From our sister site: FireRECRUITER.com

What started out as a vision for a successful joint recruitment project has morphed into a passion to connect firefighters and soldiers of all stripes.

Based on the concept that we're looking for the same people — and we are the same people, I created a joint recruitment project between our county's volunteer fire service and the NY National Guard.

If you think about Guardsmen, Soldiers and every other appropriate title given to those who serve in all the branches of the US Military, they can be ideal candidates to recruit into the volunteer fire service. They already understand discipline, respect, teamwork and the chain-of-command — and they certainly get the whole "brotherhood" thing! As many have shared about this idea, "it's a no-brainer!" 

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In his February 17th Morning Lineup features (and updated on February 20th), FireGeezer.com's Bill Schumm discusses and demonstrates the effectiveness, or ineffectiveness, of using video as a recruitment tool. While his perspective on why we face the recruitment and retention challenges we do are certainly part of puzzle, the value of his commentary lies in the subliminal call to action that we need to be more creative in creating the solutions.

Certainly, a recruitment video with appropriate visuals and a good, solid message can be effective, but FireGeezer proposes that we need to do something about our culture, our society, to inspire and perpetuate volunteerism. I couldn't agree more.

As I've said before:

“Simply put, it’s my belief that the survival and success of the volunteer fire service relies on our ability to create more opportunities – for more people – to volunteer less time.

Our success depends on our ability to effectively plan for, lead and manage people; whether you don’t have enough – or you have more than you can handle.

The possibilities for their involvement are only limited by our imaginations.”
- Tiger Schmittendorf – From: "A New Pyramid Scheme for your Volunteer Fire Department"

 

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UPDATE: Eulogy for my friend Denny Allen

With both pain and peace in my heart, I was there with my friend, my brother, Chief Dennis Allen when he took his last breath earlier this morning.

Dennis fought a long and tough fight against pulmonary fibrosis, winning the battle through a double-lung transplant three years ago and, although others may see it differently, in the end — winning the war by going home to be with his God, his family and his loved ones.

There isn't much more to say about Dennis that I haven't said already but I will save those thoughts for his service later this week.

For now, I just want to give you a glimpse of the man, the firefighter, the husband, the father and the friend I knew and loved. His life and love for his wife Marlene, his sons Scott and Marcus, and everyone he touched — are an inspiration to us all.

• BLOG: Brotherhood in Action-A Guy Named Denny Allen
• Brotherhood – http://my.firefighternation.com/profiles/blogs/889755:BlogPost:1063380
  • Brotherhood – Reprint of article in FASNY's "The Volunteer Firefighter" – Brotherhood-Dennis Allen
• Buffalo News – BuffaloNews080904-DENNIS ALLEN
• A Night at the Museum – http://tigerschmittendorf.com/2009/01/museum-tour/
• Fortune Tellers – http://tigerschmittendorf.com/2009/09/fortune-tellers/
• My Photos of Dennis on Flickr.com – http://www.flickr.com/photos/tigerschmittendorf/sets/72157624020730656/

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Following is the blog I wrote about Dennis in April of 2008, just prior to his receiving his double-lung transplant on July 2, 2008 — the date we refer to as his second birth-day! The benefit referred to in the article was a huge success, bringing some 800 members of our community together for what was truly a celebration of his life and an event that is still talked about in our town today. I won't be surprised if the turnout to support his family is very similar in the events that will unfold later this week. Thank you in advance for your kindess and caring.

BROTHERHOOD IN ACTION: A Guy Named Denny Allen

By: Tiger Schmittendorf – April 2008

Some people have character and others are a character.

My friend Denny Allen… he’s both.

There are certain people in your life who are always in need of something – while others a re always there when you need them.

My friend Dennis Allen is always there when you need him.

Certain people work behind the scenes but manage to find their way into the spotlight. Others do their work on the scene but manage to stay in the shadows.

My friend Denny Allen has been on the scene more times in his lifetime than anyone else I know, but he never stands in the limelight.

Let me tell you a little about my friend : Denny Allen.

Dennis Allen has lived in Angola all of his life. He grew up here, on Sunset Boulevard, across from what is now my back yard. He never really stood out from the crowd, just a good neighborhood kid in a good neighborhood.

He worked hard at the Engler Lumber Company during and after high school, and achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in Boy Scout Troop 528, sponsored by the Evans Center Volunteer Fire Company.

That was his first introduction to the fire service, his launch into what would become a lifetime of service to his community. That was 1971.

He left the area for a short time to study forestry at Paul Smith College in the Adirondacks. While there, he became a MET-Medical Emergency Technician, the precursor to today’s EMTs -Emergency Medical Technician and paramedics.

