#AtoZChallenge: #Firefighter - #Safety - Z is for Zero

A day late (my apologies), but here's the today's (and final) post for the A-to-Z Challenge.



Z is for  ZERO as in Zero - Sixty.  No, I'm not talking about a car or any other vehicle for that matter.....  I'm talking about adrenalin rush.  As a Firefighter, Paramedic, or Police Officer your day can go from mundane and boring to *Bleep* hitting the fan in a matter of minutes.

As you know an adrenalin rush is caused by the "Fight or Flight and response, which causes Adrenalin (Epinephrine) to be released into the body.  Heart Rate, Pulse, and Breathing all accelerate and your body prepares to "stay and fight or run (thus the "Fight or Flight").  Your mind can become super-focused and your pain threshold can increase (you may not even feel pain at all).  While the release of adrenalin can be a good thing in allowing for increased focusability and increased strength and all that, the constant zero - sixty that is norm for a firefighter can have harmful results over long periods of time.

I should note that the opposite (Sixty to Zero) is just as bad....  Once, as a child, I was visiting the local fire station with my father, which I talk about in my blogpost Firefighters are my Heroes (this is actually on my WordPress blog), but to make a long story short:  Alarms go off crew heads for truck in a rapid, but controlled manner , then voice over intercom (I think that's what it was - we're talking like 30+ years ago) "False Alarm"....  Dead Silence.  I didn't understand it all back then, but I realize now that when those alarms (maybe it was klaxons) went off  the adrenalin started to be released in the body of those firefighters as they prepared for "fight or flight".  Now all that adrenlain had no place to go, it basically hit a brick wall and went Sixty to Zero.

So what are the symptoms/results of an adrenalin rush?
As I mentioned above, increased Heart Rate and Accelerated Breathing are two of the symptoms.  Heart Palpitations and Increased Blood Pressure are other symptoms that also occur.  For more info on the "Fight or Flight Response and it's effects click Fight or Flight Response (wikipedia)

What's the problem with all that Fight or Flight/Adrenlain Rush?
The constant Zero to Sixty (as well as the Sixty to Zero) situations is that over time it can lead to heart problems (Did you know that Heart Attacks and High Blood Pressure is one of the leading causes of Firefighter death - Not the fires themselves). What to do about it For one thing make sure you are physically, mentally, and emotionally to begin with.  Have yourself some form of (safe & legal) outlet to release the build up of adrenalin (a good strong work out is always a good idea).  Make sure you are taking care of YOU.

Remember Watch out for the effects of ZERO to Sixty (as well as Sixty to Zero) on the body and StaySAFE!!

So now I've reached the end of this A-to-Z Challenge.  Hopefully I have provided some good reminders to STAYSAFE  on the job.  Thank You for all you do  {{{HUGS}}}

Here's a list of Firefighting and Paramedic Blogs that I follow:

FireMen the book (by Gary Ryman)

Boots'n'BunkerPants

ELAFFHQ

Firefighter/Paramedic Stories

It's Not My Emergency

The Happy Medic

Views From the JumpSeat

EMS in the New Decade

Fire Critic

Wooden Ladders and Iron Firemen

Firehouse Zen

SA Matters

#AtoZChallenge: #Firefighter #Safety - Y is for YOU

Today is technically the last day of the A-to-Z Challenge.  I didn't get to write the post for the letter "Y" Yesterday (okay that was totally unplanned) so am having to get it done today, followed by the final post for letter "Z"

The most important aspect of all this Firefighter Safety stuff I've been spouting this past month is YOU!  Y-O-U! YOU!  No, I'm not saying that you should be selfish, thinking only of yourself (not that I see that as a problem - everything I've seen shows huge/selfless hearts & awesome sense of of humor....)  I'm saying that you need to make sure you are taking care of yourself and that your being as safe as it is possible to be.  Your no good to anyone else if you don't.  Make sure you are taking care of all aspects of your health.  We all know that Physical Health & Fitness is an important aspect to the safety of a firefighter, but Mental and Emotional health are just as important.  Make sure your keeping yourself safe and using all necessary Gear and PPE.  Be Game Ready Every Call Every Time (You can't help anyone else if you become a         victim yourself.

