B Shifter

Send us Fan Mail This is a live recording of the last session at the 2023 Blue Card Hazard Zone Conference in Sharonville, Ohio. This episode summarizes some of the emerging topics discussed at this year's Hazard Zone Conference. This episode features Josh Blum ,  Nick Brunacini , Dan Madrzykowski, Frank Leeb, Chris Stewart, Jeffery King, and John Vance. Sign up for the B Shifter Buckslip, ou...

Send us Fan Mail We review audio from Las Vegas Fire/Rescue with a fire in a vacant building that's known to house the homeless. Crews are challenge with holes in the floor and other structural hazards during the 2nd alarm incident. We'll walk you through their response, from the arrival of the BC on scene first to  task assignments and the ensuing operations.  We'll also discuss th...

Send us Fan Mail Ready to navigate air management in firefighting? How do you ensure compliance with NFPA 1404? We are here to take a deeper dive into NFPA 1404 and SOG's to help your department achieve compliance. We look at operations of different fire departments, drawing vital lessons from each, and leaving you with practical tips for your own department.  We are publishing a new SOG each...

Send us Fan Mail This episode features the wise insights of Battalion Chief Steve Lester of the Cobb County Fire Department. Steve brilliantly decodes the role of competence, confidence, and control in successful fireground operations, emphasizing the indispensable role of practice and experience. Hear about how the Blue Card system has been instrumental in sculpting proficient incident commanders...

Send us Fan Mail We are recored live from the floor of FRI in Kansas City, Missouri! We tackle the importance of Standard Operating Guidelines (SOGs) aimed at refining fire service operations. By tailoring these SOGs to fit your organization's needs, you can streamline your workflow and boost effectiveness. To help us navigate this topic, we have Shane Ray from the National Fire Sprinkler Ass...

Send us Fan Mail Are you eager to learn from experts in the field, like Chief Gary Fleischer from the Worcester Fire Department and Shane Ray from the National Fire Sprinkler Association? If yes, then you're gonna love this episode! We'll be talking all about the upcoming Blue Card Hazard Zone Conference in Cincinnati and the invaluable lessons you can draw from it. This isn't just...

Send us Fan Mail Ever wonder why the fire department has such high turnover rates? Or why the young guns seem more loyal to the job than the city they serve? Join us as we torch through these questions, exploring the intricacies of job contentment, application deficiencies, and the scarcity of good applicants. We'll crack open one listener's query on managing turnover while maintaining t...

Send us Fan Mail Our popular segment "Ask The Fire Chief" has a new companion, "Ask The Ops Chief"! We tackle issues that you sent us that Josh Blum (our resident Ops Chief) takes the lead on.  If we use your question, you get an "OG IC" t-shirt. We then finish this episode with a "Timeless Tactical Truth". This episode features Josh Blum ,  Nick Brunacini ,...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode we take your questions and have a little fun (we can't be all business all the time because that is not good for our mental well being)! Ever wondered how first responders maintain mental wellness and peak performance in high-pressure situations? Join us as we share our personal experiences with meditation, yoga, and other methods to strengthen mental health a...

Send us Fan Mail What does it take to protect big box facilities from devastating fires? Join us as we sit down with Shane Ray, President of the National Fire Sprinkler Association and a long-time fire chief, who shares his expertise on big box fire protection strategies and the unique challenges that come with safeguarding various types of buildings. Discover the importance of understanding each...

Send us Fan Mail Ever wondered how to effectively engage adult learners in the fire service? Join us as we chat with Jeffery King, who oversees the curriculum for the Blue Card Program, and dive deep into the world of adult learning. Together, we explore Dale's cone of learning, examine how Blue Card complements adult learning, and discuss creating an environment where mistakes are seen as op...

Send us Fan Mail Somehow we misplaced this episode, but hallelujah- we found it! That means three more B Shifter's get a t-shirt! We asked for questions for the chiefs and we received some good ones! This episode we discuss the paramilitary structure of fire departments, officers who push back on good radio communications and avoiding burnout. Every question we use will get a Bruno OG IC T-Sh...

Send us Fan Mail Our popular segment "Ask The Fire Chief" has a new companion, "Ask The Ops Chief"! We tackle issues that you sent us that Josh Blum (our resident Ops Chief) takes the lead on.  If we use your question, you get an "OG IC" t-shirt.  We then finish this episode with a "Timeless Tactical Truth". This episode features Josh Blum ,  Nick Brunacini...

