Better Every Shift

In this episode of the Side Alpha Podcast, Chief Marc Bashoor speaks with Chief Otto Drozd, the executive secretary of the NFPA/IAFC Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association. Having served as fire chief at four metro fire departments, Drozd speaks to the unique challenges of leading large fire service agencies, the variations from state to state, and how fire chiefs can make a difference at each depar...

In this episode of the Side Alpha Podcast, Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell shares her experience as the newest U.S. fire administrator, a position she began in October 2021 following her time with the International Public Safety Data Institute. Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell addresses several topics: Two major fatality incidents in the past several weeks; How past experience prepared her for the role as U.S. fire...

In this episode of the Side Alpha Podcast, Deputy Chief Billy Goldfeder details his recent diagnosis of prostate cancer. He shares what the experience has been like for him and his family, and how he worked with a team of doctors and the Firefighter Cancer Support Network to get the best guidance about how to proceed with his treatment options.  Chief Goldfeder also shares a new initiative, 40Plus...

In this episode of the Side Alpha Podcast, Chief Marc Bashoor speaks with Chief Don Abbott, founder of Project Mayday , a comprehensive study of mayday responses, incidents and prevention. Abbott explains the project's origins and how firefighters can share their mayday stories. Abbott also details some of the key findings from the Project Mayday data, including looks at staffing levels, the 16 mo...

In this episode of the Side Alpha Podcast, Chief Marc Bashoor addresses critical staffing issues facing the fire service – the musical chairs of firefighters moving departments, searching for "greener pastures," or just throwing in the towel on the fire service altogether. Chief Bashoor reminds us that we have been here before, facing spiking call volumes for challenging call types with constantly...

In this episode of the Side Alpha Podcast, Chief Marc Bashoor speaks with Fire Chief John Oates, who was recently named the new CEO of the International Public Safety Data Institute . Chief Oates offers simple ways fire departments can leverage technology and data, addresses how fire chiefs can use data to inform decisions, and details the utility of NFORS and FireCares. He also speaks to the miss...

In this episode of the Side Alpha Podcast, Chief Marc Bashoor speaks with Jonathan Tate, a DC Fire & EMS firefighter and the founder of Food on the Stove , a nonprofit organization that’s working to improve the health of firefighters in the DC metro area and beyond. Firefighter Tate shares how losing loved ones has been a key inspiration for focusing on firefighter health and wellness, ultimately...

In this episode of the Side Alpha Podcast, Chief Marc Bashoor speaks with Chief Dave Downey about one of the biggest stories of the year — the structural collapse in Surfside, Florida.  As the deputy coordinator for Florida's Statewide Emergency Response Plan (SERP), Chief Downey was asked to represent the State Fire Marshal’s Office at the incident to coordinate the state USAR response. Downey of...

"How many times does it take for a chief to hear near-misses before they recognize there's a systemic problem?" This is the question posed by Chief Marc Bashoor in this week's Side Alpha Podcast.  Chief Bashoor has been following several mayday incidents as well as trends found in mayday incidents, as found in the research of Project Mayday, and identified three key areas to address: The need to r...

In this special crossover episode of the Side Alpha Podcast, Chief Marc Bashoor speaks with Chris Cebollero, the host of Inside EMS , about the major news and trends impacting fire and EMS in 2021. Bashoor and Cebollero unpack issues related to apparatus and ambulance safety, the COVID-19 vaccines, ET3 and telehealth, the use of ketamine, mayday training, and staffing shortages.  Read more from ou...

In this episode of the Side Alpha Podcast, Chief Marc Bashoor speaks with Dalan Zartman about everything firefighters need to know about incidents involving electric vehicles and energy storage systems. Zartman details the increasing need for firefighters to have the skills to tackle these incidents and breaks down the basics of fire operations. 

In this episode of the Side Alpha Podcast, Chief Marc Bashoor speaks with Reginald Freeman, the new fire chief for the City of Oakland Fire Department in California’s Bay Area. Chief Freeman talks about the cross-country move from Hartford, Connecticut, and the differences between Hartford and Oakland. He also speaks to the pressure of joining the Oakland Fire Department upon the five-year anniver...

In this episode of the Side Alpha Podcast, Chief Marc Bashoor speaks with Chief Bob Horton from Fire District 3 in Jackson County, Oregon, about his debate-stirring article, "'This is not what I signed up for': Why some firefighters simply don’t understand the job." The article charges that fire service leaders must be honest about the realities of the job when engaged in recruitment activities, a...

