The 2011 Fireman's Association of the State of New York

(FASNY) Convention will be held August 16th-19th in beautiful Alexandria Bay, New York. The four day event is filled with social and educational activities for all levels of firefighters.…

I spent twenty-three years in the same fire department, volunteering with the same base

group of people for most of that time. Like most departments, the core group of

people rarely changed. Every so often we would lose a person or two to job

transfers, burnout or death, then gain a person or two through just plain luck,

since we really never had an organized recruitment effort.

In my early years trying to find my way within…

Air brakes on a truck are not the same as the hydraulic

brakes in your personal vehicle. When you push the brake on your personal

vehicle, oil pressure pushes the brake pads against the wheel to slow the vehicle.

In an air system, air pressure holds the brake pads away from the wheel. When

you push the brake, air is released allowing the pads to engage the wheels and

slow the vehicle.

The air system was designed for…

  As a firefighter, the most important thing that should be on your mind is your own safety. You will have others looking out for you and, as you develop as a firefighter, you will find yourself looking out for others. The most basic step you take while preparing to do the job is suiting up. Proper personal protective equipment (PPE) is essential to not only

protect you from the heat you will encounter, but also from the many other hazards to which you…