Dennis Allen returned home and became a fixture in the fire company and the community. It wasn’t long before Denny Allen was recognized as a leader and was made an officer almost immediately. He rose through the ranks of the fire department quickly, served for several years as an assistant chief and eventually was promoted to fire chief by his peers. He served two separate terms in that capacity, as recently as 2003.

To say Dennis has a certain way about him is being polite. Never one to boast, he’s also never one to hide his feelings. A relatively quiet man, you never have to wonder where you stand with Denny Allen.

Not the most tactful, not the most polished, just the most dedicated.

His strong, silent type is compensated for by his crass sense of humor and his signature smile.

It’s not really a smile in the traditional sense of the word. His lips stay together while the corners of his mouth curl up ever so slightly. His eyes squint, his nose scrunches, he shakes his head and his eyes well up and he starts coughing if you get him laughing too hard. The end result is a contagious smile that you just can’t help laughing at. We affectionately call it a “pie face.”

His typical approach is to sit back, quietly listen to a group of people and then, when you least expect it, he drops a bomb that puts everyone on the floor laughing.

Dennis also has a serious side and is never one to shy away from tough situations or hard decisions.

He’s always in the thick of it on an EMS call and has a long -standing reputation for being a sure-shot at starting IVs – a practice that earned him the nickname “Needles” many years ago. Dennis is always calm, cool and collected under pressure. Nothing shakes him in an emergency.

Denny Allen has been omnipresent at fires, rescues and first aid calls for 37 years in the Town of Evans community – responding to every single emergency he was physically available for. Now in his 50’s, Dennis continued to make late night responses – even when the younger guys apparently needed their beauty sleep. Dennis responded to more than 350 emergencies in 2006 alone.

His fire company achieved many firsts under his direction, command or influence. Evans Center was the first fire company in our community to have a Hurst Jaws-of-Life rescue tool, the first water rescue unit, the first cardiac monitor; thermal imager and the first FAST-Firefighter Assist and Search Team.

The fire department was also the first in the county to have its own on-site training facility and the first to promote their web site on their apparatus.

Dennis was instrumental in the design, planning and construction of the fire company’s new Erie Road Firehouse#1 dedicated in July of 2001. He holds the fire department record for delivering the most babies in the field or in the back of an ambulance.

Dennis responded twice to Ground Zero following the attacks of September 11, 2001, providing EMS support to the first responders working the pile and covering calls for the FDNY while they tended to their brothers and each other. He served as the local representative to the Erie County Fire Advisory Board, as Code Enforcement Officer for Towns of Evans and Hanover; and as an EMT-I for Rural Metro Medical Services.

As an EMT for more than 30 years, Dennis was instrumental in shaping the delivery of emergency medical services in the Town of Evans and is responsible for the town upgrading their level of prehospital care to paramedic.

But don’t think for a second that his life is only devoted to the fire service.

Dennis demonstrates the unique ability to effectively balance family, work, play and fire department activities. I envy him for that.

Three of the reasons Dennis was so successful are his wife Marlene, a long standing and dedicated active member of the fire company’s ladies auxiliary; and his sons Scott and Marcus. Both of them are Eagle Scouts just like their dad.

Always putting his family first, Dennis instilled his core values of community service in each of them, involving them in everything he did and being involved in everything they participated in.

Denny Allen knows the true meaning of brotherhood. He is the kind of guy who is always there to lend a helping hand, whether it’s putting on a new roof, cooking a charity chicken barbeque, or just to have someone to listen to.

We’re not talking a hollow hand shake or a one-armed hug or a pat on the back – kind of brotherhood. Dennis has never been outwardly affectionate, except with his family, and he’s not big on formalities. I’ve never heard him talk about brotherhood; I’ve only seen him demonstrate it.

We’re talking about real brotherhood that extends well beyond the firehouse doors and into our personal lives. To Dennis, brotherhood is not just a bold-lettered phrase on a T-shirt.

Dennis demonstrates brotherhood by helping to carry friends’ furniture up flights of stairs into a new home. Helping each other strip and paint houses, chop fire wood, dig ditches or do whatever else required many hands to make light work. We work hard and we play hard too. That’s the kind of brotherhood that he embodies.

Now Dennis Allen needs our help.

Dennis was diagnosed in 2005 with pulmonary fibrosis, a fatal disease that attacks the lungs and diminishes breathing capacity. It’s the same disease that took his Brother Dave’s life just seven years ago at age 49. Dennis is now 55.

Dennis is now on a waiting list for a double lung transplant at Cleveland Clinic. We anticipate that thousands of dollars will be needed to cover non-reimbursed medical and living expenses and the loss of income for both Dennis and Marlene, as she will most likely exhaust her paid leave to care for him for months following the surgery.

