Deaf Firefighter's Blog
I've added a new blog to the sidebar called the Deaf Firefighter's Blog. A deaf firefighter from Pennsylvania is putting his thoughts online. Check it out.
Comments Are Back in Firewhirl
I've turned the comment function back on in Firewhirl so feel free to comment on the entries. You will need to provide a name and email address. Also, before your comment will appear it will have to be approved. As soon as I approve the comment, it will show up.
If the spammers start commenting, I'll turn off comments to those posts. After a few weeks, I'll turn off the commenting function on each individual post.
Fire away!
VentEnterSearch.com
I ran across this website while doing some surfing today.
VentEnterSearch.com
The lost art of the fire service
It is a great blog with lots of practical knowledge about truck company operations. Be sure to stop by their site and spend a few minutes. I've added a link to the sidebar at the right so that I can visit them regularly.
International Firefighting Weblog
There is a new fire-related blog on the internet. It is called the International Firefighting Weblog (hat tip to Rhett over at Roanoke Firefighters). Check it out.
I'm also adding it to the sidebar on the right.
Firewhirl is Back!
It has been a long time since I've posted an entry here at Firewhirl (over 4 1/2 months), but now I'm back at it.
Thanks to all of you that have continued to check in once in a while. I sure appreciate it.
The content of Firewhirl will be slightly different that what is has been. There will be fewer posts (hopefully at least one post each day), and more of the posts will be deal directly with what is happening over at my business - Northern Plains Fire. However, there should be plenty of posts dealing with the issues, events, and changes within the world of firefighting and my thoughts in those areas.
Over the next couple of days, I'll be cleaning up things here at Firewhirl and getting things back in working order.
As always, feel free to drop me an email and let me know what you think.
Comments Turned Off
Spammers strike again!
Due to a large volume of comment spam, I have to turn off the comment feature in Firewhirl.
Please feel free to drop me an email to share your thoughts. My email is joe@northernplainsfire.com. The email is also listed in the sidebar at the right.
Sorry for the loss in this feature, but the time it was taking to zap all of the spam was getting ridiculous.
Almost a Week
Holy Cow! I realized this morning it has been almost a week since I last posted. It has been a little busy here, so blogging took a back seat.
Much of last week was spent studying for my EMT-B exam, which I took on Saturday. I passed the practical stations without any trouble, but the written test was really tough. We get the results of the written test in a couple of weeks. Keep your fingers crossed for me.
Now that I'm done with the EMT class and test, blogging should be back to normal.
I'm Back
Sorry for the lack of posts the last few days, but I was out of the office. The South Dakota state fire school was in session Thursday through Saturday.
First Response Coalition
I've added a link to the First Response Coalition to the sidebar. Here is some info:
The FRC is a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization whose mission is to educate the public on the needs of our first responders and to ensure that decision makers attach a high priority to public safety issues such as funding, research, training, equipment, standards development, spectrum allocation and management. In addition, the FRC supports greater coordination at all levels of government to achieve seamless interoperability, which will allow emergency personnel to coordinate an effective response to local, regional, and national emergencies.
Stop by their site and read what they are all about. They've even got a blog!
Busier Than A...
Not much for posts today. Too much stuff to get done. To make up for that, I thought I would try a little contest. Whoever finishes the phrase "Busier than a..." with the best ending will be the winner. Go ahead, give it your best shot. The winner will be picked on Friday.
More posts tomorrow.
UPDATE: Apparently, I was too busy to check the title of this post before I hit "Save". When I read it this afternoon, I saw that it didn't make sense. Hopefully it does now.
New Links
Here are some new links that I've added to the sidebar. Stop by these sites and check out what they've got.
Fire Service History - This is a great blog that has posts regarding the history of the fire service. Don't miss their most recent post about Seagrave apparatus.
FirefighterCloseCalls.com - A website dedicated to highlighting close calls and what to do to improve firefighter safety. This says it the best from their website:
"WE are family with a focused goal... no one gets left behind, and no one is ever forgotten."Ya like that quote? Great! Now get off your ass and get some training going for you and your crew... EVERY DAY IS A TRAINING DAY. No More Whiney Assed Excuses!
20,000 Visitors
We have officially had 20,000 visitors to Firewhirl and Northern Plains Fire - Woo Hoo!
Thanks to everyone who has stopped. We're looking forward to the next 20,000.
Links
Here are a couple of new links:
Becoming a Firefighter - Justin's personal log as he strives to become a firefighter in Santa Rosa, CA.
NOTE: There is another blog called Becoming a Firefigher, but the author is located in Virginia. On the sidebar, I'll label them with the appropriate state abbreviation (CA or VA).
Scottie's Cartoon Gallery - Scottie has tons of fire service cartoons that he has drawn. Good stuff!
Taking a Long Weekend
I'm starting to wear out on blogging, so I'm taking an extra day plus the weekend to recuperate.
Here is what you can do in the mean time:
1. Check out the blogs and other links on the sidebar.
2. Look through the Firewhirl archives.
3. Search Firewhirl using the Search box in the sidebar.
Have a good weekend!
