Code 3 - The Firefighters Podcast

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 supervi...

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...

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 F...

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, emer...

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 Freit...

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.

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 di...

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...

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 Hudso...

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 s...

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. D...

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...

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...

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...

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, Cor...

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 T...

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.

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....

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...

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. Sh...

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 rec...

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 o...

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.

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...

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 some...