Parabellum Fire Training

Since the end of the Civil War communities have gathered to mourn their loved & lost, those who gave of themselves that which can be given only once.

In defense of the freedom, rights & privileges we all hold dear they sacrificed for all of us.

Today of all days take a moment, pause, reflect and remember.

Give thanks to all who stood in the breach and never made it home.

If you've got 10 minutes help a brother out.

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Contribute to progress.

All training has value, but not all training is created equally.

Wrenching a tourniquet on a manikin gets reps in, but misses the realism of an actual bleed.

Flowing & moving in a parking lot establishes the base, but doesn't reflect the pace or feel of a dirty hallway.

Without question the best training I ever got in patient care was live tissue. While being ethically ambiguous, there was no better means of preparing to treat casualties down range, and undoubtedly saved lives.

Acquired structures provide similar opportunities to train in real environments, under realistic conditions. Even if not for fire scenarios:

Forcible entry
Bailout
Breaches
Search
Apparatus positioning
Arrival sequence

Train for the realities of the fireground, not what the book says or what you hope it will be.

Be Safe. Be Decisive. Kill the Fire.

Normalization of deviance

If what's found in your policies, and what happens on the fireground are at best distant cousins:

Either training needs to occur to standardize response OR your policies need to be updated to reflect the reality of the fireground.

Having outdated/impractical policies AND ignoring established guidelines are both dangerous.

You shouldn't be calling an audible every time the tones drop, and also shouldn't be playing from a rulebook that doesnt match todays realities.

Be Safe. Be Decisive. Kill the Fire.

The fire service is a commitment, and a blessing. It places expectations and duty upon us for the betterment of ourselves and those we protect.

It is a call to service to those most in need.

While its rewards are great we must take care to, take care of ourselves.

For an hour driving the hills & back roads, volume maxed, with my biggest supporters, the world slipped away.

For that moment in time there was no stress, no worry, just being in the moment (questionable music choices and all).

I am truly blessed to have the support I have.

Thanks for taking this ride with me.

Be Safe. Be Decisive. Kill the Fire.

In World War II when determining where returning damaged aircraft should be reinforced, most believed that the area where they were struck should take priority.

Columbia University also examined the damage done, and recommended adding armor to the areas that showed the least damage. The bullet holes in the returning aircraft represented areas where a bomber could take damage and still fly. Therefore, it was proposed that the Navy reinforce areas where the returning aircraft were unscathed, inferring that planes hit in those areas were the ones most likely to be lost.

This principle of review is known as survivorship bias, only considering, or giving undue weight to successful outcomes.

Making it home requires understanding what others are doing right and emulating that, but being painfully aware of that which has contributed or caused others to fail, and preparing for it.

Correlation doesn't equal causation.
Effort doesn't guarantee outcomes.

Be Safe. Be Decisive. Kill the Fire.

Being a first responder family means holidays don’t always land on the day they’re “supposed to.” Long before the fire service, the military taught us this same lesson, duty doesn’t pause for special occasions.

Sometimes he’s gone, answering the call when others need him most, and that matters just as much as any celebration at home.

If I called for help on a holiday, I would expect someone’s husband, father, brother, or sister to show up and be ready to risk everything to help us. How could I ever be upset that my own husband chose a career where he does exactly that? Serving others isn’t just a job, it’s a commitment, it involves sacrifice.

So we celebrate early, we make our own timeline, and we hold those moments a little tighter, because while it’s important for us to be together, it’s just as important that he’s out there doing what he’s called to do serving, protecting, and showing up for our community.

We don’t miss out, we just celebrate differently. And we make the best of every moment we get.

Happy Easter 🐰

When someone shows you their true character dont pretend it didn't happen.

Forgive strategically, not emotionally.

Trust and respect must be earned back with interest.

Thats not to say to write people & places off wholesale, but don't let your loyalty keep you in situations that common sense should have got you out of.