The RIT team has an important role at a fire scene. I say this, not as Captain Obvious, but because it’s easy to forget when you go to multiple scenes without ever taking action. It’s even easier when the IC tells you to throw a ladder because you’re just standing there.How much do you train for RIT operations? How realistic is that training? Today’s guest would like to see you do more, and to practice unusual scenarios. Keith Padgett is fire chief of the Beulah Fire District in Valley Alabama. ...
Mar 21, 2019•17 min
Village, Colorado, has had a new response policy in place. Air Methods helicopters, which operate from bases in 48 states around the U.S. , has been launching sooner on EMS calls. The goal is to have them standing by in the air instead of on the ground. The new procedure has been a success, so far. Here to explain the policy, and the results, is Joseph Uridil, the Air Methods clinical base supervisor for Native Air in Arizona.
Mar 18, 2019•16 min
Today’s fire departments ask more of their members than they used to.You’re now required to be at least an EMT in most departments, and there are advantages to being a paramedic, too. Today’s show is about being a good paramedic. It’s not just about emergency medicine. My guests today are a brothers who wrote a book about what it takes to fit into a world with no grey area. The book is “Life and Death Matters: Professionalism and Decision-Making for the First Responder.” The authors are Samuel a...
Mar 14, 2019•25 min
With active shooter situations on the rise, there’s been more concern about how schools should deal with them. Communities around the country have started thinking pro-actively about how they can prevent shootings. And how they’ll respond if one happens in their schools. My guest today is part of that planning process and has some insights on what might be considered. Alan Berkowsky has been the Fire Chief in Winnetka, Illinois since 2011. A 35-year veteran of the fire service, he started his ca...
Mar 11, 2019•17 min
Just about everyone wants to be promoted. More pay, maybe a different shift, and more authority to make things happen. So what do you do when you actually get that promotion? You might want to think about it in advance. And today’s guest is here to give you some things to think about. Rom Duckworth has more than twenty five years of experience working in career and volunteer fire departments, emergency services and hospital-based healthcare systems. He’s currently a career Fire Captain / Paramed...
Mar 07, 2019•27 min
This show is a little different than most. We’re going to take a look at a feud going on in Arizona. AMR’s LifeLine Ambulance is on the hot seat as two fire departments covering Yavapai County are complaining to state regulators that their response times are too long. Life Line says it meets the state’s standards under its Certificate of Need, or CON. Joining me for this show are Chief Scott Freitag, from the Central Arizona Fire and Medical Authority and Glenn Kasprzyk, COO for AMR’s Arizona an...
Mar 04, 2019•24 min
Scott's opinion of the NYC proposal to change emergency sirens to the European high-low style. The city councilmembers behind the new law say they're less noisy and will lead to fewer complaints. Scott says they'll be less effective...and unAmerican, too.
Mar 04, 2019•2 min
Do you remember the Tot Finder stickers? For many years, families put them on the windows of children’s rooms, so, in case of fire, firefighters would know they should search that room. They’ve mostly fallen out of favor. My guest says we’re now counting on victims to do that—to rescue themselves –and it may not be realistic. Shouldn’t they rightfully expect firefighters to rescue them? Here to discuss that is Brian Brush. Brian’s been in the fire service since 1996 and he’s currently a Firefigh...
Feb 28, 2019•17 min
Has your department given any thought to operating its own ambulances? It’s happening around the country, for various reasons. There are some considerations to be checked out before a decision is made, and we have a couple of guests to explain them today. First up is Joe Maruca. He’s the Chief of the West Barnstable Fire Department, a combination fire department on Cape Cod in Massachusetts. He’s on the NVFC Board. And Joe is also a retired attorney. Next, we’ll hear from attorney Steve Wirth. H...
Feb 25, 2019•25 min
Our topic on this episode is stretching a dry line. Way back in Firefighting 101, they taught where to do it and where not to. Problem is, my guest today says, once you gain some experience, sometimes that training goes unheeded. And that can lead to firefighters in a world of trouble. Here to give us a refresher on where to stretch dry is Anthony Avillo. He retired a Deputy Chief with North Hudson, New Jersey, Regional Fire & Rescue with 34 years in the fire service. With three decades in t...
