Just a simple and basic presentation done as a webinar for basic size up. This was done to keep it very simple for those that registered can take it to their departments and insert their unique needs into the program.

This episode is a question answer discussion about search and rescue. The bottom line is that we aren't good enough at searching and we need to pay particular attention to our techniques. Additionally, we need to ensure that we are supporting the search at every fire, assume there are victims until WE prove otherwise.…

In this episode Mike Torres brings on a group while driving around in Homewood, IL. Great discussion on the remainder of vertical ventilation and then they shift gears into overhaul. Be sure to rate us on iTunes an leave a comment.

In this episode the group discusses vertical ventilation on peaked and flat roofs, including commercial versus residential. Tim and Jeff have guests on this episode with great information and experience on ventilation. Tai Rondeau and Beau Espinosa join us with some valuable information and tips on conducting vertical ventilation.…

This episode we discuss the challenges of victim removal and large area search with our panel. Please listen in and share!

In this episode the gang is back with a good discussion on tools and equipment we use to supplement our search skills and techniques. Be sure that whatever you use, you understand and know its capabilities and limitations of those tools. TIC's are tools and don't bury your face in these tools, use it as a supplement.…

In this episode the group discusses some basics of search and rescue. As you can guess, this is a topic that provides a great many avenues and options. The critical nature of this tactic is why we do what we do--to save lives. What may seem simple and easy is really a skill that must be practiced and trained on as often as possible. Take a listen a…

Join us again with Part 2 on ground ladders. The group will discuss deployment, ladder choice and some common sense ideas for using ground ladders, no matter the size or location of your department.

This is part one of the use of ground ladders. In this episode we discuss the challenges of where we store them, deploying them and some of the small nuances that can make all the difference in your ground ladder uses. No matter how large or small your department, you will be faced with the need to deploy ground ladders and this discussion will giv…

The gang is back for part three--Forcible entry. They discuss tool selection and uses along with types of challenges that can be faced from truck company members during working incidents and how to overcome them.

This episode discusses the transitioning from an engine or other company to the truck company. Your panel discusses the differences you can expect when operating on a truck company as opposed to the engine. The experience of the panel offers a unique perspective that can be applied to any department. Remember, it's not the apparatus that makes the …

This is the first in a series of podcasts from Engine House Training, LLC that will discuss Truck Work. We will be creating these series of podcasts on everything operational over the next several weeks and months. So, be sure to stay tuned in for many more informational and fun podcasts on all things firefighting! This episode is dedicated to a br…

In this episode Chief Reilly and Chief Hoevelmann talk with Tom Goran of the Columbia Missouri Fire Department on his evolution as a leader and creating content for his site Flashover Leadership.

This episode Jason discusses sub-level challenges with Adam Hansen from Milford, CT. Adam has written two recent articles with Fire Engineering and we discuss some of the content. Be sure to check it out and share.

The Double Edge Sword of Loyalty There are bad leaders out there, no doubt “Management reserves the right to manage poorly” What you should expect: Fair & consistent treatment Genuine concern for your wellbeing & development The tools & support you need to do your job To be challenged and to be made to demonstrate your proficiency What your leaders…

Chief Dennis Reilly and Jason Hoevelmann discuss leadership for firefighters and fire officers specifically regarding being a consistent leader and officer using the Leadership Triad. It comes downs to a strong moral compass and the firm foundation based on ethics and doing what's right. THE MORAL & ETHICAL OBLIGATIONS OF BEING AN OFFICER: Your dec…

Chief Joe Pronesti and Jason Hoevelmann discuss three fires that happened on, or near Father's Day. The fires had a huge impact on many families, as all line of duty deaths do and we felt it appropriate to discuss the lessons and stories of these fires. Chief Pronesti also has a recent article about these fires in Fire Engineering and the link is b…