A testimonial celebration honoring Denny Allen is planned for September 6, 2008 at the Evans Center Volunteer Fire Company located at 8298 Erie Road in the Town of Evans. The event will feature live music, food and refreshments, indoor and outdoor activities and plenty of opportunities to get involved in supporting this great effort.

The committee sponsoring “Brotherhood in Action: The Dennis Allen Project” will also be scheduling raffles and other fund raising events leading up to the main event. One of the feature activities of the day will be a live auction of firefighter artwork and memorabilia. Much more is still in the planning stage.

It’s estimated that Denny Allen has responded to more than 10,000 emergency incidents in his firefighting and EMS career that spans almost four decades.

One of the committee’s goals is to create a “tree of life” that will hold one dollar for every one of Denny’s 10,000 emergency responses. Contributors will receive a “life saver” card with a photo of Dennis and room to write well wishes or words of encouragement. The life saver cards will then be displayed in the firehouse and at the benefit in September and given to Dennis as a keepsake. One dollar is all we’re asking for.

Help us put brotherhood in action. Join us in honoring this fine man who has unselfishly dedicated himself to serving his fire company and his fellow man.

Many people are consumers and some are contributors. Dennis Allen is a contributor.

I hope you’ll consider contributing to saving the life of our brother Dennis Allen.

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An article recently posted to FirefighterNation.com outlines the challenges faced by volunteer fire departments in Pennsylvania in recruiting and retaining their members. Although these types of articles are becoming all too frequent, this one in particular is better than most in that it focuses on the positives of being a volunteer firefighter — not all the negatives. I’ve cited many examples of what not to say if you’re actually looking to solve your R&R challenges in a previous post titled “Is this our best approach?” Too often, it seems that we hand a prospective candidate all of the reasons and excuses why they wouldn’t join on a silver platter.

I have to tip my helmet to the volunteer fire service in Pennsylvania who is no stranger to these challenges — or to innovative solutions to those challenges. I’ve previously mentioned them in “PA VFDs Dip Into Fountain of Youth” for potential solutions as well as I’ve applauded their efforts in the successful recruitment campaign: “Roll with It!” — the sexiest thing to come to volunteer recruitment I’ve ever seen. It rivals the GoArmy.com and NationalGuard.com campaigns.

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Although I never had the opportunity to meet or speak with the man, I was "in his presence" on a few short occasions and was always impressed by his talented writing abilities.

Today we mourn the loss of fire service and news world leader: Hal Bruno.

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The world is changing rapidly and the fire service is getting caught up in the tornado effect of technology on our society.

More and more fire departments are smartly using web sites, e-mail and social networking tools like Facebook and Twitter to recruit new firefighters and to stay connected to their community. There isn't much you can't do with a mobile device today that took a super-computer to do less than 30 years ago.

I recently had the opportunity to facilitate a conversation with a large group of fire instructors titled: "From the Xbox to the Box Alarm" for the University of Kansas Fire and Rescue Institute wherein we discussed today's and tomorrow's generation of firefighters. The conversation focused not only on the challenges in understanding, motivating, training and leading this unique cadre of individuals, but also enlightened the participants as to the tremendous potential they possess for moving our fire service forward.

And, naturally, you can't have a conversation about today's generation of firefighters without discussing the importance of technology and the impact of social networking.

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I am often reluctant to write about commercial business ventures in my blogs and other platforms as I am sensitive to the trusted relationship between a writer and their readers, and leary about self-promotion. Thus I have delayed writing this post for quite some time.

It wasn’t until I came to the realization that this is not about me or what I’m involved in as much as it is about you – my readers, followers and the fire service at large – that I felt the timing was right for sharing this exciting news.

Earlier this year I was invited by my long time and good friends Dave Iannone and Chris Hebert to share in their vision for tipping the traditional training program on its head. Dave and Chris have a knack for surrounding themselves with inspired people and a solid reputation for bringing innovative and successful solutions to the fire service community, so it wasn’t much of a tough sell for me to join them and the other members of their team at the table.

The conversations were very indepth and engaging, even sparring at points, but all with a common goal in mind: to bring a new and exciting approach to providing training for firefighters and first responders. As I looked around the room, I saw a tremendous amount of passion and caring for getting this right.

It wasn’t long before I was hooked and signed on as chief of training, charged with driving the direction of the educational content of their new conference concept.

So what’s this new idea, this next best thing? It’s called Go>Forward Fire and I will introduce it from three different perspectives. For everyone involved, it’s an exciting new venture in firefighter and leadership training from the same industry leaders who created FirefighterNation, FireEMS Blogs, and the original Firehouse.com.