Feb 21, 2019•18 min
The Bernalillo County Fire Department in New Mexico is trying a new idea to cut down on job-related cancer.The department is adding apparatus, over time, that has compartments to store turnout gear. Firefighters won’t generally wear their turnouts in the rig on the way to or from a fire. It’s called the “Clean cab” policy, and spokesman Lt. David Lujan says it was a group decision. There's been some skepticism from firefighters on social media. Joining me to explain his concerns is Keith Collins...
Feb 18, 2019•13 min
It may surprise you to learn that PTSD is not the major factor in most firefighter suicides. That’s just one of the myths that surround—and drives discussion on – the topic of firefighters taking their own lives. One of the strongest advocates in the fire service fighting to dispel those myths actually nearly killed herself four years ago. Now she’s spreading the truth about firefighter suicide. Dena Ali’s been a guest on this show before. She’s a 10-yeer veteran of the Raleigh, North Carolina F...
Feb 14, 2019•22 min
Firefighters love handy phrases almost as much as they love acronyms. Wait, scratch that. Firefighters’ bosses love handy phrases almost as much as acronyms. The guy in the turnouts may not be so fond of those old maxims. They get repeated and then improved upon, until they don’t mean the same thing any more. But the phrases are still treated as gospel truth. Here today to discuss that problem is Clay Magee. Clay is a Firefighter/Paramedic with Birmingham Alabama Fire and Rescue as well as Chels...
Feb 11, 2019•20 min
Today, we’re going to talk about a role in the fire department that’s near to my heart: The PIO. The Public Information Officer was the key to my getting information about the department, its people, and the incidents it covered when I was a newsman. But I had to build a relationship with each one before they would trust me. The best PIOs are the ones who recognize that good journalists aren’t out to get them – we just want the best pictures and sound. And solid PIOs are proactive, too, promotin...
Feb 07, 2019•23 min
Have you ever been off-duty driving somewhere and come upon a crash scene? What should you do? What gear do you have in your POV? Most importantly, are you prepared to be a help and not a hindrance? My guest today has some thoughts on that. Michael Fraley is coordinator of the North Central, Wisconsin, Regional Trauma Advisory Council. Mike has worked as a flight paramedic, EMS service manager and an assisted living facility owner/ administrator.
Feb 04, 2019•16 min
We’ve talked a lot about upholding fire service standards on this show. On this episode, we’re going to discuss a voluntary oath, if you will, that you can take to reinforce your beliefs. It’s called the Vigilant Creed, and it was developed by Corley Moore. He’s a 22-year-firefighter from Oklahoma who started a blog, called “Firehouse Vigilance,” in 2017. As a student of fireground leadership, Corley believes firefighters should have resources like The Vigilant Creed.
Jan 31, 2019•11 min
As times change and research becomes more accurate, we learn more about fire behavior. And the more we learn, the faster fires get put out. With today’s construction techniques and materials, that also means a safer fireground. That’s why today’s guests worked together to write a book: “The Evolving Fireground: Research-Based Tactics.” Joining me for this episode are P.J. Norwood, a Deputy Chief Training Officer for the East Haven Connecticut Fire Department, and Sean Gray, a 21-year veteran of ...
Jan 28, 2019•20 min
Greg Jakubowski talks about ground ladders-how to chose which one you need in a hurry, and why it's important to train with them. He’s a fire protection engineer and certified safety professional. Greg started his fire service career in 1978. He is a Pennsylvania state fire instructor and a former chief of the Lingohocken, Pennsylvania Fire Company.
Jan 24, 2019•16 min
I love instructions on how to do stuff. That’s why today’s show is about how to be a firefighter. Not how to fight fires, but how to be a firefighter. They’re two different things. My guest today is the author of "The Firefighter's Little Black Book: Your Pocket Guide To Safety" But it’s not just about safety on the fireground. It’s also about keeping your job safe and holding onto your integrity. It's written by Stan Tarnowski.Stan has served as fire chief, 911 and EMA director in Union City, G...
Jan 21, 2019•18 min
Narcan has been pitched as the single best way to deal with opioid overdose. And while it does work, it’s being overused and misused. Some EMS providers and cops are administering it just-in-case … even if they aren’t sure they’re treating an opioid overdose. But Narcan has a lot of nasty effects on the patient. My guest today says EMS providers rarely need to use it at all. Dr. Bryan Bledsoe is a Professor of Emergency Medicine at the UNLV School of Medicine. He routinely works the Emergency De...