This podcast is for all of us that struggle from time to time with the opinions of others. In most cases, when we put ourselves out there in any format, whether be as an engaged, energetic firefighter or officer to posting and blogging and writing and teaching, there are those that go out of their way to try and knock us down. This is my response a…

Don't over-compicate the roll of command. In this episode Chief Pronesti discusses a simple initial size up option that takes into account the building. This is not the only option out there, just one we discussed in this particular episode. Size--how do you determine size and define that for your crews? Use--understand the special hazards that eac…

Nothing can be so chaotic as a firefighter in trouble that calls a Mayday. The fire service spends a lot of time and resources in training firefighters and task level officers in techniques and methods for calling a Mayday and surviving those situations---as it should be! However, there has been little developed and created in the way of real, mean…

Check out their page at Columbia Memorial Stair Climb REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!! PLEASE JOIN US!! After you climb 110 stories you will feel an overwhelming sense of pride. Sure, you'll be proud that you finished the climb, but more importantly, you'll take pride in knowing that in this great country there are still hero's that are wil…

Chief Reilly took some fabulous notes, here they are: Set your standards, your own code, and then live by them. Do not allow others to define what good or bad is. Management always has the right to manage poorly Normally bad assignments done last forever. Don’t do something that will stay with you for your entire career. One of the worst things to …

This podcast addresses only three components of setting expectations for your members. It is really one of the most important things you need to do as a newly promoted officer, or if you are trying to gain control of a division, shift or crew. If they don't know what's expected, it's impossible for you expect it from them.…

In the last few weeks I posted about being aggressive. In that post I mentioned that we, our department, will search without a hose line. This seemed to raise some eyebrows and concern about what I said. This podcast addresses what I mean by that and some ways to search without the hose line in your hands. We train and operate in a manner that allo…

This episode discusses the harm and challenges associated with speaking out of turn and partaking in the gossip that can be so ever prevalent. Take the high road, don't participate and get all of the facts before speaking about something or someone. It can be harmful to the person being talked about and to your credibility and reputation. Be a lead…

Here is a video of a recent FREE webinar about five common mistakes that new fire officers tend make. These are by no means exclusive, but from my experience are committed by many new officers. -Don’t try to change the world-Don’t have an authority complex-Don’t micromanage-Don’t be a quitter-Don’t avoid discipline I would welcome others that you m…

Bailout is a last option for us when things go bad. We can do all of the right things and still find ourselves in trouble. It doesn't and won't happen often when we train and operate in standard manners, but we have to be prepared. This podcast discusses some basic concepts that we at Engine House Training, LLC teach and believe in regarding firefi…

This episode discusses our intentions and how, as leaders and fire officers, we need to put the group ahead of ourselves. Servant leadership is real and it makes a difference in your relationships and effectiveness as a leader. I have four basic priorities for myself and my members when on duty and in this order: --Citizens --Organization --Crew/Sh…

Captain and Lead Instructor from Engine House Training, LLC, Steve Heidbreder talks about how to prepare for the fight when coming on duty for walking into the engine house as volunteer.

This podcast discusses how difficult it can be work and exist in an environment of people that aren't like-minded. Many of us want to include others in our enthusiasm and pride for our job, and it is not easy to do that. We have to be realistic in how we gather support and conversion, if you will, of others that not only are like-minded; those are …

This episode we discuss some items to consider when handling limited or no water area incidents. You have to know where these are in your response area and have a plan to over-come the problem. Each has the potential for being a challenge, but this can be easily conquered by preplanning and training. Be familiar with the capabilities of your equipm…

In this episode we discuss four principles that will help the fire officer, or individual in any walk of life be successful and provides guidance in being effective. Be generous Be constructive Be productive Be aggressive I am also attaching a link to the video and the Powerpoint that was used for the webinar that this podcast was created for. Webi…

This episode we discuss some items to consider when dealing with service and misc. calls. It's important that we don't take these incidents lightly. Each call has the potential for being a challenge, not matter how it is dispatched or what you think it might be. For CO calls follow your guidelines for calling out service personnel to double check r…

