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This episode features Nick Brunacini, Terry Garrison and John Vance

We dig into why reactions make or break leadership, how to de-escalate without dodging accountability, and why the best chiefs manage problems early and at the lowest level. Stories from the fireground and the station show how kindness, clarity, and standards live together.

• Owning attitude and response under stress
• Differentiating training gaps from discipline issues
• Managing at the lowest level with real support
• Using personal power over positional power
• Pausing before acting to create options
• Fixing problems early before they gain seniority
• Stopping freelancing and backing standards
• Modeling humor, consistency and calm
• Handling HR and law enforcement escalation wisely
• Treating one-offs differently from habitual behavior

Read Terry Garrison's article here: https://bshifter.com/think-youre-a-strong-leader-your-reactions-might-prove-otherwise/

Buy “Timeless Tactical Truths from Alan Brunacini” at bshifter.com in our store for only $10!

This episode was recorded at the Alan V. Brunacini Command Training Center in Phoenix on February 3, 2026.

For Waldorf University Blue Card credit and discounts: https://www.waldorf.edu/blue-card/

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Sign up for the Blue Card Instructor's Webinar here: https://streamyard.com/watch/fYtKhpy8ugz6

The episode feature Josh Blum and John Vance

We share what’s new and what’s next for Blue Card in 2026, from revamped instructor training and standards alignment to expanding after-action reviews and regional grant models. The focus stays on competence, clean communication, and decisions that match deployment and risk.

• regional training benefits and shared language
• radio tickets and communications discipline
• benton harbor AFG regional project and SDM workshops
• revamped train the trainer with stronger why
• alignment with NFPA 1550 and 1700 terminology
• competence for ICs and instructors as certification standard
• instructor webinar details and live Q&A
• simulation previews tailored to staffing and deployment
• after action reporting access beyond instructors
• objective AARs guiding improvement and reinforcing wins
• events calendar, Phoenix CTC seats, and road workshops
• safety CEs, SOG updates, and tutorial videos
• grants and funding paths for command training
• conference meetups and direct support
• weekly Buck Slip drills and free resources
• EMS-to-hazmat decision making with CO case work

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For Waldorf University Blue Card credit and discounts: https://www.waldorf.edu/blue-card/

For free command and leadership support, check out bshifter.com

Sign up for the B Shifter Buckslip, our free weekly newsletter here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/fmgs92N/Buckslip

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Recorded on January 21, 2026

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This episode features Josh Blum, Chris Stewart, and John Vance.

We break down two fireground audios from Springdale, OH and Cobb County, GA  where command changes strategy before the buildings force the issue. Clear size-ups, clean handoffs, and disciplined use of divisions and on-deck show how standardized command-and-dispatch integration protects crews and closes incidents faster.

• Springdale strip mall fire and regional standardization
• Early 360, TLO assignments, and exposure checks
• Roof report triggers proactive defensive switch
• Dispatch integration with alert tones and tickets
• Cobb County garage fire with extension and collapse
• On-deck, water supply, and search coordination
• Strategic shift timing based on structural integrity
• After Action Reviews for shared learning across agencies

If you would like us to showcase what you're doing at your department, please contact us in the show notes, and we’d be happy to showcase what you’re doing at your department with your audio

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For Waldorf University Blue Card credit and discounts: https://www.waldorf.edu/blue-card/

For free command and leadership support, check out bshifter.com

Sign up for the B Shifter Buckslip, our free weekly newsletter here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/fmgs92N/Buckslip

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This episode features NFPA 1700 Committee Members George Healy, Murrey Loflin, Dan Madrzykowski, and Chris Stewart.

Episode hosted and produced by John Vance

We dive into the 2026 update of NFPA 1700 with a focus on search, lithium-ion hazards, and a cleaner common language for strategy and size-up. Research meets field experience to sharpen decisions, reduce confusion, and turn evidence into safer, faster operations.

 • evolution of NFPA 1700 and why it matters
 • what changed in 2026 across chapters 7, 9, 12, and 13
 • lithium-ion battery fires and contamination control
 • exterior fire control and strategy clarified
 • search and rescue data that shapes victim removal
 • making size up specific, actionable, and teachable
 • 1700 as the emerging standard of care and legal context
 • training, decon, and culture change for safer ops
 • future needs in commercial fires and large buildings
 • how policy, research, and command tie together
 
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This episode was recorded on January 7, 2026.

