Captain Andy Glaze is on a four-year streak of running 100+ miles per week, and while he’s not suggesting that all firefighters attempt the same feat, he does urge movement: “Movement is medicine.” Glaze shares his journey from drinking and smoking to becoming an ultra-marathon runner, and how physical fitness helped him manage his mental health. From ultra anxiety to ultra resilience, Glaze describes the power of setting goals, finding motivation in embracing challenges, and the importance of c...
Mar 21, 2024•51 min•Ep. 178
“I saved George Strait’s life, and he doesn’t even know.” Country star Frank Ray shares that story and many more as he details his unique journey from law enforcement to the music scene. Ray recently visited more than 50 fire and police departments across the U.S. and Canada to spotlight first responder mental health, addressing the power of forming a support system and speaking up about personal struggles. Plus, we did into all of this: Ray’s mental health initiative, FRAY How music impacted hi...
Mar 14, 2024•54 min•Ep. 177
“Every second mattered.” When actor Jeremy Renner was severely injured in a snowcat accident last year, Truckee Meadows Fire Rescue crews’ swift action and medical intervention played a crucial role in saving Renner's life. TMFR Firefighter-Paramedic Alex Hughes and Captain Greg Lompa join the show to share operational details from the call, plus we dig into all this: The critical role of teamwork amid equipment failures Why backup plans are a key part of public safety planning Preparing for wea...
Mar 07, 2024•40 min•Ep. 176
“Do your folks come to work expecting to learn something new? Or is it a surprise when they are asked to go to a class or a drill? That’s culture.” Battalion Chief Chris Paskett wants to create a culture of learning in the fire service, where organizational education is baked into the daily routine. He offers four (of 20!) areas where departments can seek to encourage a top-down focus on continuing education and ways to evolve the culture to support that goal. Plus, we did into all of this: How ...
Feb 29, 2024•58 min•Ep. 175
Joe De Sena – the founder and CEO of the Spartan endurance sports brand – has long said his vision is “to get 100 million people healthy and off the couch,” and now he’s adding a million to that goal with his pledge of a free Spartan race to all firefighters . That’s right, De Sena made the big announcement during this week's show. De Sena’s a realist, though. He knows not everyone is ready for the world of endurance sports, so he shares some words of wisdom to meet firefighters where they’re at...
Feb 22, 2024•41 min•Ep. 174
Chief Bryan Frieders is fired up about preventing occupational cancer – fired up to the point where he’s putting firefighters of all ranks on blast for not doing everything possible to prevent an often-preventable disease. He calls out firefighters for not wearing their SCBA, cleaning their gear and taking care of their health (“Why are we risking our lives? Stupidity.”), as well as leaders who don’t prioritize member health and safety (“If you’re old school, then you’re lost”). And having just ...
Feb 15, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 173
Fairfax County (Virginia) Battalion Chief Rocco Alvaro is passionate about professional development, but he wasn’t always on a clear path himself. In fact, it took a metaphorical “punch in the face” from a mentor for him to go back to school and walk the professional development walk – and he’s incredibly grateful for the punch. Alvaro joins Better Every Shift this week to talk all things professional development, including where departments can begin with standing up their own programs. Plus we...
Feb 08, 2024•1 hr•Ep. 172
“You’ll use it more than you’ll ever know,” Zam says about going back to school – and he would know, having recently started his own higher education journey. So this week, the Better Every Shift crew welcomes Chief Keith Padgett, the Fire and EMS Academic Program Director with Columbia Southern University, where Zam is currently taking classes, to talk all things advanced degrees, higher education and fire service training. Don’t miss all this: Padgett’s advice for firefighters who are new to h...
Feb 01, 2024•54 min•Ep. 171
Jason Patton loves talking to people, even if it wasn’t always easy for him. The first firefighter-influencer of the YouTube viral video era explains his initial struggles with public speaking – the ultimate example of getting out of your comfort zone to make great things happen (think Fire Department Chronicles, among many other great ventures). That’s why we’re returning to Patton’s show this week, not only because it’s one of our most popular episodes of all time, but because the messages are...
Jan 25, 2024•44 min•Ep. 170
¿Hablas español? If not, you’re going to want to tune in to this week’s show to learn some phrases that could come in handy on the incident scene. The impetus for this show: Zam was on a call where he found himself struggling to communicate with a patient who spoke Spanish. Always driven to improve, Zam sought out The Language Tutor for some help with Spanish for first responders , and now the tutor himself, Dr. Danny Evans, joins Better Every Shift to share some general phrases (“I am here to h...
