Written by Southwest Virginia Training and The Fire Brief

August 24, 2022

Question(s) of the Week:  Do you ever give your crew individual assignments to bring back for future training?  Here is a suggestion…assign each member to bring back a favorite quote from a non-fire service source and explain what it means to them.  Sound like a promotional assignment?  Will it develop their public speaking, research skills […]

Written by Southwest Virginia Training and The Fire Brief

August 23, 2022

Destroyer Squadron 23: Combat Exploits of Arleigh Burke’s Gallant Force by Ken Jones provides insights into Arleigh Burke, a man who did not graduate high school due to the 1918 pandemic, but went on to the Naval Academy and ultimately to become the Chief of Naval Operations. LODD: Career fire fighter/EMT dies in ambulance crash […]

Written by Southwest Virginia Training and The Fire Brief

August 22, 2022

Everyone loves a BBQ! I often add apple butter to house brand sweet and tangy BBQ sauce when I smoke pork.  Alabama White BBQ Sauce and Easy Eastern North Carolina BBQ Sauce are my other “go to” BBQ sauces. LODD: Firefighter suffers heart attack after participating in a parade – New York. 2015 Major Incidents: […]

Written by Southwest Virginia Training and The Fire Brief

August 21, 2022

Well, the folks at Duke Medical Center got me back in the game!  And, after 3 1/2 months of testing and multiple 3 hour trips (each way) I am finally on the Liver Transplant List!  This will be my best option for a chance to continue to enjoy retirement with my loving, supportive, patient and […]

Written by Southwest Virginia Training and The Fire Brief

August 20, 2022

“The will to succeed is important, but what’s more important is the will to prepare.” —Bobby Knight LODD: Captain suffers sudden cardiac death while on-duty – Tennessee 2012 Two Philadelphia firefighters are killed at an fire in residential fire – 2004 Fire fighter dies on duty – Tennessee 1998 Major Incidents: In 2019, people are […]

Written by Southwest Virginia Training and The Fire Brief

August 18, 2022

“Turn the new guy into something he doesn’t know he can become.” – Lieutenant Bryan Caro LODD: Two career fire fighters die following a seven-alarm fire in a high-rise building undergoing simultaneous deconstruction and asbestos abatement – New York 2007 In 1959, 5 Kansas City Firefighters were killed as well as one civilian and over […]

Written by Southwest Virginia Training and The Fire Brief

August 17, 2022

Question(s) of the Week: Does your crew greet every visitor to your station?  Greet  visitors with something like, “Good morning Chief Whiteshirt, I’m Firefighter Salty, welcome to Station 3.”, it works to instill more pride in themselves, the station and leave a positive impression with the visitor.  For more on this concept, check out the […]