Remember YOU are Important and STAYSAFE!!!

Note:  It's taken longer to get this done than I expected (something about distractions and all)....  So I'll have to do "Z" tomorrow.

And now for 5 Blogs I came across:
FlashTyme
Giggling Truckers Wife
Frankly Creative
Writing Women's Fiction
Between You and Me
A Mom's Point of View

#AtoZChallenge: #Firefighter #Safety - X is for Xylene

Originally I was going to research and write this blogpost on the effects of Xylene when it comes to firefighting. But, now that it has come time to get this post out (or get myself behind on my posts once again, I find that I don't have the time (at this late hour) to go through the process of researching and trying to write something up.  So instead I have found a couple of  websites for you:

Xylene:

Wikipedia: Xylene

Xylene: Incident Management

Duram Products / Xylene

There is, of course, much more info to be found.

The most important thing with any chemical fire is to know what you are dealing with.  In fact, with any fire you should be aware of any potential chemicals that could come into play.  In fact, with any fire you should be aware of he potential for chemicals (even minor ones)  

Remember Know any Chemicals involved (sorry not an X one for tonight) and STAYSAFE

#AtoZChallenge: #Firefighter #Safety - W is for Why?

Was going to write this earlier this morning (actually should've been done yesterday), but I had to get family up & dressed for burn buster blast event today (I want to say put on my local Fire Department mainly).  Get this one and "X" and I'm caught up.

Before I start I want to include a video playlist I came across on youtube featuring Randy Mantooth (from the show Emergency!) speaking on "Remembering Why" in relation to EMS.

There are going to be days when you start to ask yourself "What the (bleep) am I doing here?"  It is times like those that you need to look back and remember WHY you chose this career to, re-afirm/confirm those reasons.

I think pretty much every firefighter/paramedic I've talked to has all said (when asked why they decided on this career path) because they wanted to, because they wanted to make a difference in peoples lives, to do something meaningful.  I've never (that I recall) heard anyone answer that they got into Fire/EMS/Police because they were forced to or had no choice.  Always, it's been something that was in their family, in their blood.  It is something that stays with you and never leaves - you know what they say, "Once a Firefighter, Always A firefighter"  It's not something you just up and walk away from one day (unless forced by events beyond your control).  Sometimes you just need to remember WHY and focus on that.

Remember WHY and STAYSAFE!!!  

Some blogs to check out!
  Our 24 year Age Gap
  Firehouse Zen
  A Day in The Life of an Ambulance Driver
  Firefighter/Paramedic Stories

#AtoZChallenge: #Firefighter #Safety - V is for Vacation!

Going to be a crazy day. Trying to pound out 4 post as I have managed (once again) to get myself behind schedule and need to get U-X done by the end of today. Plus, I'm heading out in a couple hours for the local "Burn Buster Blast" even taking place today.  

When I started this whole challenge I only knew that I was going to start of with letter A being about Awareness. Beyond that, I really had no idea what I was going to do for each letter - just that it was going to be (as best as I could do with my limited knowledge) about Firefighter Safety. My hope all along has been that my short posts would serve as reminders of things that you (firefighters) should already know.

Now I've gotten to V and it's been a toss-up between the idea of "Vacation" which is what popped into my mind and "Ventilate", an idea that was given to me by FirehouseZen. Both are important to the safety of firefighters. Ventilate is quite a bit more obvious. You all know that you need to be careful when going to ventilate. Ventilation is an important aspect in firefighting, but it is important to be sure you are doing it safely. But I'm not going to go into Ventilation. Instead, I'm going to look at VACATION - Yes, Vacation....

