Code 3 - The Firefighters' Podcast

Chief Gary Ludwig of the Champaign, Illinois fire department, discusses the realities of providing EMS in the 21st century.

Remember when you were a probie? Whether you loved it or couldn't wait for your year to be up, no one ever forgets it. This week, we talk with two women in the first year on the job and find out what they think so far.

Does your agency hold a "civilian academy?" You might want to consider it. Central Arizona Fire & Medical Authority Capt. Brian Burch explains how and why they do theirs as an annual event.

Chief Scott Freitag discussed what it took to create Arizona's first Fire Authority and why; how he deals with staffing below NFPA standards while still responding to all-hazards; and why he's looking at smaller fire engines in the future.

Captain Kevin Keith is a 17-year veteran of the Prescott Fire Dept. He's technical rescue and hazmat qualified, and that's good, because one day on the job at his station can include a structure fire, a hazmat situation, a rope-rescue assignment in the mountains, a motor vehicle crash, and a full code patient.

Eric Kriwer is a 30-year veteran of the fire service, who has held just about every fire-related job you can have. He worked at the small Mayer Fire District a decade ago, move on, and now he's back to lead the operation. His group has some of the same problems to deal with as a larger agency, plus a few unique ones.

In our premiere episode,we talk with Chief Dennis Light, who took over the Prescott, Arizona Fire Department less than a year after 19 city firefighters, members of the Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshot Crew, were killed fighting the Yarnell Hill Fire. Light's dealt with other problems, such as the state's firefighter pension fund, which is in trouble.