Code 3 - The Firefighters' Podcast

Let’s say you wanted to become a company officer. In your interview, you probably told them it was because you felt your leadership could help the department, and you meant it. Even if you also felt that a promotion would give you a raise. Or more prestige. Or, mistakenly, less work. But if those were your real reasons for wanting the job, you’re headed for trouble. Here to explain why and what a company officer really needs to know and do is Kelly Lemmons. Kelly is the Deputy Chief of the Colonial Park Fire Company in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He is also a firefighter/EMT for the Defense Logistics Agency. He’s served over 19 years in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, and is a Staff Sergeant serving as an Infantry Advance Leaders Course Instructor. Kelly was awarded the Purple Heart after being injured in combat in Iraq in 2005.

June 30, 2019, marks the sixth anniversary of the LODD of 19 members of the Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshot Crew, who were killed while fighting the Yarnell Hill fire southeast of Prescott, Arizona.The 20-man crew, the only certified IHC that was part of a municipal fire department (City of Prescott), was trapped in a canyon when the fast-moving flames overran their position. The flames were so intense that their emergency shelters were not enough to protect them. One man, Brendan McDonough, who was assigned to be the crew’s lookout, was not in the canyon and survived.On Saturday, June 29, I visited the Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshot Crew Learning and Tribute Center in Prescott.

Volunteer firefighters make up most U.S. departments, by far. Yet the state of volunteer firefighting is in serious trouble. The NFPA issued a report in March that said there were 46,000 fewer volunteers in 2017 than a year earlier. There just aren’t enough people willing or able to answer emergency calls any more. And it’s not just limited to rural areas. Response times are going up and the number of people responding keeps falling. It’s past time to start finding solutions. Here to discuss that is Billy Goldfeder. He’s the deputy chief of the Loveland-Symmes, Ohio Fire Department. He is a prolific writer for several fire service magazines. Billy’s a member of the board of directors for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, the September 11th Families Association of New York and the International Association of Fire Chiefs.

Today’s topic is flowing water while advancing the line. Some departments always do it. Some don’t. There’s pretty good evidence that flowing while advancing is safer than dragging an uncharged line into a burning structure. Studies support water on the ceiling to reduce super-heated gases and cool it down. You can even change the fire’s flow path with a handline. Here to explain that and more is Jonathan Brumley. He is a firefighter with the Denver, Colorado Fire Department, having just left Houston, Texas. Since 2009, he’s worked as both a paid and volunteer firefighter. He recently presented at Firehouse World, is an instructor, and is behind The Fire Fight blog.

If you want to become a firefighter, the first thing to understand is that it isn’t easy. There’s a lot of school required nowadays, and it can take several years to get there. But there are some things to know that’ll make the process easier. Here to talk about them is Chris Baker. Chris has over thirteen years of experience in volunteer, combination, and career fire departments in California. He instructs on fire and EMS topics in college classes. You can hear him on his own podcast, The Future Firefighter, where he’s a co-host. And he runs Chris Baker Consulting, which provides training on techniques and career planning.

The battle over the traditional fire helmet and what I’ll call the Eurohelmet is growing as some U.S. departments make the switch.It’s hard to nail down exactly why firefighters are unhappy about wearing the new helmets. They’re safer. They weigh less. And they offer better eye protection. The older style is undoubtedly iconic. But is that a reason to keep wearing them? Here to explain why his department chose the Eurostyle helmets is Jerry Helm. Jerry is a training and recruitment captain with the Central Whidbey Island Fire & Rescue in Washington state. It’s a combination department. Jerry headed up the effort to make the switch to these helmets.

Swiftwater rescues are among the most dangerous that you will face. That may sound obvious, but some departments that haven’t seen many swiftwater incidents have been taken by surprise. Out west, we have unique situations where dry riverbeds or washes accumulate trash and broken branches for months before they turn into raging rivers during the wet seasons. But no matter where you work, there are some principles of water rescue that simply should not be ignored or downplayed. Here to talk about them is Kevin Keith.Kevin is a Captain and Paramedic at Prescott Arizona Fire. He’s been on the job for nearly 20 years. He’s a swiftwater rescue expert as well as a technical rescue technician.

When you go to the roof, what do you include when you make your report on " conditions? Right. Every department’s truckies report something different, depending on SOPs. Sometimes, there’s even a difference between truck companies. Thing is, the truck company officer is in an excellent position to give the IC a better size-up on the fire…as long as he makes a complete report. Here to explain what should be reported and why is Gibby Gorman. Gibby has over 30 years of experience in the fire service. He’s currently a battalion chief for the city of Maricopa, Arizona, Fire/Medical Department.Before that, he worked for Tempe, Arizona Fire and Medical for 27 years, where he was a captain of a busy downtown truck company. He developed regional ladder training programs. He was also a member of Tempe’s Technical Rescue Team for 12 years and the department’s SCUBA rescue team for 8 years.

Self-storage units present a unique challenge in case of fire. The come with the hazards found in a hoarder house, but worse. Making entry can be tough—nowadays, the simple padlock has often been replaced by an electronic lock. And while many of these storage units are constructed of block, a lot of them –especially in buildings converted to storage facilities may have sheetrock walls between the units. And who knows what’s stored in them? With me today to talk about the hazards is Jim Kirsch, a 35-year veteran of the fire service who retired as a captain in the Bergenfield, New Jersey Fire Department. He is a former volunteer chief, a New Jersey State certified level II fire instructor, drill ground instructor, and fire prevention official. Jim is an instructor at the Bergen County New Jersey Fire Academy.