Send us Fan Mail This is another round of Ask The Chiefs! We asked for questions for the chiefs and we received some good ones! Every question we use will get a Bruno OG IC T-Shirt. This time around we discussed dealing with those who get their jobs back through arbitration and keeping the passion for our jobs in leadership. This episode features Terry Garrison , Nick Brunacini and John Vance. We...

Send us Fan Mail We listen and decontruct radio traffic from two different fires in Las Vegas. Listen to how they deal with some of the fireground challenges using a standard command and communications routine.  We then finish this episode with a "Timeless Tactical Truth". This episode features Josh Blum ,  Nick Brunacini , and John Vance. Sign up for the B Shifter Buckslip, our free wee...

Send us Fan Mail On this B Shifter we first listen to some "cool command" from Las Vegas Fire/Rescue, then we delve into an article written by Alan Brunacini on "Cool Command" and command presence. You can find that article here . We then finish this episode with a "Timeless Tactical Truth". This episode features Josh Blum ,  Nick Brunacini , and John Vance. Sign up f...

Send us Fan Mail Part 1 of 2 We asked for questions for the chiefs and we received some good ones! Every question we use will get a Bruno OG IC T-Shirt. This episode features Terry Garrison , Nick Brunacini and John Vance. We want your helmet (for the AVB CTC)! Sign up for the B Shifter Buckslip, our free weekly newsletter here. Shop B Shifter here . The Hazard Zone Conference is back. Register be...

Send us Fan Mail We cover various topics on this one; fire station bathrooms, our favorite bosses, electric fire apparatus and some fire house traditions explained. We take a lighter approach on this B Shifter. We turned on the mics and let the conversation take us to where it was going to take us! We hope that you enjoy it.... This episode features Nick Brunacini and John Vance. Sign up for the B...

Send us Fan Mail Let us clear this up. As an IC, you MUST manage risk. It is your job. Being a risk manager does not mean we are being risk averse. In this episode as a matter of fact we state the opposite. Managing risk allows us to get in and do our jobs when the conditions allow (often time very aggressively). We will start with a radio clip of a physical rescue then we talk about what risk man...

Send us Fan Mail Alan Brunacini left a lot of unpublished materials and programs that were in the progress of completion when he passed away. Terry Garrison and Nick Brunacini are putting all of those works together for a leadership program for the fire service using the "Brunacini model" of fire department leadership. We talk about that and some of this leadership lessons that have been...

Send us Fan Mail This episode is co-hosted by Josh Blum and John Vance . On this B Shifter our guest Adam Barowy, Research Engineer from UL's Fire Safety Research Institute will talk about fires involving lithium ion batteries. Sign up for the B Shifter Buckslip, our free weekly newsletter here. Shop B Shifter here . The Hazard Zone Conference is back. Register before April 1 and save $100! R...

Send us Fan Mail This episode is co-hosted by Nick Brunacini , Josh Blum and John Vance . We talk about continuous improvement on the fireground and the importance of common SOP's and a meaningful way to facilitate feedback for continuous improvement. Sign up for the B Shifter Buckslip, our free weekly newsletter here. Shop B Shifter here . The Hazard Zone Conference is back. Register before...

Send us Fan Mail We give you the lowdown on what you can expect from us in 2023, including the return of the Hazard Zone Conference, Big Box Workshops and how to tie tactics into Blue Card. This episode is co-hosted by Josh Blum , & John Vance . Sign up fore the B Shifter Buckslip here.   The full schedule of Blue Card classes and events here. If you would like a FREE command worksheet templat...

Send us Fan Mail Nick, Josh, Erik Phillips and Vance are reviewing radio traffic from three different fire grounds in three different states with at least one thing in common - they could all operate together with Blue Card! It is our first time with Erik Phillips as a guest, but you have heard his size ups from Las Vegas Fire/Rescue. Erik Phillips is a Fire Captain assigned to Engine 4, with Las...

Send us Fan Mail We say a-hole in this episode a lot. So much so that instead of heavy editing we embraced it and let our unfiltered selves fly. We cover continuing Bruno's work, retirement, "call fatigue", lessons learned as chiefs, how we should behave, second chances and  being nice. Is it nice to call 'em like we see 'em? You be the judge. Welcome to this B Shifter whe...