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Our department has seen a large increase in injuries sustained to members while lifting weights on duty. This has resulted in a lot of time off for surgeries and rehab for some of our members. We require our members to work out at least one hour per shift. These injuries are considered worker's comp claims, and our carrier is very concerned as the amount they have paid has skyrocketed. Overtime costs have also risen as we bring in members to maintain minimum staffing levels. Has anyone dealt with similar circumstances, and if so, how did you approach the situation?

HI All, I sit on the Leadership Team for DHS S&T's Video Quality in Public Safety (VQiPS) committee. A significant body of work includes ongoing research and Requirements development for use of video in the public safety communities. We support a lot of smart people in the course of this research like the Public Safety Communications Research forum (PSCR) and their labs in Colorado. That said, the PSCR is conducting a study on Video Quality and is seeking volunteers from the Public Safety Community (Dispatchers, Law Enforcement, Fire and Medical Services) to assist them at their facility. Invitational travel is authorized for this research. I wanted ...

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Here is the thing...my soap box if you will... I have been reading multiple posts on different female firefighter threads and I have been contemplating about whether or not to reply to them because number one, I don't want to sound condescending and number two, some of the posts that I have read report behavior that is completely unacceptable and I cannot believe that this type of abuse is still going on in the 21st century. Here is the deal, everyone...we have the greatest job in the world and have the opportunity to touch other people's lives in a way that few individuals have on this planet. We work harder, we have to be stronger and we have to be able ...

I have been doing a lot of soul searching since my return from the iwomen convention that was held in Tucson, AZ less than a month ago. I have been thinking about my career, my journey , from several different angles...from a mother's perspective, from the drive of being a professional firefighter, from being a caregiver, a wife, a woman....and it just does not mesh. It does not flow. I was thinking about the dichotomy of this on my run this morning. What do I have to offer in this career, this profession , to others who want what I have? What lessons have I learned that will help other firefighters in their careers? I think the answer is in truly understanding ...

Welcome to FSTAR The Firefighter Safety Through Advanced Research (FSTAR) toolkit is breaking down silos between the academic world, laboratory settings, and the fire ground. Numerous investments by researchers, fire associations, and fire departments drive the latest data and suggested practices into the hands of the fire service. Please share your research or procedural change with the Fire Service.

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If the Pentagon says that it's too expensive to use the 16 brand new C-27J VSTOL cargo aircraft they just took delivery on, and they are sending them DIRECTLY to the "Boneyard" at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, why can't they be transferred to the US Forest Service and adapted as Wildfire Air Tankers like some of the National Guard C-130s? Just a thought!!! http://www.military1.com/air-force/article/406583-new-air-force-cargo-planes-head-straight-to-storage With the aging Air Tanker fleet in the disrepair it is, this seems like a no-brainer to me. Phil...

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I would base your automatic alarm response on the staffing level of your companies. If your staffing is three or four members to a unit, I would send one engine, one truck, and a chief to an automatic alarm. If your unit staffing is less, I would send two engines, one truck and a chief. Naturally, if the automatic alarm was followed up by a phone call reporting a fire, I would upgrade the response to a full assignment ie four engines, two trucks, a rescue co., and a chief. Also, you can have a tiered response based on alarm activity. For an automatic alarm the normal response is two engines, a truck, and a chief, Call this a Level 1 response. If you have ...

Our department has posted, as a quick reference tool, the Awareness Card found on the link below. August Vernon who has provided works in Emergency Management and provides specialized Emergency Services planning and training for critical services created the card which I believe you will find useful. MASS SHOOTING/ACTIVE SHOOTER - Officer.com

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