Equipment & Technology
Apparatus, gear, stations and the technology fire and EMS departments rely on.
LinkedIn in 2025: Beyond the Basics, Toward Strategic Influence
In the past, many folks have asked me “What’s your purpose for getting on LinkedIn?” That’s still the right question—but the answers have evolved. Today, LinkedIn…
Networking in the Digital Age: Rethinking the Action Plan for 2025
Networking is still the lifeblood of professional growth—but the circulatory system has evolved. It’s no longer just about collecting contacts or broadcasting updates. Today, networking is…
How “Tech-savvy” are you?
But a question that stays stuck in my brain is “What impact is all this technology having on actual fire service delivery?” And it's that question that motivated me to write this piece today.
Where are you getting your information about firefighters and cancer?
Sponsored content from RESCUE Intellitech By: Robert Avsec, Executive Fire Officer When historians look back on the COVID-19 pandemic and how it was mismanaged in the…
Mrs. Avsec takes over for the Chief this week
By: Mrs. Avsec Shhh! Don’t anyone let him know that I’ve commandeered his PC to post this blog. But it’s really important that I do this.…
Chief Marc Bashoor Joins FireRescue1.com as Executive Editor
Recently retired Fire Chief Marc Bashoor of Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department, where he led that department for more than six years and served for more than 29 years in total, has joined the Praetorian Digital Group team as the Executive Editor for FireRescue1.com and FireChief.com.
Business Intelligence Software That Helps Fire Departments to “Crunch” NFIRS Data
A few months ago, I wrote an article for this space entitled Data Matters for Fire Departments across the U.S.…
Better Data Collection and Analysis for the Fire Service: Reader “Mailbag”
Without quality data how can we measure our baseline performance? How can we improve our performance if we don't have an accurate baseline? The first step in utilizing a data-driven approach is ensuring you are obtaining quality data. After that we can focus on turning data into information, and information into insight.
Data Matters for Fire Departments Across the U.S.
One of my former mentors, Deputy Chief (Ret.) Jim Graham of the Chesterfield County (VA) Fire and EMS Department, was a huge proponent for the use of information whether it was on a fire ground operation or developing a new training program or addressing budget reductions. One of his favorite sayings—one that stays with me to this day—was: “We must constantly strive to become better at data-driven decision making, instead of following the ‘I think, I feel, or I believe model.” But he usually followed that up with a caveat that we should also strive to ensure that we had good information, not just any information.
EMS Provider Education: The Digital Revolution
The “explosion” of accessible and affordable on-line training and education is a topic that is “near and dear” to my heart. First of all, I’ve always been a “training guy”: I loved training to become a better firefighter and EMS provider and I loved being an instructor who helped “kindle” the same passion in others.
NFIRS: What’s causing your heartburn?
Having trouble finding the validation errors? That’s your software. If your report says it’s valid, yet you receive critical errors upon uploading to the state, that’s your software. If you can’t see the full wording of a code, that’s your software. None of these are caused by NFIRS.
Why On-line Training is the Future for Fire Service
The fire service in general has been slow to adapt to new work methods, apparatus, and technologies. (Yes, I'm going to say it, "200+ years of Online studenttradition, unhampered by change.") The technology is here today that can allow an individual to obtain the necessary knowledge of firefighting to successfully complete the knowledge-based portion of certification testing. What's not here today is the widespread acceptance that an individual can learn to be a firefighter using a computer or tablet. Why is that?