Share your strategies, tactics and experience!  Every Friday we’ll post a picture or video and want to get your take on the situation.

THE SCENARIO:    This is a cool video responding in on the first due Engine.  Today, you’re the Officer.  What you see is what you got.  Give us the report and your RECEO VS considerations.  Have fun!

• What is your initial report?
• Rescue considerations?
• Exposures?
• Confinement issues?
• Extinguishment strategies and tactics?
• Overhaul, what areas will you focus initial searches for extension?
• Rig placement?

I recently responded to a post on the thinking man’s fire blog “fire(fighter) behavior”.  The post primarily discussed the tremendous training opportunities available at the fire department instructors conference (FDIC) and asked what those who attended FDIC brought back with them to share with their fellow firefighters at home.  Below, is the comment that I left on his blog.

“What I brought back was the reality that you don’t have to attend any of the phenomenal H.O.T. classes, or sit through any of the mind-blowing classroom seminars to get something out of FDIC.

All you have to do to is GO to FDIC! From the Probie or the motivated senior fireman to the comfortable old-timer, anyone who needs or wants to see what the American Fire Service is TRULY about needs to GO to FDIC.

If being surrounded by 30+ thousand of your BROTHERS telling and listening to old war stories while seeing the newest technologies isn’t great enough, go to Ike and Jonesies, stand in the sea of firemen and watch the parade of IFD rigs roll by as the Pipes and Drums echo through downtown Indy ultimately ending up inside the bar with 200 firemen’s drinks raised high in the air out of respect for what it all really represents… that this is the GREATEST PROFESSION IN THE WORLD!

What I brought back from FDIC was that, no matter what the economy does or what the Mutts do, this job is bigger than any one firefighter, or chief, city or state. Don’t do your job because it’s your job, do it because you love it and because society and the firefighters behind you are depending on you to get it done… no matter what and without excuses.”

FTM-PTB and Be SAFE,

Matt “Jeebs” McDowell