Leadership in a volunteer fire department doesn’t work the same way as it does in a career department. For starters, the officer positions may rotate, as frequently as every year. That means it can be tough to develop a consistent leadership culture. My guest today says there’s also been a change in attitudes facing those leaders, and it’s not a good one. John Sahatjian has been in the fire service for 17 years. He’s the Fire Chief at the South Wall Fire Rescue Company, Fire District #3 in Wall ...
Dec 03, 2018•15 min
The transitional attack. Some firefighters swear by it, some swear at it. The NFPA says it’s a way to soften the target. Does it help, or does it have the potential to make firefighting harder? My guest today says a transitional attack is like a bunt in baseball. Ray McCormack is a 30-year veteran and a lieutenant with FDNY. He publishes Urban Firefighter Magazine. He delivered the keynote address at FDIC in 2009.
Nov 29, 2018•22 min
My guest today has a new book, titled The Functional Fire Company -- Positioning Small Groups for Success & Survival. It’s intended to explain how to develop a culture of learning and training in your department. It’s working: his department has a record of retaining motivated firefighters, even though neighboring departments pay more. Some firefighters even take a pay cut to join his agency. Scott Thompson is a 35-year veteran of the fire service and chief of The Colony, Texas Fire Departme...
Nov 26, 2018•17 min
What do you know about acupuncture? Yeah, it involves needles. But do you know what it can do for you? Here’s one benefit: it can be used to treat PTSD. It’s also helped relieve depression, chronic fatigue, joint pain, and low back pain, and a lot of others. Plus, it works without drugs.That’s why my guest today says it’s perfect for firefighters, who may suffer from physical or mental issues. Dr. Nikki Kelly is a former firefighter. She was an engineer/EMT for the Tavares, Florida Fire Departme...
Nov 19, 2018•15 min
If you’re injured on the job, you’ll likely be prescribed an opioid pain medication. They’re a double -edged sword: it can be tough to get enough, even when you really need them. But you might be surprised how quickly you can become addicted to them if you do get what you want. And believe me, doctors are terrified of losing their licenses these days. That means they’ll cut you off in a hurry. What can you do if you become addicted? Here to discuss that is Mark Lamplugh. Jr. Mark is the communic...
Nov 16, 2018•15 min
If you’re a probie or you want to be, listen up. This show’s guest, Mauro Porcelli, has written a new book titled “Surviving the Firehouse.” It’s a guide to life as a firefighter for newbies, and it’s full of real-world tips and advice. Mauro retired from the Orlando Florida fire department with twenty-five years of fire service experience. He started his career with Marion County Fire/Rescue in 1988. At 23, he was the youngest, highest ranking professional fire officer in Florida, holding the r...
Nov 12, 2018•20 min
Habits can improve your health...and bad ones can screw it up. That’s why building healthy habits is so important for firefighters. This isn’t just some trendy idea. This stuff will prolong your career, and your life. Back with us again today is Aaron Zamzow, and he has five of them for us. Aaron is the owner of Fire Rescue Fitness, a company that creates workout programs and fitness articles that focus on getting Fire Rescue Athletes "fit for duty."
Nov 08, 2018•24 min
How fast do you get a knockdown on an average fire? Our guest on this show says you should see the effects in 30 seconds. If you don’t, he says, you’re not flowing enough water. Paul Shapiro is a back to talk about overwhelming a fire with massive water. Paul’s been involved with the fire service since 1981. He was an engineer with Las Vegas, Nevada Fire and Rescue for 28 years until he retired. He is a certified fire instructor III for Nevada and has served on the faculty of many fire academies...
Nov 05, 2018•16 min
Firefighters both train and work out. Though they share some elements in common, they’re two different disciplines. This show's guest says it’s important to do both well. Matt Page is an assistant chief with the Alpine Fire Department in Louisiana. He’s also a captain at the Lincoln Parish Fire Department.
Nov 01, 2018•12 min
Engine company riding assignments are the key to a ready arrival at a scene. They eliminate confusion. But some departments don’t actually specify who’s doing what, and my guest on this show says that’s a mistake. Chad Menard is a Captain/Paramedic for a city fire department in Alabama. He’s a graduate of the National Fire Academy's Managing Officer Program. He’s a USAR rescue technician with Alabama Task Force 3, and a Level II State Certified Fire Instructor and Fire Officer.
Oct 29, 2018•11 min
With recent increased attention on sexual harassment in the workplace, now may be a good time to address it in the firehouse. On this episode, we discuss what departments and officers need to know about sexual harassment with John K. Murphy. He’s a retired firefighter with 32 years of service who is now an attorney. He deals with cases concerning employment, firefighters, and fire departments.
Oct 25, 2018•22 min
I’ll bet your least favorite house fire is a hoarder house. They’re tough to navigate, have lots of fuel, and can hide some nasty surprises. If you haven’t dealt with one yet, you will. Compulsive Hoarding Disorder is a psychological mental condition that affects up to five percent of adults and the number is growing. My guest on this show wrote the book on fighting fires in hoarder houses. Ryan Pennington is a Firefighter/Paramedic for the Charleston West Virginia Fire Department. He’s currentl...
Oct 22, 2018•21 min
When you did your early training, did you make a lot of mistakes? If so, you likely learned more from the screw-ups than anything else. It was valuable experience. And hard to replace effectively. But my guest today says a lot of today’s younger firefighters are short-cutting that training— and missing the point—by using the internet. Benjamin Martin is a Lieutenant with a large metro fire department in Virginia. With over sixteen years in public safety, he speaks around the country on leadershi...
