Invictus Fire Solutions, Harrisville, NH (2026)

10/18/2026

“Umbrella Responsibility.” Your rank isn’t just a spot in an organizational chart; it puts you between your people and the bu****it that inevitably rains down from above.

It’s a simple idea. Chiefs hold the umbrella over their battalion chiefs, battalions over their company officers, and company officers over the firemen. Each level has an obligation to take in, filter, and mitigate the organizational nonsense that can have a negativel impact those under their command.

For chiefs, this may mean shielding battalion chiefs from political shennanigans, unrealistic municipal expectations, unfunded mandates, and the failures due to decisions made without understanding operational realities.

Battalion chiefs should be protecting their company officers from conflicting directives, unnecessary administrative burdens, knee jerk policy, and blame for problems that exist well above the company level.

Company officers have the same obligation to the members. Shield them from personality conflicts, organizational politics, unnecessary busywork, misplaced criticism, and the constant changing of priorities.

This doesn’t mean hiding information, avoiding difficult conversations, or insulating members from true accountability. The umbrella is not intended to protect people from the consequences of their own actions. Just to keep them dry from the circumstances that they have little control over.

It also requires a little moral courage. Sometimes holding that umbrella means pushing back, challenging an unrealistic expectation, or taking ownership of an unpopular decision instead of conveniently blaming someone farther up the organizational chart.

Leadership can be a bitch, but it never really is about personal comfort.

10/11/2026

It would appear that we are experiencing more votes of no confidence aimed at fire department leadership as of late, and I think the discussion is not if a vote is justified, but why so many organizations are willing to take that step in the first place.

Are members tired of failed representation? Self-service? Operational ineptness? Leaders protecting position over mission? Broken Promises, or are they simply tired of organizational betrayal; being told one thing, experiencing another, and being expected to quietly carry the weight?

For a long time, the culture of the fire service expected members to suffer in silence. Keep your head down. Respect the rank. Don’t make waves. Handle it inside the walls of the firehouse. There is value in the professionalism of respecting rank, but respect cannot become a shield against accountability.

There appears to be change, Members are advocating for themselves, their crews, and increasingly for the health of their organizations. A no-confidence vote is not something that should be taken lightly, and it should never become a weapon for simple disagreement or personality conflict, but when a significant portion of an organization is willing to publicly say, “We no longer trust this leadership,” dismissing that as disgruntlement is probably missing the message.

Maybe the old model of leadership, where rank insulated bosses from meaningful criticism is finally losing ground. If that is the case, maybe something productive comes from it. Hopefully sitting chiefs take notice; maybe chiefs become more engaged, maybe communication improves, maybe leaders spend more time listening to the people actually doing the work and just maybe accountability begins moving both directions on the org chart.

Leadership has always required authority and responsibility. Perhaps the next evolution is accepting that it also requires continued consent, credibility, and trust from the people you are charged with leading. If this trend causes sitting chiefs to pause and reflect, hopefully it produces more engaged, member-focused, mission-driven leadership. Then maybe this discomfort is exactly what organizations need.

10/04/2026

There is always something interesting about meeting someone who introduces themselves and immediately follows their name with a list of certifications. “Hi, I’m John…..I’m Fire Officer II, Instructor II, HazMat Technician, Rope Rescue Guy III blah, blah, blah…”

There is absolutely nothing wrong with being proud of education, certifications, or accomplishments. We’ve sacrificed for them, earned them, and they certainly have real value. When our résumé becomes part of the introduction, it can diminish credibility and set a poor tone for emerging relationships.

Credentials should support capabilities; we should not have to announce it. Some of the most capable firemen in the business never feel the need to tell what they have accomplished. You figured it out pretty quickly by observation, listening, and seeing how they treat people. Their competence shows itself.

10/04/2026

Thank you to the Spofford Fire Department for trusting Jakes of all Trades Training & Consulting and us to facilitate your live fire training today. We appreciate the opportunity to work with your members and help create a realistic, productive training environment.

A huge thank you as well to our visiting instructors for the professionalism, experience, and expertise they brought to the day; their ability to coach, communicate, and keep the focus on safe, effective operations helped make the training successful.

The ability to conduct realistic fire training is essential to developing capable, confident, and effective fire departments. Donated structures provide a unique opportunity to create conditions that are difficult to replicate anywhere else, and when they are used deliberately, they can dramatically improve operational effectiveness and the overall training experience for members.

We are always happy to work with departments to help maximize the usefulness of donated structures, build realistic training objectives, and make sure members get the most value possible from the opportunity.

Photo Credit: David Morin

09/27/2026

Firehouse propaganda, Sometimes it comes from a Facebook fireman, a catchy phrase, and a thousand people repeating the same message. Sometimes it comes from the senior guy at the kitchen table who has told the same(ish) story for fifteen years until nobody remembers whether it was ever actually true. Repeat something enough and it starts to become culture. ”This is the only way to load lines.” “A-shift Sucks.” “That officer doesn’t know his ass from a hole in the ground.” “This is how real firemen do it.”, the list goes on.

