Better Every Shift

Chief Ron Siarnicki: ‘Leave it better than you found it’

In this episode of the podcast, sponsored by L3Harris, Chief Ron Siarnicki, executive director of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF), reflects on his 20-plus years with the Foundation and what’s next for him personally after so many years working with firefighter families.

The chief, who recently announced his upcoming retirement – but not his successor (yet) – details the Foundation’s extraordinary evolution since 2001, when 9/11 forever changed its course; shares his 9/11 story – the early NYC setup, the often-disbelieved story of the unlimited credit card, the Foundation’s ongoing support to FDNY; and offers a key reminder to his successor.

Plus, we get into all this: Building resilience in a role focused on fatalities; the Life Safety Initiative with the most impact; and how his “builder” mindset helped him throughout his career.

Don’t miss: The person who had the biggest impact on his career

Episode power quote: “We have to be open and supportive and not be threatened by those who come behind us. You gotta take somebody under your wing somewhere along the way.”

Hot seat sneak peek: The chief’s apparatus collection – yes, collection

Resources we mentioned on the show

• ‘We needed to do more’: The evolution of support in the aftermath of tragedy
• 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives
• First Responder Center for Excellence
• Memorial Weekend
• Light the Night for Fallen Firefighters

Connect with us

Email bettereveryshift@firerescue1.com to share your feedback!

Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. 

Better Every Shift LIVE: The Healthy 10 – How to define a healthy firefighter

What does a healthy firefighter look like? So often we focus on physical appearance to define health, but health is a multifaceted, complex interaction among several factors. During this live podcast event, Better Every Shift hosts Firefighter Aaron Zamzow and FireRescue1 Editor-in-Chief Janelle Foskett speak with Chief Marc Bashoor about the “Healthy 10,” a list of 10 ways firefighters can elevate their overall health and wellness. The group digs into how to define a healthy firefighter, underscoring that looking healthy doesn’t automatically equate to being healthy.

Chief John Salka: ‘Spend more time at home’

The man, the myth, the legend, FDNY Battalion Chief (ret.) John Salka joins the Better Every Shift podcast to share lessons that apply to all firefighters, on or off the fireground.

Chief Salka and Zam formed an unlikely friendship years ago, bonding over health and wellness, as the chief made it a goal to get back in shape later in his career. Beyond sharing his motivations related to his renewed health focus, the chief reflects on why it’s so important to prioritize personal time. It’s great to be into the job – to really love the job – he says, but no one is ever going to wish they spent more time at work at the expense of family and friends.

The author of “The Fire Scene” also recalls some of the biggest calls of his career and shares some great perspective on what it’s like working with the newest generation of members joining the ranks.  

What else

• Don’t miss: The story of the urinal quote
• Episode power quote: “The most important decision, the most important action that a fire chief takes is to hire the right people.”
• Hot seat sneak peek: The tactical operation he enjoyed the most early in his career

Dr. David Griffin: ‘The success in my life has come from the worst day of my life’

Dr. David Griffin, assistant chief of administration in Charleston, S.C., joins Better Every Shift this week, sharing powerful lessons learned from the tragic Sofa Super Store fire where nine of his fellow firefighters died; his journey to find himself and his mission after the tragedy; how he resurfaced his love of learning; and how he manages to keep all the plates spinning amid his work schedule, speaking engagements and business ventures.  

Plus, we get into all this: Griffin’s initial resistance to change following the fire; acknowledging why so many members retired after the incident; the various coping mechanisms he tried to navigate the trauma, including MMA; and his subsequent realization about not knowing what he didn’t know – and diving head-first into absorbing training and operations resources.

• Don’t miss: The power of combining years of operational experience with a “super nerd” appetite for learning
• Episode power quote: “My day doesn’t manage me. I manage my day.”
• Hot seat sneak peek: His favorite tattoo – and its deeply personal meaning – plus his first time smoking a steak

Resources we mentioned on the show

• 15 years later: ‘We are home-growing our leaders’ in Charleston
• "In Honor of The Charleston 9: A Study of Change Following Tragedy"
• “The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team”

Email bettereveryshift@firerescue1.com to share your feedback!

Electric vehicle fires: Products, strategies and the power of time

Buckle up for an electric episode, driving hard into everything firefighters need to know about electric vehicle fires. Puns notwithstanding, Zam and Janelle are thrilled to speak with Patrick Durham, a captain and training officer with the Troy (Michigan) Fire Department who also works as a mechanical engineer. Durham started StacheD Training to educate firefighters on a variety of technical topics, including the unique aspects of responding to EV incidents, so he’s the right person to answer all of Zam’s scenario-based questions about how to handle various EV fire situations.

Plus, we get into all this: Durham’s takes on the various products for extinguishing EV fires; tips for determining whether it’s an EV battery fire or a standard vehicle fire; and how long it takes for an EV fire to burn itself out.

Don’t miss: The smart SCBA analogy to lithium-ion battery fires

Hot seat sneak peek: Durham’s dream car … but is it an EV?

Bonus reading: Electric vehicle fires: Where the waiting game wins

Email bettereveryshift@firerescue1.com to share your feedback!

Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. 

‘We need to walk the walk’: Leaders face off in wellness competition

Get ready for a healthy dose of smack talk from some unexpectedly competitive fire service leaders. Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell, U.S. fire administrator; Chief Eriks Gabliks, superintendent of the National Fire Academy; Dr. Sara Jahnke, director of the Center for Fire, Rescue & EMS Health Research; and Chief Bryan Frieders, president/CEO of the Firefighter Cancer Support Network are going head to head in the Better Every Shift Challenge, a wellness competition that hopefully inspires you – yes, YOU – to join the challenge to better your health.

The leaders share the origins of the challenge, which did involve some of those tough conversations among friends. Just remember that the participants all have a profound love and respect for each other: “Yeah, we’ll banter just like we do at the firehouse, but it’s really out of concern and love for everybody,” Frieders notes.

Join the Challenge at Fire Rescue Fitness. Your contribution goes to great fire service organizations: Firefighter Cancer Support Network, Science Alliance/Science to the Station, and the First Responder Center for Excellence.

Connect with us!

Email bettereveryshift@firerescue1.com to share your feedback!

Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. 

Jason Patton: ‘Nothing comes natural to me at all’

The first firefighter-influencer of the modern era shares how his early speaking nerves transformed into a love of making comedy videos

Patton reveals his favorite Fire Department Chronicles video to film, the call that made him laugh the hardest (and later served as great material for a video), plus the video that put him on the map. Plus, we get into all this: His best advice for firefighters getting into the social media space; how he chooses his passion projects; and "micro-dosing happiness."

• Don’t miss: The hilarious story of his first attempt to teach a CPR class
• Episode power quote: “One of the biggest lessons I had to learn in life is everything cannot be zero or 100. You have to find moderation, even if it’s 30 seconds.”
• Hot seat sneak peek: A recent moment of frustration – and why $250 isn’t that much in context

Resources we mentioned on the show

• Fire Department Chronicles
• Fire Department Coffee
• DetecTogether
• Banyan Treatment Centers
• The Leary Firefighters Foundation

Connect with us!

Email bettereveryshift@firerescue1.com to share your feedback!

Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. 

‘Don’t do that!’: A first responder therapist signals common relationship red flags

Get ready to kick back on the metaphorical couch because on this episode of the Better Every Shift podcast, Zam and Janelle talk to Dr. Rachelle Zemlok – a first responder-focused psychologist, who also happens to be married to a fire captain – about all things firefighter relationships: stress-related competition between partners; assuring firefighters that they are in control of their therapy session; the one word that defines the trickiness of firefighter relationships; and a lot of simple ways to, quite simply, not blow up your marriage.

Plus, we get into all this: Gottman’s research into the ‘four horsemen’ of the relationship apocalypse; the most important post-shift question before you get home; why therapy isn’t a competition and therapists aren’t referees; and how much to talk to your spouse about your shift.

What else …

• Don’t miss: The top issue she helps first responder couples navigate
• Episode power quote: “Firefighters can see [therapy] as a contained space where they can go and just dump it all and then feel lighter. You’re allowed to come here and just dump it all and leave.”
• Hot seat sneak peek: The dumbest fight she had with her fire captain-husband recently

Got an idea for the show? Email bettereveryshift@firerescue1.com. 

Chief Jason Caughey: ‘Everything we do is about people’

On this episode of the Better Every Shift podcast, Zam talks to Fire Chief Jason Caughey from the Laramie County (Wyoming) Fire Authority about fire service relationships, communication and making connections with the community, plus all this: Why years 2-8 are tough on firefighters; the problem with our marketing efforts; the fire service similarities to credit unions; and questions about whether the fire service is “softening.”

What else …

• Hot seat sneak peek: His dream (non-fire service) career
• Don’t miss: Vision Day at the FD
• Episode power-quote: “This is absolutely the best career, but it’s not the best career because of the fires that I see. It’s the best career because of these other tangible items that we don’t do a great job of explaining – the camaraderie, the community, the service.”

Got an idea for the show? Email bettereveryshift@firerescue1.com. 

Super Bowl showtime: How Glendale fire crews are preparing for the big game

This episode of the Better Every Shift podcast is extra super because Zam and Janelle are talking all things Super Bowl with Glendale (Arizona) Captain Ashley Losch, digging into the fire and EMS preparations, training and coordination for this year’s big game. Captain Losch details the many moving parts of “Super Season,” what they’ve learned from the past two Super Bowls the city has hosted, plus how the Damar Hamlin incident prompted additional questions. Plus, we get into all this:

• The big messaging change for this year
• Maintaining citywide staffing during the big game
• The tabletop exercise that had 150 agencies represented

What else …

• Hot seat sneak peek: Best Super Bowl halftime shows of all time
• Don’t miss: How the super-wealthy deal with Super Bowl travel
• Episode power quote: “It’s about connection, it’s about coming together for a common goal, making sure that people are safe, making sure that everyone has a good time, everyone goes home with good memories, and the sheer amount of people that are coming together to make sure that happens is really incredible.”

Email bettereveryshift@firerescue1.com to share your feedback!