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This week, we’re joined by two outstanding guests: Erik Phillips, Captain with Las Vegas Fire & Rescue (Nev.) and Fire Chief of Diamond Valley Fire Department (Utah), and Gary Fleischer, District Chief with Worcester (Mass.) Fire Department.

Together, we challenge first-in officers to own their role with clear expectations, disciplined size-ups, and early, coordinated assignments outside the IDLH. We dive into the culture of training, monitoring, and accountable improvement—and how Blue Card turns noise into command during the first five minutes.

You’ll hear stories, tools, and drills on:
• Defining first-due ownership and IC-1 expectations
• Using preplans and everyday calls as micro preplans
• Turning smoke detector checks into high-yield life safety work
• The four-step model: expectation, training, monitoring, accountability
• Level 1 staging as a tool, not a delay
• Eliminating freelancing and duplication of effort
• Building judgment through radio reps and tactical decision games
• Using AARs, hot washes, and audio reviews for continuous improvement
• Reinforcing culture to avoid accidental success and drift
• And a timeless tactical truth: See before you speak

Tune in, train hard, and lead with clarity.
Sign up for the Buckslip newsletter and grab free IC resources at bshifter.com

We want your helmet (for the AVB CTC)! Check this out to find out more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg5_ZwoCZo0

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Waldorf University articulates Blue Card training into credits! More here: https://waldorf.edu/lp/blue-card/

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We want your helmet (for the AVB CTC)! Check this out to find out more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg5_ZwoCZo0

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

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Waldorf University articulates Blue Card training into credits! More here: https://waldorf.edu/lp/blue-card/

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We share practical ways to build, lose, and rebuild trust inside a fire department, from consistent leadership and empowerment to acting on what you already know. We talk candidly about naming problems, guarding policy boundaries with data, and turning hard lessons into shared learning.

• conference highlights and thanks from Cincinnati
• upcoming NFPA 1700 webinar details and timing
• why trust collapses and how morale affects service
• consistency and candor as leadership basics
• empowerment and safety as trust multipliers
• listening for themes and sensing authenticity
• naming the problem and taking timely action
• fixing low-hanging fruit to build credibility
• guarding high-risk policies with data and presence
• debriefs, hot washes, and shared learning

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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/lp/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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We sit down at the Blue Card Hazard Zone Conference to discuss how division bosses actually make the fireground safer and calmer. We draw a hard line between tactical and strategic roles, explain NFPA 1700 updates, and show how to fix oversaturated divisions before they fail.

• purpose of a division boss in type 4/5 incidents
• triggers for standing up a division boss
• NFPA 1700 size‑up and search insights
• difference between tactical and strategic roles
• why “Operations” isn’t a house‑fire shortcut
• span of control limits and real thresholds
• pairing a division boss with a support officer
• TLO assignments that reduce radio noise
• managing Mayday and victim removals
• splitting floors and sides to prevent overload
• training company officers to think, not just do
• calm, professional radio traffic and decision models

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This episode features Josh Blum and John Vance.

For Waldorf University Blue Card credit and discounts: https://www.waldorf.edu/lp/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!

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We want your helmet (for the AVB CTC)! Check this out to find out more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg5_ZwoCZo0

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

Waldorf University articulates Blue Card training into credits! More here: https://waldorf.edu/lp/blue-card/

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The Silverbacks, Nick Brunancini, Terry Garrison, Pat Dale, and John Vance discuss the anatomy and physiology of leadership, focusing on how effective fire service leaders balance priorities and build trust through active listening.

• Addressing the viral social media post about uniforms that received over 200,000 views
• Exploring Bruno's hierarchy of leadership engagement where service delivery takes priority over trivial matters
• Discussing the Blue Card Hazard Zone Conference in Ohio featuring Silverback leadership class
• Examining active listening as a critical leadership skill that builds organizational trust
• Sharing real-world examples of how listening and taking action resolved issues like unsafe apparatus
• Contrasting leaders who focus on service delivery versus those who micromanage uniform policies
• Exploring how accessibility and where leaders physically spend their time impacts trust
• Emphasizing the importance of simplicity in procedures and communication
• Highlighting that the primary focus of fire service leadership should always be the work and service delivery

Check out Timeless Tactical Truths at the B Shifter store for $10—makes a great Christmas stocking stuffer!

This episode was recorded in Phoenix, AZ on September 9, 2025

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 Best of B Shifter: The Initial Radio Report

This fan-favorite episode—one of the most downloaded in B Shifter history—dives into what Chief Alan Brunacini called “probably one of the most important communications we transmit throughout an entire incident”: the Initial Radio Report (IRR).

Nick Brunacini and Josh Blum break down why the IRR sets the tone for safety, coordination, and success on the fireground. Using real-world audio, they explore excellent examples from Colerain Township, Ohio, including strong dispatcher interaction, as well as a full IRR, follow-up, and command transfer from the Las Vegas Fire Department.

The episode wraps up with a timeless lesson, as the crew pulls a card from Bruno’s Timeless Tactical Truths deck and unpacks how it applies to today’s incident commanders.

If you want to sharpen your command skills with practical takeaways from the street, this “Best of B Shifter” episode delivers.