I don't need to tell you that being a firefighter can be hard, exhausting work - If I do, then your in the wrong profession - that burn-out is a very real concern & problem. At the same time, being a firefighter is something that gets under your skin and into your blood (how do I know this? - I listen and I learn, but I digress). So how does Vacation come into play here? Taking a break and being well rested and refreshed is just as important to the safety of a firefighter as being Aware, staying Focused, and making sure you Understand the situation. A vacation need not be extravagant or expensive, it's about relaxing, having fun, and enjoying life and coming back well rested and ready to go fight fires.

Remember go on VACATION and STAYSAFE!!

#AtoZChallenge: #Firefighter #Safety - U is for Understand

Alas, Once again I've ended up behind schedule. Need to get through 4 posts today (U-X) - I'm gonna need all the luck I can get.

When on-scene it is important to Understand the whole situation before jumping in and to maintain that understanding throughout.  Know What's going on, What/Who is involved, and What all the dangers (real & potential) are.  Make sure you know what's going on.  Do your own "size-up" even if IC has already done one.  Don't rely on the size-up done by anyone else.

Make sure that you are staying Aware and that you have a full understanding of the situation at all times.  This means not getting hyper-focused to the point of losing track of Communications and keeping your head in the game.

Remember Make sure you UNDERSTAND the whole situation and STAYSAFE!!

Here's some blogs I came across:
  Time for a cath up
  One Day At a Time
  Life in a Small Town

#AtoZChallenge: #Firefighter #Safety - T is for TeamWork

I actually wrote this last night and posted the one to my WordPress blog, but it got too late for me to get it up here on my blogger.... Will be working on letter U today as well (still need to decide what word I want to concentrate on --- Toss up between Understanding or Unified Command.

Fighting fires takes TeamWork.  Well maybe not some small kitchen fire type one, but larger fires (like the kind a firefighter would be called on) - Those take teamwork.  You must be able to depend on your crew.  You must work together as a team and trust that each member is doing there job.  No one person is more or less important.  Every person has a job to do and each person does their job to the absolute best of their ability (no, better).

The most important parts of Teamwork are Communication (One of my choices for the lettter C - but Caution won out) and Harmony.  To work together you must communicate your needs to others of your team. and you must work together in harmony to get the job done efficiently and safely.  I cannot stress enough the importance of Teamwork.  Right up there with Safety and Awareness.

Remember  TEAMWORK is important and STAYSAFE!!

And for 5 new blogs that I found (not necessarily firefighter related)
  Babblin Grammy
  Ramblings of a Homeschooled Escapee
  Procrastinating Mommy
  My Mind
  Trish Nugent, Writer

#AtoZChallenge: #Firefighter #Safety - C is for Caution

Well This is embarrassing....  I can't seem to find my post for letter C....  It's on my WordPress blog, but not here (at least not that I'm seeing) so I'm posting it now...

Still Playing Catch up - Hopefully today (just need to get 3 done - C, D, & E.....

Whatever the situation is that you are approaching, always use Caution.  Don't take anything for granted and Don't expect anything to be a certain way.  Take a moment to be look at the scene before you go rnning in gung ho.  Stop and assess the situation.  Take in the big picture.  It's not so easy to do so when you are in the thick of it.  Know where all the dangers are and what level of danger that danger represents to you.   Keep in mind that things may not always be as they first appear.   Sometimes the things that seem to not be reason for concern could end up being the biggest dangers.  Keep those eyes and ears open and Be AWARE and be Cautious (but not so much so that you don't do your job)

Remember Always use CAUTION and Stay SAFE

And for this blogposts 5 new blogs I'm following:
  While the Coffee Brews
  Cheryl's Random Thoughts

Sorry a bit short on this one today...  Have to pick up son for a Dental appointment (extraction = poor guy).  Get to D a bit later today.

#AtoZChallenge: #Firefighter #Safety R is for Rapid Intervention Team

When I, un-officially, started this challenge I decided that my theme would be Firefighter Safety (Basically quick reminders of Safety to all you Firefighters out there)....  But for those of you following who are not Firefighters  Let me start this post with a quick definition as to what a Rapid Intervention Team (in some cases called Rapid Intervention Crew) is.

