5-Alarm Task Force!

We have all seen videos on the news or on social media of big-city fire departments doing their “thing.” Lots of apparatus and a large contingent of firefighters and support staff. It is often an amazing site and sometimes, we might get a little jealous. However, the majority of American firefighters are not in the big urban areas. Most of us serve suburban areas with mixed usage, residential, commercial, manufacturing, etc. 

My two guests on this episode are Nick Peppard and Sean Duffy. Both served a number of years in Florida, but have since moved north, with one to Michigan and the other to Wisconsin. Back in 2019 though, after each had been on “5-Alarm Task Force” as a guest, they came up with an idea for a podcast, “Make Due!” Their goal was to address the issues that suburban departments often face regarding limited equipment, personnel and high call volumes.

Their podcast is almost three years old with plenty of guests and lots of listeners. Why? Because their podcast is about who we are and what we do. Sometimes they discuss tactics. Another topic might be personnel or apparatus issues. And on another, they may simply “shoot the breeze” over the proverbial firehouse kitchen table. Either way, this is a podcast you will want to follow and listen to. Two well-experienced firefighters discussing what they love most, after their families. Moreover, they live by the motto, “Families First!

Find “Make Due” on all major podcast platforms! 

To learn more about the North FL Fire Expo, visit, www.northfloridafireexpo.com 

Please help us to help our Brothers and Sisters in dire need! Over 90% of our disbursed funds have been donated to families of firefighters who have made the Ultimate Sacrifice. Visit us at https://www.5-AlarmTaskForceCorp.org. Thank you! 

Every profession has standouts. These are the men and women who always strive to do their best for their profession, often going beyond the average levels and striving to always be prepared and ready to bring their “A-Game!”

My guest on this episode of “5-Alarm Task Force!” Capt. Mike Daley is, in my eyes, a consummate firefighter. If I included his bio in these show notes, you would see multiple pages! I will share that he is a nearly 30-year veteran of the fire service and an excellent instructor with the aim to see his students, no matter their time in the Fire Service, learn and exceed the “base” level of being a firefighter. He teaches to create well-learned and highly capable firefighters. 

In this episode, Capt. Daley reviews his very successful classes that he recently taught at the 2023 FIREHOUSE® Expo in Columbus OH. One class was so large that he and the students had to move to a larger room in the facility. Not unexpectedly, he received numerous kudos from the firefighters and officers who attended. 

We also discuss what he calls, “Fireground Strategies: Survivability, Suppression and Stabilization. What does he mean with these terms? Tune in and listen. Whether you are a career, volunteer or paid-on-call firefighter, you will learn from Capt. Daley in this episode. And you will be a smarter and safer firefighter. 

You can email Capt. Daley at either www.KilltheFlashover.com or email him at [email protected]. 

Please help us to help our Brothers and Sisters in dire need! Over 90% of our disbursed funds have been donated to families of firefighters who have made the Ultimate Sacrifice. Visit us at https://www.5-AlarmTaskForceCorp.org. Thank you! 

Photo by Dalas Penner on Unsplash 

We often refer to the “trades,” the publications of fire service, for learning tactics, theories, seeing new equipment and new developments in apparatus. However, there is more to what we do than simply, “How to…”  More importantly, to do this job, we must have a strong idea of self, i.e., “Who am I?,” “How do I do this job and be there for my family?" “I’ve seen so much tragedy, how do I deal with it without looking weak?” and much more. 

Thankfully, over the last five-six years, we have seen the launch of two major developments, initially in the U.S. Fire Service and subsequently, in other countries as well, the Firefighter Cancer and the Behavioral Health Initiatives. Both are making differences. And there’s always more to learn. 

My guest on this episode is Capt. Kory Pearn, a 20-year veteran firefighter in Ontario Canada. He is also the Editor-in-Chief and CEO of CRACKYL Media, Inc., publisher of CRACKYL Magazine. Launched in 2021, CRACKYL brings a different “face” to the trades, with most of it focus on our lifestyle and the human side of being a firefighter. Many articles in each issue deal with the human side of being in this field. How to balance what we do as firefighters and how to help us to see our time out of the firehouse to be just as important and vital as what we do in it. 

If you are in the fire service as a career, volunteer, etc., we need to know how do our jobs however and, more importantly, we need to know how to have a positive view of ourselves as regular people, with families, friends and our communities. CRACKYL does that in each issue. 

Visit their website at www.crackylmag.com and/or follow them on social media @crackylmag.

Please help us to help our Brothers and Sisters in dire need! Over 90% of our disbursed funds have been donated to families of firefighters who have made the Ultimate Sacrifice. Visit us at https://www.5-AlarmTaskForceCorp.org. Thank you! 

My guest on this podcast is Andi Clark. She is a certified Sleep, Stress and Resilience coach with over 30 years in the health and wellness industry. She specializes in teaching First Responders how to enhance their sleep quality, regardless of their shift schedule and boost their HRV, which is the body’s ability to handle stress.