From a fire service perspective, Go>Forward Fire offers “a conference in a box” solution to fire departments, training associations and related organizations looking for the opportunity to bring a national level conference to their neighborhood. Partnering with local fire service organizations, we work with you to tailor the content and agenda to your local needs and then bring top notch presenters and instructors to your region. Oh yeah, and we handle the logistics and marketing too.

All we ask is that you help spread the word and provide your honest input before, during and after the conference. What you get in return is the caliber of training you would normally pay big bucks and have to travel significant distances for and we bring it all to you in an affordable way so as to maximize the return on your training investment.

For conference participants, Go>Forward Fire is not your typical instructor-student interaction. These are not one-time events – but the start of an ongoing conversation and a life-long series of knowledge and experience exchanges. By engaging both the student and the instructor before, during and after each training event, Go>Forward Fire expands the relationship between the student and the instructor like never before with meaningful social and professional connections in a truly immersive learning environment.

While that may sound like a marketing pitch (It is. I wrote it.), as a Go>Forward Fire student, I assure you that you’ll enjoy an unprecedented level of access to some of the most experienced and emerging talent in the fire service. Once a G>FF participant – always a G>FF participant as far as we’re concerned.

This isn’t about how many PowerPoint slides we can glaze your cornea with or how many pounds of handouts we send you home with – it’s about the conversation. As I say in the disclaimers shared at the beginning of each of my presentations, I don’t care if we never leave the first slide as long as you’re satisfied with the direction your training goes in. It’s all about you.

As an instructor, joining our teaching team means that you’ll benefit from the opportunity to link to your students and other instructors in not only an integrated and intimate classroom setting, but also on the training ground, during meet-ups, through blogs, articles, videos, podcasts, commentary, webcasts, online learning and a growing list of social media connections all under one training network.

I’ve spoken and participated at more than a few conferences in my career. This is not your typical fly-in, do your stand-up routine and fly-out kind of gig. Not only do we offer more interaction, we insist on it. Teaching with us is not for everyone – only the most engaged and engaging.

This is the sharing opportunity you’ve been waiting for. The opening to truly coach and mentor the future of the fire service. The chance to have a deep and lasting impact on our emergency services community.  This is an innovative 360° approach to training our replacements and future leaders.

While the term may have already become cliché in the fire service, our overall goal is to be the kitchen table of conferences – not the kitchen sink. Our teaching team is comprised of many of the familiar names you know and plenty of names you’re going to want to get to know.

Accomplished fire service leaders like Chiefs Alan Brunacini, Tim Sendelbach, Chris Naum, Ed Hadfield, Dennis Rubin and Rich Gasaway; and up and coming instructors like Lt. Matthew McDowell from Bluffton Twp. South Carolina, Lt. Chris Sterricker from Suburban Chicago, Lt. Paul Hasenmeier from Huron Twp. Ohio and Training Officer John Shafer from Greencastle, Indiana will provide their keen insight to every firefighter, officer and chief participating. Their national presence will be balanced with local talent like St. Louis Fire Department Captain Nick Morgan and Chiefs Tony Correia and Ed Kensler from New Jersey and Chief Greg Jakubowski from Bucks County PA.

We’re very excited that several familiar bloggers will step away from their keyboards long enough to share their experiences in person, including Dave Statter from Statter911.com, John Mitchell – editor of FireDaily.com, Mike Ward, co-editor of FireGeezer.com, Jason Hoevelmann of FirefightersEnemy.com and Mick Mayers, author of FirehouseZen.com. You know that their conversational style of writing will translate well into the classroom conversation.

Something I’m most proud of is our following through on my vision of strengthening the connection between the fire service and the military. Marine Corps Sergeant and Volunteer Firefighter Jason Ferris will provide a keynote address titled: “It’s not a mission statement – it’s a calling” drawing on the common values our two institutions share. Furthermore, we’ll be donating $5 from each conference package purchased to the support the important work of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.

Making the team rock-solid are Brotherhood Instructors providing the intense hands-on components of each conference. Curt and Nate DeMarse, Andrew Brassard, Kevin Legacy, Chris Collier and their team of seasoned veterans from volunteer, career and combination departments across the United States and Canada will relate their vast and relevant experiences in a way that every firefighter can understand, regardless of the type of system or community they work in.

And, if you’ve ever been part of a good training experience, you know that some of the greatest value you take away from it is in the informal networking that takes place between classes. With Go>Forward Fire, those connections start inside and extend well beyond the classroom and on the training ground, not just during the breaks.

