Incident Command Made Simple

03/27/2025

Be Approachable ⚒♠️⚒️

You can be the most skilled, passionate and dedicated firefighter, but if you’re abrasive and unapproachable, your impact will be limited. True leadership isn’t about showing off your abilities it’s about elevating those around you.

One day, I was riding up as the lieutenant on a different shift. The driver that day, knowing I enjoyed gear workouts, immediately said, “Oh good, I’m glad you’re here because I want to do an air consumption drill with you.” This was surprising because he wasn’t known for doing gear workouts. But because he knew I did and that I was willing to help he and the rest of the crew joined me for an air consumption drill that afternoon.

After we finished, he admitted it was a wake-up call. He realized the importance of getting in gear and committed to making it part of his routine.

That’s the power of being approachable. When people feel comfortable coming to you, they are more likely to push themselves and improve. You don’t create meaningful change by beating your chest and proclaiming how great you are you do it by setting the standard and bringing others along with you.

It’s easy to call people out for not being “into the job,” but that rarely inspires change. Instead, lead by example, be open, and invest in those around you. A true leader isn’t measured by individual strength but by how strong they make their crew.

Stay Rogue 🤙🏻

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05/08/2023

Ladder truck awareness

Every week, through a short 2-minute video, you will learn a valuable tip that will save you grief down the road. You will hear the train coming and know how to respond quickly, appropriately and safely.

05/02/2023

08/06/2022

This should be Fire Officer 101

06/12/2022

A great two minute video.

Like this video? Sign up to receive Gordon's weekly tip! Every week, through a short 2-minute video, you will learn a valuable tip that will save you grief down the road. You will hear the train coming and know how to respond quickly, appropriately and safely.

04/07/2022

Have a class today for Battalion level participants. We’re going to discuss nursing home tactics & assisted-living facility with digital simulation of these types of occupancs. Digital simulation gives us the best and closest scenario to a real fire. It allows practice and honing of skills for tactics, strategy, assigning units, adaptability, accountability, and how one responds to changing conditions. You can schedule these types of classes and much more with us. Email [email protected]

02/19/2022

I started in 1983 so I saw the change firsthand

Technology, NFPA standards and a visionary leader drove key changes to help extinguish antiquated operations

02/18/2022

Very good read.