Better Every Shift

‘Mission first, people always’: Chief Randy Royal on his leadership mindset

Colorado Springs Fire Chief Randy Royal was recently named the IAFC’s Career Fire Chief of the Year – and there are a lot of reasons why. Chief Royal details some of the innovative programs happening at the department – a tiered EMS model, mental health support initiatives, a whole blood program, and a unique approach to PPE distribution and cleaning – plus what it’s been like to bring online two new stations and secure an AFG grant to support member health. We dig into all of this and more:

• Royal’s perspective on balancing your members and your mission
• The EMS program that has dropped transports of their “most loyal customers” from 100% to 15%
• Lessons learned from the 2007 Castle West apartment fire where firefighters made 85 ladder rescues
• Why the fire department is putting hard-wired phone lines back in the stations

Related links: 

• 'Mission first, people always': One fire chief's mantra explained

This episode of the Better Every Shift Podcast is sponsored by MagneGrip. Eliminate diesel exhaust fumes from inside the fire station with a MagneGrip exhaust removal system. Learn more at MagneGrip.com.

‘Let your people run’: Chief Josh Waldo on empowering your members

Serving as IAFC president is a time-consuming job that requires a lot of travel – time away from the fire department. New president Josh Waldo reflects on how the initial angst of releasing the reins to others to shoulder more of the work at home in Bozeman, Montana, can become great pride in seeing those members succeed, even create new and improved ways to get the job done. It’s all part of the prioritization process needed to serve the department, the association and the fire service as a whole. We dig into striking this balance, plus all this:

• Waldo’s priorities as IAFC president – and what a successful year will look like for him
• Advice for members who want to be a change-agent at their department
• The value in learning from leaders who have never donned bunker gear
• Zam’s escalators vs. stairs moment at Fire-Rescue International

This episode of the Better Every Shift Podcast is sponsored by TheFireStore. Learn more about getting the gear you need at prices you can afford by visiting TheFireStore.

Enjoying the show? Email bettereveryshift@firerescue1.com to share your feedback!

Chief Eric Valliere: ‘Safety isn’t about backing off’

“NOT. HERE.” Scottsdale (Arizona) Assistant Chief Eric Valliere gets fired up talking about preventing firefighter line-of-duty deaths because “it’s a passion to keep your people safe.” The problem is that too many people are losing the true meaning of safety, he says, underscoring that safety isn’t about backing off; it’s about making sure your members are set up for success. We dig into all of this, plus:

• Valliere’s fireground safety pet peeve

• The leadership “give a crap factor”

• The power of removing roadblocks for your members

• The upcoming FDSOA conference bringing “safety to the streets” (and beach!)

This episode of the Better Every Shift Podcast is sponsored by MagneGrip. Eliminate diesel exhaust fumes from inside the fire station with a MagneGrip exhaust removal system. Learn more at MagneGrip.com.

Enjoying the show or have comments? Send an email to bettereveryshift@firerescue1.com to share your feedback.

‘The wins are all in the details’: Trisha Wolford on making members feel heard

Trisha Wolford got her fire service start with the Anne Arundel County (Maryland) Fire Department, and 13 years later, she returned as its fire chief – a full circle moment that helped shape her perspective on leadership. Wolford details how she worked to build trust among the membership through transparency and making members feel heard. She also shares what it was like to be deemed a “DEI hire” while addressing some of the misconceptions about DEI efforts in the fire service. Plus, we dig into this:

• The leap from art major to fire chief
• “Don’t call them” and other tips for recruiting Gen Z
• Where chiefs get stuck in the “frozen middle” with DEI efforts
• How a simple policy around nail polish made a big difference
• The most important decision she makes as a chief

This episode of the Better Every Shift Podcast is sponsored by TheFireStore. Learn more about getting the gear you need at prices you can afford by visiting TheFireStore.

Email bettereveryshift@firerescue1.com to share your feedback!

Zam on the hot seat: ‘It’s been a crazy ride’

Zam and Janelle are trading places on this week’s show, with Zam in the hot seat to share some insights from his fire service career, as well as a peek behind the podcast curtain. Plus, we get into all this:

• Zam’s 30-something fire service origin story

• 5 lessons for new lieutenants

• His pre-fire service life involving bartending and cadavers – a bad combination

• New opportunities via the First Responder Center for Excellence

• Why everything comes back to the Wisconsin Badgers

This episode of the Better Every Shift Podcast is sponsored by MagneGrip. Eliminate diesel exhaust fumes from inside the fire station with a MagneGrip exhaust removal system. Learn more at MagneGrip.com.

Have an idea for a show topic or guest? Send an email to bettereveryshift@firerescue1.com to share your feedback!

The enduring legacy of 9/11 on public safety practices

This episode of the Better Every Shift Podcast is sponsored by Verizon Frontline, the advanced network and technology for first responders. To learn more, visit verizon. com/frontline.