As our tag line says, Go>Forward Fire is the evolution of firefighter and leadership training, breaking down the barriers of the traditional classroom environment, creating long-lasting conversations and relationships that will undoubtedly make a difference in how we go forward in the future fire service. And here’s the best part: we’re going to have fun doing it – a lot of fun!

I’m so excited about this new training venture that I’m not sure I can adequately put it in words. I guess you’ll have to experience it for yourself to truly understand its impact.

While I am proud to be invited to be a part of this team, I’d be even more flattered if you’d consider joining us at one of our inaugural events planned this fall; or to attend or host one of the several new events we have in the works for 2012 and beyond.

Check out our conference details at www.goforwardtraining.com and tell them I sent you when you register. Use the promo code “SCHMITTENDORF” to take advantage of an added 10% discount on your conference costs.

Don’t worry, I’m not trading off any of my other ventures such as my feature writing here at TigerSchmittendorf.com, my story-telling at Run-to-the-Curb and FirefighterStorytellers; or my coaching at FireRECRUITER.com. And for those of you keeping score at home, I have no intention of giving up my full time gig serving as deputy fire coordinator in Erie County.

This is just another dot to be connected in my life-long quest to Go>Forward in the fire service. Thanks for riding along.

Stay safe. Train often.

Tiger Schmittendorf
Chief of Training
Go>Forward Fire

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Firefighter, officer, chief—these are the titles of the jobs we sign up for. But just like “bingo chairman,” “corresponding secretary” or “roads and grounds committee member,” the title of “leader” is not something at the top of our list of “I want to be that guy” jobs that we strive for when we first join the volunteer fire department.

Although almost everyone who joins the fire service dreams of being chief one day, they probably don’t dream of being a “fire service leader”; that is, it’s not necessarily an inherent thought process to connect the title of “chief” with “leader.” And while the title of fire chief may conjure up images of flashing lights and standing in front of a burning building barking orders into a portable radio, as we know all too well, being a “fire service leader” requires a lot more preparation and hard work than that.

There is much discussion going on in the fire service today about this "void space" created by the potentially damaging collision of retiring experience and the growing lack of experience of today's firefighters and officers. When I say growing, I'm referring to the fact that as our fire load goes down (that's a good thing), so does our experience level, accordingly (that's a bad thing). Thus we end up with a "growing" lack of experience.

I had the privilege of writing a companion article to Chief Jeff Johnson's feature: Handling the “Leadership Absenteeism” Crisis Ahead—a Career Perspective recently published on FireRescue/FirefighterNation. It was interesting to see how much our thought lines paralleled each other, despite the fact that we didn't physically meet until I bumped into Chief Johnson at the CFSI dinner in Washington DC the week before the articles were published, let alone collaborate on our writings.

It turns out that we share a common mentor in Chief (Ret.) Jack Snook of the same Tualatin Valley Oregon Fire & Rescue that Chief Johnson retired from. I and many others consider Chief Snook to be the father of volunteer firefighter recruitment and retention as he wrote the manual originally titled: "A Breed Apart" published back in 1989. His work is still relevant today.

After our complementary articles were published, I came across this article on mentoring – which fit right in with the common thread solution that Chief Johnson and I proposed respectively. And then earlier today, Bill Carey of Backstep Firefighter sent me a link to this article which debates the value of experience vs. education in today's up and coming officers and leaders.

What really hit home with me was the way the author described how the fire service struggled with the acceptance of standardized and performance based training curriculum 10-15 years ago. I know that story firsthand as that's when and why I was hired by Erie County Emergency Services to implement just such a program. To say there were growing pains associated with this transition is being polite.

The author goes on to remind us that while many of us "more experienced" firefighters may have struggled to embrace the concept at the time, Gen-Y firefighters have simply never known anything different and thus easily become "early adopters." It's in that vain that he makes the pitch that education based officer development will take a similar path towards acceptance.

I've spent the past two weeks on the road (and many more hours before that) visiting with firefighters around the country, conducting my own observational research of those I've dubbed X-box Firefighters and the way they integrate into today's fire service. If I've learned nothing else about this generation, it's that their greatest expectation is to be given clear expectations from their leaders and mentors.

So, if you're looking to fill the leadership void space in your organization, I suggest you read the articles linked herein and surround yourself with the next generation of fire service leaders to better understand their expectations of you, and the role that we play in adapting to the needs and wants of our replacements.

Whether you decide to forge ahead and form strong bonds with those you'll be handing the reigns to some day, or you decide to stick your head back in the void space and pretend these challenges don't exist, I'm pretty sure they'd expect nothing less from you. I've found them to be pretty good judges of character.

