It really is about the connection.

We are taught early on that when we are connecting hose to an appliance or a water source to make sure that the connections are good. Make sure that air is not going to leak by and that the water will make it to the intended target.

If your connecting to a static water source and are pressing into drafting operations being airtight is critical. Its not only critical it is mission critical. If you are unable to pull a draft you will not be able to establish a water supply.

I am using these connections as an analogy.

When you are building your connections, your brotherhood connections, make sure that they are tight, make sure that they are strong, pay attention to them as needed and tighten them every now and then if you need to.

If your in need of the connection, if your drafting, make sure not to let the air in and disable your prime. Do not let the air cavitate you. Air is the source of negativity in this setting.

Lastly, make sure that you are working with the same thread standard. If your threads don't match, call in a company that will work with you. It's easier than refitting the entire department with new threads.

I am very thankful to have established some great connections. They support me when my tank is low, they act as an inline relay when its needed and they are will reach out when the pressure drops. In turn for them I will provide a static source, pressure when it is needed and just a little bit of CAFS if it is requested.

Double check your connections, match your threads and check the gaskets.
Your brothers are doing the same. 

Be Ready. Be Willing. Be Present.

-NexGen

Wrangling the green horns.

While operating at a multi-alarm incident recently I was assigned a few eager probationary firefighters. Their passion exemplifies the needs of the fire service today. They are dedicated, hard working and for the most part follow directions well.

This was a mutual aid incident and were able to see that we were going to be going to work well before we arrived on scene. This is unusual in the hills of new england so it gave them a few minutes to prepare themselves and me some time to prepare myself for what I believed would be like herding barn cats.

I was pleasantly surprised that this was not entirely the case.

You see I had a predisposed notion that this was going to not go very well. It was me and only me that had placed this thought in my head. I freely admit that we live in a world full of "what-ifs" and that I had prepared myself for the worst. The worst of what others might create but never thought I would be the others.

Now, having realized that this is no way for them to be able to grow and learn I stepped back and afforded them the opportunity to do work and do it well. For all intensive purposes we were not going to be saving much property and all were accounted for. We arrived on scene to be working with a shell of a structure. Why would this not be the perfect time for them to work and work independently, or at lease let them think they were.

I did no harm in allowing them to work freely. They were operating in a manner that was consistent with their training. They checked on things they were unclear on. Overall I think that this was a great opportunity for them to work. They had a chance to learn a few things, get a little dirty, move some water and work with other companies.

So the next time your riding in the front seat and its a green horn day, dont be afraid to let them show you what they are made of. They are itching to show you what they are made of.

An eagle has to leave the nest eventually, you may as well be there to see it soar.

When change and growth comes......open the door and leave it open!

When change and growth are coming into your organization open the door and leave it open.

Change is one item that is always hotly contested. Its either great or horrible. This is usually spearheaded in principle by those that set the tone of the organization.

Change can arrive at the door step of your organization through many different means, maybe its a matter of leadership change, maybe it comes from tragedy, maybe it is under the scrutiny of governing oversight.

The reality is this. We mush evolve with change. We must evolve. Continuously dragging our knuckles will get us no where. We are far beyond that.

We are under a growth period here at NexGen and for anyone to think that it is coming along easily is mistaken. We are following what seems to be the natural path and are making very calculated decisions as we go along. Some of our followers that were here in the begging have left us along the way. Some of supporters are no longer in such a supportive role. The bottom line is this. We are evolving. It happens. It happens in business as well as in any organization. We like to think that we are moving onward and upward. We have made lots of great friends along the way and had some amazing experiences.

In addition to using some different platforms as well as a new site and e-retail store on the site we are constantly working to bring our valued community some of the things that they want the most. We are always open to suggestions and would love to hear from you.

Stick with us over the next few weeks as we completely role out some great new tools.

Here are two of the things that we are pretty excited about:

1) The Book Exchange Program.
           This project is developing to be able to share books with one another in the NexGen community. With this program you will be able to subscribe to the program and as a user we will begin to share knowledge through literature. We are still in the development phase of this and are ironing out all the logistics but it is coming together nicely.

2) Coaching and Consulting services.
           We are beggining to offer coaching and consulting services on a contract basis. Please check out our website for more information.