Last December, another major fire plagued California. For over a month, the Thomas Fire blazed through Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. The destruction surpassed 440 square miles of land scorched and 1,063 structures burned, claiming the title as the largest wildfire in California history. As of December 22nd, more than 8,500 firefighters fought to contain […]
The California Wildfire Season Is Now 4-5 Months Longer Read More »
We’ve all seen car ads boasting of the latest features in comfort, safety, and technology – automatic brakes, WiFi hotspots, and so on. By and large, these are nice things that make car travel a safer, more comfortable experience. While fire apparatus aren’t necessarily concerned with comfort, there are some interesting innovations and trends coming
New Year, New Ride: Apparatus Trends for 2018 Read More »
Out of 27,192 fire departments that staff about 1,215,300 firefighting personnel, 32% were career firefighters, 56% were volunteer firefighters, and 12% were paid-per-call firefighters. The statistics compiled by the NFDR highlight a challenge faced by fire departments across the United States. Volunteer fire departments cover vast sections of the country that are not serviced by
Challenges for Volunteer Firefighters Read More »
Some of the biggest headlines of late show that California has been on fire near continuously over the past couple of months. Agencies such as CAL Fire and the Forestry Service have beefed up their staffing in the face of these unprecedented blazes. The staffing increase is especially underway in Southern California in the face
California’s “New Normal” Demands New Staff and New Strategies in 2018 Read More »
Building and maintaining a sufficient crew is an ongoing challenge for many fire companies, and several of these groups struggle to meet that challenge. It isn’t at all uncommon for fire companies to recruit and retain volunteers by drawing from the communities these organizations serve. However, for many areas and municipalities throughout the country, the
Repairing the Damage: Female Arizona Inmates Serving as Firefighters Read More »
The final California wildfire of the year, Thomas Fire has been decimating much of Ventura and Santa Barbara counties since early December, 2017. In terms of acreage, this final inferno is the largest in the history of the state. In terms of how the fire has spread and behaved, many veterans claim they’ve never seen
Thomas Fire Caps an Unprecedented Fire Season Read More »
In the wake of the increase in wildfires throughout the American West, insurance companies are taking the proactive step of hiring and utilizing private fire crews to assist homeowners in more fire-prone areas. While the practice has been in place since the 1970s, these measures have understandably been taken more frequently as of late. Firms
Privatized Firefighters Aid Insurance Companies Read More »
The winter weather for most people marks the time of the year that brings the holidays, skiing, slick roads, and a chance to hurl a snowball at a loved one or pesky neighbor. As a firefighter the upcoming winter provides a separate set of challenges that must be recognized to ensure the equipment and personnel
Winterizing Your Fire Truck: Protecting your Apparatus from Harsh Winters Read More »
A long-standing tug of war has existed between government agencies and the lawmakers sworn to act in the best interest of the people. Congress represents the people of the United States. Members serve their constituents, the people who live in the district from which they are elected. Lawmakers must please their constituents if they want to stay
Government Agencies and Lawmakers Butting Heads Over 2018 Fire Budget Read More »
In November of 1942 as World War II persisted in Eastern Europe and President Franklin Roosevelt waited anxiously to hear about the progress of a Los Alamos nuclear lab, a group of revelers met on a cold Boston night to celebrate. It was the Saturday after Thanksgiving and the mood was festive as an estimated
The Nightclub Fire Tragedy that Influenced Health and Safety Codes Today Read More »