Originally aired: October 19, 2021

We want your helmet (for the AVB CTC)! Check this out to find out more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg5_ZwoCZo0

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

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

Waldorf University articulates Blue Card training into credits! More here: https://waldorf.edu/lp/blue-card/

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We want your helmet (for the AVB CTC)! Check this out to find out more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg5_ZwoCZo0

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

Waldorf University articulates Blue Card training into credits! More here: https://waldorf.edu/lp/blue-card/

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Nick Brunicini, Terry Garrison, and Pat Dale examine the vital connection between internal department culture and external customer service in the fire service.

The Silverback Leadership Series offers veteran fire chiefs' wisdom on leveraging strategic planning to shape department culture and improve service delivery. Fire service leaders discuss practical approaches to create meaningful change that lasts beyond a chief's tenure.

• Strategic plans must become living documents rather than shelf decorations
• Involve approximately 30% of personnel in developing strategic plans to ensure buy-in
• Focus on tackling the top priorities each year with quarterly progress reports
• Develop simple, memorable messaging that captures your department's values
• Empower company officers as the critical link between administration and service delivery
• Trust must flow throughout the organization for strategic initiatives to succeed
• Define what empowerment means with clear parameters for personnel
• Celebrate "added value" service that exceeds basic emergency response
• Create consistent departmental culture rather than different approaches by shift or station
• Align strategic objectives with daily work so they become "what you do now"

The Blue Card Hazard Zone Conference is coming to Sharonville, Ohio, September 29th through October 3rd. Register now at bshifter.com to secure your spot in workshops and general sessions.  

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This episode is hosted by Josh Blum, Chris Stewart,  and John Vance.

We want your helmet (for the AVB CTC)! Check this out to find out more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg5_ZwoCZo0

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

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This episode was recorded on August 15, 2025 in Orlando, Florida at Fire Rescue International.

The B-Shifters explore why incident action plans matter for fireground operations and firefighter safety, emphasizing the importance of a single, coordinated approach versus multiple disconnected plans.

• Incident action plans require proper size-up, evaluation of critical factors, risk management, and strategy selection before implementation
• "Size-up plus three" helps company officers think about what their company will do and what the next 2-3 companies should do
• IAPs must be continuously evaluated and revised based on changing conditions
• Command transfers require clear communication about the current plan and whether it should continue or change
• Effective IAPs must adapt to resource limitations, including staffing challenges
• Task, location, and objective assignments provide clear responsibilities for companies
• A poor plan directly impacts safety and effectiveness on the fireground

Join us for the 2025 Blue Card Hazard Zone Conference in Sharonville, Ohio, September 29 through October 3rd. Visit bshifter.com for information and registration. Workshops are filling up quickly!

Please subscribe to the B Shifter Podcast!

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This episode is hosted by Josh Blum, Chris Stewart,  and John Vance.

We want your helmet (for the AVB CTC)! Check this out to find out more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg5_ZwoCZo0

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!

This episode was recorded on August 13, 2025 in Orlando, Florida at Fire Rescue International.

The B-Shifter podcast explores the critical importance of risk management on the fireground and how it integrates with strategic decision-making for safer, more effective operations.

• Risk management follows Brunacini's risk management model: risk a lot to save lives, risk a little for property, risk nothing for what's already lost
• Effective risk assessment requires understanding critical fireground factors including building construction, fire behavior, and occupancy
• Risk perception changes as firefighters promote through the ranks, shifting from personal risk acceptance to responsibility for others
• Strategic decisions must be reevaluated throughout the incident as conditions change or new information becomes available
• Organizational culture around risk management must extend beyond emergency scenes to daily operations and training
• A systematic approach to command ensures consistent, safer operations compared to the "we've always done it this way" mindset
• Fire departments often implement better systems only after experiencing line-of-duty deaths instead of learning from others' experiences
• Continuous improvement requires honest assessment of all incidents, not just those with negative outcomes

Come visit the B-Shifter team at FRI in Orlando at booth 1151 in the Tech Zone. Register to win free passes to the Hazard Zone Conference in Sharonville, Ohio.

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This episode is hosted by Erik Phillips, Steve Lester, Greg Timinsky and John Vance.

We want your helmet (for the AVB CTC)! Check this out to find out more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg5_ZwoCZo0

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

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This episode was recorded on August 5, 2025 in Daytona Beach, Florida.

The B-Shifters explores the crucial importance of size-up from various perspectives on the fireground, recorded poolside in Daytona Beach during a Blue Card Train the Trainer in Volusia County, Florida.

• First-arriving officers must effectively communicate what they see through proper initial radio reports
• The 360° walk-around gives commanders complete information about all sides of a structure
• Size-up matters because it helps track position and function of all personnel on scene
• Standard Operating Procedure systems don't always account for the dynamic nature of each incident
• Critical fire ground factors must drive tactical decisions rather than rigid predetermined assignments
• First-in officers should think "size-up plus three" - considering the next three things needed to mitigate the situation
• CAN reports (Conditions, Actions, Needs) are essential for maintaining situational awareness throughout the incident
• Effective size-up leads to fires being extinguished faster with fewer resources
• Companies must communicate their arrival on scene for proper tracking and accountability
• "Accidental success" occurs when fires go well despite poor command procedures

Join us at the 2025 Blue Card Hazard Zone Conference in Sharonville, Ohio, September 29 through October 3rd. Register now at bshifter.com as many pre-conference workshops are already filling up.