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Articles by Brian Zaitz
Training Success for the Battalion
In this Humpday Hangout, guest Mike Martin joins members of the International Society of Fire Service Instructors (ISFSI) to discuss his leadership approach to training and expectations.
Humpday Hangout: CRR and Public Education
Hosts Jeff Wallin, Craig Nelson, and Chris Rasmussen welcome Eric Rosoff, executive manager of the Career Survival Group, to discuss how AI and other nonoperational behaviors are ending firefighter careers. 1 min read FirefightingPodcastsartificial intelligenceTailboard Talk Hosts Rick Lasky and John Salka recap this year's FDIC, practical seasonal changes, and the upcoming 25th anniversary of 9/11 on this episode of The Command Post.
Creating Confidence with Live Fire Evolutions
LIVE FIRE EVOLUTIONS are among the most exciting and intense training exercises that a company will participate in. With heat, smoke, and flowing water, this scenario is unmatched by any other type of training. Live fire evolutions are also among the most challenging, time-consuming, and shortest overall evolutions that a fire instructor can be tasked with. From scheduling to organizing instructors and laying out the drill and execution, live fire training is a daunting endeavor.
Avoiding the Tahoe-10: Surviving in Fire Service Administration
For those in an administrative capacity in the fire service, visits to the firehouse offer not only physical movement and a brief respite from desk time but also provide opportunities to interact with the member. Photo courtesy Indianapolis Fire Department PIO. The transition from active firefighting to administrative roles significantly alters the physical and mental demands on firefighters.
ISFSI: Talking Training at FDIC 2026
Aaron Fields of Nozzle Forward joins host Steve Shaw to discuss ways to cut through the hype in modern fire service training and leadership on this episode of Perspectives on Leadership.
Taking Back the Firehouse: Stop Waiting to Be Saved
This week on the Humpday Hangout, Brian Zaitz, P.J. Norwood, and Candace Ashby discuss FDIC, problematic employees, leadership, and management. Ashby challenges firefighters to stop waiting for administration to save them and star saving themselves. They discuss a leadership crisis in the fire service and how negative people spread through the ranks while the majority stay silent.
Training Without a Tower
THE VALUE of a fire department training tower is real and clear. It provides a resource to conduct high-quality, repetitious training that hones the skills necessary to be effective and efficient on the fireground. But what if you do not have a tower? Can you still produce high-quality training? Can you still do hands-on drills and training? ABSOLUTELY. A lack of a tower is simply an invitation for innovation. And while we would all love a tower, it is not always in the cards.
The NERIS Implementation-Thus Far
On this Humpday Hangout, and other members of the International Society of Fire Service Instructors (ISFSI) talk with Craig Weinschenk of UL Research Institutes’ Fire Safety Research Institute about the National Emergency Response Information System (NERIS). ISFSI members will weigh in on their agency’s implementation efforts, data questions, and how NERIS is being integrated as their new records management system.
Winter Weather Operations: Training and Responding During the Winter Months
For many firefighters, winter brings colder temperatures and the threat of frozen precipitation. These conditions can significantly impact our fireground operations, from frozen hoses and hydrants to icy patches that create dangerous footing. Additionally, we may encounter seasonal emergencies such as ice-covered ponds requiring ice rescue, slip-and-fall incidents on ice that demand the use of stokes baskets, and rope systems for safe patient removal.
Humpday Hangout: Setting the Standard
Home/Firefighter Training FeaturesFirefighter TrainingHumpday HangoutsISFSI A powerful explosion occurred at Accurate Energetic Systems in McEwen, Tennessee, on Friday morning, prompting emergency responders to the scene amid ongoing blasts, with no injuries reported. FirefightingNewsNews FeedexplosionHeadlinesindustrial firesNews FeedTennessee Firefighters in Atlantic City used drones to locate a 53-year-old man stranded on a sandbar.
Safety Considerations for US&R Operations
URBAN SEARCH AND RESCUE (US&R) is one of the most complex and potentially dangerous situations first responders can find themselves facing. From terrorism to natural disasters, US&R operations involve dynamic multifaceted threats that all must be managed to ensure the safety of the first responder and the community (photo 1). 1. Photos by author. As with any emergency, the first call is to local authorities.
Planning to Succeed: Developing Your Strategic Plan
It has been said that if you are not planning to succeed, you’re planning to fail. A lack of planning will lead to the demise of an organization, especially the fire service. Strategic planning is one of the greatest assets a fire department can use to ensure its long-term success. Many might see strategic planning as an administrative task or something that chief should do, but this could not be further from the truth. The strategic plan must be a document that all members take part in.