10,000 Visitors
Last night, just after supper, I checked the Site Meter to see how many visitors have come to Firewhirl and Northern Plains Fire. We have now officially had 10,000 visitors!
Thanks for stopping by, sending emails, and leaving comments. We hope you'll return again soon.
Busy at Northern Plains Fire
Sorry for the lack of posts over the last two days, but I'm swamped. Hopefully, I'll be able to post some tonight - definintely by tomorrow morning.
Out of Office Today
I'll be out of the office today - heading to Sioux Falls to the auto auction. If I get back at a decent time and I'm not bushed, I'll put some posts up tonight.
In the meantime, check out some of the blogs and links listed at the bottom of the sidebar.
Taxes
Sorry for the delay in posting today. I had to go in and visit with my accountant about taxes - ugh.
I'll have some posts up by this afternoon.
New Links
Here are some new links that I've added to the sidebar:
Firefighter - a great blog with lots of historical information, stories and memories. Lots of good pictures too.
Congressional Fire Services Institute (CSFI) - dedicated to educating members of congress about fire and life safety issues. Stay up to speed on what is happening on Capitol Hill regarding fire and EMS issues.
New Links
Here are a couple of new links that have been added to the sidebar. Check 'em out.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue - a blog about what's going on at Miami-Dade Fire Rescue. They have pictures, links, and a ton of information about their anti-venom bank.
International Association of Wildland Fire (IAWF) - the home page for an organization representing professionals in the wildland fire community. They are based out of the town I grew up in - Hot Springs, SD.
New Links
Here are a couple of new links that I've added to the sidebar:
A Firefighter's Camera - an online photo-journal featuring photos from a volunteer firefighter in New Castle County, Delaware. Lots of interesting pictures.
IAFF - The home of the International Association of Fire Fighters.
Comments and Spam
I recently had a reader send me an email reporting that they could not leave a comment on Firewhirl. He had tried to post a comment and received a message from my spam blocking software saying that his post had "questionable content". Well, what happened is that I made a mistake and had blocked all comments from the "blogspot.com" domain name. It didn't take long to fix the problem. I'm glad he sent the email otherwise I wouldn't have known there was a problem.
If you run into a similar issue, just send me an e-mail and we'll get it figured out so that you can post your comments.
No Blogging Today
I won't be posting today because we are visiting family. Visit some of the blogs and websites listed on the sidebar on the right to fulfill your web surfing needs.
Look for new posts tomorrow evening.
Merry Christmas!
5,000 Visitors
Another internet landmark has been reached here at Firewhirl and Northern Plains Fire. We've had 5,000 visitors come to our website.
Thanks so much. We hope you have enjoyed it as much as we have.
New Links
Here are some new links that I've added to the sidebar on the right.
The Maytag Fireman - This is the blog of a firefighter at an airport firehouse. Great name for a blog once you know where he works (hehehe).
Everyone Goes Home - a website dedicated to making sure that all firefighters go home safely.
VolunteerFD.org - a resource for the improvement of volunteer fire departments.
New Links
It has been awhile since I've added new links to the sidebar, so here are three new links that I read on a regular basis.
Becoming a Firefighter - a volunteer firefighter in northern Virginia posts descriptions and pictures of many of the incidents that he responds to.
Rescuehouse.com - a great website with tons of content including stories, history, news, jokes, poems, and pictures.
Rescue Us! - a blog by Lou Angeli, a filmmaker, who also has written some great stories about firefighting.
New Weekly Feature - Picture of the Week
We are going to start another weekly feature here at Firewhirl. Every Friday, I'll post the Picture of the Week. This will be the best fire-related picture I can find on the web.
Give me a few minutes and I'll post our first Picture of the Week.
UPDATE: If you have a cool picture that you would like considered for the picture of the week, please send it in. Just e-mail it to me at joe@northernplainsfire.com.
Blizzard Slows Firewhirl
Sorry for the multi-day outage here at Firewhirl. I took a couple of days off for Thanksgiving and then this big storm hit (from FoxNews - the article is from FoxNews, not the storm - hehehe).
Power has been out here until last night and I've been digging out from the snow drifts. I'll be shoveling the rest of the day. Look for the usual posts related to fire tomorrow (if all goes well).
Need Some Suggestions
OK, here is your chance to let me know what you would like to see here on Firewhirl. I'm always looking to improve the posts on this blog and I need some suggestions on how I can do that.
Here are the regular features:
Tuesday - post poll results and start a new poll
Wednesday - post the Department of the Week
Thursday - post a near-miss report from the Near Miss Reporting System
I also read through numerous websites and post on things that I think are interesting on Monday through Friday.
Are there topics that I don't cover that you would like to see covered? Are there links that you would like added to the sidebar? Do the posts I have convey enough information? Would you like to see more of my opinion or less?
Let me know how we can improve Firewhirl and make it a better site. Post a comment or send an e-mail. Thanks!
New Blog Link and Other Links
Over on the right sidebar, you'll notice some new links.
