News, Events, and Announcements

What’s New on FireWire?

June 24, 2024

To everyone that’s been using the app, I’m sure you’re aware of some of the new additions already. For those that haven’t hopped on board yet, there’s a bunch of reasons to download now!SaltyWire:If you’re a fan of the Gettin’ Salty Podcast and a fan of FireWire, you’re gonna love this!We’ve joined forces with Lou…

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The Development of SCBA

May 22, 2024

Early American firefighters had to face not only fire and the effects of heat with little or no water supply, but also the debilitating effects of smoke with nothing at all to protect them. As was the case for firemen all over the world, they could not effectively operate under the heavy smoke conditions encountered…

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Smoky Joe & The Volcano

May 2, 2024

The morning of July 18, 1922 started as a beautiful day in New York City. The summer sun was just peeking over the top of the Manufacturer’s Transit Company’s seven-story warehouse on Jane Street in Greenwich Village. A little after 8 a.m. warehouse workers were busy loading wooden cases filled with powdered magnesium, into the…

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FireWire Top 5: Worst People in the Firehouse

April 30, 2024

In this series of FireWire Top 5 we go the opposite of our top 5 best people in the firehouse. Today we discuss the worst types of people/personalities that you’ll run into if you’re a firefighter. Hopefully none of us fall into these categories, but if you find yourself saying “Hey that’s me!” While reading…

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Rapid Critical Thinking Pt. 2

April 18, 2024

(The Seasoned Guy) In the previous article in this series, we discussed the role of “the new guy” and how they should apply Rapid Critical Thinking as they continue to learn the job. For the newer guys it’s about learning as much as possible, and using those skills to make quick decisions based on their…

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Rapid Critical Thinking Pt. 1 (The New Guy)

April 11, 2024

Being able to think quickly and make the right decisions is not something that every person is capable of doing. You can however prepare yourself to get better at these things. As first responders, we need to have this type of skill due to the circumstances we deal with daily. It’s just as important in…

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FireWire Top 5: Best People in the Firehouse

April 8, 2024

In this edition of FireWire Top 5 we’re ranking the 5 best types of people in the firehouse. These are the types of people/personalities that make the job awesome. We all know them, or we may even fit into one of these categories ourselves! So here’s to the people that make the firehouse a better…

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FireWire Top 5: Best Assignments/Positions

March 28, 2024

In this series of FireWire Top 5, we’re ranking the best assignments/positions in the fire service. This is all opinion of course, but every position counts in order to get the job done, and there are a few that we’d much rather have over the others. Everyone likes to get in there and do it,…

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FireWire Top 5: Most Embarrassing Things to Happen in the Fire Service

March 18, 2024

In this segment of FireWire Top 5 we’ll discuss some of the most embarrassing things that can happen to you as a firefighter. Sure, embarrassing things happen all the time, but when it happens in front of your peers at the firehouse, it can become something you’ll hear about for the rest of your career.…

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Who Are The Grant Guys?

January 29, 2024

In our 16 th year, Grant-Guys Inc. is responsible for $66 MILLION in Federal and State grant funding forcareer, combination and volunteer fire departments in nine states, territories and tribal nations. 99% ofour annual applications are for fire departments making the fire service and EMS service our primaryfocus. Of particular pride is our nine year…

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Latest News

Making the Push

October 14, 2022

There’s a bunch of responsibility when being an officer, but one of the more glorious things is getting in there with your squad. I’m talking about being first due Engine…

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Perks of Leadership

October 12, 2022

Being a leader can be a difficult task. When we get the job, our responsibilities increase tremendously. There’s a lot of work that goes into it as far as making…

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Burnout in the Firehouse

October 4, 2022

Part of taking the job as a firefighter is due to the love of responding to emergencies. It’s in our blood to be the first people to be there for…

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You Don’t Know Everything

September 29, 2022

If you’re an officer, the expectation is that you know your stuff. An officer is supposed to lead their firefighters into chaotic situations and handle it accordingly, all while making…

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Power, Greed, and the Failure of Top Brass

September 27, 2022

Leadership: The ability to create process and direction for a group or organization. In this series, we’ve covered multiple different topics about leadership and some helpful tips to be the…

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Gut Feeling or Overthinking?