Learn from Andi on this podcast. For more information on Andi and her links, please email us at info@5-AlarmTaskForceCorp. org and we will email you all her links directly to you!

 Please help us to help our Brothers and Sisters in dire need! Over 90% of our disbursed funds have been donated to families of firefighters who have made the Ultimate Sacrifice. Visit us at https://www.5-AlarmTaskForceCorp.org. Thank you! 

Difficult to believe that the Firefighter Cancer Initiative is about six years old. A strong part of the credit goes to our Brothers and Sisters with the Boston Fire Department. Without their moving video, we may not have crossed into where we are today for a year or two later. Then, only about 1-1/2 years later, we hear about chemicals that are man-made, came out in the 1950’s and that the vast majority of us never heard of before: PFAS. Developed my two major chemical companies in the 1950’s they never break down in nature, nor does heat affect it. And yes, it is a carcinogen. And, it has been in our bunker gear since at least 1977 according to the nuclear testing of both new and used gear by Graham Peaslee, PhD at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. However, we might never have heard of it or learned that it was in our bunker gear if it were not for Diane and Paul Cotter. In my opinion, every firefighter should be grateful for everything they did to bring this to the masses. 

My guest on this episode is Jim Burneka. Jim is a recently retired firefighter from Dayton OH. Jim was podcasting about PFAS as I was just learning about it. We both posted our thoughts on social media and it was inevitable that we would finally have to talk with other. And through emails and social media postings, we did. And I was honored when he accepted my initial invitation to be on “5-Alarm Task Force.” And I learned a lot more from Jim that day!

On this episode, we discuss the changes that we’ve seen in the last few years. There’s smart decon, shower-within-an-hour, in-house extractor and much more. However, that progress does not mean that we are “in the clear.” Listen to what Jim has to say to learn about our advances and remaining hurdles that we must still face. 

Please help us to help our Brothers and Sisters in dire need! Over 90% of our disbursed funds have been donated to families of firefighters who have made the Ultimate Sacrifice. Visit us at https://www.5-AlarmTaskForceCorp.org. Thank you! 

What type of firefighter are you? No, I’m not talking about engine, truck or rescue companies! How dedicated are you to what we do? Do you do/study/learn only what you are required to or are you a “student of the game?”

Our guest on this episode is Danny Beauvais who serves with the Mooresville Fire Department in North Carolina. However, he started as a volunteer in 2003 in the Spring Valley NY area. When his family relocated from New York to North Carolina, Danny was quick to join another volunteer department. Then, when Mooresville was hiring, he applied and made the team. 

As you listen to our interview, you will learn that Danny takes what we do very seriously. He is a firefighter who always wants to see the best, in both his skills and his workplace. He does not stop learning! He learns and then shares. Knowing this, a number of other firefighters convinced him to create a podcast to share his views and thoughts about being the best we can me. You can find him on all the major podcast platforms as “Student of the Game.” And you can find him on Instagram @NEG_MARRON85

Please remember – the day we stop learning is the day we walk out the door. This “job” changes all the time, sometimes in minutes, hours and/or days! We cannot afford not to keep learning, because the price is too high if we miss something or even, mess-up! Always be a “Student of the Game!”

Please help us to help our Brothers and Sisters in dire need! Over 90% of our disbursed funds have been donated to families of firefighters who have made the Ultimate Sacrifice. Visit us at https://www.5-AlarmTaskForceCorp.org. Thank you! 

photo courtesy Unsplash

You are sound asleep. You’ve had a busy day with lots of runs. Add the training that was squeezed in and you’re exhausted. You lie down on your bunk and you’re “out like a light!” Seconds later, the horn blares and all the lights turn on! You jump up with a start, put on your gear and head to the apparatus floor. As you make your way there the PA adds, “Confirmed working residential working fire. Two adults, two children with one unaccounted for!” And yes, you are the driver of the first engine heading to the scene. Whether you are a rookie or you are the senior firefighter, those last words raise the hairs on the back of your neck!

Without us even thinking about it, those last words spur us on. We know what we have to do and the first task is to get to the scene as quickly and SAFELY as possible. But with our hearts beating fast and our concentration focused on the destination, are we driving with the due care that a vehicle of this size and weight demands? Or do we let our heart drive the rig and not our professional “mind?”

Our guest on this podcast, Capt. Dustin Lambert, PhD, has not only studied these factors for 20 years, but he also wrote his dissertation about it. When we allow our emotions to lead us on certain calls, we may not be driving the apparatus with due care. 

Listen as Capt. Lambert shares results of his research that, for some of us, we do not want to hear. However, we must remember that no matter the call, if we do not arrive and return to our firehouse safely, there could be troubles afoot. 

You can reach Capt. Lambert at [email protected] and find him on both X (Twitter) and Instagram @firefighterwisdom.  

Please help us to help our Brothers and Sisters in dire need! Over 90% of our disbursed funds have been donated to families of firefighters who have made the Ultimate Sacrifice. Visit us at https://www.5-AlarmTaskForceCorp.org. Thank you! 

