General Information | American Trade Mark Co.

Incident Command: Making Crucial Decisions

Incident command places immense pressure on your leadership team. Rapid decision-making during an emergency requires cognitive training to avoid biases that may interfere with finding a resolution. Better training and tools, available at American Trade Mark Co., can help your team stay focused and engaged during and after an event. What Is Cognitive Training? Cognitive training for first responders makes it easier to process a lot of data and coordinate between multiple agencies. There are several types of cognitive training available...
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Incident Command Strategies: Urban Vs. Rural Areas

When emergencies strike, effective incident command strategies save lives. However, methods employed to manage incidents must be carefully adapted to the type of area they occur in. Typically, urban areas demand precise coordination and crowd management, while rural regions require resourcefulness and creative solutions. Challenges Posed By Remote, Rural Areas Vast open spaces and sparse populations pose their own set of challenges for incident command. The most remote areas can be very far from emergency services, delaying response times and making...
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Incident Command Strategies For Clear & Efficient Communication

Are you looking to improve your communications when deploying your incident command truck in large emergency response situations? While testing equipment and charging batteries is always crucial, effective communication starts with routine station training. Clear Communication Keeps Crews Informed, Safe, & Confident While your crews always need to use their practical training to put down a fire, diffuse a tense situation, or assist in a medical emergency, communication is the one skill that helps them stay safe and effective. Clear, consistent...
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Maximize Firefighter Effectiveness Through Personal Accountability

Crew-based accountability is essential for firefighters to do their job successfully, and accountability tags and command boards are vital essentials for any department. The accountability cycle plays the most significant role in proactively supporting the survivability rate of civilians and firefighters in the line of fire. American Trade Mark provides some examples of blazing technology transforming the life-saving efforts of event responders while promoting fire safety. Firefighter Tags Improve Accountability A well-implemented firefighter accountability system is primarily designed to protect department...
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6 Training Tips To Stay Ready For Mayday Calls

While training to send and receive mayday calls is part of every firefighter trainee's education, continuing that training throughout one's career is crucial. Here are six quick tips from American Trade Mark to help your crews stay safe and improve response time when someone becomes trapped. Integrate Mayday Training During Regular Shifts Use LUNAR Early & Often Listen And Repeat Change Up Routine Radio Checks Practice With Breathing Apparatus Review Use Of Accountability Passport 1. Build Muscle Memory With Regular...
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8 Essential Firefighting Tools

At American Trade Mark, we know just how grueling but rewarding a career in firefighting can be. That's why we're committed to providing top-notch accountability tools to keep our heroes safe. Ensure your department has these eight essential firefighter safety tools so everyone makes it home. Fire Axes Halligan Bars Fire Hoses Thermal Imaging Camera Personal Protective Equipment Accountability Tags Portable Ladders Incident Command Boards 1. Fire Axes For Removing Obstacles Specialized axes are crucial in firefighting, as they can cut...
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Incident Command: Transferring Management Successfully

According to statistics from the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health, many of the leading causes of death for both civilians and firefighters can be the result of poor management transfer. Here are the top five contributors. Inadequate Risk Assessment Lack Of Incident Command Systems (ICS) Inadequate Communications Lack Of Firefighter Accountability Lack Of Standard Operating Procedures Transfer of incident command is the process of verbally and physically moving responsibility for being in charge of incidents from one commander...
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5 Tips For Recruiting Reliable Firefighter Volunteers

During one firefighting incident, just five firefighters responded to a call for help about a 100-unit apartment building fire for which 30 firefighters would have been the professional standard. Given the dire shortage of firefighters, the need for reliable volunteers is paramount. Volunteers Could Be The Answer Wondering how reliable firefighter volunteers help improve incident command? These voluntary contributors can be trusted to show up on time and be ready to respond to the incident at hand. All of which begs...
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Assessing Your Natural Disaster Preparedness

Firefighters often arrive first on the scene of not only fires but national disasters of all types. Identify areas where you need to improve your crew's preparedness for the most prevalent weather threats. This might include documenting emergency protocols or procuring the right equipment well in advance of a big storm or earthquake. American Trademark has accessibility tags and incident command equipment that can aid your efforts. What Natural Disasters Happen In The US? It doesn’t take much time to assess what...
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Implementing A Firefighter Fall Prevention Plan On Fire Scenes

Every day, firefighters risk their lives to save people and property, which makes implementing a fall prevention plan essential. While providing a workplace "free of known dangers" is part of OSHA's fall protection guidelines, that's not always possible on a fireground. However, your department can reduce hazards and improve your fall prevention strategy with the right preparation. Issues To Avoid In Your Firefighting Prevention Plan The following issues can stand in the way of a comprehensive fall protection program that works. ...
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