The release of the report on the Plainfield, IN Wal Mart warehouse fire  has brought renewed focus to the issue of how the fire service can manage extremely large buildings with high fuel loads. I spent two days with a group of firefighters at a Blue Card Big Box seminar. The focus was to understand the new strategic and risk management approach to managing these events. As a former fire chief with 40 years of experience in fire protection consulting for property insurance, I

Post Flashover Residential Fire   My career in fire protection began in the late 1970’s when I entered the public fire service.  I went on to work in building management as a life safety director for high-rise office buildings in the 1980’s and eventually moved into the insurance industry in the mid1980’s. Fire protection has been a core part of my life for the last 50 years, and I was proud to serve my community for 20 years in the fire department. In the early 1980’s, I wen

I have been in the insurance risk control field for 40 years. I have learned that I should never throw a tie away, they will eventually...

The concern If your sprinkler system was installed since the mid 1980's a placard something like this should have been attached to your...

Private protection should be carefully evaluated to see if it still has the loss reduction impact that it had in the past. Central...

Fire Department Response and PPC The public fire department was a key player in controlling fire losses. With legacy furnishings the...

Compounding fire losses are the loss dollars associated with natural hazards. Flood, wind, and hail are becoming a greater part of the...

The shift in fire behavior is accompanied by a shift in building materials. The use of 2x8, 2x10, 2x12 dimensional lumber as framing for...

Property insurance markets are unsettled. The industry is struggling with rising loss dollars, reinsurance capacity concerns and emerging...

In may of 1977, the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire caused the loss of 167 lives. I lived a few miles from this event and witnessed the...

You are responsible for your own behavior, finances and actions. Believe in right and wrong. Get it from church or wherever, but get it straight. Have compassing for the needy and contempt for the greedy. Everyone has a place at the table as long as they give respect and consideration to others. Get involved in your community. We need a manufacturing based economy for success and security. There is inherent value in being able to build and repair things. Learn how to do it yo