Better Every Shift

FDNY Chief Frank Leeb talks training at ”The Rock” and how to market safety messages to members

On this episode of the Side Alpha Podcast, Fire Chief Marc Bashoor speaks with Frank Leeb, a deputy assistant chief with the FDNY, currently serving as chief of the Fire Academy and chair of the department’s Contamination Reduction Workgroup. The chiefs discuss Leeb's recent FireRescue1 article "Marketing the message: How FDNY spreads the word about firefighter health and safety," which details simple steps fire departments can employ to best connect with members about important health issues. Leeb also shares what it's like to run training at the FDNY Fire Academy, aka "The Rock."

Bonus resource: Captain John Haseney's master's thesis identifies seven barriers that are preventing fire departments from implementing occupational cancer-focuses best practices: fire department culture, firefighters’ ignorance of the disease and prevention methods, complacency caused by cancer’s long latency periods, funding, pathways to compliance with national and departmental policies, groupthink, and motivation. Haseney's thesis examines the health and safety efforts that two departments have taken and reviews literature from other fire departments, national fire service organizations, subject-matter experts, researchers, and academic studies. 

Side Alpha Podcast: IAFC President Ken Stuebing talks vaccine mandates, leadership tenets that resonate, and IAFC support

In this episode of the Side Alpha Podcast, Fire Chief Marc Bashoor speaks with Ken Stuebing, fire chief of Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency in Nova Scotia, Canada, and president and board chair of the International Association of Fire Chiefs. 

Chief Stuebing shares what it's like to be the first international president to lead the IAFC in many years, and addresses the ongoing COVID-19 challenges facing the fire service, along with the IAFC's stance on vaccine mandates. He also details his background in EMS and offers some leadership tenets that have resonated with him throughout his career.

Keith Stakes details the newly expanded mission for UL‘s Fire Safety Research Institute

In this episode of the Side Alpha Podcast, Fire Chief Marc Bashoor speaks with Battalion Chief Keith Stakes, a research engineer with UL's Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI), about the organization's newly expanded mission, one that focuses on a broader range of emerging fire threats. Stakes shares more about the expanded research efforts at the organization and details some of the research currently underway at FSRI, including the Search & Size-up project.

Learn more about UL's FSRI at fsri.org and the organization's expanded focus on FireRescue1.

Varone explores the top disciplinary issues that get fire officers in hot water

In this episode of the Side Alpha Podcast, Chief Marc Bashoor speaks with fire service legal expert Curt Varone about one of his favorite topics -- discipline. Varone covers the top disciplinary issues that get firefighters and fire officers in hot water, examines the concept of progressive discipline, and explains how disciplinary issues in the fire service vary from those in the "cubicle world" of corporate offices. 

Learn more about fire service discipline and performance issues in FireRescue1's special coverage series: Firefighter performance in focus.

Also, read more on this issue from Varone: "Discipline in the fire service: 4 questions to consider."

‘I didn‘t come here to make friends‘: Discipline in the fire service

In this episode of the Side Alpha Podcast, Chief Marc Bashoor take a high-level look at discipline in the fire service, the importance of consistency, and how to manage friendships within the ranks. 

This episode is part of FireRescue1's special coverage series on Firefighter Performance. Check out the full list of content here.

Tulsa Chief Michael Baker talks firefighter morale, department change and lifelong learning

In this episode of the Side Alpha Podcast, Chief Marc Bashoor speaks with Michael Baker, fire chief for the Tulsa (Oklahoma) Fire Department. Chief Baker details his first year as fire chief in Tulsa, including his work to improve firefighter morale and his goal to achieve zero fire deaths in Tulsa in 2022. The chief also shares how the department has weathered the COVID-19 storm and notes some of the department's changes during his tenure. Finally, he shares his views on lifelong learning and the pursuit of knowledge for fire chiefs. 

Pittsburgh Chief Darryl Jones details how to engage the naysayers and be a positive change-agent

In this episode of the Side Alpha Podcast, Fire Chief Marc Bashoor speaks with Darryl Jones, fire chief for the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire and member of the IAFC’s Metropolitan Fire Chiefs section. Chief Jones talks about how to deal with naysayers at an organization, focus on being a positive change agent for the department and build member morale. He also talks about the process of improving the department's ISO rating and how the department has weathered the COVID-19 storm.

This edition of the Side Alpha Podcast is brought to you by MSA. At MSA, your health and safety drive us to develop highly advanced safety equipment to protect you on the job. MSA’s Globe gear is performance and protection in perfect balance. It’s designed to meet the challenges you face every day to help keep you safe and healthy during your career and beyond. Get the full story at msafire.com/globe.

 

Chief Sam Greif tackles terrorism response and cybersecurity threats facing public safety

In this episode of the Side Alpha Podcast, Fire Chief Marc Bashoor speaks with Sam Greif, fire chief of Plano Fire-Rescue in Texas, and Chairman on the Terrorism & Homeland Security Committee for the IAFC. The two discuss the committee's work, terrorism response efforts and checklists for fire service leaders, and the biggest cybersecurity threats facing public safety agencies. 

Download the IAFC Terrorism Response Checklist here.

Watch the webinar, The growing threat of ransomware attacks on public safety agencies here.

This edition of the Side Alpha Podcast is brought to you by MSA. At MSA, your health and safety drive us to develop highly advanced safety equipment to protect you on the job. MSA’s Globe gear is performance and protection in perfect balance. It’s designed to meet the challenges you face every day to help keep you safe and healthy during your career and beyond. Get the full story at msafire.com/globe.

‘A punch in the gut‘: Unpacking the Baltimore FD retirement debacle

In this episode of the Side Alpha Podcast, Fire Chief Marc Bashoor weighs in on the debacle unfolding in Baltimore after a court of appeals ruling upholds changes to the city’s pension plan requiring first responders to serve an additional five years before being eligible for retirement benefits. Read the original news story on FireRescue1. Bashoor calls the ruling a "punch in the gut" to first responders coming off an incredibly difficult two years, and questions why local officials aren't looking out for their members instead of looking for ways to save money at their hands.

This edition of the Side Alpha Podcast is brought to you by MSA. At MSA, your health and safety drive us to develop highly advanced safety equipment to protect you on the job. MSA’s Globe gear is performance and protection in perfect balance. It’s designed to meet the challenges you face every day to help keep you safe and healthy during your career and beyond. Get the full story at msafire.com/globe.

Public safety leaders discuss the 20th anniversary of 9/11

In this special episode of the Side Alpha podcast, fire, EMS and law enforcement leaders from across the Lexipol media sites come together to reflect on the 20th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks. Side Alpha Podcast host Fire Chief Marc Bashoor looks back on the industry-altering event with EMS One-Stop host Rob Lawrence, Inside EMS host Chris Cebollero and Policing Matters podcast host Jim Dudley. This special episode of the Side Alpha podcast is sponsored by Verizon.