In the fire service, the probability of you spending a third of your life inside the confines of the firehouse is high. What you do during that time is what will ultimately make you a better asset on the fireground. Within those walls, there are a plethora of opportunities to take advantage of the downtime to increase your overall human capital knowledge through training.

Implementing a "chapter" from this book each week around the table while interacting with your crew is a great informal approach to introducing a different trick of the trade that can be pulled from the back of your mind at a later time to help mitigate a call for service and lead to a successful and positive end result.

While these Coffee Table Quick Tips are a simple form of tabletop discussion, each can easily progress into a hands-on approach following the discussion and review of each "chapter."

It is not just a firehouse; it is a constant classroom full of officers and firefighters with a wealth of knowledge to share. Attend each shift or tour with the mindset of continuously working to become the best version of yourself.

Training is a lifelong journey for firefighters. It should never end.

--Frank Leeb (Deputy Assistant Chief, FDNY)