In this video we will discuss fundamental fire behavior concepts. If you are a new firefighter or even a seasoned company officer, a good understanding of fire behavior will increase your effectiveness as a firefighter. In Part 1 of this series I wanted to keep the lesson fairly fundamental but we will build on these concepts in future videos. I hope this provides you with a simplistic foundation for understanding the basics of fire behavior.
Meeting Dixie Firemanship | Michael Taylor
This week I had the chance to chat with a good friend of mine Michael Taylor. Michael is one of the instructors in the Dixie Firemanship Cadre. Dixie Firemanship has been delivering some top notch courses around the southern US. In this video we talk about the origins of Dixie Firemanship and had a little discussion on striking tools. I hope to do more of these videos in the future so if you enjoy please comment and let us know.
The Firefighter's Helmet
I thought I would share a video about my helmet, or “The Firefighter’s Helmet”. I have put out some videos in the past on helmets and firefighter helmet reviews, but wow those are old. I figured it was time to put out a new updated video on my favorite firefighter helmet. If you want to share a picture of your helmet go over to instagram and use the hashtag #BoxAlarmLid to share your helmet picture with us. Also, if you have questions you would like answered in upcoming videos don’t forget to go over to the webcast tab and submit a question. You can Click Here to go to that page.
Why IFSTA? | Box Alarm Training
In this video I wanted to clear up some confusion I have seen online. i go through a few different topics that I believe will help clear up some confusion for several people. One of the biggest misunderstandings I have seen online lately is the tying together of IFSTA and IFSAC. Those are two completely different things. Why is this important? As firefighters, especially those beginning to instruct, we need to understand the differences between publishers, accreditation, and national standards. All of these things intertwine and explaining this to your fellow firefighters might shed some light on some of the misinformation.
If you enjoy these videos don’t forget to go over to the YouTube channel and subscribe. You can CLICK HERE to subscribe. You can also find our information on Facebook at Box Alarm Training.
It's Been 10 Years! | Box Alarm Training
It's hard to believe, but this year marks 10 years since I created my YouTube channel. Strangely, I never intended to create a YouTube channel. I am not sure if you all are aware, but people on the internet are not exactly the nicest when it comes to commenting on publicly available videos... It all started because I was an Adjunct Instructor with the State Fire Academy and wanted to provide students some resources to keep up with their skills. If you told me that 10 years later there would be over 2.5 million views on the channel and that people from around the world would message me about the training videos I would have laughed at you.
I took a break from making videos last year just to catch up on life in general. It takes a lot of time to create YouTube videos and I had a lot of other "creative" projects going on. That being said one of the biggest barriers for me creating new videos has been the thought of "self-promotion". I am just not a fan of trying to promote myself on social media. I know this sounds ridiculous considering I have a YouTube channel, but I enjoy the creative process more than getting the credit for a video. My Dad is a professional photographer and my brother works in Sports Broadcasting so creating content that is enjoyable or makes an impact is something I hold a lot of value in. With all of that being said, when you push aside the negative comments or the thought of self-promotion, I have had some great experiences in the fire service because of the YouTube channel. I have traveled to many places around the country, met a ton of firefighters, and have really enjoyed training alongside some of the best instructors in the country. This year marks a decade for me on YouTube and coincidentally it's the beginning of a new decade. I think it's about time I create some new videos. I have several ideas and if you're interested in joining me in this new decade, go over to YouTube and hit subscribe. Let's see what 2020 has in store.
Pushing Fire Revisited
In my opinion the topic of “Pushing fire with water” is the single greatest piece of fire attack research which has been communicated poorly or misunderstood. UL is elaborating greatly and providing much better context/more clearly stated material for us to understand the early studies. If you have heard the phrase “you can’t push fire with water” don’t stop at this result or statement. There is much more to the story.
Do not take a snippet of information and tailor your training programs to provide the “latest fire attack research and recommendations”. Firefighters have a habit of taking research results (from multiple disciplines) and applying them to training exercises without context. That being said UL is also to blame for this miscommunication. Firefighters typically do not separate their discussions of water application and air entrainment during training. For many firefighters these are one in the same. Even though different patterns yield different results, some create more air entrainment and others much mess, there is no on/off switch to turn the air off at the nozzle.
Firefighters need to understand context, they need to understand the background and significance of these research projects. Reading the first and last paragraph of a 100 page research paper doesn’t provide you with a good foundation. It gives you results without context. To communicate as an instructor you need context and to translate that information into training and drills you need to understand the background and significance of these processes. Without context your drill becomes a training exercise prepped to fail. Adult learning typically happens in phases. 1. Rite, 2. Understanding, 3. Application, and 4. Correlation. Students participating in a drill need to get to the application phase and instructors need to live in the correlation phase. At the beginning of basic training we learn through Rite or memorization. We don’t quite grasp where or why and we have a hard time applying the skills during the initial phases of training. Once a student understands the skills we can apply those skills which provides a much better outcome. Skipping steps will only lead to confusion in the training process. Aaron Fields and I had a discussion one time and he provided me with a great teaching tool. He said, “If you have a student that says [I don’t see where this fits] you have missed the application phase of learning.” The student doesn’t understand how to apply the skill.
Lastly, just because you read it, watch it, or listen to it doesn’t mean it isn’t flawed. Research projects are very difficult to construct without some flaws. Most applied research projects literally have a section in the paper which explains the problems or flaws that might’ve occurred during the process. Make your drills purposeful, give them context, and your crews will perform at a much higher level. Follow the link below to understand this topic in much more detail.
Training at the Crossroads | HIGHLIGHT VIDEO
We had a great time in Corinth, MS at the 2019 Training at the Crossroads. I teamed up with the guys from Dixie Firemanship to deliver an Engine Ops course over the weekend. The event provided Engine Ops Training, Truck Ops Training, and even Hazardous Materials Training. We had a great group of attendees and I hope to see everyone again. If you’re interested in hosting an event yourself fell free to contact me or the guys at Dixie Firemanship to schedule the next Engine and Truck Ops training event.
Training at the Crossroads
For those of you that have signed up for the “Training at the Crossroads” event, get ready for some great training. The Corinth Fire Department in conjunction with Dixie Firemanship will be hosting the event in Corinth, MS on March 15-17th. I will be attending this event and also joining in on the Engine Ops Track as an instructor.
The weekend rundown is listed below:
Friday 3/15
Check in starts at 0800hrs at
Northeast at Corinth
2759 S Harper Rd, Corinth, MS 38834
(662) 696-2352
https://maps.app.goo.gl/2tWgT
- Lunch is on your own.
- Dinner is provided to you at the Corinth Elks Lodge locates at 1521 Robertson Drive, Corinth, MS starting at 1800hrs.
Saturday 3/16 and Sunday 3/17:
Check in starts at 0800hrs at the Corinth Fire Department Training Field locates at 5 Manpower Rd, Corinth, MS (Across from the college).
Fire Track needs Structural Firefighting Gear and SCBA with at least 1 spare bottle is required for both Saturday and Sunday.
Hazmat Track need SCBA and at least 1 spare bottle for both Saturday and Sunday.
- Lunch is provided both days
- Dinner will be provided Saturday night at Smiths Downtown located at 603 N. Fillmore, Corinth, MS starting at 1800hrs.
For those that still need lodging, contact the Hampton Inn Corinth directly at (662) 286-5949 and let them know you’re with The Training at The Crossroads event.