For Waldorf University Blue Card credit and discounts: https://www.waldorf.edu/blue-card/

For free command and leadership support, check out bshifter.com

Sign up for the B Shifter Buckslip, our free weekly newsletter here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/fmgs92N/Buckslip

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This week on the B Shifter Podcast, Josh Blum and Johsn Vance are joined by Steven S. Sarver, Assistant Chief of Operations with the Monroe Fire Department (OH). Chief Sarver breaks down his department’s response to three separate incidents at a 1.3-million-square-foot distribution center, sharing hard-earned command lessons from complex, high-risk events. He explains how Blue Card principles—especially lessons reinforced in the Big Box Workshop—helped drive effective decision-making, coordination, and successful outcomes in a challenging big-box environment.

We unpack how a 1.3 million square foot Amazon facility fire was held by sprinklers and managed by disciplined command. We share what changed across three incidents, why pumping the FDC is non-negotiable, and how preplans, tech, and patience keep crews safe.

• department profile, coverage area, staffing
• mutual aid setup across two counties
• Amazon facility design, hazards, commodities
• alarm upgrade logic and high-hazard card
• attack team, on-deck, roof report essentials
• FDC and fire pump priorities, water supply
• ESFR head performance and stream discipline
• locating seat with TICs, video, drones
• evacuation confirmation and search mindset
• riser maps, zone isolation, shutdown language
• forklift-led overhaul and safety
• AAR process, lessons learned, SOP updates
• training resources, workshops, and standards

“Hook up, pump up, and let the system run.”

This episode was recorded at the Alan V. Brunacini Command Training Center in Phoenix on December 10, 2025.

For Waldorf University Blue Card credit and discounts: https://www.waldorf.edu/blue-card/

For free command and leadership support, check out bshifter.com

Sign up for the B Shifter Buckslip, our free weekly newsletter here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/fmgs92N/Buckslip

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This episode features Nick Brunacini, Terry Garrison, and John Vance.

We push past acronyms and politics to center customer service as the fire service’s true north, linking training, staffing, and culture to outcomes for Mrs. Smith. We call out FINO departments, hazing, weak command presence, and political gamesmanship that erode trust and increase risk.

• customer service as the organizing principle for chiefs and unions
• training tied to standard problem-solving outcomes
• tactics anchored to life safety through fire control
• FINO departments and response time realities
• overtime, constant staffing, and budget politics
• using mayday and fatality data to defend night staffing
• on-scene education to convert angry customers to allies
• hazing, misconduct, and decisive leadership in crises
• NIOSH lessons, lawsuits, and predictable, preventable failures
• inside–outside culture alignment and whistleblower safety
• influence over control as a leadership stance

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This episode was recorded at the Alan V. Brunacini Command Training Center in Phoenix on December 4, 2025.

For Waldorf University Blue Card credit and discounts: https://www.waldorf.edu/blue-card/

For free command and leadership support, check out bshifter.com

Sign up for the B Shifter Buckslip, our free weekly newsletter here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/fmgs92N/Buckslip

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This episode features Josh Blum, Scott Williams and John Vance.

Sample Roadway incident SOG: https://bshifter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Sample-Roadway-Incident-SOG-December-2025.pdf

Traffic Incident Management Training Here

For Waldorf University Blue Card credit and discounts: https://www.waldorf.edu/blue-card/

For free command and leadership support, check out bshifter.com

Sign up for the B Shifter Buckslip, our free weekly newsletter here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/fmgs92N/Buckslip

Shop B Shifter here: https://bshifter.myshopify.com

All of our links here: https://linktr.ee/BShifter

Contact Scott Williams here.

We dig into why roadway incidents are an IDLH and how to protect crews with smart blocking, better PPE, and interagency alignment. Case studies from Ohio, Kentucky, Texas, and Lubbock anchor the lessons and lead to concrete steps any department can use today.

• Applying a fireground risk model to highways 
• The Ohio near miss  
• Springdale LODD, grief, and culture change 
• Lubbock fatalities and helmet side-impact protection 
• Best-practice blocking and positioning 
• Send more apparatus, leave together, clear quick 
• TIM training options and regional coordination 
• Breakaway ANSI vests, rescue helmets, seat belts 
• Assigning a lookout and marine horn alerts 
• Digital alerting with HAAS Alert Safety Cloud 
• Writing, teaching, and enforcing the roadway SOP 
• Accountability, buy-in, and police partnerships

About Scott Williams: 

Scott has been in the fire service for 30 years and is a certified Ohio State Fire and Emergency Service Instructor II and a Live Fire Instructor.  He is a Blue Card Instructor, a national registered paramedic, and a trained IAFF Peer Supporter.  He is the Assistant Fire Chief for the Springdale Fire Department (OH).  He has served the City of Springdale for 23 years and held the ranks of Firefighter/Paramedic, Chief Fire Inspector, and Fire Captain prior to his current position.

