Firehouse Magazine

In the August issue of Firehouse[R], I was immediately drawn to the letter from Captain Peter F. Kertzie of the Buffalo, NY, Fire Department about the use of seatbelts. I am a veteran of 33 years in the fire service and before that I spent four years as an aircrew survival equipmentman (parachute rigger) in the U.S. Navy. I remember well the days when it was acceptable to ride the tailboard and sitting in an open jumpseat, and I also remember the tales of firefighters who lost their grip...

I recently was privileged to speak with a few of the firefighters who were involved in the sofa store fire in Charleston, SC, that occurred on June 18 and where nine firefighters died. When I first heard about the fire, it brought to mind something that happened three years earlier, when I was invited to attend the Al Ronaldson Golf Outing in Myrtle Beach, SC, named in honor of a friend of mine, an FDNY Rescue 3 firefighter who died in the line of duty. When I arrived in town, Charleston...

Regarding Battalion Chief Mark Emery's article "Command-ment 5: Thou shall not exceed a span of control of five" in the July issue of Firehouse[R]: Nice thought, but not necessarily so! It really depends on what's happening and the amount of direct control required. Good management indicates a supervisor level of from one to three up to one to seven. It all depends on the intensity and/or complexity of the incident.

Example: A fire on the third floor of a...