Bluff City Fire Training LLC

09/05/2026

Closing out the day on Friday September 11

09/04/2026

09/02/2026

Madness

08/27/2026

08/27/2026

The first video in a long series over basic firemanship is up on YouTube!

The Fire Tetrahedron

This is the first video in a series on basic firemanship knowledge ...

08/27/2026

There are no shortcuts to excellence: https://ow.ly/VQ1850ZFJLz

08/26/2026

24.4% of firefighters in distress reported that they did NOT have formal survival training.

That means almost 1 out of every 4 FIDs entered their firefighter-in-distress event without formal survival training behind them.

That should generate some conversation.

We train on fire attack, search, ladders, ventilation, forcible entry, and everything else we expect firefighters to do on the fireground. You can argue that if you are good at all of those things, you can reduce your chances of becoming a firefighter in distress. I agree with that to a degree.

But the reality is, some things on the fireground are out of our control…

Calling the Mayday, self-rescue, managing air, disentanglement, emergency egress, and maintaining orientation are all skills that need to be practiced before they are needed. And not just one time in recruit school.

Survival skills and basic fireground skills are perishable (Just like everything in life). They should be practiced consistently and when appropriate, under stress so we can better replicate the conditions and decision making of the fireground.

There is no stagnant state. We are either making progress, or we are losing progress.

Does your department provide formal firefighter survival training?
Is it something members receive once, or do you revisit it regularly?

If you or someone you know has been involved in a firefighter-in-distress incident during a structure fire, please complete the Firefighter Mayday Survey.

www.FirefighterMaydaySurvey.com

Source: First 100 Report, page 51.

08/26/2026

I need to find some more conferences! Schedule filling up for next year, any good ones?

08/25/2026

Fire Department Instructors Conference in Memphis, 1953. The City was clearing land for construction of the new Cleaborn Homes Public Housing Project on Lauderdale south of Vance. The Memphis Fire Department burned several homes to aid in the clearing of the land and to provide a demonstration for the fire conference. The vehicle on the left is Salvage Corps No. 2. Original photographer is unknown.