Want to become a better firefighter? Here are 401 tips, ideas, and tricks of the trade that veteran and experienced firefighters can teach you on how to become better, safer, and a cut above other firefighters. Topics include those for rookies, building construction, engine and ladder operations, incident command, safety and survival, training, tools, understanding smoke conditions, plus a lot more. Here is an opportunity to gain 30 years or more of experience in one book to help you become a better firefighter.
John Norman has updated his best-selling book, a guide for the firefighter and fire officer who, having learned the basic mechanics of the trade, are looking for specific methods for handling specific situations. In this new fourth edition, readers will find a new chapter on lightweight construction, a new chapter on electrical fires and emergencies, updates to many chapters including such topics as wind-driven fires, and many new illustrations.
One of the fire service's most well-known and respected leaders reveals principles and events that have shaped his and other chief's careers and leadership values that no "cookie-cutter" leadership or management book can provide. The real-world experiences and lessons that are vividly detailed in the book provide a roadmap for any aspiring firefighter wishing to be promoted, a company or chief officer looking to go to the next level, or a fire chief who wishes to further develop their leadership skills. Fully Involved Leadership, written by Chief Gary Ludwig addresses the tenets of leading firefighters at all ranks and levels, and provides a blueprint for not only motivating firefighters but inspiring them; not showing them how much you know, but how much you care; that leadership is not a position or title - it is an action and examples; reminding you that rank does not equate to leadership, the inverted table of organization, and much more! Fully Involved Leadership is filled with powerful leadership topics and at its core addresses the values of trust; the two key qualities needed to be a fire service leader - character and competence; how to keep your emotions in check by using I before E - intelligence before emotions; how to keep from making a wrong decision; why it is important to show honor to your firefighters, plus a whole lot more! Chief Ludwig offers warm and engaging stories of not only his experiences but other chief officers and how they learned from their mistakes when it comes to leadership. Chief Ludwig provides insights and hard lessons learned that makes you reflect upon the question, "Who would you follow if your life depended upon it?
Rick Lasky and John Salka are two of the most dynamic and inspirational leaders in the fire service. Their book, Five Alarm Leadership, is a compilation of leadership lessons learned, situations handled, decisions made, and problems solved during their combined 60-plus years of fire service experience. Also included is a special introduction by Chief (ret.) Bobby Halton, Editor-in-Chief of Fire Engineering magazine, outlining the nature of transformational leadership and its power to inspire excellence in the fire service.
For his first book, Chief Billy Goldfeder, a 40-year fire service veteran, solicited insights and pearls of wisdom from our country's greatest firefighters, fire officers and emergency responders. The stories that make up this unprecedented collection share many perspectives of the emergency service experience and offer invaluable, often hard-won, lessons learned. Every firefighter, from probie to veteran, can find something to take away from these factual, real-life, first-hand stories, which offer a range of emotions—from wit to heartache and basic common sense. Features: • Introductions by Billy Goldfeder to each chapter • Chapters written by a very diverse group of more than 80 well-known fire service veterans • Experiences of some of the best names in the fire service that most of us would not have the opportunity to learn from directly Chief Goldfeder is donating 100% of his royalties equally to the Chief Ray Downey Scholarship and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. Every contributor fully supported the benevolent mission of this book.
With this book you will gain insight into the crucial part of the exam- the interview. While it is important for a candidate to focus on the written and physical ability parts of the exam, the interview often accounts for up to 100% of a candidate's overall score. Lepore has proctored hundreds of entry-level and promotional interviews. He shares his unique ability to see the interview through the eyes of the rater. This book is presented in a question-answer format. It provides the candidate with a strong foundation on how to answer over 100 of the questions most commonly asked by fire departments across the country, and provides the rationale as to why the answer is correct. Answers to common situational questions deal with: moral issues, legal issues, violations of policies and procedures, ethical dilemmas, societal obligations, interpersonal conflicts. This updated book includes additional questions and answers.
What does it take to lead people into a burning building? How do the leaders of the New York City Fire Department develop so much loyalty, trust, and grace under pressure that their subordinates will risk their very lives for them? As a high-ranking officer of the FDNY, John Salka is an expert at both practicing and teaching high-stakes leadership. In First In, Last Out, he explains the department’s unique strategies and how they can be adopted by leaders in any field—as he has taught them to organizations around the country. In a tough-talking, no-nonsense style, Salka uses real-world stories to convey leadership imperatives such as: first in, last out—your people need to see you taking the biggest risk, as the first one to enter the danger zone and the last to leave manage change—the fire you fought yesterday is not the one you’ll be fighting tomorrow communicate aggressively—a working radio is worth more than 20,000 gallons of water create an execution culture—focus your people on the flames, not the smoke commit to reality—never allow the way you would like things to be to color how things are develop your people—let them feel a little heat today or they’ll get burned tomorrow Illustrated by harrowing real-life situations, the principles in First In, Last Out will help managers become more confident, coherent, and commanding. On the web: http://www.firstinleadership.com
He helped save people every day—but he had no idea how to save himself. Jason Sautel had it all. Confident in his abilities and trusted by his fellow firefighters, he was making a name for himself on the streets of Oakland, California. His adrenaline-fueled job even helped him forget the pain of his childhood—until the day he looked into the eyes of a jumper on the Bay Bridge and came face to face with a darkness he knew would take him down as well. In the following months, a series of traumatic emergency calls—some successful, others impossible-to-forget failures—drove Jason deeper into depression. Even as he continued his lifesaving work, he realized he could never rescue everyone, and he had no idea how to save himself. In the end, Jason was forced to confront the truth: only the relentless power of love could pull him back from his own deadly fall. Action-packed, spiritually honest, and surprisingly romantic, The Rescuer transports readers inside the pulse-pounding world of firefighting and into the heart of a man who needed to be broken before he could finally be made whole.
This book serves as a guide for the seasoned veteran, the new firefighter and everyone in between, bringing them together for what it all takes to have that love for the job. Each chapter addresses the next step in the leadership chain that is necessary for a fire service professional to succeed. The chapters are as follows: Our Mission; The Firefighter; The Company Officer; The Chief; Our Two Families; Sweating the Small Stuff; Changing Shirts-The Promotion; What September 11th Did For Us-The Good and the Bad; Ceremonies; Marketing Your Fire Department; Making It All Happen-Embracing Success; Have You Forgotten.
