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‘We rehearsed this’: Chief Eric Morgenthaler talks mayday command
In the nanosecond after hearing the mayday, Castle Rock (Colorado) Battalion Chief Eric Morgenthaler went from “Is this really happening?” to “I know what I need to do.” His crew had trained repeatedly on scenarios just like this — a firefi
Extra Alarm: Emergency logistics — who’s your go-to officer?
This week’s Extra Alarm insights come to us from Paul Fawcett, tackling the critical role of logistics officers in emergency response operations. Fawcett addresses the necessity for a logistics team to manage and streamline complex response
‘Come from curiosity’: Chief Corey Smedley on earning trust as an outside hire
“Everybody’s going to be a leader.” Fire Chief Corey Smedley encourages his entire workforce to step into their own leadership roles and not be afraid to make mistakes. Smedley, who is nearing one year as fire chief for Montgomery County (M
‘Sleep washes the brain’: How shift workers can improve sleep
The recipe for sleep health: “Build a sleep window, protect the sleep window, and let your sleep accountant balance the books.” On this Better Every Shift playback, we revisit one of our most enlightening episodes, as Dr. Glenn Landry — a s
Extra Alarm: The do’s and don’ts of commanding your first fire
This week’s Extra Alarm insights come to us from Senior Captain Chris DelBello, who focuses on the dos and don'ts for commanding your first fire, including checklists for before, during and after the incident. Other topics addressed: pre-fi
‘Release of calmness’: Detailing the procedure helping firefighters manage PTSD
“The calmness comes because the fire alarm in the brain has stopped flogging your body.” That’s how Dr. Jim Lynch describes the effect of a stellate ganglion block — an injection he says turns off the unproductive and chronic fight-or-fligh
‘Everything went lights out’: SoCal firefighter details close call
“I thought he was dead. He thought I was dead.” Firefighter Andrew Klein shares the harrowing story of a recent flashover that left him disoriented and worried his captain was dead in the same terrifying instant his captain thought Klein wa
Extra Alarm: Squad programs — reshaping fire response
This week’s Extra Alarm insights come to us from Assistant Chief Chad Costa, highlighting squad programs as a solution to rising medical call volumes in fire services. Squad programs involve deploying smaller, specialized units for medical
‘I don’t want to see grieving families’: Danny Kistner talks NFFF mission and support
“There’s always a better way to do something; we just haven’t discovered it yet.” Chief Danny Kistner, the new director of fire service programs for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (https://www.firehero.org/), underscores the ne
Accreditation in action: CPSE’s Preet Bassi talks tracking FD practices and progress
“We often do what is inspected, not what is expected.” Preet Bassi, CEO for the Center for Public Safety Excellence, joins the show this week to talk fire department (and personal) accountability and improvement, specifically through the pr
Extra Alarm: Mixed signals – managing conflicting orders within the chain of command
This week’s Extra Alarm insights come to us from Battalion Chief (ret.) Greg Rogers, addressing the critical issue of conflicting orders in fire department operations and underscoring the importance of adhering to the established chain of c
The National Firefighter Registry is back: Help fellow FFs ‘be healthier and live longer’
The National Firefighter Registry is back! The registry – a massive project to understand and reduce risk of cancer among U.S. firefighters – was temporarily offline following layoffs at several NIOSH programs. Fortunately, the administrati
How to hit the ‘RESET’ button on behavioral health
“You’re not Superman; you can’t carry it all.” Sarasota (Florida) Deputy Chief Darin Wallentine urges all listeners, no matter your rank, to carve out time to focus on your behavioral health. If you don’t know where to start, this year’s Sa
Extra Alarm: The all-in engine company – making it work with 3 members
This week’s Extra Alarm insights come to us from Jeffrey Bryant Jr., a firefighter/paramedic with the Aurora (Illinois) Fire Department. Bryant outlines strategies for a three-person engine company, highlighting the roles of the officer, dr
Dr. Reggie Freeman returns to talk higher education, plus Zam’s MBA
It’s a special show this week, as Dr. Reggie Freeman returns to talk all things higher education and help us celebrate a milestone moment for Zam. It was Chief Freeman who, during his first appearance on Better Every Shift, encouraged Zam t