Jan 18, 2024•49 min•Ep. 169
Who doesn’t love a little healthy competition – the keyword there being healthy . Zam has created the Resilient 50 Challenge to help firefighters get real about getting healthy in the new year. It’s a back-to-basics approach that spans a spectrum of lifestyle habits, all designed to make you a more resilient firefighter. After all, health isn’t solely about losing weight or getting in shape; it’s about staying hydrated, sleeping better, feeding your brain and, really, any goals you set to help y...
Jan 11, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 168
If we do our jobs today, we’re going to help you get some much-needed sleep – hopefully after the show. Joining Better Every Shift this week is Dr. Glenn Landry , a sleep expert who specializes in shift work, detailing how firefighters can work at night without shifting circadian rhythms and disrupting critical sleep functions. We dig into all this: Tips for preparing the body for sleep How sleep “washes the brain” Misconceptions related to the body’s ability to adapt to less sleep Why we aren’t...
Jan 04, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 167
“We’re a bunch of misfits, and we’re not alone,” Zam says of the dedicated listeners who are committed to making themselves better every shift, every year . Closing out 2023, the crew reflects on the top episodes of the year and what made them so memorable, plus the most popular content on FireRescue1. And don’t miss Zam and Janelle's “words for 2024.” This episode of the Better Every Shift Podcast is sponsored by TheFireStore . Learn more about getting the gear you need at prices you can afford...
Dec 28, 2023•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 166
"The lawsuit is coming from inside the firehouse.” Much like a horror film twist where the protagonist realizes the killer is already inside the house, far too many firefighters don’t realize that our biggest liabilities are sitting with us in the firehouse. Most fire service lawsuits involve a firefighter suing the fire department or another firefighter. These are the issues we must address, as fire service attorney Curt Varone urges – everything from HR issues like discipline to operational is...
Dec 21, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 165
“Just when I think I’m ready to handle any fire you throw my way, now this comes along.” Deputy Chief Billy Goldfeder channels Al Pacino in “The Godfather” when discussing the complexities of lithium-ion battery fires with Adam Barowy, lead research engineer with UL’s Fire Safety Research Institute. Barowy and Goldfeder break down the science behind Li-ion batteries and what makes operational options so challenging to navigate. The team digs into all these factors dominating ‘The Lithium-ion Yea...
Dec 14, 2023•55 min•Ep. 164
Despite seemingly endless opportunities for connection, many firefighters find themselves more alone than ever, sometimes inadvertently, so we must double-down on our efforts to build connections and avoid silos that create division. Linda Willing – a retired career fire officer who works with departments on issues related to leadership, decision-making and diversity training – offers insights into how build connections among crews, manage problem members, and foster diversity of all types to bu...
Dec 07, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 163
To help Better Every Shift mark its milestone 1-year anniversary, our very first guest, FDNY Chief of Safety Frank Leeb, returns to the show to talk all things leadership, safety and training – including the critical mindset that “we owe it to our loved ones to be better every day to make sure that we are making ourselves difficult to injure and impossible to kill.” Plus, we dig into all this: What Leeb believes will keep fire chiefs up at night for the next 20 years Key principles from Leeb’s n...
Nov 30, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 162
’Tis the season for gratitude – and gift-giving! And today’s show is all about both. We’re gearing up for the holidays by sharing some great firefighter gift ideas. These products are all available on TheFireStore.com to whom we are exceedingly grateful, as they are a generous sponsor of the podcast. Guiding us through our gift options is Amanda Keesey, a fourth-generation firefighter in Pennsylvania, who also serves as a merchandising manager for Witmer Public Safety Group. (Listen in to get a ...
Nov 22, 2023•43 min•Ep. 161
Today’s episode digs into a variety of psychological concepts that impact firefighter work and home life, all courtesy of Dr. Derrick Edwards, a nearly 20-year fire service veteran who also serves as a professional counselor and a mental health service provider. Dr. Edwards introduces a lot of new terms and concepts, including anti-fragile, psyche ache, urge-surfing, the end-of-days fallacy, and his favorite, the white bear, all to help us better understand ourselves – our emotions, reactions, s...
Nov 16, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 160
FDNY Lt. (ret.) Joe Minogue – “my guy Joe!” as Zam likes to say – joins Better Every Shift to offer a window into his innate ability to connect people – firefighters, families, friends, really anyone. If you need a connection, Joe’s your guy, too. Minogue currently serves as the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation liaison to the FDNY and the Phoenix Society of Burn Survivors, but his commitment to service extends to so much more, including his time as an FDNY bugler, his work coordinating 9/...
