This has been said a bunch of times in many different ways, but it needs to be said again.

What I am referencing applies to fire suppression and EMS but I am going to confine my discussion to firefighting.

Someone on social media put out a video the other day about a deck gun being used on a 4th or 5th floor of a high rise window blowing fire. In the old days the text books said that master streams are generally good from floor 3 or 4. Obviously there are a ton of variable here as with most fire situations, but it shows a tactic which was effective, which I can tell you has not been used often.

Where you place the gun, how close can you get, is it on the ground or off the top of the truck? These are all some variables not to mention the tip size, pump pressure and a bunch of other stuff including angles and other stuff.

My point of this blog is how often is that practiced? How do you create a scenario that you do practice that? I know of a fire academy that used to practice that skill but stopped, because “…you should never be shooting a master stream through the window any way…”

Our job is changing by the day literally. Discoveries and practices are continuously evolving. The question is are you?

Every day many departments stretch handlines, 2 1/2″ lines and fight fire. Using a deck gun on a multi story doesn’t happen every day, and moving you deck gun 200 feet away into a back alley position needs your attention.

Practice what you don’t do often.

I know it is only August, but in many parts of the country, children are either already back or going back to school.

My thought for you this week is check with your department’s fire prevention office or PIO and see if you can get into the elementary schools on September 11th. Do it now, scheduling class time is difficult.

I think it is a time where local fire departments can go into the schools, speak with children who may not have even been born at the time of the event. My point is two fold; One is to tell the story from a perspective of a firefighter. The second is to highlight and tell specific powerful stories of folks like Chief Jay Jonas, of Paddy Brown, or Fire Marshal Orio Palmer, or hundreds of other acts that were performed that day and the days and weeks that followed.

Do not tell the stories as if you did anything (unless of course you did) but tell the stories to show what firefighters do. I think you might be able to ask teachers to have some parents there also if they are able. If you can’t get an appointment easily, offer to go into your own child’s school or class.

If you can’t get into the schools, contact senior citizen groups, veteran’s groups and others.

We as a fire service speak an awful lot about never forgetting.

This tragic and historical event should be remembered. It affected each and everyone of us as firefighters and as proud Americans.

We should also take this time to say that the number lost is much higher than the 343. With all of the respiratory and cancer deaths the toll goes far beyond this day. It is also the same for us. Our health risks last long after any individual incident may last.

I think we should take this opportunity to make our youngsters and our civilians understand that these brave members that died are not heroes for what they did, they were in fact heroes for what they were willing to do.

Make a plan and an appointment to visit your schools today.

Do it to take action to honor these brave souls, and to “Never Forget“.

Do this public safety talk with humility, honor and respect. Do it on your own time. Do it for free.

Edited with BlogPad Pro

Retired Fire Captain Jack White has passed away from a hard fought valiant battle with occupational Cancer.

I had the honor and privilege of working with Jack, and I was proud to call him my friend

The best thing any firefighter wants to ever hear is ” You are a good Jake”. Jack certainly was a good Jake.

Rest in Peace, Jack we got it from here