September 23, 2022

Making decisions is tricky. When we’re at home, somebody may ask “What should we have for dinner?” The response is usually “I don’t care. It’s up to you.” In firefighting,…

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Creating Perfect Probies

September 21, 2022

Probies. The future of the fire service. Future leaders, future officers, future Chiefs. Traditionally, we tend to treat probies like dirt which has been somewhat of an issue throughout the…

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Leader Vs. Title Holder

September 19, 2022

This one is a hot topic of conversation. The difference between being a leader and having a leadership title is something that’s been recognized since civilization was born. We have…

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Fire in College Point claims the life of an 8 year old- Fire Marshals have HazMat remove Li Ion batteries

September 17, 2022

Early morning fire in College Point claimed the life of an 8 year old girl. Just after 730am, Engine 297/Ladder 130 responded first due to 23-26 130 Street for fire…

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From Buddy To Boss

September 15, 2022

“With great power comes great responsibility.” Whether you’re a career firefighter or volunteer, holding a leadership position can be tricky. We all know that firefighting in general holds extreme liability…

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History

The Development of SCBA

Early American firefighters had to face not only fire and the effects of heat with little or no water supply,…

Smoky Joe & The Volcano

The morning of July 18, 1922 started as a beautiful day in New York City. The summer sun was just…

October 11th in the FDNY

In the Line of Duty FF Patrick J Quail, Ladder 18. October 11th, 1902 While running to an alarm for…

October 10th in the FDNY

In the Line of Duty FF Carl Herer, Ladder 19. October 10th, 1967 FF Herer died at home from a…

February 10th in the FDNY

Lt John R Eastburn, Engine 54. February 10th, 1970 Retired FF Kevin T Murphy, Engine 166. February 10th, 2015 9/11…

February 9th in the FDNY

Assistant Engineer George A Erlacher, Battalion 2. February 9th, 1873. Injured January 17th, 1873, died February 9th, 1873 Box 38-…

February 7-8th in the FDNY

Retired EMS Lt Paige Humphries, Station 16. February 7th, 2021 EMS Lt Humphries died from 9/11 illness. FF David Muldrew…

February 4th in the FDNY

FF James P Smith, Engine 17. February 4th, 1885 Box 64, 58 Park Place Manhattan. FF Smith was operating on…

February 3rd in the FDNY

FF John Slowey, Lafayette Engine & FF George W Badger, Americus Engine 6. February 3rd, 1863 209 Cherry Street, Manhattan…

February 2nd in the FDNY

FF James W Kojac, Ladder 128. February 2nd, 1956 FF Kojac suffered a heart attack while operating at a 2…

Training

Steps Between The Steps

Knowing what to do at a fire scene is the basis of our job. We have procedures in place to…

Burnout in the Firehouse

Part of taking the job as a firefighter is due to the love of responding to emergencies. It’s in our…

You Don’t Know Everything

If you’re an officer, the expectation is that you know your stuff. An officer is supposed to lead their firefighters…

Gut Feeling or Overthinking?

Making decisions is tricky. When we’re at home, somebody may ask “What should we have for dinner?” The response is…

Creating Perfect Probies

Probies. The future of the fire service. Future leaders, future officers, future Chiefs. Traditionally, we tend to treat probies like…

The Debrief

After a job or a drill, it’s important to debrief your members and make sure everyone’s feeling ok. Oddly enough…

“First in. Last out.”

A term we hear often in the fire service – But can we apply it to leadership? Can this quote…

Li Ion Battery explosion leaves 1 dead in Vancouver

Vancouver BC Firefighters responded to an explosion at Empress Hotel 235 E Hastings St, Saturday morning June 11th 2022. The…

Lithium Ion Battery Fires

Over the past year, the FDNY responded to over 100 documented fires that were related to e-bikes & e-scooters. The…

Schomburg Plaza Fire

March 22nd, 1987- a fire in a Harlem residential high rise shaped the way the FDNY operates at high rise…

The Sweet Spot

NYC Sweet Spot: Arthur Avenue

Everyone stops by a firehouse for information. Working in Times Square, I feel as if we double up as tour…

Sweet spot #2. Veniero’s Pasticceria & Caffé

The 2nd edition of NYC Fire Wire’s Sweet Spot series goes to the East Village in Manhattan. Veniero’s Pasticceria &…