Some fire color guards will march different tools for the guards which does not necessarily provide clear communication with the audience. This image at the top of the Baltimore County Fire Department color guard do provide good communication. However, the possible issue is the tool, it’s a type of pike pole with a very unique head. A modified Boston Rake …
Manual of the Ceremonial Fire Axe
DrillMaster gives an example of the national standard for the ceremonial fire axe manual of arms.
“Detail” and its Connotation
DrillMaster shares his view of keeping the professionalism in an honor guard unit
The Pallbearer Deck
DrillMaster explains how to create a pallbearer deck to ensure safety of the pallbearers as they step up to place the casket on or retrieve it from the hose bed of an apparatus.
First Responder Funeral Guidelines
These guidelines are for the United States Certified Ceremonial Guardsman program for more information on the program and how you and your team can be certified, click here to send me an email through the contact section on the Home page. Click here to download these guidelines to include them in your unit’s program. Developed in Coordination with Palm Beach …
Rendering Honors, the Briefing for Funeral Directors and Honor Guard Members
The definitive briefing for funeral directors and honor guard members. Download the handout by clicking here.
Firefighter Uniform for the Funeral Procession
I constantly receive questions on here my website and on my social media accounts. I also belong to a couple of Facebook first responder groups where drill and ceremonies and honor guard questions are posted from time-to-time. For some questions, I just read the responses and learn; for others, I am able to share my knowledge. This one was a …
When to Drape the Deceased
My firefighting friends in California had a great question for me. Here are my thoughts. What a tragedy to lose a fellow firefighter, emergency medic, or law enforcement officer, let alone a member of the armed forces. However, it does happen and all too often. Since we know that death comes to us all and that it is just a …
Excellence is More Than “Clean”
“Clean” has many different definitions. In visual terms, however, we use it to mean, “having no needed corrections; easily readable”. WHOA! what is this “easily readable” stuff, are we are talking about drill teams? Yes, drill teams are a part of the visual performance family. This family includes, dance, marching band, step, etc. Click here for my article explaining Readability. See …
The DrillMaster Honor Guard Staff Assistance Visit
In the military we have two types of visits from higher HQ: 1. Inspections and, 2. Staff Assistance Visits (SAV). Inspections are to gauge an organization’s effectiveness on a pass/fail or multiple rating standard. However, SAVs are meant to help an organization improve- it’s an inspection, but without the stigma of a judgmental rating. It is an educational process. Inspections have their place, most definitely, but …
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