Oct 18, 2018•17 min
With more and more firefighters being injured as they work to ventilate roofs during a structure fire, we need to ask:Why are we still putting crews up there in the first place? Is it time to admit that vertical ventilation is an obsolete concept? Our guest this week says it is. Mark Cotter is a third generation firefighter, who entered the fire service in 1974. He’s served in several departments, including one in which he rose to fire chief. In 2002 Mark joined the Salisbury Maryland Fire Depar...
Oct 14, 2018•21 min
If you or someone you know had a broken arm, you’d want it treated right away. Well, PTSD or clinical depression are no different. Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean you can ignore it. And just like a broken arm, it is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. Here to talk about why that stigma exists and how to overcome it is Todd Donovan. He’s a firefighter/paramedic for the Derry Fire Department and a Data Specialist for the New Hampshire Fire Academy and EMS.
Oct 11, 2018•14 min
Sometimes it seems that engine companies don’t always get the respect they deserve. It may be rescue squad crews or truckies that feel engine crews have a simple job: put the wet stuff on the red stuff. But this show's guest says he’s seen those guys have change of heart when they pay attention to what engine companies really do. Jarrod Sergi is a Lieutenant with Norfolk Virginia Fire Rescue. He’s been in the Fire Service for close to 18 years and has served in one of the city’s busiest Engine C...
Oct 08, 2018•14 min
We’ve been talking over the past few weeks on this show about whether firefighters have become too risk-averse. But there are also some department cultures that condone overly risky behavior. It’s not in the SOPs or SOGs – culture is an unwritten feeling or understanding of what firefighters expect to do. How do we balance safety with being aggressive firefighters? Scott's guest to discuss this is J. Travis Carricato.
Oct 04, 2018•23 min
If you’re of a certain age, you were probably strongly influenced to become a firefighter-paramedic by a couple of guys named Johnny and Roy, the two heroes of the 1970’s TV show “Emergency!” They played a couple of the country’s first firefighter-paramedics. The characters on that show were good role models. Our guest says we could use some of their attitude these days. Mike Rubin’s a paramedic in Nashville, Tennessee.
Oct 01, 2018•16 min
If you’re a company officer or a command-level officer, you know the job is all about decision-making. The trick, of course, is to make good, defensible decisions in a big hurry at a chaotic scene. How do you do it? Scott's guest has some ideas that could help you make the right decisions under pressure. Nick Salameh is a 36-year veteran of the fire service. Thirty-one of those years were spent with the Arlington County, Virginia, Fire Department.
Sep 27, 2018•21 min
We’ve talked several times on this show about working with younger firefighters. But we haven’t heard their viewpoint. That’s about to change. Millennials are sometimes a mystery to previous generations. They learn differently, they react differently. They relate differently. Here to offer some advice to the new guys is a millennial who’s been around long enough to have seen the mistakes young firefighters make. Tom Redden is 26. He’s been a Firefighter/ EMT with the Flanders Fire Department in ...
Sep 24, 2018•17 min
How do you conduct a primary search? It’s one of the most critical actions a firefighter can undertake at a fire. It’s also a dangerous task. There are several ways to conduct them. On this episode, Paul Mastronardi goes over a few tips on safely conducting a search.
Sep 20, 2018•17 min
The number of women in the fire service seems to be stalled at about four percent, despite efforts to recruit more. Why is this, and what can be done? Cheryl Horvath addresses that question and discusses what she thinks of the term “Brotherhood” on this episode of Code 3.
Sep 17, 2018•19 min
Do you go above and beyond, not for the praise, but because it’s necessary? Maybe you're a grinder. TJ Ward joins Scott to explain the grinder mindset. It’s an attitude that says—good enough is never good enough. And grinders absolutely do not believe in leaving anything to luck or chance.
Sep 13, 2018•11 min
What does it mean to “own it?” To a firefighter, it should mean taking pride in their job, and taking initiative to ensure it’s done right. Guest Andrew Sauder says that’s lacking among some younger firefighters, and it’s up to the more experienced crew to make sure they learn to own it.
Sep 10, 2018•19 min
What if you had unlimited funds to design and build the ultimate fire engine for your department? Yours would undoubtedly look different than one designed halfway across the country. My guest on this show is Ricky Riley. We discuss what features he’d like to see on the ultimate fire engine.
Sep 06, 2018•18 min
We all know we’re facing fewer structure fires these days… but the ones that do ignite are more dangerous than ever. More lumber is being used, and, worse yet, it’s not the old-style 2x4 or 4x4. The lumber industry is turning to manufactured lumber. It’s also called lightweight lumber. Our guest to talk about the danger of today’s wood construction is Mark van der Feyst.
Sep 03, 2018•15 min
On this episode, we discuss a major line-of-duty-death incident: the loss of the Charleston Nine. It happened on the evening of June 18, 2007, at the Sofa Super Store in Charleston, South Carolina. About 40 minutes into the call, there was a flashover, and the roof collapsed. Firefighters caught in the flashover were unable to escape and were trapped under the collapsed roof. My guest was there. Dr. David Griffin is a battalion chief today, but he was the engineer on the first-due engine on June...
Aug 30, 2018•18 min
How do you conduct a primary search? I’ll bet you do it by having the whole search crew follow the walls, staying in a line, right? Doesn’t that seem a little slow and even wasteful? My guest on this episode says yes, and he says the oriented search is the way to do it. Chris DelBello is a third-generation firefighter and a 30-year veteran of the fire service.
Aug 27, 2018•14 min
When you’ve got a great plan, but some team members just aren’t quite on board, how do you get them to meet your expectations? Dr. Liane Davey is back to give us some tips on how to make that happen on this episode.
Aug 23, 2018•18 min
On this show, we talk with Cindie Schooner-Ball, who retired a couple years back from a firefighting career that began in1987. She writes a blog, titled, “Sister in a Brotherhood,” and is working on a book by the same name. Find out what it was like for a woman in the fire service back in the day.
Aug 20, 2018•15 min