The 2024 anniversary of 9/11 marks 23 years since the tragic events that forever altered the course of history and the landscape of public safety.

As we move further from that fateful day, the significance of remembering and learning from 9/11 grows even more critical. For many, especially younger generations, 9/11 is transitioning from a lived experience to a historical event, making it essential for public safety professionals to ensure that the lessons identified are not only remembered, but actively applied in today's ever-evolving emergency response environment.

In this special crossover episode of the Policing Matters, Better Every Shift and Inside EMS podcasts, co-hosts Jim Dudley, Aaron Zamzow and Rob Lawrence highlight the importance of remembering 9/11 not just as a historical event but as a continuing influence on how public safety agencies operate today.

Chief Clare Frank: ‘It doesn’t matter where you row, row hard’

It was “love at first flame” for Chief Clare Frank, who was first formally introduced to the fire service as a teenager, eager to get on the line, and whose passion for the work propelled her forward, as she rose from seasonal firefighter to fire chief at the Milpitas (California) Fire Department and, ultimately, CAL FIRE’s chief of fire protection. Frank’s love of firefighting is palpable throughout her book, “Burnt: A Memoir of Fighting Fire,” a detailed look at her winding path within the fire service, even her time as a lawyer and peace officer. Frank shares some of her funniest, most compelling, even painful stories from her career with the Better Every Shift team. Plus, we dig into this:

• Her reaction to a captain’s comment, “I’ve never had a girl I haven’t fired.”
• Her early take on restructuring the California fire service – and hindsight being 20/20
• The “primal scream” moment of her career
• The fire that turned the tables on Frank

This episode of the Better Every Shift Podcast is sponsored by TheFireStore. Learn more about getting the gear you need at prices you can afford by visiting TheFireStore.

‘Take charge of your health’: How one captain caught his cancer

In 2017, after experiencing headaches, Berkeley (California) Fire Captain Chris van Luen had an MRI that showed a pea-size tumor at the base of his brain. No one told him or put him on a monitoring program. Four years later, knowing his increased exposure to toxins, van Luen got a full-body MRI. As doctors shared the news that the tumor had quadrupled in size, the earlier detection was revealed to a shocked van Luen. While many would have been infuriated about the mistake, van Luen chose to move past that part of the experience quickly to focus on managing the cancer. He now works to educate firefighters about the importance of taking charge of their health through prevention, detection and treatment. van Luen details his mission, plus all this:

• Explaining to doctors that “being a firefighter IS the risk factor”
• Tips for better sleep, even on duty
• His perspective on saunas, cold plunges and new therapies he’s tried
• The key question doctors don’t ask – but should

This episode of the Better Every Shift Podcast is sponsored by MagneGrip. Eliminate diesel exhaust fumes from inside the fire station with a MagneGrip exhaust removal system. Learn more at MagneGrip.com.

Email bettereveryshift@firerescue1.com to share your feedback.

‘There’s another 150 years ahead of us’: Chief John Butler on the IAFC’s future

“One thing I learned this year: Most other entities have to focus on their entity. Everyone has their niche. The IAFC is a federated model. We have to give a damn about everything.” Fire Chief John Butler highlights the unique qualities of the 150-year-old organization and how it reaches so many firefighters. As his presidency concludes this week at Fire-Rescue International, Butler reflects on his accomplishments, lessons learned and impactful moments from his tenure, and offers words of wisdom for the incoming IAFC president, Chief Josh Waldo. Plus, we dig into this:

• How to have a voice in the fire service

• The empowerment-discomfort connection

• How taking an oath solidifies accountability for new firefighters

• Revisiting the family story that still causes “gnashing of teeth” decades later

This episode of the Better Every Shift Podcast is sponsored by TheFireStore. Learn more about getting the gear you need at prices you can afford by visiting TheFireStore.

Chief Darryl Jones: ‘Attack the problem, not the people’

For three years in a row, poor agency leadership has been flagged among What Firefighters Want survey respondents as one of the top negative impacts on the job, plus a major factor in retention challenges. How did we get here, and more importantly, how do we fix it?

Pittsburgh Fire Chief Darryl Jones, who tackled this issue in the newly released What Firefighters Want in 2024 report, argues that while you might not have caused the issue, it’s still up to the current fire service leaders to fix the problem at the root. Jones shares his advice for fostering strong fire department leadership, along with lessons learned from his personal and professional challenges and successes. Plus, we dig into all this:

• The extra 15 minutes that changed Jones’ professional life
• How early fatal fires – and PTSD – affected his leadership path
• His response to being called an “EEOC chief”
• Two books all fire service leaders should read

Download the What Firefighters Want digital edition to read Chief Jones’ guidance for combatting poor fire department leadership, plus insights from Chiefs John Oates, Dena Ali and Reggie Freeman.

This episode of the Better Every Shift podcast is sponsored by ImageTrend. Learn how you can finish NFIRS reports before you get back to the station at ImageTrend.com.