Chief Reid Vaughan: ‘If you can fog a mirror, I’ll find you a job’
“There’s a job for everybody” at the volunteer fire department. That’s Chief Reid Vaughan’s perspective on recruitment. Cuba, Alabama, where Vaughan serves as fire chief, doesn’t have a lot of financial support, meaning officials have to ge
Extra Alarm: Fire service pruning – make way for fresh ideas, technology and practices
This week’s Extra Alarm insights come to us from Division Chief Eric Latimer, who uses the metaphor of pruning a rose bush to emphasize the importance of evaluating and updating fire department practices, policies and technology. Pruning is
NFL lineman honors fallen firefighters through ‘My Cause My Cleats’ program
It’s Draft Day – a perfect opportunity to spotlight one player who has chosen to support the fire service through the NFL’s “My Cause My Cleats” (https://www.nfl.com/causes/my-cause-my-cleats/) program. Colts center Danny Pinter, who has se
Extra Alarm: The importance of proportional response on and off the fireground
This week’s Extra Alarm insights come to us from Linda Willing, who tackles the significance of proportional responses. Willing emphasizes how underreaction can condone inappropriate behavior, while overreaction can waste resources and dama
Chief Kim Zagaris reflects on the Oklahoma City bombing 30 years later
“I’ve seen some horrendous accidents and things – never in my life had I seen anything similar to this.” Chief Kim Zaragis describes the scene of the Oklahoma City bombing – a terrorist attack that killed 168 people and injured more than 60
Extra Alarm: Fleeing to the firehouse – when work becomes an escape
This week’s Extra Alarm insights come to us from Dr. Rachelle Zemlok, a clinical psychologist focused on first responders families. Dr. Zemlok examines the tendency of some firefighters to spend extra hours at work to escape personal proble
‘Interior offensive aggressive attack’: Juratovac shares her favorite words
Firefighters sometimes get “too cute” on the fireground, trying to do too much or step outside their area of expertise. On this Better Every Shift playback, San Francisco Assistant Chief Nicol Juratovac shares some examples and urges firefi
Chief Brian Fennessy talks ‘mind-blowing’ L.A. urban conflagration
When fires erupted in Los Angeles in early January, the incidents seemed to shift from wildfire to urban conflagration in an instant. Orange County Fire Authority Fire Chief Brian Fennessy, who grew up in Altadena, hurried back to his home
Extra Alarm: It’s time for a cabinet-level Department of Emergency Services
This week’s Extra Alarm insights come to us from Chief Marc Bashoor, who addresses the crucial need for a unified and elevated national fire service structure. Bashoor argues against the closure of the National Fire Academy (NFA), emphasizi
Thermal imagers: Andy Starnes talks fireground ‘force multiplier’ technology
“What’s the building hiding from you?” That’s a key question from Chief Andy Starnes, our resident thermal imaging expert on this special episode of Better Every Shift. Starnes, the founder of Insight Fire Training (https://insighttrainingl
Extra Alarm: Electric vehicle fires – where the waiting game wins
This week’s Extra Alarm insights come to us from Captain Patrick Durham with the Troy (Michigan) Fire Department. Captain Durham addresses the issues firefighters face when dealing with electric vehicle (EV) fires, particularly the challeng
Critical connections: The challenges and solutions in public safety communication
Whether responding to a medical emergency, coordinating disaster relief, or ensuring officer safety in high-risk situations, public safety radio systems provide mission-critical communications that enable first responders to fulfill their m
Extra Alarm: Conduct a personal AAR in 45 minutes or less
This week’s Extra Alarm insights come to us from Chris Paskett, a battalion chief with Eugene Springfield (Oregon) Fire. Paskett details how incident commanders can perform traditional fireground after-action reviews through brief tailboard
‘Restore classes immediately’: Fire service leaders urge action after NFA training cancellations
“There’s no better time than now to watch the Fire Service One Voice message being exercised,” notes former U.S. Fire Administrator Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell on this week’s podcast. The collective message from fire service leaders and organiza
Chief Kevin Quinn: ‘If you do retention right, you don’t have a recruitment problem’
Recruitment and retention are critical issues impacting fire departments across the country, and while it’s important to level up our efforts there, Deputy Chief (ret.) Kevin Quinn emphasizes a third R – replacement, as in, succession plann