Humpday Hangout: Developing the Training Calendar
Most principled leaders will attempt to do the right thing when no one is watching. Real leadership occurs when everyone is watching.
Humpday Hangout: Summertime Fire Training
In this week’s Humpday Hangout, Brian Zaitz and other members of the International Society of Fire Service Instructors (ISFSI) consider the best drills to conduct for firefighter training in the summer. They also talk about the upcoming ISFSI Fall Conference and submitting to teach at FDIC International. Join us live on our Facebook page or our YouTube Channel at 1 p.m. Eastern on June 4, 2025, or watch this space for the discussion.
Humpday Hangout: The Instructor as the Student
This podcast provides a sneak peek into important topics to look forward to at the Women in Fire Leadership Conference
Humpday Hangout: Photos and the Fire Service Memory
Brian Zaitz and other members of the ISFSI speak with guest Dave Dubowski, firefighter and photographer, who will discuss his recent trip to chronicle the Calfiornia wildfires. They discuss the role of photojournalism for the fire service and how photos are a critical part of keeping traditions alive. Join us live on our Facebook page or our YouTube Channel at 1 p.m. Eastern on February 5, 2025, or watch this space for the discussion.
FDIC 2025 Preview: Building a Better Company
Indstructor: Brian Zaitz, Assistant Chief, Training & Operations, Kirkwood (MO) Fire Department We all strive to be part of the best company in the organization. That said, do we know what that looks like or how to get there? This class focuses on the fundamental aspects to set the foundation for success to include team dynamics, leadership, planning, training, and sound fireground strategy and tactics.
Humpday Hangout: Anthony Kastros
The Command Post: Size-Up and the 360 Rick Lasky and John Salka discuss size-up and the 360. They discuss the critical observations made and the important results that come from performing these tasks.
Humpday Hangout: Commercial Building Fires
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Building an 'Aggressive' Fire Company
By BRIAN ZAITZ “Aggressive” is the buzzword in today’s fire service. Go to any conference; the top filled classes all have “Aggressive” in their titles. Read any article, look at any blog, or have a conversation at a firehouse kitchen table—the word will come up. Is it all about making a grab, the push down the hallway, or working in “Jobtown”? The reality is, many firefighters will go their entire career without ever making a rescue.
Keys to Success for Today’s Company Officer
By Brian Zaitz The role of the company officer is one of the most critical leadership roles in the fire service. It serves as the link between the fire department administration and the line staff. The company officer is a working boss, taking actions both in the station and on emergency scenes. For this reason, it is also one of the most difficult positions in the fire service.
Teaching the Generations
TRAINING NOTEBOOK ❘ By Brian Zaitz “Who is riding the seat?” This common question is routine language at firehouses across the nation. Riding the seat is a term that has been around for ages, far longer than I have been in the fire service. The term is associated with the company officer or acting officer, as the officer traditionally “rides” in the right seat or passenger seat of the apparatus.
How to Achieve Success When Short Staffed
By Brian Zaitz We all wish we had four and five firefighters on our apparatus; however, the reality is that if we are lucky, if we can muster two and three. These short-staff situations require critical decision-making for the appropriate determination of a safe, effective strategy. When short staffed, size-up is the key to fireground success.
How to Achieve Success When Short Staffed
By Brian Zaitz We all wish we had four and five firefighters on our apparatus; however, the reality is that if we are lucky, if we can muster two and three. These short-staff situations require critical decision-making for the appropriate determination of a safe, effective strategy. When short staffed, size-up is the key to fireground success.
Throw Back to Basics: Deck Gun Operations
By Brian Zaitz Nearly every engine company in service today has a deck gun or fixed monitor. When used properly, these devices allow for the quick flow of large amounts of water. Like any tactic, the key is the proper execution only comes with effective training.
Throw Back to Basics: The Minuteman Preconnect Load
By Brian Zaitz Many of us are looking for ways to improve our efficiency in deploying our most common line: the preconnect. Although it has many other names such as “jiffy,” “handline,” and “crosslay” (to name a few), this line serves as our most commonly deployed attack line. For this reason it is imperative that we understand how it is to be deployed. There are many ways to load attack lines.
Throw Back to Basics: The Three Cs of Ventilation
By Brian Zaitz Ventilation is a task that must be performed on nearly every fire, and it must be coordinated, communicated, and correct–the three Cs of ventilation. Coordinated ventilation is key; the vent crew must coordinate their ventilation tactic with the fire attack crew so as to vent the area just prior to or at the same time as the fire attack crew begins to flow water.
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