter #police #law #dept #rescue




