There is an old adage in the fire service that what firefighters hate the most are “status quo” and “change!” Doesn’t leave much wiggle room, does it? Nevertheless, our guest on this episode of “5-Alarm Task Force!” Chief (ret) Charles Werner has become a specialist in new and helpful tech developments that support and enhance the efforts of the three main branches of public safety, Fire-Rescue, Lawn Enforcement and EMS.

In this episode, Chief Werner shares with us the explosive growth of the use of what we will refer to as “professional” drones. These are not the little toy drones of a decade or more ago; these are state-of-the-art drones that are being used to spot fires, victims, deliver medications, reconnaissance and much more. The organization now boasts more than 8,100 members in the U.S., Canada and numerous countries around the world. Drones can often go where humans cannot and that can mean the difference between life and death.

We also discuss the importance and capabilities of the FirstNet communication system from AT&T. This system allows you to use your cell phone to connect you to your department’s radio systems, talk groups, etc. And we talk about the emerging tech that will be able to see the three coordinates of someone, be it a civilian, firefighter or police officer in a multi-story building with the X-coordinate, Y-coordinate and the Z-coordinate. Rescuers or even a robot can then locate and find a victim and remover him/her as necessary. 

If you would like more information, please visit the website, www.DRONERESPONDERS.org.

Please help us to help our Brothers and Sisters in dire need! Over 90% of our disbursed funds have been donated to families of firefighters who have made the Ultimate Sacrifice. Visit us at https://www.5-AlarmTaskForceCorp.org. Thank you! 

It is no secret that behavioral health has become an important topic, not just in the fire service, but for all arms of first responders. We are losing far too many of our Brothers and Sisters to their own hands, and we cannot help but wonder why!

If you are a first responder, no one has to tell you how difficult, dangerous and rewarding these jobs can be. Nevertheless, they still exact a heavy toll, even on those who refuse to admit it. We see crap that we would not want any civilian to see, yet we often see it daily. And whether you are honest enough to admit it or not, they do affect us. 

My guest, Dr. Mynda Ohs was herself a first responder until she contracted a serious disease from a patient. After an extensive recuperation, she tried to return to her EMS work, but did not have the physical ability to do so. Turning the proverbial “lemon into lemonade,” she went back to school and earned her PhD in counseling. 

Today, she works with a number of agencies as a counselor for first responders. And she has published two books:

1.    “Fully Involved Life” (2019) - https://a.co/d/1J33DuC

2. “When the Calls Stop” (2021) - https://a.co/d/jfJ1OKX

Look, we have a lot to deal with. Sometimes, we can just talk it out with each other. But each of us has to be aware that we might just need some extra help to get past that which is bothering us. Every first responder wants to give of himself/herself to the community and people they serve. And we also have to be smart and brave enough to know when we need help. We are listening.

Please help us to help our Brothers and Sisters in dire need! Over 90% of our disbursed funds have been donated to families of firefighters who have made the Ultimate Sacrifice. Visit us at https://www.5-AlarmTaskForceCorp.org. Thank you! 

If you are a firefighter, career, volunteer, paid-on-call, WUI, etc., and you do not know anything about PFAS/PFOS, you are woefully behind in your firefighting education. I know, because I did not know about it either until 2017 when I was referred to my guest on this episode. 

Diane Cotter’s husband, Paul, had just been promoted to Lieutenant in the Worcester MA Fire Dept., in 2014, when he was diagnosed with aggressive testicular cancer. Thanks to surgery and treatment, Paul is well today but that illness, surgery and treatment forced  him to “disable out.” I know what it’s like to lose that day-to-day connection with your colleagues and friends. But there is more to Paul’s and Diane’s story. 

Diane is a warrior or, as I say in the interview, her “Mama Bear” instincts kicked in. She wanted to know how this happened. She persevered and was instrumental in the disclosure that our bunker gear was being manufactured containing a man-made chemical as a part of the moisture barrier, but that is also a carcinogen. We urge you to listen to their story. The job we do is dangerous enough, we do not need to worry that the very gear we wear to protect ourselves contains a carcinogenic chemical that can lead to aggressive cancers.

For additional information, please visit:

1.    https://www.lastcallfoundation.org  

2.    https://ewg.org

3.    https://etherealfilms.org/

While this is the last episode of Season 7 of “5-Alarm Task Force,” we will continue our efforts to financially assist our Brothers and Sisters and/or their families, in dire need. And to do so, we need your help! We will return in August with Season 8 of “5-Alarm Task Force!” Until then, have a safe and enjoyable summer!

PLEASE…help us help our Brothers and Sisters and/or their families in dire need, please visit our website at https://www.5-AlarmTaskForceCorp.org.

You can view our videos on our YouTube® channel, 5-Alarm Task Force Corp. or you can listen to our audio podcast on all major podcast platforms, on Podomatic or our website, noted above.