This episode discusses the importance of setting very specific goals and objectives. Being specific allows us to create a realistic and attainable plan to achieve our goals. We need to set bench marks and a written record of our progress, successes and set backs. Below is an example of some specific goals and objectives for a fire officer. Some of …

This is a short podcast discussing some basics of calling the Mayday. In this episode we discuss the shift from using LUNAR to the three W's. Who are you? What happened to you? Where are you? With those three questions, as a firefighter we can provide pertinent information and not have to try to remember a long acronym. We also discuss the importan…

In this episode we discuss the motivation of looking at the proverbial glass being half empty as opposed to the glass being half full. Motivation comes from different places, but looking at the glass half full can lead to complacency and if convinced that half full is okay, the water left will slowly evaporate over time and before we know it the gl…

Weekly Company Drill Building Familiarization This drill is a size up and familiarization drill. It can be broken up into several parts and get as much information gathered as possible. The objective of this drill is to identify specific hose length stretches for large complexes or buildings that may test the ability of your typical 150' or 200' pr…

This episode we discuss the importance of core values when creating your mission plan for progressing and improvement. The core values are our cornerstone about what we are about and who we are. They are not negotiable. Below is an example of some core values. Core Values Professionalism: In and out of the firehouse, on and off-duty Respect: For ea…

This episode is a discussion about ground ladders. It's a basic piece of equipment that has such a huge value to us on the fire ground, but in many cases, get's forgotten. They're forgotten until they are needed, and then it could be a life and death situation for firefighters and victims. We talk briefly about some very simple aspects to keep in m…

In this episode I discuss the importance of having a vision. We must have a vision to be able to get where we want to go in life and in our professions. It is imperative that we see where we want to be and create an actionable plan for getting there. That starts with creating a mission and vision statement for ourselves. This is the beginning of th…

Attached is an outline we used for a quick winter operations class at work. I ran across this the other day and thought it would be appropriate to post now. The podcast is here for this topic as well. Feel free to add and use this as you see fit. If you have some great tips on operating in the winter, please share with everybody, as I'm sure we mis…

In this episode we take fall in line with the season of Thanksgiving and discuss being thankful for not only the things that are good and enjoyable in our lives, but also the things that are challenges or perceived failures. We can learn and grow so much more from the hard things than the good things. The fun and good times can make us complacent a…

Throughout our lives we have challenges, frustrations and failures. There is no way to avoid them and we have to learn how to deal with them. Certainly, we try to do all we can to minimize them and avoid those situations, but life happens! This Monday Mantra addresses being resilient. We must be resilient and have the ability to move on in a produc…

This episode is a discussion about the power of humility for leaders. All of us need to be and could demonstrate more humility in our daily and professional lives. The kind of humility I"m talking about isn't deflecting compliments, although giving credit where it's due is important and nobody likes a bragger, we need to be humble when challenged. …

In this episode discuss the challenges we are confronted with everyday. Some of those challenges are at work, at home or in other organizations or functions we participate in. The can be from the things we love to do or in the form of things we don't like to do. In any event, we need to rise above them, keep our focus on the goal and objective and …

This episode with Jason Hoevelmann addresses and discusses the issues and challenges with solving large problems and putting those problems in perspective. Jason shares a story about his son moving desk on his own, and realizing that when he takes the drawers out, the desk is significantly lighter and easier to move. It was a great analogy for solv…

Every Monday I will post a new podcast from Leading Under Fire to give you a little boost to get your week started. I will provide inspirational quotes, helpful tips and just straight encouragement to have the best week you can. This episode focusses on Exceeding Expectations. In this episode we discuss that meeting just the minimum is setting us u…

This first episode describes the goals and objectives for presenting and creating this podcast. Jason provides a background and lays the foundation for his leadership principles by sharing his failures and a few of his successes. Jason provides some examples of how failing can be used to catapult you to greater success and improving your outlook. P…