Some of it is built on experience. Some of it is built on regional identity. Some of it is just regurgitated bu****it delivered with enough bravado that nobody wants to challenge it. The danger is when constant
repetition replaces true evaluation.

Social media can make bad ideas look legitimate because they are popular. The firehouse can make bad ideas look legitimate because they are traditional. Neither popularity nor tradition makes something unquestionably correct.

We should be able to receive a message, respect the source, and still exercise dissent. Just because something is repeated loudly, often, or by someone with bugles, followers, or years on the job does not make it gospel. Sometimes it is just bu****it propaganda.

09/21/2026

Confirmation bias is a dangerous little bastard…..

Once we commit to what we believe about a person, tactic, crew, or situation, our brain gets pretty good at finding evidence that proves us right. The member we think is lazy gets hammered for the missed task while the ten things they accomplished disappear. The firefighter we believe is a rockstar gets the benefit of the doubt when they screw up.

It gets considerably more dangerous on an emergency scene.

On arrival we size up, formulate an IAP, and begin operating. The trap comes when we become emotionally attached to that first assessment. We start interpreting incident conditions, scene behaviors and company reports in a way that supports our preconceived beliefs as to what is happening. Information that contradicts the plan becomes burden instead.

Good scene management requires constantly trying to prove your own assumptions wrong. Listen to the members, Watch the conditions, Compare what you expected to happen with what is actually happening, and exercise humility if we need to alter the plan.

The same applies behind the desk. Sometimes the member you wrote off has grown. Sometimes your favorite firefighter is falling short. Sometimes the way you have always done it is no longer the best way. If you only collect evidence that supports what you already believe, eventually you stop evaluating and start prosecuting.

Minds are like parachutes brothers; they only work when they’re open 🤙🏻

09/17/2026

Capability is responsibility. There are calls that will never make the front page; lift assists, lockouts, water issues, chirping smoke detectors, welfare checks,….the cat, and a hundred other requests for assistance that can feel pretty lame. The frustration is understandable, especially in busy and understaffed departments, but showing up is a foundational tenet of the job.

Most citizens have no idea where their problem falls on our scale of emergencies. They know they have a problem they cannot handle, and they called the people they believe can help. If we have the training, equipment, and ability to make the situation better, then that should mean something.

The danger is cultural. If officers and Senior dudes bitch, roll their eyes, dismiss the citizen, or act like the call is beneath them, the new members learn that lesson quickly. Contempt is extremely contagious, and once helping people starts to feel like a burden, that attitude does not stay confined to the mundane runs.

If we can reasonably help, then help.

09/05/2026

The dump truck and the Ferrari.

The Ferrari is shiny, expensive, and impressive when everything is perfect. But one small mechanical issue, one righteous pothole, one missed service, and it becomes a very expensive lawn ornament; looking good sitting still, but it was never really built to endure.

The dump truck is utilitarian, rugged resilient. Blue collar strong. It is not built to impress. It is built to work. It traverses gnarly roads, shoulders heavy loads, thrives in rough weather, and subpar conditions, and it still shows up the next day.

The job doesn’t need Ferraris; fragile egos wrapped in shiny paint, people who only perform when the conditions are perfect, the audience is clapping, and the road is easy. We need dependable people who can carry weight, take a beating, solve problems, and still be useful when the job gets ugly.

Specialization has its place. Polished has its place. Pride in appearance has its place, but arrogance, fragility, and high-maintenance are a liability when the work requires grit. Align with the dump truck.

08/26/2026

3 Spots left...

The response to this class has been been staggering. The support of the enrollees and their departments has sent us all a message; Invictus, Jakes of all Trades Training & Consulting , The Drill Yard and all of the instructors are laser focused on bringing an experience that will produce thinking entry-level firefighters that will understand the true values of the fire service.

If your on the fence make your move, as registration closes 9/1/26 @ 17:00. Be part of this inaguaral class, that will set the foundation for firefighter certification in the Monadnock Region.

08/23/2026

A lot of mistakes made by firemen can be forgiven. Missed assignments, tactical errors, bad decisions made under stress, or failures that come from inexperience can be corrected. They require personal ownership, coaching, progressive discipline, and natural maturation. We are fallible beings doing a tough job in imperfect environments, and mistakes are part of learning the craft.

But lying, cheating, and stealing are different. Those are not simple mistakes, those are character failures. They show a willingness to place self-interest over trust, integrity, and the mission. That should raise significant concern of any organization that depends on credibility, teamwork, and public confidence to function.

The fire service operates on trust. The public lets us into their homes, around their families, near their possessions, and into the worst moments of their lives. Our members trust each other with their safety, their reputations, and at its purest their lives. Once that trust is intentionally violated, it is not a small thing. It is a warning sign of a much deeper flaw.

We can train skill. We can coach judgment. We can correct behavior. But when someone proves they are willing to lie, cheat, or steal, the question becomes whether they belong in public service at all.

Our greatest asset as an occupational institution is the public’s trust. If we lose that, that’s the ballgame.

Invictus Fire Solutions

10/18/2026

10/11/2026

10/04/2026

10/04/2026

09/27/2026

09/21/2026

09/17/2026

09/05/2026

08/26/2026

08/23/2026

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