Stay safe. Train often.

PS – Look for Paul Hasenmeier's web exclusive on fire officer development coming to FireRescue/FirefighterNation in June. He fits right in with this line of thinking and he offers a great "Read it today — Use it tomorrow" solution to the process.

Links in this article:

• Handling the “Leadership Absenteeism” Crisis Ahead—a Career Perspective — By Chief Jeff Johnson on FireRescue/FirefighterNation.com: www.firefighternation.com/profiles/blogs/handling-the-leadership
• Handling the “Leadership Absenteeism” Crisis Ahead—a Volunteer Perspective — By Chief Tiger Schmittendorf on FireRescue/FirefighterNation.com: http://www.firefighternation.com/profiles/blogs/handling-the-leadership
• Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI): www.cfsi.org
• Mentoring Advances the Quality of Future Fire Service Leaders  — By Kenneth Morgan on FireRescue/FirefighterNation.com: www.firefighternation.com/profiles/blogs/mentoring-advances-the-quality
• Tualatin Valley OR Fire and Rescue: www.tvfr.com/
• Recruiting, Training and Maintaining Volunteer Firefighters — By Chief Jack Snook, et al.: http://www.books.google.com/books?id=cpvBs-MO7CAC&lpg=PP1&ots=iZZDdtJe71&dq=chief%20jack%20snook&pg=PP2#v=onepage&q=chief%20jack%20snook&f=false
• Backstep Firefighter — by Bill Carey: www.backstepfirefighter.com
• Company Officers: The Great Debate–Experience Versus Education — By Alan Rufer in IAFC On-Scene:  www.iafc.org/displayindustryarticle.cfm?articlenbr=46236
• Erie County Department of Emergency Services: www.erie.gov/fire
• From the X-Box to the Box Alarm — By Chief Tiger Schmittendorf: http://tigerschmittendorf.com/2009/06/21/from-x-box-to-the-box-alarm/
• Lt. Paul Hasenmeier: www.paulhasenmeier.com

4/21/11 – More on mentoring — just came across this mentoring worksheet from Fire 20/20.

4/21/11 – Related: "Dig In." — http://tigerschmittendorf.com/2009/09/01/dig-in/

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There was about a foot or so of snow on the ground when we got to the house where the fire was reported. The lieutenant wheeled the engine into the driveway and we observed some light smoke coming out of the second story on the 'D' side of what turned out to be a multi-family residence.

As acting officer, I assembled the crew in front of the engine and decided to take a quick look before stretching a line through the snow. We entered through the front door and I took a peek up the stairs off to our right. Thick black smoke was slowly climbing its way down the steps towards us.

We went on air, masked up and headed up the narrow stairs. I held the thermal imager (TIC) while Jack carried the hook, Dave had the irons and Zack, a 19-year old kid just a month off probation, carried the water can over his shoulder.

When we got to the top of the stairs I put my face to the floor and couldn't see anything, visibility was zero. I took a look with the TIC to try and figure out what we were dealing with. The smoke was thick but it wasn't really pushing very hard. The thermal imager showed about the same density of white evenly distributed all around us although we detected little heat with our other senses.

We just knelt there for a few seconds, pausing to look, listen and feel for clues as to where the fire might be. Although we couldn't really tell what type of space we were in, a hallway or a living room or somewhere else, a second scan with the TIC gave me a hunch that the fire was directly in front of us. I gave a follow-up report to the IC over the radio and instructed Zack to open up the can on the ceiling and directly in front of us. What "bounced back" would give us an indication of whether or not we were getting water on the fire.

He pulled the pin, squeezed the trigger and gave it a short blast of pressurized F-500 suppressant. We could tell by the sound that we hit our target but that there was more to get. I knew the back-up line was coming up the stairs but it's always the fire you can't see that worries you the most.

I grabbed Zack by the shoulders and guided him towards where we thought the fire was as he didn't have the advantage of the thermal imager like I did, so he couldn't see anything in front of him. Sure enough, as we got almost right on top of it we could finally see open flame flickering up from the floor in front of us; and at what would be our waist line if we were standing up; and at the ceiling. I told Jack to take the window on the 'D' side behind him as Zack put water on the fire we could see. Jack and Dave then moved up along side us and vented the window on the 'Charlie' side of the house, releasing some of the smoke that had been plaguing our visibility.

It wasn't long before the fire was out and the smoke started to lift. As the room cleared, we could finally see that we were in a laundry area at the end of hall opposite the staircase. Our hearts dropped for a moment as we looked at some of the laundry that included t-shirts with our fire department name on them. Where were we, we wondered out loud? We soon discovered that one of our other young lieutenants had moved out of his parents' house and was living in this second floor apartment above his girlfriend's grandmother.

