Stress, Job Stress, Job Burn Out, Acute Stress Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress: What is it? What can we do about it? What can be done to reduce its impact on our physical, as well as, emotional outlook? We need to begin the run and manage ourselves through active service careers and balance out the negative impact that stress has on us.

I've heard it said many times that if we could accomplish Initiative #1 concerning cultural change, the remaining 15 wouldn't be necessary. After spending a lot of time with the Everyone Goes Home® program, I'm not so sure I believe that is completely true. As with any plan, there are benchmarks and/or steps along the way to reach the desired outcome.

Fireman's Fund Insurance Company today announced that its corporate philanthropy initiative, the Heritage ProgramSM at Fireman's Fund, has surpassed the $20 million milestone since its inception in 2004. This is the company's nationwide commitment to provide needed equipment, training, and community education programs to fire departments and other fire service organizations.

There are not many newly appointed fire chiefs who can say they've had an impact on their department before their first day on the job. But there aren't many fire chiefs like Thomas Carr.

The Everyone Goes Home® Speakers Bureau is a support program to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation in an effort to prevent line-of-duty deaths and injuries. The bureau provides nationally recognized speakers to address larger local audiences in the promotion of the 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives and other safety issues.

I would like to wish everyone a warm and safe welcome. I am pleased to be part of the team that represents the State of Wisconsin as an advocate. Currently, I am the Chief of the North Fond du Lac Fire and EMS in Southcentral Wisconsin. We are a combination department with three career firefighters (myself and two paramedics/firefighters) and 50 paid on-call members. North Fond du Lac serves the community of approximately 5,000, plus we provide paramedic service for an additional 5,000+ in the surrounding townships.