A Firefighter Assist and Search Team (FAST), also known as a Rapid Intervention Team/Crew (RIT/RIC), is a team of two or more firefighters dedicated solely to the search and rescue of other firefighters in distress. FAST shall have no other operational assignment during an incident. Multiple alarm fires may require multiple FAST/RIC teams. 

source:  Wikipedia: "Firefighter Assist and Search Team"

When a Firefighter is calling a MayDay it means they are in trouble and seconds count.  It is not enough to simply have a Rapid Intervention Team, your RIT/RIC should be ready to be deployed at a moments notice and should be ready for any eventuality.

NFPA and OSHA Standards require that "a minimum of two firefighters be standing by in full PPE whenever firefighters are working in a hazardous atmosphere

Equipment of the RIT/RIC should include:

Full Turn-Out Gear

SBCA

PASS Device (Personal Alert Safety System)

Portable Radio

Hand Tools

Hand Light

Search Rope or Webbing

Rapid Air Transport bag (that allows for an extra mask to provide oxygen to a downed firefighter)

I found these informative articles on Rapid Intervention Teams:

Rapid Intervention Team: Are You Ready by @FireEngineeringFireground Assessment for Rapid Intervention Teams by @FireHouseNewsRapid Intervention Team Positions and Assessments by FD Training Network

You might enjoy these blogs:
Ambulance Driver Files
Boots N Bunkerpants
Firefighter Paramedic Stories
Fire Critic

P is for PPE

My apologies (once again) for the out of orderness of my posts (spellcheck is really hating my non-word).  I write my blogs in my main blog over on my wordpress blog and then copy & paste each blog (usually, but not always, when I'm finished) over to here.  Soemtimes (due to busy/crazy schedule I get a bit behind (like now) and things get out of order.  I do try to keep things up to date as much as possible.

So here is my P post for the A-to-Z Challenge:

P is for PPEs as in HAVE them, WEAR them, USE them!!!

Even if you don't think your going to need them, at least have with you - available and ready to use.  I can't say that you'll need them on every single call you go on (even fire calls) - But better safe then sorry!!!  If in doubt  = use!!!  It could, very well, save your life.

The quote from the video Everyone Goes Home (I have the link set to start just before point where comment is made - '"If you think you have a reason for not using/wearing you PPE, let me know so I can read it to your spouse, cause I'm not going to know what to say, so you say it for me"  Says it the best.  Always Always Always remember your PPE.

Do routine checks and maintenance on your PPE to ensure they are in proper working order and ready to go.  Make sure to check your PPEs before every use and then again as part of routine check of gear afterwards.  Make sure any problems are taken care of in a timely manner.  Don't (if at all possible) use old or damaged PPE.

Of course usage of PPEs is not an absolute guarantee of your safety, but in such situations no using  your PPE will make the situation drastically worse.  Even with the use of PPEs you should always be "game ready" every call, every time!!!

Remember Use your PPE and Stay SAFE

So now for some interesting blogs (just for a bit of fun):
  Average Poet
  Nickers and Ink
  Our Life Plain & Simple
  Coffee Rings Everywhere
  Keeeping up with the Pickles

#AtoZ Challenge: #Firefighter #Safety - Q is for Quality

I was going to write this on the importance of good quality gear & equipment and how it is important that they be in good quality, working order.

But then I came across this e-how on the Quality Traits of a Firefighter:

 Of course Physical Fitness & Stamina tops the list

It is vital that a firefighter stay in "tip-top" shape and at the top of their game.  Fitness & Health isn't just something to be done at work, but should be a goal that should be strived for at all times (Push yourself away from the table sooner, Take those stairs instead of elevators, work out regularly)

Any physical Fitness or medical tests offered through the department (whether required or voluntary should be taken advantage of.

Mechanical Aptitude

A firefighter must have a good Mechanical Aptitude or a good Aptitude for Mechanics - trying to determine if those are the same thing or not.  In any event, a firefighter should have a good knowledge of the mechanics of the equipment that he uses as well as the mechanics of fire and how it will behave under various (and sometimes quickly varying) situations.

