Code 3 - The Firefighters' Podcast

Picking the right-size line and matching it to the right nozzle for the type and size of structure on fire makes a huge difference. Battalion Chief Curt Isakson gives us some tips on what to use and when.

The Art of Reading Smoke can make you job easier. It can also save your life. Deputy Chief Phil Jose from Seattle says that reading smoke can tell you a lot about how to fight the fire it’s coming from. *** Ever notice how there are Amazon links to order guests' book on the show notes pages at code3podcast.com ? When you order from Amazon on our site, we get a cut of the sale ... and you don't pay any more. So if you'd like to buy a book we've emntioned, please do it through our site. We have other fireifghter-related gifts and tools, so when you need soemthing for a firefighter, order from us.

The strange sleep schedules firefighters have may be bad for their health, says Dr. Sara Jahnke. She offers some advice on how to counteract the negative effects of waking up several times a night to go on runs.

Mat Blankenship is a crusader in the fight to recognize concussions as a serious problem in the fire service. He believes they should be treated as a traumatic brain injury, not a minor inconvenience. After suffering a concussion himself during training, he began to study the effects and was surprised at what he found.

When Robert Avsec wrote a column for FireRescue1.com on the possible benefits of putting the company officer in the backseat of the rig, he had no idea that social media users would come out in (sometimes rude) force. He explains why he suggested the idea in this episode.

Firefighter Brian Gettemeier joins Scott on this episode to discuss what great engineers do that makes them so valuable. After all, if the fire department wanted a truck driver, they’d recruit from a truck-driving school. There’s a lot more to know and be able to do, Brian says, and he lists some of it in this show.

Paul Mobley is the photographer behind the new coffee-table book, “American Firefighter,” and in this episode, we talk with him about what it took to create the book. He traveled the country, meeting and photographing firefighters. Find out which stories impacted him the most.

Two segments in this show: A long-time volunteer firefighter, Captain Geoffrey Girodano at the Stevenson FD in Monroe CT, develops an advanced paging system for volunteers; and the Dante, SD Fire Chief Mike Kotab, talks about getting a new pumper/water-tender after 14 years of applying for grants.

Scott’s guest this episode is David Wiklanski, who joins him to examine mental health issues among firefighters. It’s a real problem, and saying “Just suck it up” isn’t helpful. Find out when it’s time to seek treatment. *** If you enjoy Code 3, then you’ll also like the Code 3 Bull Session. It’s extra material recorded after the “official” interview, and it can be about anything. But it’s only available to supporters who pledge $10 a month or more to keep Code 3 going. Just go to code3pdocast.com/support for details.

Do you feel the traditions that made this career great slipping away? Lots of members of the fire service do. Lt. Marc Aloan has seen this happen and he’s out to fix it. He joins Scott to explain how we can preserve the past while moving into the future. ***

What happens when the crew doesn’t feel like training? Scott Peterson is the guest this episode to talk about excuses why we don’t train and don’t want to train. And what to do about it. ***If you enjoy Code 3, then you’ll also like the Code 3 Bull Session. It’s extra material recorded after the “official” interview, and it can be about anything. But it’s only available to supporters who pledge $10 a month or more to keep Code 3 going. Just go to code3pdocast.com/support for details.

Aaron Zamzow joins Scott to talk about firefighter fitness, why it’s not the same as other forms of fitness, and what exercises work best for keeping you in shape to fight fires.

A good on-arrival size-up can preparing incoming crews for what they’ll be doing, says David DeStefano. He gives us some tips for doing a great size-up.

The on-scene post-incident critique is an often-overlooked but very useful exercise, according to the episode's guest, Dr. Harry Carter. With over 50 years' experience in the fire service, Harry knows what works, and he says this idea works.

Millennials are new to the fire service culture, and while some call them “snowflakes,” our guest this time, Tom Wiley, says they can actually do the job very well.

Swiftwater and Technical Rescue expert Tom Pendley joins Scott to discuss the hazards of flash flooding, what rescuers need to know, and the worst mistake in swiftwater rescue he saw in his career.

We talk with Rockland, Maine Fire Chief Chris Whytock. A fan named Jared suggested we talk with him, so we did. He's running a small-city department with a combination of career and volunteer firefighters and he loves it.

There's no show today. Happy New Year!

The biggest buzzwords in EMS today are “community paramedicine.” It may allow firefighter/paramedics to concentrate on more urgent calls. Our guest is Matt Zavadsky, public affairs director at MedStar Mobile Healthcare.

There's no show today. Merry Christmas!