a_firefighter_holding_a_fire_hook

Different Types of Hooks and Their Uses in Rescue Operations

When you're sizing up a scene, the right hook can make all the difference. Whether you're pulling ceilings, breaking windows, or searching for fire extension, having the right hook in your hands gi...
an older firefighter talking to a rookie while showing him ropes on a table

Integrating PES Training into Your Department’s RIC and Mayday Curriculum

A Personal Escape System (PES) is a critical lifeline for firefighters when everything else fails — but it doesn’t exist in a vacuum. For maximum effectiveness, PES training must be fully integrate...
group of firefighters in training classroom with projector screen showing PES training

Top 5 Personal Escape System Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When it comes to firefighter survival, your Personal Escape System (PES) is one of the most critical tools you carry. But having it isn’t enough — you need to know how to use it correctly, under pr...
close-up of firefighter hands inspecting a carabiner and rope system on a maintenance bench

How to Inspect, Maintain, and Store Your Personal Escape System

When was the last time you inspected your personal escape system? If your answer isn’t “within the past month,” then it’s time to treat that gear like the lifeline it is. Proper inspection, care, a...
firefighter in full gear descending from a training tower using a personal escape rope system

How to Train with a Personal Escape System: Techniques and Best Practices

Nothing on the fireground is more unsettling than realizing your primary exit is gone. That’s why you carry a Personal Escape System (PES) and—more importantly—why you drill with it until using it...
a firefighter examining various personal escape systems laid out on a fire station table

Choosing the Right Personal Escape System for Firefighters

When the situation turns critical and every second counts, a personal escape system (PES) can mean the difference between life and death for a firefighter.  Whether it’s a rapidly deteriorating fir...
an_american_flag_draped_casket_of_a_firefighter

Preparing for the Unthinkable: How Firefighters Can Protect Their Families If the Worst Happens

Every firefighter knows the risks that come with the job. You spend your days preparing for the worst—learning to force doors, ventilate roofs, rescue trapped victims—because when lives are on the ...
a firefighter laughing

What It’s Really Like to Be a Volunteer Firefighter

You don’t become a volunteer firefighter for money, fame, or easy hours.You do it because you feel called to something bigger than yourself—to be the person your community can count on when things ...
Wildland Firefighter

Inside the Life of a Wildland Firefighter: Training, Gear, and Reality on the Front Lines

When you think of firefighting, you might picture engines racing through city streets. But when you step into the world of wildland firefighting, everything changes.  You’re not facing burning buil...