The Charleston Sofa Super Store Fire: The Night That Rewrote How We Fight Fire On the evening of June 18, 2007, nine firefighters walked into a burning furniture store in Charleston, South Carolina, and never walked out. It was the deadliest single loss of American firefighters since September 11, 2001. […]
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CPAT 2026 Changes: What’s New and How to Train for It
CPAT 2026 Changes: What’s New and How to Train for It If you’re testing this year, listen up. The IAFF rolled out a set of CPAT addendums that took effect January 1, 2026. None of them change the eight events or the clock. But a few of them change how […]
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The 24/48 Side Hustle: 5 Businesses Built for Shift Work
The 24/48 schedule is one of the most underrated parts of this job. Work a day, get two off. Over a month, that’s roughly 20 days you’re not at the station. Plenty of firefighters spend that time fishing or catching up on sleep. Plenty of others spend it building a […]
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The Tech Gap in the Fire Service Is a Leadership Gap — and Your Next Tech Leader Is Already on the Roster
Walk into almost any firehouse in the country and you’ll find two kinds of technology sitting side by side. There’s the gear that works because it has to — SCBA, thermal imaging cameras, the apparatus itself. And then there’s everything else: the records management system nobody trusts, the scheduling software […]
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Firefighter Hiring in 2026: What’s Changed & How to Stay Competitive
The Grind If you’re applying right now, you’ve probably felt it: the process can be confusing, slow, and emotionally draining. People grind for months (sometimes years), stack certifications, apply everywhere… and still get silence. Others feel one small mistake on a background packet could sink them for years. And plenty […]
Read MoreFirefighter Compensation – Salary And Benefits
The Pay and Benefits of a Career in Firefighting How much does a Firefighter make? As of January 1, 2025, the average annual salary for a firefighter is approximately $71,896. – Salary.com A career as a firefighter is both challenging and rewarding. While many are drawn to the profession by […]
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