He oversees the operations of the fire department and develops the department’s standard operating guidelines.  Chief Williams is always looking to better himself and the fire service.  He believes in continuous improvement of fireground skills and operations through regular and consistent training.  He is known for his honest approach and teaching others through his first-hand experiences.

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The Silverbacks are in the studio this week, talking about "who is training the Senior Advisor?"

This episode features Nick Brunacini, Terry Garrison, and John Vance.

We dig into the senior advisor’s real job on the fireground, why command vans work when they’re quiet and disciplined, and how multi-channel operations keep tactics moving while logistics and safety hum in the background. Stories from Phoenix show how training, structure, and clear roles turn chaos into control.

• Command evolution from lone IC to five-person team
• Senior advisor scope across logistics and safety
• Protecting the command post from distraction and drift
• Two- and three-channel setups for tactics, logistics and safety
• Staging flow, resource rosters and timely CAN reports
• Aligning training with operations for consistent outcomes
• Handling stakeholders by phone, not on the tactical channel
• Small-system playbook for staffing senior advisors
• Long-game risks: demob, rehab, PIO and political impacts
• Culture: dealing with brick throwers and enforcing alignment

Buy “Timeless Tactical Truths from Alan Brunacini” at bshifter.com in our store for only $10!

This episode was recorded at the Alan V. Brunacini Command Training Center in Phoenix on November 5, 2025.

For Waldorf University Blue Card credit and discounts: https://www.waldorf.edu/blue-card/

For free command and leadership support, check out bshifter.com

Sign up for the B Shifter Buckslip, our free weekly newsletter here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/fmgs92N/Buckslip

Shop B Shifter here: https://bshifter.myshopify.com

All of our links here: https://linktr.ee/BShifter

Thanks for listening - please subscribe and give us your support! 

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A Conversation with Captain Jarrett Tarver

This powerful episode features Captain Jarrett Tarver of the Sedona Fire District, brother of the late Bret Tarver, Phoenix Firefighter, whose ultimate sacrifice shaped how departments nationwide approach the hazard zone. 

Joined by Chris Stewart and John Vance, Jarrett reflects on his brother’s life, the day of the call, and how loss became a driving force for better training, stronger systems, and a culture that prioritizes bringing everyone home.

Candid and packed with real leadership takeaways, this episode honors the Tarver legacy while offering practical lessons every firefighter and officer can use.

In this episode:
• Who Bret was as a brother, father, husband, and firefighter
• The family’s path into the fire service
• The day of the call and its lasting impact
• Turning grief into change and action
• Tactical U-turns, risk management, and the courage to adapt
• Blue Card as a shared language and system for safe operations
• Mayday discipline, air management, and depth limits
• Company officer mindset — trust over micromanagement
• Supporting ICs after tough calls
• Brunacini’s timeless lesson on tactical agility

👉 For Waldorf University Blue Card credit and discounts: waldorf.edu/blue-card

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Please subscribe, share, and honor Bret’s legacy by leading with purpose.

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This episode features Josh Blum, Chris Stewart and John Vance.

For Waldorf University Blue Card credit and discounts: https://www.waldorf.edu/blue-card/

For free command and leadership support, check out bshifter.com

Sign up for the B Shifter Buckslip, our free weekly newsletter here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/fmgs92N/Buckslip

Shop B Shifter here: https://bshifter.myshopify.com

All of our links here: https://linktr.ee/BShifter

Please subscribe and share. Thank you for listening!

We challenge the way departments choose, vet, and apply training, separating hype from systems that improve outcomes. We show how to align classes with staffing, model procedures, and building realities, and how to turn outside lessons into standard practice without chaos.

• lifelong learning mindset and clear standards
• distinction between training skills and education why
• vetting instructors and course foundations before purchase
• handling self-funded training and knowledge reentry
• engaging disengaged chiefs through lead-up conversations
• top-down accountability for real participation in drills
• limits of copying big brother departments and tactics
• big box strategy focused on systems and risk management
• practical RIT priorities: prevention, air, orientation, extrication
• evidence-based command training and instructor credibility