Better Every Shift

‘I don’t want rules-followers’: Brian Fennessy champions intent-driven firefighters

Don’t get the wrong idea here. “Rules are important,” says Orange County (California) Fire Authority Chief Brian Fennessy; however, firefighters need to be trusted to make smart decisions when things go awry in the world of chaos around us – and this trust is best achieved through an intent-driven culture where members understand the organizational mission.

Plus, we dig into all this:

• Learn: The OCFA Doctrine shaping the future of the department
• Action: The power of a station visit, particularly for new members
• Laugh: Firefighters’ keen abilities to sniff out a fraud
• High note: IAFC’s Career Fire Chief of the Year Award honor
• Power quote: “Legacy? I don’t need some stinkin’ legacy.”

Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. You can also follow the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you listen to your podcasts. And email bettereveryshift@firerescue1.com to share your feedback!

‘I’m going to change this department if it kills me’: Thomas Bell talks culture change

If Chief Thomas Bell of the Greensburg (Pa.) Volunteer Fire Department had a nickel for every time someone remarked that he had some “big shoes to fill” after taking the reins from a local legend who had 60-plus years on the job, well, he’d have a lot of nickels. But the new chief had a simple plan – being himself. Bell vowed to create his own destiny – in even bigger shoes – and revamp a department that needed an organizational culture change in a big way. Bell shares his focus on firefighter safety and health, fireground accountability, recruitment and retention (including the success of duty crews) and communications among members. And the sleepless nights paid off when Bell was named IAFC Volunteer Fire Chief of the Year.

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!

‘This podcast is worth millions’: Jerry Brant explains how to secure FD funding

Chief Jerry Brant – the 70-million-dollar man – joins the show this week, explaining the role that all firefighters play in the grants process, what application reviewers are looking for this year, plus common grant proposal mistakes. (And yes, Brant has indeed written more than $70 million in successful grant applications in his career, some for FireGrantsHelp.) The self-proclaimed “pope of the church of planning,” Brant urges people to work ahead, particularly since it’s no surprise that there’s a grant application period every year, and offers guidance for striking the right balance between data and storytelling in the grant-writing process.

• Don’t miss: The T-shirt story that exemplifies unnecessary grant-writing hurdles
• Power quote: “Grants are not great literary works; there’s no Pulitzer Prize award for writing the best grant” (so get to work!)
• Hot seat sneak peek: Brant’s splurge purchase

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!

Fire Prevention Week prep: Plug-and-play messaging you can use today

We’re not going to Stop, Drop and Roll over on our fire prevention messages; we’re going to embrace them with open arms to create simple but effective calls to action that can make a difference in your community. Helping us in this effort is Andrea Vastis, senior director for public education with the NFPA, which runs Fire Prevention Week™, coming up Oct. 8-14. This year’s FPW theme is “Cooking Safety Starts with YOU! Pay attention to fire prevention.™"

We dig into all of this:

• The top 3 cooking fire messages firefighters should know
• Where to find plug-and-play resources to share with your community
• How to flip negatives into positives when sharing life safety messaging

Email bettereveryshift@firerescue1.com to share your feedback!

Remembering 9/11: Legacy, vigilance and cohesiveness

This episode of the Better Every Shift EMS podcast is sponsored by Verizon Frontline, the advanced network for first responders on the front lines. Learn more at verizon.com/frontline.

In this special crossover episode of the Better Every Shift, Policing Matters and Inside EMS podcasts, co-hosts Aaron Zamzow, Jim Dudley and Chris Cebollero discuss preserving the legacy of 9/11 responders and how to assess our readiness to respond to a large-scale MCI in our communities.

The hosts talk technology trends that we could (and should!) use to improve the security of citizens and first responders, from license plate readers to crime-mapping, facial recognition, drone surveillance and AI, plus all this:

• Keeping the 9/11 legacy alive with new generations
• How awareness of occupational cancer and mental health concerns is more prevalent today
• Community preparedness and incident command
• 9/11-related illness and its continued impact and devastation today
• How AI can contribute to the security of citizens and first responders
• The importance of information sharing and security

Read more reflections, tips for processing and lessons for training to respond to MCIs in our 9/11 coverage, sponsored by Verizon.

Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. You can also follow the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you listen to your podcasts. And email bettereveryshift@firerescue1.com to share your feedback!

‘The better we are, the better we serve’: Common themes from 40 shows

“Oh, the leaders we’ve talked to!” Better Every Shift marks 40 episodes with a walk down memory lane, hitting the common themes that have emerged from discussions with fire service leaders. Listen in as Janelle challenges Zam to a friendly game of “Who said it?” along with reflections on top lessons learned along the way.

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.

‘It’s the same circus with different clowns’: Gordon Graham talks universal FD problems

The man, the myth, the legend, Mr. Gordon Graham joins the show this week talking all things risk management, the study of bad outcomes, plus the power of policy and systems in reducing risk for your members – and of course he does it all with the perfect anecdotes that put it all in perspective. 

We dig into all of this:

• The #1 question he asks when evaluating a fire department
• The quality that separates good supervisors from great supervisors
• The “core critical tasks” all firefighters should train on regularly
• His “10 Fs” for a long, quality life

Email bettereveryshift@firerescue1.com to share your feedback!

Chief John Oates: ”Can we just retire the ‘it’s a generational thing’ mindset?”

For all the boomers to Gen Z firefighters out there, today’s episode digs into critical questions: Do generational differences even exist, and why are we so intent on defining people by the year they were born? Chief John Oates, CEO of the International Public Safety Data Institute (IPSDI), shares his perspective on the issue with Zam and Janelle.

We dig into all of this:

• Generational differences vs. lifespan development differences
• How to avoid the “generational crutch” in training, leading by individual, not groups
• Three “unviolatable” aspects of the fire service
• The traits Oates looks for in people he wants to work with

Don’t miss the chief’s take on being endlessly asked “Where’s Daryl Hall?” (Apologies, chief!)

Email bettereveryshift@firerescue1.com to share your feedback!

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.

‘We can’t read your mind’: Ben Thompson urges firefighters to speak up about stress

The newly released What Firefighters Want in 2023 survey special coverage highlights a perfect storm of stressors facing the fire service. On today’s show, Battalion Chief Ben Thompson expands on his article “'Buyer beware’: A message from stressed-out firefighters,” encouraging members to speak up about their stressors and offering guidance for leaders unsure how to help members who may be experiencing high stress.

We dig into all of this:

• What firefighters ranked their #1 stressor (it’s actually not staffing)
• Finding the line with stress – when it’s standard issue and when it becomes dangerous
• The power of knowing someone has your back – and how to demonstrate that to your crew
• The scary statistic about stress impacting the quality of service provided

And don’t miss Thompson’s story about how he mastered his TEDx Talk.

Email bettereveryshift@firerescue1.com to share your feedback!

‘Make THIS place better’: Kris Kazian’s advice to frustrated firefighters

It’s easy to sit around the kitchen table complaining about your agency’s lack of leadership or what you’ve heard about how much better it is at some other department. But when faced with a bad situation, you do have a choice. On this week’s Better Every Shift podcast, Chief Kris Kazian urges members to take action to lead up, foster a positive environment, and develop the future leaders of the department.

We dig into all of this:

• Showing vulnerability to your members;
• The Q12 survey gauge employee engagement;
• Personal “safety valves” for member “safe spaces”; and
• The power of grace in the fire service – and life.

Plus, don’t miss Kazian’s “auctioneer mode” hot seat answer.

Stuff we mentioned on the show

• Watch: After 2 FF deaths, Fla. chief asks for help, vows more mental health support
• Resource: Gallup’s Employee Engagement Survey: Q12
• Analysis: First It was Quiet Quitting, Now Workers Are Facing Off With Their Bosses

Email bettereveryshift@firerescue1.com to share your feedback!