WF&DT (Women, Fire and Dangerous Things) - Clark provides insight into his life as a firefighter in Maryland County. I liked his blog as soon as I read the subtitle:
I live with fear and danger but every third day I leave her to go to the Job.
I've also added links to the Los Angeles Fire Department's News and Information site and to the Fire Chief website.
Enjoy!
New Feature: Dept. of the Week
We are going to start a new feature here at Firewhirl. Each week, on Wednesday, we will feature a fire department as our Department of the Week. We'll include a little info about the department and a link to their website. As a bonus, a picture of their patch or badge will be included.
For lack of a better plan, we'll just go alphabetically through the states starting with Alabama.
New Blog Link
There is another blog on the sidebar (at right) that deserves reading on a regular basis.
43 Firefighter - a blog authored by a firefighter in Effort, PA. Tim posts pictures of the calls that he is dispatched to. Great site!
Head on over and check it out.
NPF and Firewhirl Reach 1,000 Visitors
We have reached our first internet landmark this afternoon. Officially, 1,000 visitors have come to the Northern Plains Fire and Firewhirl sites. Woo hoo!
Thanks for visiting and we hope you return again to read about the newest developments in the firefighting community.
Sporadic Posting This Week
I'm out of the office this week, so the posts may be a little sparse. I'll be sure to post at least once every day. Next Monday, it will be back to normal.
National Fire Fighter Near-Miss Reporting System
We are starting a new weekly feature here at Firewhirl. Each Thursday we will post on a near-miss report from the National Fire Fighter Near-Miss Reporting System (listed as NFFNMRS on the sidebar on the right). I'll go through the reports for the last week and pick one. So...here goes:
Here is the link to the report - Crew Integrity Problem.
After reading the report (it's short), I would challenge you to discuss it with some of your fellow firefighters. Here are some questions to get you started.
Could this happen in your department?
What steps should be taken to keep this from happening?
Does your department stress to new firefighters that they need to work in teams?
Whose responsibility is it to ensure that this doesn't happen?
New Blog Links
I've added some new blog links over on the sidebar at the right. They are:
Code, Code World - a blog authored by a software programmer who is also a firefighter. Bill has some great stories that you shouldn't miss.
Knit and Play with Fire - a blog about knitting and firefighting. Mia has put together an interesting combo and writes posts with a sense of humor.
Putting out Fires - an eclectic blog covering lots of topics. Amanda writes posts about firefighting from the perspective of a firefighter's wife.
Go Ahead - Add Your Comments
At the end of the post below, you'll note that I ask for comments from the readers.
Go ahead and add your comments.
This blog should be a place where you can add your thoughts and comments to the posts. It should be a community of people that have an interest in firefighting and who feel comfortable in letting their thoughts be known. So don't be shy, let it fly!
Once you put in a comment, I'll get an e-mail notifying me. I'll review your comment, and as long as it uses appropriate language and follows common decency, I'll approve it. Then it will show up on the website. However, I reserve the right to refuse to post a comment at my discretion.
Have fun!
Busy Day Yesterday
If you were wondering why there was only one measly post yesterday, it was just a busy day. During my "posting" time yesterday morning, I got sucked into some actual work and then didn't take the time to continue with posting.
I'll try to do a little better today.
Claiming my RSS Feed at Feedster
No Need to Click Here - I'm just claiming my feed at Feedster
Out of the Office Until 08/31
FYI, I'll be out of the office until the afternoon of 08/31. Until then, there probably won't be any new posts.
New URL for Firewhirl
We've changed the URL for Firewhirl. It is now located here (http://firewhirl.com). Don't forget to change your bookmarks.
Introducing the Miller Fire Department
Well, let's start a new feature of Firewhirl today.
I belong to the volunteer fire department in my hometown of Miller, SD. Going forward I'll post about the incidents that we respond to as well as any other news that affects our department.
Here is a little background info:
Firefighters: 36
Apparatus: 5 pumpers, 3 brush trucks, 1 light rescue, 3 brush trucks
Stations: 2
Primary coverage area: 546 square miles
Population served: 3,000
Our coverage area is rural farm and ranch land with two small towns. Miller has a population of 1,500 and St. Lawrence has a population of 250. We have a station in each town, although the towns are only 2 miles apart, which is something of an anomoly in South Dakota.
Out of the Office Until 08/05
Just wanted to let everyone know that posting to Firewhirl will be slim to non-existent for a couple of days. I'll be out of the office picking up a truck in Phoenix. Expect some new posts on Friday, August 5th.
Introducing Poll of the Week
We are introducing a new feature to the blog today. Each Tuesday, a new poll will be posted. The results of the previous poll will also be posted on Tuesday.
If you have suggestions for the poll question, please send them in. Don't forget to vote!
Firewhirl
Welcome to Firewhirl, a blog by Northern Plains Fire. Don’t know what a blog is? Essentially, it is a journal that can be updated easily and published to the internet so that everyone can read it (here is a more detailed definition).
We will use this blog to post about interesting things that pertain to firefighting and to let you know about new developments within Northern Plains Fire. It is our hope to provide you with interesting and timely information and to develop a community of readers that share an interest in firefighting.
Enjoy!
