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This episode is hosted by Nick Brunacini, Chris Stewart, and John Vance.

We want your helmet (for the AVB CTC)! Check this out to find out more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg5_ZwoCZo0

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This episode was recorded on May 7, 2025.

Strategy creates safety by aligning tactics with actual conditions, ensuring crews don't operate in unsuitably dangerous environments while maximizing effectiveness against the fire.

• Strategic decisions have the greatest effect on everyone working at the incident scene
• Stating the strategy three times forces conscious evaluation of conditions and clear communication of intent
• Strategy dictates positioning—offensive inside hazard zone, defensive outside hazard zone
• Near-miss story demonstrates how proper strategy recognition saved five firefighters' lives
• Incident commanders must validate strategy with 360-degree size-ups and adjust as conditions change
• The command system distinguishes between offensive and defensive conditions which should never be mixed
• Communication "tickets" prioritize radio traffic and reduce unnecessary transmissions
• 37% of initial Mayday calls are missed, making efficient communication critical
• Regular command training (quarterly 4-hour sessions) prevents reversion to bad habits
• The incident commander outranks everyone on scene regardless of formal rank structure

If you have questions for the B Shifter podcast team, send us an email (addresses in show notes) or click the fan mail option on our Buzzsprout platform to send us a direct message.

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The B Shifter Podcast examines how bad training practices can create dangerous operational habits in the fire service that are difficult to break and potentially dangerous.

This episode is hosted by Josh Blum, and John Vance.

We want your helmet (for the AVB CTC)! Check this out to find out more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg5_ZwoCZo0

Sign up for the B Shifter Buckslip, our free weekly newsletter here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/fmgs92N/Buckslip

Shop B Shifter here: https://bshifter.myshopify.com

All of our links here: https://linktr.ee/BShifter

Please subscribe and share. Thank you for listening!

This episode was recorded on April 30, 2025.

Line-of-Duty Death Report Available
B Shifter now has the NIOSH report available for download regarding the tragic loss of Firefighter James Michael Muller of the Irmo Fire District. On May 26, 2023, Firefighter Muller was killed in the line of duty while operating at a structure fire in an apartment building. There were many heroic acts at this incident and also many lessons to be shared and learned.
Download the full report and honor Firefighter Muller’s sacrifice by learning from this critical event: https://bshifter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/NIOSH-FINAL-REPORT-202307.pdf

• Training scars are ingrained behaviors taught during training that don't reflect best practices on the fireground
• Dan Madrzykowski describes how teaching firefighters to "pencil" water creates dangerous muscle memory
• Emergency activation button training creates hesitation in real emergencies when the button should be used
• Chris Stewart emphasizes focusing on higher performers rather than the vocal minority resistant to change
• Pat Dale discusses how poor leadership behaviors become learned and perpetuated through generations
• Keith Stakes highlights how training facilities don't resemble real structures where firefighters operate
• Nick Brunicini explains how rapid intervention teams operated for decades before effectiveness was evaluated
• Terry Garrison stresses spending valuable training time on meaningful skills not arbitrary traditions
• Training must align with operational realities and provide realistic context for skills development
• Effective training allows firefighters to make mistakes in a supportive environment without career consequences

Join us at the Blue Card Hazard Zone Conference in Cincinnati September/October 2024. Register now at BShifter.com to secure early bird pricing and discounted hotel accommodations

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This episode features Nick Brunacini, Terry Garrison, and John Vance.

We want your helmet (for the AVB CTC)! Check this out to find out more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg5_ZwoCZo0

Sign up for the B Shifter Buckslip, our free weekly newsletter here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/fmgs92N/Buckslip

Shop B Shifter here: https://bshifter.myshopify.com

All of our links here: https://linktr.ee/BShifter

Please subscribe and share. Thank you for listening!

This episode was recorded at the AVB CTC in Phoenix, AZ on April 17, 2025.

Creating a positive fire department culture drives better service both inside and outside the organization, ultimately leading to safety and success for everyone involved.

• Culture is more powerful than rules, regulations, and SOPs in guiding behavior
• A "Way" document preserves cultural values and helps transmit them to new members
• Effective customer service requires treating firefighters well so they can treat citizens well
• Organizational boundaries must be established and enforced consistently to maintain culture
• Safety culture requires accountability at all levels and cannot be overlooked by supervisors
• New fire chiefs should build on organizational strengths rather than change things for change's sake
• Leadership should focus on personal power rather than positional power to gain true buy-in
• Training and operations must align under a common vision focused on the work
• After-action reviews help reinforce cultural values through honest assessment without blame
• Good crews will intervene to help each other maintain professional standards with customers

Remember, you will resent and resist any supervision you receive that you don't need. Good leaders understand when to provide guidance and when to get out of the way.