Fortunately, everyone had gotten out, no one was hurt and we minimized the damage by using the can instead of opening a line. It was a gut call based on experience and what we had in front of us, but it worked. We cleared the room of everything we could and salvaged all of the laundry that wasn't burned and did a little bit of overhaul on the ceiling before another crew took over to mop up.

Taking a breather in the cold air outside, another firefighter looked down at my feet and asked me: "How are those new boots you're trying out?" He was referring to the Black Diamond X2 Fire Boots I'd received as part of a test-drive just before they went on the market a few months ago.

I answered him with, "To be honest with you, I forgot I was wearing them."

The Black Diamond X2's are by far the most comfortable fire boot I've ever warn in my 30 years in the fire service. They're not the lightest but they feel light. Although they do — to say that they fit like a glove would not only be cliche' but just plain weird — unless you had really long toes and there were cutouts in the boot for each toe. LOL

I have flat, wide feet with arches that tear like a bed sheet when you're trying to make a make-shift cravat. That's probably the result of an incident that occurred around age 12 when I fell out of the cherry tree in our front yard (No, I wasn't raking leaves). I fell about 15 feet or so, and stuck the landing, so to speak. Then I bent my knees. You do the math.

Amazingly, I never broke a bone. I just drove my ankle down through my heel and everything else in my foot. I spent about two weeks shuffling around the floor in hockey shin guards before I could get up on crutches. That was fun. NOT!

The physical therapist tried to train me to walk on crutches but said that neither of my feet could touch the ground. Try that for yourself and let me know how that works out for you.

The best way I can describe my X2s is that they're built like an armored tank — with all the comforts of a luxury limousine. The high arch support is just what the doctor ordered for my maligned feet. The cool looking disc on the outside of the boot is not just a branded logo, it's actually an ankle guard — which came in handy as we were crawling up the stairs just like they taught us in the fire academy, with our feet to the outside of the stair stringers — the strongest point in case the stairs fail underneath you. As firefighters spend a lot of time contorted into strange positions, I can't tell you how many times I would have liked to have had an ankle guard on my other fire boots.

The boot shaft itself is a combination of Kevlar and leather but what makes this boot cool is the front face. The shin guard/tibia protector makes the X2 look like something Batman, The Terminator or Captain America would wear. But it's there for more than just show. It proved to be worth it's weight in gold as we crawled up the stairs and down the narrow hallway on our hands and knees. The ankle area feels like it's custom fitted to the heel of my foot and their exclusive Calf-Fit system at the top back of the boot allows the boot to stretch when you're putting it on but at the same time, fit like that glove I was referring to earlier when you're walking in them.

"The best way I can describe my Black Diamond X2s is that they're built like an armored tank — with all the comforts of a luxury limousine."

I think my favorite feature is the fact that there's no boot straps to pull them up by. That is, their pull-on system is built in-to the boot, not the traditional external straps that hang above or over the edge of the boot. You know what straps I mean, the ones that your pants get caught up on as you're trying to put your foot in the boot, forcing your pantleg to ride up uncomfortably for the entire duration of the call.

I've never written a product review before but overall I have to say that I'm very pleased with my new Black Diamond X2s. They're rugged and rugged looking, comfortable and form fitting. In fact, they're so cool and futuristic looking that I'm tempted to wear them on the outside of my bunker pants, but that too would just be weird!

So the next time you're crawling down a hallway on your hands and knees with zero visibility, try a pair of Black Diamond X2 boots on for size. And I recommend you take Zack with you also. He's young, but he's looking, listening and learning to be a good fireman too.

I'll be at FDIC this week and so will the Black Diamond Girls in Booth# 1000. Just like the boots, they're worth checking out too. Look us both up while you're there.

Stay safe. Train often.

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That’s right!

“From the X-Box to the Box Alarm: Motivating and Leading Today’s Firefighters” is back by popular demand at FDIC 2011. I hope to see you in Indianapolis March 22-26, 2011.  Look me up if you plan on attending and look for my presentation titled: “Understanding & Motivating Today’s Firefighters” modeled after my feature article: “From the X-Box to the Box Alarm.”

Some 300 first responders engaged in the discussion at FDIC last April and this year’s conversation promises to be refreshed with my ongoing observational research; new samples of recruitment, retention and leadership solutions and feedback from last year’s participants.

I’ll also be including fresh insight from some X-Box firefighters from Hyattsville Volunteers and FDLiveIn.com I recently spoke with about generational differences and what we can learn from and about them. Some of the information will be pre-recorded material and some of it will be provided by members of our “live studio audience.”