Critical Thinking

A firefighter must be able to take directions, but also must be able to think quickly on their feet.  They must be able to make life and death decisions in a moments notice sometimes doing so using nothing, but their own judgement.  They must be able to think critically and often times in critical situations where seconds count.

Dexterity

A firefighter needs to have good dexterity.  This means both physical dexterity the ability to move quickly and efficiently in any situation you might find yourself in, as well as mental dexterity and ability to do your job well.

Leadership & Interpersonal Skills

 Even if a firefighter is not in a position of "Leadership" (ie: chief, battalion chief, captain, etc) he must still be able to lead should it become necessary to do so.  He should be able to lead other members of his crew as well as citizens should it become necessary. 

A firefighter must also have interpersonal skills in order to  get along with and work properly and efficiently as a member of the crew/team. 

Remember:  Make sure you hone the "QUALITY" Traits of a firefighter and that your equipment is in Good QUALITY working order.

AND  Stay SAFE

Five new blogs:
  Little Moments
  In My Own Words
  Diary of the Sunday Visitor
  Reading Practice

(ooops thought I had 4)

So Why do Fires & Accidents happen at night?

One of my commenters  mentioned wondering why accidents and fires tend to take place at night in response to my blog post "N is for NightScan".

I'm no expert, but I thought I'd give it a shot to give some sort of an answer - since it was a good & interesting question. My guess is that the reason so many fires & accidents happen (or in any case are worst) at night is 2 reasons:  One, most people are asleep and those that are awake - well let's just say that whole sleep cycle thing can tend to get screwed up in those who work graveyard shifts and it tends to slow down thinking, etc (not to say that those who work graveyard aren't able to do their job safely & efficiently)....

The other reason is that, at least in reference to accidents, is the dark.  It's harder to see making it much more likely to have a vehicular accident.   Actually, the most dangerous time of day for vehicular accidents is at dusk - the time between daylight & dark.  It is the time when the most caution must be exercised when driving, walking, or bicycling.

Here are some safety tips:
Nighttime Fires

It is recommended that you keep doors to bedrooms closed at night (this will help keep fire from entering bedroom) 

Make sure you have fire alarms in every bedroom as well as kitchen, living room, and hallway.  Make sure they are working properly = TEST REGULARLY 

DRILL DRILL DRILL - Do some nighttime drills to practice getting out at night when "asleep"

Nighttime Driving

Leave plenty of room

Keep eyes on the road Slow way down (or stop if necessary & safe) if notice un-usual light color or patterns.

Be wary/watchful of single headlights (it might be a motorcycle, but could be car w/ missing headlight).

There are of course many other safety rules that apply to either situation, but those are a few that pop to mind.   

STAY SAFE out there everyone!!!

Un-Official #AtoZChallenge: O is for Observe & Obstacle

Now that I got yesterday's "N" out of the way I can get to today's post....

I had a hard time choosing between "Observe" & "Obstacle"....  Both are very suitable words when it comes to discussing Firefighter, Paramedic (and, yes, police & military) safety.

Be sure you are always observing (I know, I'm beginning to sound like a broken record) what is going on around you.  Observe any Obstacles - Obstacles that might keep you from doing your job safely or from making a quick egress (should it become necessary)

Obstacles can be all sorts:  Debris in your pathway as you transgress through a building, A hysterical person getting in the way of you providing aid, A "first choice" egress that has become blocked or un-usable.  Be aware of existing Obstacles and of anything that could potentially become an obstacle to the safety of yourself and your crew.

Remember Observe and know your Obstacles AND StaySAFE!!

OK so random Blogs:
  SAMatters
  Firehousezen
  Unwired Medic  

  Writing and Ruminations
  The World of My Imagination
  Chasing Revery

Un-Official #AtoZChallenge: N is for Nightscan

If I were to be graded on this challenge, I'd most likely be getting an "F" for FAIL, as I keep finding myself behind schedule in posting, but for now I'll get into letter "N"

I had several options in which to base, what should have been, yesterday's post on - Nurture, Needs for exit, Nightscan.  Not really having a clear cut idea of what to write for "Nurture", and having already covered the Need for exits (KNOW your way out), I figured I'd try to do something with Nightscan.