Nov 09, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 159
No one thought she’d stay. Lauran McColloh was a new firefighter, just 18 years old, facing a double-LODD incident – on her very first fire. What’s more: One of the fallen firefighters was her friend Victor Isler. But McColloh didn’t consider quitting; firefighting was her dream. Now a Salisbury FD battalion chief, McCulloh joins Better Every Shift to share how she processed the abnormality of experiencing such trauma so early in her career and, more recently, how she discovered the power of voc...
Nov 02, 2023•49 min•Ep. 158
Self-described “pracademic” Dr. Randall Hanifen knows two languages – academic speak and boots-on-the-ground speak – a skill he uses to bridge the gap between the more theoretical university world and our practical fireground experiences. This is one of the many talents he’s honed during his work with the Institution of Fire Engineers-USA Branch for which he now serves as president, in addition to serving as assistant chief of operations for the West Chester (Ohio) Fire Department. On this week’...
Oct 26, 2023•47 min•Ep. 157
Part 2 of our interview with Ben Vernon includes descriptions of violence and suicidal ideation that may be triggering for some, as well as explicit language. Please listen with caution. For months after being stabbed on the job – a “routine” medical call gone wrong – Ben Vernon was in a world of hurt, unable to sleep due to constant nightmares, barred from talking to his crew about the incident due to the impending criminal trial, and even experiencing suicidal ideation. Vernon shares the trigg...
Oct 18, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 156
Please note, this episode includes descriptions of violence that may be triggering for some, as well as explicit language. “To witness in real time an attempted murder is pretty intense,” says San Diego Fire-Rescue Captain Ben Vernon recalling the first time he saw slow-motion body camera footage of his own stabbing during a seemingly “routine” medical call. No one expected that a bystander would turn violent, leaving Vernon and his partner with serious injuries. Vernon offers a detailed play-by...
Oct 18, 2023•59 min•Ep. 155
IAFC President John Butler – “the chief of chiefs!” – joins Better Every Shift this week, talking all things leadership, including why the adage “It’s lonely at the top” has never applied to him. In addition to his superpower of always seeming calm, cool and collected, the Fairfax County fire chief has a knack for being able to spot talent and knows how to surround himself with passionate people who support the mission and the organization. Plus, we dig into all this: IAFC presidency and priorit...
Oct 12, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 154
Don’t get the wrong idea here. “Rules are important,” says Orange County (California) Fire Authority Chief Brian Fennessy; however, firefighters need to be trusted to make smart decisions when things go awry in the world of chaos around us – and this trust is best achieved through an intent-driven culture where members understand the organizational mission. Plus, we dig into all this: Learn: The OCFA Doctrine shaping the future of the department Action: The power of a station visit, particularly...
Oct 05, 2023•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 153
If Chief Thomas Bell of the Greensburg (Pa.) Volunteer Fire Department had a nickel for every time someone remarked that he had some “big shoes to fill” after taking the reins from a local legend who had 60-plus years on the job, well, he’d have a lot of nickels. But the new chief had a simple plan – being himself. Bell vowed to create his own destiny – in even bigger shoes – and revamp a department that needed an organizational culture change in a big way. Bell shares his focus on firefighter s...
Sep 28, 2023•1 hr•Ep. 152
Chief Jerry Brant – the 70-million-dollar man – joins the show this week, explaining the role that all firefighters play in the grants process, what application reviewers are looking for this year, plus common grant proposal mistakes. (And yes, Brant has indeed written more than $70 million in successful grant applications in his career, some for FireGrantsHelp .) The self-proclaimed “pope of the church of planning,” Brant urges people to work ahead, particularly since it’s no surprise that ther...
Sep 21, 2023•52 min•Ep. 151
We’re not going to Stop, Drop and Roll over on our fire prevention messages; we’re going to embrace them with open arms to create simple but effective calls to action that can make a difference in your community. Helping us in this effort is Andrea Vastis, senior director for public education with the NFPA, which runs Fire Prevention Week ™, coming up Oct. 8-14. This year’s FPW theme is “Cooking Safety Starts with YOU! Pay attention to fire prevention.™" We dig into all of this: The top 3 cookin...
Sep 14, 2023•50 min•Ep. 150
This episode of the Better Every Shift EMS podcast is sponsored by Verizon Frontline, the advanced network for first responders on the front lines. Learn more at verizon.com/frontline . In this special crossover episode of the Better Every Shift , Policing Matters and Inside EMS podcasts, co-hosts Aaron Zamzow, Jim Dudley and Chris Cebollero discuss preserving the legacy of 9/11 responders and how to assess our readiness to respond to a large-scale MCI in our communities. The hosts talk technolo...
Sep 07, 2023•38 min•Ep. 149