In case you’ve never caught my act, let me give you a little insight on my stand-up style: I don’t do presentations – I have conversations with first responders.

I’ve always said that I never learn as much as when I’m teaching. So here’s how it works:

I ask questions. You ask questions. I make you laugh. You make me laugh. Then I ask a lot more questions. We discuss the issues facing the fire service and we come up with solutions: together. And we have fun doing it. That’s pretty much how it goes. It’s a simple system, but it’s worked pretty well so far.

I bring passion, humor and insight to the discussion. You won’t be disappointed. Give me a try. You never know — We might all learn something.

But don’t take my word for it, here’s what last year’s participants had to say:

• “I enjoyed the conversation and exchange of information.”
• “Excellent program. Provided great insight on what I deal with on a daily basis.”
• “Great program. I’m a recruiter for our fire department and I learned a lot!!! Great take-home lessons.”
• “As a young person (21), it’s nice to see this kind of training to help further unify the firehouse.”
• “Great motivational speaker. Tiger hit every objective with current and accurate information. Very well versed in the topic.”
• “Fantastic presentation. Thoroughly engaging and unique insight.”
• “Bring him back!”

I’m excited and I hope you are too. I arrive in Indy on Tuesday morning and don’t leave until late Saturday night. Look me up if you’re planning on being there. I’m sure we’ll have great stories to share.

Speaking of stories, I’ll be taping episodes of my Firefighter Storytellers Internet Radio Show on the FirefighterNetcast network throughout the week and I’m sure we’ll be out and about around the town enjoying the brotherhood of the fire service.

Drop me a line at tiger@tigerschmittendorf.com or send me a direct message on Twitter @Tiger15032. I’d love to connect.

Here’s a few places I already plan to be at:

• Wednesday – March 23, 2011 – 5pm – Indy Metro FOOLS “Brotherhood Bash @FDIC” – Corner of Jackson St. & Meridian St.
  Featuring: Bagpipes and Drums, Acoustic Stew, The Don Stuck Band
• Thursday – March 24, 2011 3:30-5:15pm: Presenting “Understanding and Motivating Today’s Firefighters” – Room 105-106
• Thursday – March 24, 2011 7-11pm: “Stop Drop, Rock-n-Roll” at the Indiana Roof Ball Room to benefit the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation
• Friday – March 25, 2011 – 2-3pm: “Meet the Authors” at the Fire-Rescue Magazine/FirefighterNation.com Booth #4244
• Friday – March 25, 2011 – 4-6pm: Battle of the Bands at FDIC – Lucas Oil Stadium
• Thursday – Saturday – FirefighterNetcast.com Booth – Adjacent to Booth #4244

Here’s the description and details of my classroom session from the FDIC catalog:  

Thursday, March 24, 2011
3:30 PM-5:15 PM – Room 105-106
APPROPRIATE FOR ALL LEVELS  
Understanding and Motivating Today’s Firefighters
Deputy Fire Coordinator Tiger Schmittendorf, Erie County (NY) Department of Emergency Services  

“From the X-Box to the Box Alarm” addresses the challenges of today’s fire service leaders in attracting and retaining the appropriate quantity and quality of firefighters they need to support the delivery of emergency services in their communities.

So, how do we motivate today’s recruits away from the X-Box long enough to answer the box alarm? This facilitated conversation builds consensus that the majority of the challenges we face are in the firehouse, not on the fire scene. Together we’ll learn to combat these challenges with solutions that are right in front of us.

Links to last year’s experiences:

• Going to the Show – http://tigerschmittendorf.com/2010/04/10/going-to-the-show/
• Live from Indy – It’s Saturday Morning – http://tigerschmittendorf.com/2010/04/19/saturday-morning-fdic/
• FDIC: Returning Home – http://tigerschmittendorf.com/2010/04/25/fdic-returning-home/
• FirefighterNetcast – Photos on Flickr.com – http://www.flickr.com/photos/tigerschmittendorf/sets/72157623799541269/
• From the X-Box to the Box Alarm – Photos on Flickr.com – http://www.flickr.com/photos/tigerschmittendorf/sets/72157623912283730/

If you like this site, I hope you’ll enjoy connecting with me at: 

• www.firefighterstorytellers.com
• www.tigerschmittendorf.com
• www.runtothecurb.com
• www.firerecruiter.com
• www.twitter.com/tiger15032
• www.twitter.com/firerecruiter
• www.twitter.com/runtothecurb
• www.facebook.com/tigerschmittendorf
• www.firefighternation.com/tigerschmittendorf

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if I can ever be of assistance to you or your organization.

Stay safe. Train often.

See you in Indy.

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