Code 3 - The Firefighters Podcast

SPECIAL EDITION: The NFPA released its annual firefighter LODD report, and, while deaths are down, Chief Marc Bashoor says this is no time to get complacent.

The NFPA has issued a new standard – NFPA 3000 (PS), Standard for an Active Shooter/ Hostile Event Response (ASHER) Program. The NFPA’s John Montes joins Scott to explain why it was needed and what it includes on this edition of Code 3.

Sure, firefighters work out a lot, but that still doesn’t make a poor diet all right. Dr. Susie day has been working on a study of what firefighters eat, and its’ not encouraging. Find out what you should be eating on this episode.

In October, 2007, a crew of four Washington, DC firefighters nearly lost their lives in a preventable accident while fighting a house fire. Dennis Rubin was the Chef of DCFD at the time, and he joins us to explain what went wrong and why.

There’s an art to being a great incident commander, and Jason Hoevelmann stops by Code 3 to talk with Scott about what it takes, and what not to do.

If you’re like a lot of firefighters, you stay busy. That’s productive, right? But what if you’re staying busy to keep from dealing with emotional problems? That’s not so good. On this episode, therapist Jada Hudson explains why firefighters need to have some time to do … nothing.

In a world with SLICE-RS. RECEO, and REVAS, comes a new and potentially better acronym: SLAB SAVERS, Jesse Quinalty’s solution to firefighting mnemonics. Find out what it means on this episode.

Burn buildings are part of every firefighter’s training, but how worthwhile are they? What do we learn in them, and are those things valuable? David Rhodes explains why burn buildings aren’t always the best way to learn real-world tactics and how to fix that.

One of the unfortunate changes the fire service has seen in the last few years is a move toward equipping firefighters with ballistic vests and body armor. It’s a reality, though, and Kane Nixon tells us why his department issues them.

What if there was a better standard for prehospital care than “First, Do No Harm?” Mike Rubin offers some alternative phrases that might make you think twice when you’re treating a patient.

As active-shooter incidents become more common, firefighters are being asked to do EMS rescues in some situations that they never used to enter. Jim Morrissey explains how interagency cooperation will work in the current atmosphere of hazards.

There’s been a lot written on how to advance in the fire service, but not as much on what to do when you’re passed over for a promotion. Matt Tobia offers some tips for doing better the next time.

There’s a certain sector of the fire service that advocates just slamming a fire with overwhelming water and getting an instant knockdown. Firmly in that camp is Paul Shapiro, who has been known to use a deck gun on some residential structure fires.

Everyday people don’t understand what firefighters see day in and day out. TV and movies have taught them that it’s mostly a heroic job where the victim almost always survives. Michael Morse tells us how he explains what firefighters know to civilians – and what he doesn’t discuss.

A mayday is enough to send chills down a firefighter’s spine. For several years, Don Abbott’s “Project Mayday” has collected recordings of the radio traffic that precedes a mayday in an effort to find out what causes them so they can be prevented. Hear about what Don’s learned so far in this episode.

Ben Vernon was a seasoned San Diego firefighter who was on top of his profession when he encountered unexpected trouble on a run: He was stabbed, nearly fatally, by a one-time prison knife fighter. How he recovered and beat PTSD to get back to work, on this episode of Code 3.

Finding and keeping volunteer firefighters is a challenge these days. For her doctoral thesis, firefighter Candice McDonald studied how successful departments do it and tells us what she found. They’re cheap or free ideas that you can apply to your recruiting and retention efforts.

Fighting a high-rise fire takes a considerable amount of pre-planning. Find out what guest Mike Terpak, a former Deputy Chief, says is important to plan for, and why he considers the elevator a “necessary evil” on this episode of Code 3.

We've all heard a million times that a 360-degree recon is a must at a structure fire, but what happens when you can't do one? Brian Butler has some real-world options.

The newest cars on the road are hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, and they require an understanding of how they operate on the part of firefighters who respond to crashes involving them. Expert Jennifer Hamilton explains how they’re different than other cars and what you need to know.

A no-way--out situation is different from a mayday situation, says guest John Cagno, because avoiding the no-way-out is a firefighter's own responsibility. Find out how he says they can be avoided.

John M. Buckman III gives us five tips we can use to become real leaders in the firehouse. They’re simple to apply and make an immediate difference in how you’ll be seen by other firefighters.

The Arizona Fallen Firefighter and Paramedics Memorial is nearly paid for; it was built without any taxpayer dollars. Find out from Chairman Rick DeGraw how much is still needed and how you can contribute.

Why don't fire departments spend more time training ICs to run Type 5 structure fires? Spokane Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer says it's time they did, and that simply letting officers learn on the job doesn't cut it.

If you like to visit firehouses while you’re on vacation, there are some unwritten rules of guest etiquette you may not think of—but just because you’re a firefighter, you shouldn’t feel like it’s okay to break them. Guest Justin Schorr reminds us of the rules good guests follow.