January 2020

The two things firefighters hate the most are change – and the way things are now. You’ve heard that quote from Alan Brunacini before. But it’s still true and will […]

Firefighters are well aware of the pain of PTSD. They’re also often familiar with the stigma that comes with it. We’ve talked about PTSD and the stigma that comes with […]

By now, most departments have adopted social media in some form. Here in LA, Twitter is a great resource to learn where agencies are responding to various emergencies, 24/7. In […]

When you get on scene of a medical emergency, do you talk with the patient? Sure you do. In fact, if you’re still fairly new at EMS, you likely practically […]

Firefighting has always been about survival. But now, we are recognizing that fire isn’t the only danger. Whether it’s occupational cancer, cardiovascular events, or behavioral health injuries, the threats are […]

This edition of Code 3 may make you a little uncomfortable. It’s about racial bias among EMS providers. And while that bias may be unconscious, it affects patients all the […]

Okay, here’s an idea that’s guaranteed to divide opinions: The Cosumnes Fire District, near Sacramento, California,  is using virtual reality technology to train firefighters for structure fires. Officials say the […]

When your department requires you to be a paramedic as well as a firefighter, that can lead to conflicts. In some departments, this cross-training means firefighters are assigned to ambulances. […]

After many years of being called “firefighters”, there is a small but persistent group pushing back. They want to be called “firemen” again. Perhaps surprisingly, some of those people are […]