Source Credit: http://willburt.sancsoft.net

According to Wil-Burt, the company that manufactures Night Scan®, allow firefighters around the world to perform rescue operations under the safest lighting conditions possible. Most major fires & accidents occur during the nighttime hours when there is little to no light available.

Being able to see clearly is paramount in the safety of all concerned when at the scene of an accident or fire.

I tried to find something on the history of  the Nightscan product and on the history of it's use on Fire Apparatuses, but have yet to have any luck (despite varying attempts on google).  I know something has to exist somewhere but it alludes me.  It does appear that I good number of Stations (as well other EMS & Paramilitary services) utilize Nightscan as a method to light an incident scene.

I found this video on you-tube that shows how the Nightscan lighting system works (it's a little hard to hear the guy talking).

claimer (or is that disclaimer):  I have, in NO way, received any monetary (or otherwise) reimbursement for the mention of the product "Night Scan®" or it's manufacturer Wil-Burt,

Remember Keep the scene well lit using NightScan (or other product) and StaySAFE!

A few blogs to check out:
  Wonderful Things
  Arms Wide Open
  Mama Bear Musings
  Chocolate and Morphine (Living with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome)
  A to Z Word Practice (Learn a new word, or two, each day)

Un-Official #AtoZChallenge: J is for Journey

Finally I'm getting this one done.  My apologies for being out of order.

The road to being a good (tongue in cheek) firefighter, Paramedic, Rescue Worker is a JOURNEY.  A journey that never ends.  One in which you should try and remember from whence you came and Why I'll blog on that Remembering WHY later, when we get to "W", but for now we'll stick to Journey.

I'm not sure how this is going to fit into my theme for this challenge (which has been related to Firefighter Safety and reminders to stay safe on the job.

The journey to becoming a firefighter/paramedic can be a long hard one and that journey doesn't stop when you pass your firefighter's test.  It is a journey that continues till the day you retire (and by retire I mean in all aspects including any volunteering you decide to do).  Even then it is questionable that the journey ends there as firefighting (so I hear) becomes a part of you - gets into your blood.  Till that day, the journey continues and a part of that journey is LEARNING  (I told you I'm out of order here) and getting BETTER

I came across this webpage and thought it was interesting  Journey to Firefighter  

 Remember It's a JOURNEY (with both ups & downs) and Stay SAFE

Un-Official #AtoZChallenge: L is for Learn

Note: My main blog is on Word Press at JottingsandWritings.WordPress.com

Never stop Learning!!

Anytime you think you know and have seen it all, that's when you are in the biggest danger.  There is always room to learn more when it comes to fighting fire and rescue work.  Take any and every opportunity to improve and learn new methods.  There is constantly new and improved information coming out on how to do/handle different things when it comes rescue work or fighting fire.  I understand that sometimes the so called "Improvements" that come about really aren't much of an improvement but, none-the-less it is important to keep up with new methods, technologies, etc; to learn new ways of doing things.  You should strive for constant learning and constant improvement of your skills.

Remember Never Stop LEARNING and Stay SAFE

This time I thought I'd put a few blogs that aren't a part of the A-to-Z Challenge, but are related to the work of Firefighting and Rescue Work (including Safety)

Boots 'n Bumkerpants

SAMatters

FireFighter Paramedic Stories

Views from the Jumpseat

ELAFFHQ (Excessive Leather Accessories for Fire Fighters Head Quarters)

Un-Official #AtoZChallenge: H is for Harmony

Note:  My main blog is on Wordpress (Jottings and Writings)

Firefighters refer to themselves as brothers or being a part of a "brotherhood" Your team becomes your second family (in some cases your first).  For 24 hours every 3rd day you are with them.  you see the best and worst of situations together.