Jan 17, 2019•18 min
Here’s an idea: Yoga for firefighters. Wait—don’t skip this episode yet! You owe it to yourself to hear about this, because, even if you think yoga’s not for you, it can probably help. It’s got a lot of benefits for firefighters. Here to explain why is Shannon McQuaide, the Director of FireFlex Yoga. That’s right, she runs a business specifically tailored to providing yoga for the fire service. She comes from a fire family, so she knows what firefighters need. She has 10 years of experience lead...
Jan 14, 2019•17 min
The most powerful position in the firehouse is likely NOT the Captain. You know who I’m talking about: the Senior Man. He commands respect simply because he’s seen a lot. But, whether he recognizes it or not, he’s also got a lot of responsibility. My guest today is a Senior Man, and he’s here to tell us what that really means and why. Casey Clinkscales has been a firefighter for 12 years, most recently in Irmo, South Carolina.
Jan 10, 2019•10 min
Training is the key to knowing how to fight fires, especially when your department doesn’t respond to frequent real-world structure fires. It’s also the way to make sure no one gets hurt. But there’s a right way to train and a whole lot of wrong ways, according to my guest today. He’s here to tell us how training goes wrong and how it can be more realistic. Robby Owens has been a firefighter for over 20 years. He’s a captain in the Henrico County, Virginia, Division of Fire.
Jan 07, 2019•14 min
Let’s talk safety. Or, rather, let’s talk risk, because we know firefighting isn’t safe. Risks are all about choices. The objective is to make choices that minimize risk. There are ways to do this, and my guest today says we need to do them. David Cain retired as a deputy chief at the Boulder Colorado Fire Department, where he served for 34 years.
Jan 03, 2019•14 min
It’s been over 70 years since President Harry S. Truman issued the first Presidential Report that told citizens how to survive a house fire. But people still don’t seem to give fire the respect it deserves. They go back in to burning homes to save pets or property. They still won’t change smoke alarm batteries or call the fire department, even when they live in a city where firefighters will do it for them. Why? Here to give us some possible answers and solutions is Ray Reynolds. He’s the Direct...
Dec 27, 2018•15 min
A few years back, the NFPA said that just 27 percent of fire departments had a basic firefighter fitness and health program, and that was down from 30 percent in 2010. My guest today says that the time has come for the fire service to prioritize the health and wellness of its firefighters on a national level. It’s time to stop talking about how important firefighter fitness is and start doing something about it. Here to explain why is Dan Kerrigan. Dan is a 32-year veteran of the fire service. H...
Dec 20, 2018•17 min
Is EMS work a trade or a profession? There’s a growing push to require at least a 2-year associate’s degree for certification. Some officials want a bachelor’s degree to be required. Here to give us some perspective on all this is David Becker. He’s currently a Faculty Member for Columbia Southern University’s programs in Emergency Medical Services Management and Emergency Medical Services Administration. David worked for twenty-two years in the fire service including fifteen years as a Chief Of...
Dec 17, 2018•15 min
Are you tired of hearing about diversity in the fire service yet? I’m going to assume you are. The question is, why, in 2018, almost 2019, are we still talking about it? My guest today has an interesting theory: The hiring process brings in more diverse probies, but then the training process homogenizes them all over again. Here to explain how and why this can be avoided is Trisha Wolford. She's an assistant chief with the Spokane, Washington Fire Department.
Dec 13, 2018•21 min
What’s a firefighter worth to the community? Now what’s a professional athlete worth? There’s no doubt that pro sports generates a lot of revenue for a city, not to mention intangible benefits. But my guest today has crunched the numbers, and found that pro athletes – despite their millions of dollars in salaries – don’t come close to the fiscal value provided by firefighters.
Dec 10, 2018•22 min
Just about everyone will find that there are the official rules in EMS – and then there are the unwritten rules. They’re often more helpful to know than the stuff you learn in class. For those EMTs or medics who are new on the job and want a jump on these real-world rules, my guest on this show wrote a column for Firehouse.com about them. Gary Ludwig has four decades of experience in the fire service. He’s currently chief of the Champaign, Illinois fire department, and he's responded to an estim...
Dec 06, 2018•16 min