If you want to be an officer, it may come as a surprise that not everyone does. That may be a good thing. You probably also know that not everyone’s cut out for the job. In a career department, it might be more attractive because of the pay raise and other assorted perks that come with being an officer. But in a volunteer department, the reasons you might want to be promoted are different. There’s definitely a need for good leaders, and if you think you could be one, then this episode is for you. Here to discuss that is Thomas Merrill. He has nearly 40 years in the fire service. He’s a former chief of the all-volunteer Snyder Fire Department in Amherst, New York. Tom is a fire commissioner for the Snyder Fire District and he’s presented at FDIC.He runs his own podcast, The Professional Volunteer Fire Department. He’s also a fire dispatcher for the Amherst Fire Alarm Office.

On May 15, Appleton, Wisconsin Engineer Mitch Lundgaard was shot and killed while on a medical run. A police officer was shot and survived, as did a bystander who was also hit. The call, a man having a seizure on a bus, came out at 5:30 p.m. When the engine crew arrived and started treatment, the patient got off the bus and walked away. The specifics are still fuzzy, but the man produced a gun and fired; police shot back and killed him. Here to discuss this tragic situation is Marc Bashoor. With 37 years in emergency services, Marc is currently the Highlands County, Florida, public safety director. He spent six years as chief of the Prince George’s County, Maryland, Fire/EMS Department and five years as emergency manager in Mineral County, West Virginia. He’s the executive editor of FireRescue1.com and Fire Chief.com.

Battalion Chief Abby Bolt was a 22-year veteran firefighter in the US Forest Service. She quit last month, posting a version of her resignation letter on the internet. In it, she says a “toxic dynamic of leadership, which made my job, which was my life, a complete misery” caused her to leave. Abby said the usual response to her repeated complaints about bullying and other mistreatment was that she could leave if she didn’t like it. After she filed a gender discrimination complaint in 2014, that harassment increased, she said. Anonymous notes began to show up in her mailbox, telling her that she was an example of why women didn’t belong in firefighting. An investigation by management went nowhere. Some people may find it hard to believe that this behavior still goes on, but, at least in the US Forest Service, it apparently does. Abby was a District Assistant Fire Management Officer on the Kern River Ranger District of California’s Sequoia National Forest.

How safe are you as a firefighter? Do you don all your gear before you make entry, or do you take a risk, thinking you may save someone else? What about something as simple as wearing your seatbelt? I know there’s a certain faction of firefighters who long for the days of riding the tailboard. These are the guys who say it’s possible to be too safe. But if you want to make sure you go home, and have a longer career, safety is the one key element. That’s why my guest today wrote a comprehensive book on how to be safe. It’s titled “Fire Officer's Guide to Occupational Safety & Health.” It’s written by Chief Ronald Kanterman of the Wilton, Connecticut fire department. Ron has 40 years of service, having been both a volunteer and career firefighter. He’s worked for the FDNY, as well as a Fortune 500 company’s emergency services division. Ron’s written books and dozens of articles and been on staff at FDIC.

Some structure fires are pretty easy to find. The seat of the fire is obvious. It’s the calls reporting a light haze of smoke that get tricky. The fire could be in any number of places, like in the wall. And if you try to anticipate and stretch a hoseline, you may be wrong and waste a lot of valuable time. So it pays to find the fire first. Here to discuss how to do that is Danny Sheridan. Danny Sheridan is a 33-year veteran of the FDNY, where he is a Battalion Chief. He’s a member of the FDNY IM and a well-known instructor nationally. He’s also a lead instructor with Mutual Aid Training Group which works to train firefighters in Latin America.

By now, you’ve heard over and over about the value of professional counseling. But, I know, you’re probably still skeptical. Maybe you think it’s too-touchy feely. Maybe you’re worried that word will get out that you’re seeing a shrink. Or it could be that you just don’t think a therapist will understand what you do for a living. That’s why, today, we’re going to talk about what exactly happens when you walk into a counselor’s office. Here to discuss that with me is Courtney Stewart. Courtney is a licensed professional counselor in Wisconsin and Illinois, as well as a law enforcement wife and mother. She works in corrections as a therapist and volunteers as a mental health consultant for law enforcement peer support teams.

A lot of volunteer fire departments are worried about the dwindling number of new recruits. But what about holding onto the members already in the ranks? That takes a little effort and it may require some structural changes, too. It may be necessary, though, because turnover is the enemy of a solid volunteer department. Here to discuss that with me is Ed Dolan. He’s been a member of the Catskill Fire Department in New York for 30 years, and he’s served 16 years as a chief officer.

When you hear the term “primary search,” what comes to mind? Is it something an engine crew does while they’re advancing the line? Or is it the job of the truck crew? And if you’re the first-in engine at a structure fire, and believe there might be victims inside, what’s your priority? Today’s guest says you might want to hash that out before the tones drop. Dave LeBlanc is a Deputy Chief with the Harwich, Massachusetts Fire Department. Dave started in the Fire Service back in 1986 as a Call Firefighter with the Dennis Fire Department while attending college. He’s also been a volunteer with the Allingtown and West Haven Fire Districts in West Haven.

Have you ever become lost in a burning structure? It ‘ll cause a pretty severe pucker factor, as my Air Force friends call it. And, yes, becoming lost in a fire can easily be fatal. Today, we’re going to hear from a captain in a volunteer department who found himself lost in a burning building. Captain Alex Davis of the Lower Providence Fire Department in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania has some important observations about the experience.

You don’t have to be the senior man at your station to have learned some valuable lessons. The things we learn that improve how we do our jobs sometimes come from keeping an open mind and asking questions. My guest today condensed a few concepts he picked up that way into Firehouse.com article. Charlie Evans has fewer than five years in the fire service, but he wrote about four lessons he’s learned as a firefighter in Lynchburg, Virginia.

This week was the premiere of A&E’s Live Rescue show. And this week, I’m reviewing it. Maybe I can help you decide if it’s worth your two hours every Monday night.