Code 3 - The Firefighters Podcast

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.

With the number of annual firefighter suicides now exceeding the number of LODDs annually, the crisis is being addressed in several ways that hold promise. Capt. Dena Ali of the Raleigh, NC FD has been studying the problem and explains some of the potential solutions.

If your diet seems like it’s slowing you down, you may want to try the Primal Blueprint. Firefighter Nick Holderbaum explains what it's all about and how to eat like your ancestors on this episode.

If you want a successful career in the fire service, you need to be prepared to do more than just go to a few seminars and training events. Billy D. Hayes, the chief program officer for the National Center for Fire and Life Safety gives us some tips on how to build a career –and a future – in the fire service.

Rope rescue technology has made some major leaps in the past few years, but training may be lagging behind. Bob Duemmel gives us some tips for effective rope rescue in this episode.

Social media is responsible for untold numbers of cases of SMACS –Social Media Assisted Career Suicides. Find out how to avoid killing your own career with some advice from Chief Marc Bashoor (ret.), who tells us in this episode when it’s time to just shut up.

When you live with your co-workers for 24-hours at a time, arguments are guaranteed to come up to come up. How you resolve them makes a huge difference to future relations. Dr. Liane Davey can show you how to argue without starting a war.

Live wrap up of the day's events from San Diego

Coverage from Tuesday's events at Firehouse World 2018 in San Diego

Day two wrap up from San Diego

It’s Monday and that normally means a Code3 episode. But this week, we’re in San Diego for firehouse World 2018. So we don’t have a show for you today. But tomorrow, Wednesday and Thursday, I’ll have live coverage from Firehouse World. Look for live video reports from the massive expo floor during the day, via Periscope. Then – at 6pm pacific 9 pm eastern, join me for a live wrap up of the days’ e...