In this episode of the Side Alpha Podcast, Fire Chief Marc Bashoor reflects on the news of a Columbia, S.C., fire station that was investigated for its reportedly “over-sexed culture.” Columbia police ultimately decided not to press criminal charges, but that didn’t stop word from spreading about station antics that reportedly involved butt-slapping, wedgies and an “overwhelming infatuation” with...

On this episode of the Side Alpha Podcast, Fire Chief Marc Bashoor speaks with Frank Leeb, a deputy assistant chief with the FDNY, currently serving as chief of the Fire Academy and chair of the department’s Contamination Reduction Workgroup. The chiefs discuss Leeb's recent FireRescue1 article "Marketing the message: How FDNY spreads the word about firefighter health and safety," which details si...

In this episode of the Side Alpha Podcast, Fire Chief Marc Bashoor speaks with Ken Stuebing, fire chief of Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency in Nova Scotia, Canada, and president and board chair of the International Association of Fire Chiefs.  Chief Stuebing shares what it's like to be the first international president to lead the IAFC in many years, and addresses the ongoing COVID-19 challenges...

In this episode of the Side Alpha Podcast, Fire Chief Marc Bashoor speaks with Battalion Chief Keith Stakes, a research engineer with UL's Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI), about the organization's newly expanded mission, one that focuses on a broader range of emerging fire threats. Stakes shares more about the expanded research efforts at the organization and details some of the research cur...

In this episode of the Side Alpha Podcast, Chief Marc Bashoor speaks with fire service legal expert Curt Varone about one of his favorite topics -- discipline. Varone covers the top disciplinary issues that get firefighters and fire officers in hot water, examines the concept of progressive discipline, and explains how disciplinary issues in the fire service vary from those in the "cubicle world"...

In this episode of the Side Alpha Podcast, Chief Marc Bashoor take a high-level look at discipline in the fire service, the importance of consistency, and how to manage friendships within the ranks.  This episode is part of FireRescue1's special coverage series on Firefighter Performance. Check out the full list of content here.

In this episode of the Side Alpha Podcast, Chief Marc Bashoor speaks with Michael Baker, fire chief for the Tulsa (Oklahoma) Fire Department. Chief Baker details his first year as fire chief in Tulsa, including his work to improve firefighter morale and his goal to achieve zero fire deaths in Tulsa in 2022. The chief also shares how the department has weathered the COVID-19 storm and notes some of...

In this episode of the Side Alpha Podcast, Fire Chief Marc Bashoor speaks with Darryl Jones, fire chief for the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire and member of the IAFC’s Metropolitan Fire Chiefs section. Chief Jones talks about how to deal with naysayers at an organization, focus on being a positive change agent for the department and build member morale. He also talks about the process of improving the...

In this episode of the Side Alpha Podcast, Fire Chief Marc Bashoor speaks with Sam Greif, fire chief of Plano Fire-Rescue in Texas, and Chairman on the Terrorism & Homeland Security Committee for the IAFC. The two discuss the committee's work, terrorism response efforts and checklists for fire service leaders, and the biggest cybersecurity threats facing public safety agencies.  Download the IAFC...

In this episode of the Side Alpha Podcast, Fire Chief Marc Bashoor weighs in on the debacle unfolding in Baltimore after a court of appeals ruling upholds changes to the city’s pension plan requiring first responders to serve an additional five years before being eligible for retirement benefits. Read the original news story on FireRescue1 . Bashoor calls the ruling a "punch in the gut" to first r...

In this special episode of the Side Alpha podcast, fire, EMS and law enforcement leaders from across the Lexipol media sites come together to reflect on the 20th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks. Side Alpha Podcast host Fire Chief Marc Bashoor looks back on the industry-altering event with EMS One-Stop host Rob Lawrence, Inside EMS host Chris Cebollero and Policing Matters podcast ho...

In this episode of the Side Alpha Podcast, Fire Chief Marc Bashoor speaks with former FDNY Chief of Department and Fire Commissioner Sal Cassano about 9/11 and what it was like to face the arduous task of redesigning and rebuilding the department in the wake of such a massive loss. Cassano shares his personal 9/11 story, and details the recruitment efforts, new measures to reduce LODD numbers, and...