It is important that firefighters work together in Harmony.  Whatever else is going on, you must know that whatever the situation your team has your back (this is true for police officers as well).  Your team must work like a well oiled machine.  Everyone doing what they need to do.   The job of the captain (or who ever is lead on the call) isn't to tell his team what needs to be done - they should already know.  His job is to make sure that everything is getting done as it needs to and nothing is overlooked.  He should be outside the situation making sure that everything and everyone is working in harmony. Without harmony you have (of course) chaos.  No one knowing what's going on, what's being done or what needs to be done.  One important aspect of harmony is to do your job and do it well and trust that the rest of the team is doing theirs.  If your team is not in harmony then there is something wrong.

Remember, your team should work in HARMONY and Stay SAFE!!

Un-Official #AtoZChallenge: F is for Focus

Note: My main blog is actually on Word Press - Jottings and Writings (though I do copy everything over to here).

Because of my late start in this I was trying to play catch up and had hoped to get this done and out the door yesterday.  I got a start on it yesterday (on my phone - quite a challenge), but wasn't able to finish it.  My plan was to finish it up this mornign real quick on my computer, but alas the work I had started was gone (POOF!)  So now I'm starting over.

So far the concepts of my writing, for this challenge, has been looking at Situational Awareness - being aware of the situation around you, looking at the big picture and knowing what's going on.  This time I want to focus on, well, Focus. By no means do I know this through personal experience but have heard/read enough to know that often times, when on scene, things can sometimes get quite chaotic with bystanders, etc.  that are screaming, yelling, and otherwise freaking out.  It is important to focus on the job at hand and to put everything else (except of course for that which could become a danger to you or patient) out of your mind - or at least in the back of your mind.  Don't let the people around you, who are freaking out, keep you from what you need to do to do your job safely and effectively. Don't let the lady who is freaking out about her child/husband/pet being inside keep you from ensuring that when you go into that building you are as safe as you can be.  Especially, when a child is involved the "kick-gut" reaction is get in there and do something...  But remember you can't be any use to anyone if you yourself become a victim because you don't have proper gear (see my next "A-to-Z Challenge for that one)

REMEMBER:  Stay FOCUSED and Stay SAFE

Okay 5 Blogs I found:

A Writer Weaves a Tale

The Occasional Adventures of a Hermit

Stretching My Wings (Hopefully this isn't one I've already used)

Sandy Sandrellas Musings

By The Waterfall

Some Random Safety Tips for #SafetySaturday

Just a few random SAFETY TIPS

Number One Treatment for burns... It isn't butter, it isn't even ice -- GO for the COLD Water.

In a House Fire = Get OUT, STAY Out, Call 9-1-1!!

Have a Disaster Plan set ahead of time.... Know it, follow it (and don't forget a back-up plan).

Talk to kids about Fire Safety.... They're Never Too Young!

Thank You and Remember to STAYSAFE

Fire Fighters, Your Safety is Number One!

I want to take a minute to reach out to all you Fire Fighters Out there (And if You know a Firefighter - Please Share this with them).

Remember Your Safety is first and foremost... You can't do your job, savings lives, if you don't keep yourself Safe first.

The Chicago Fire Department put together a great video a while back called "Everyone Goes Home" The video will bring tears to your eyes, but it has an IMPORTANT message! At the end of each shift - EVERYONE Should be going home to their family!!!

Here are some Safety Tips to Remember:

Large amount of LODD happen before arriving on-scene. BuckleUp!!!

Take a minute and do your own size-up. Know where your at & what's around.

Don't hesitate to call a MayDay if you think your in trouble - Don't be embarrassed

Be Game-Ready When you pull out.. PPE Ready & Working...

"If u have reason for not using PPE correctly every time = write it down cause I need to read it to ur widow - I'm not gonnna know what to say" ~ Fire Department Chaplain

There is NO Such Thing as Routine... Don't Be Complacent.

 Direct Order! At the End of Today's Shift (EVERY Shift) ---> Every ONE Goes HOME