By now, you’ve heard over and over about the value of professional counseling. But, I know, you’re probably still skeptical. Maybe you think it’s too-touchy feely. Maybe you’re worried that word will get out that you’re seeing a shrink. Or it could be that you just don’t think a therapist will understand what you do for a living. That’s why, today, we’re going to talk about what exactly happens when you walk into a counselor’s office. Here to discuss that with me is Courtney Stewart. Courtney is a licensed professional counselor in Wisconsin and Illinois, as well as a law enforcement wife and mother. She works in corrections as a therapist and volunteers as a mental health consultant for law enforcement peer support teams.

A lot of volunteer fire departments are worried about the dwindling number of new recruits. But what about holding onto the members already in the ranks? That takes a little effort and it may require some structural changes, too. It may be necessary, though, because turnover is the enemy of a solid volunteer department. Here to discuss that with me is Ed Dolan. He’s been a member of the Catskill Fire Department in New York for 30 years, and he’s served 16 years as a chief officer.

When you hear the term “primary search,” what comes to mind? Is it something an engine crew does while they’re advancing the line? Or is it the job of the truck crew? And if you’re the first-in engine at a structure fire, and believe there might be victims inside, what’s your priority? Today’s guest says you might want to hash that out before the tones drop. Dave LeBlanc is a Deputy Chief with the Harwich, Massachusetts Fire Department. Dave started in the Fire Service back in 1986 as a Call Firefighter with the Dennis Fire Department while attending college. He’s also been a volunteer with the Allingtown and West Haven Fire Districts in West Haven.

Have you ever become lost in a burning structure? It ‘ll cause a pretty severe pucker factor, as my Air Force friends call it. And, yes, becoming lost in a fire can easily be fatal. Today, we’re going to hear from a captain in a volunteer department who found himself lost in a burning building. Captain Alex Davis of the Lower Providence Fire Department in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania has some important observations about the experience.

You don’t have to be the senior man at your station to have learned some valuable lessons. The things we learn that improve how we do our jobs sometimes come from keeping an open mind and asking questions. My guest today condensed a few concepts he picked up that way into Firehouse.com article. Charlie Evans has fewer than five years in the fire service, but he wrote about four lessons he’s learned as a firefighter in Lynchburg, Virginia.

This week was the premiere of A&E’s Live Rescue show. And this week, I’m reviewing it. Maybe I can help you decide if it’s worth your two hours every Monday night.

If you haven’t yet had the experience of having a victim of a structure fire die, all I can say is, you will. It’s not something anyone can really prepare for, and – especially if you were the one who pulled the victim out – it never gets any easier. Thankfully, most fires these days don’t result in fatalities. But what changes when you arrive at a working fire and a bystander tells you there’s someone inside? That’s what we’re discussing with today’s guest. John Lightly is a battalion chief in the Youngstown, Ohio fire department. He’s got over 20 years on the job, and he’s seen his share of civilian fatalities.

FDIC 2019 is in the books, and a lot of you were there this time. The conference was first held in 1929. It now draws in excess of 30,000 participants, making it one of Indiana’s biggest conventions. To find out how it went this year, my guest today is Bobby Halton. He is the editor-in-chief of Fire Engineering magazine and education director of the FDIC. He began his career with the Albuquerque Fire Department and came up through the ranks to serve as chief of training and chief of operations. He retired in 2004, then became chief of the Coppell, Texas Fire Department. He left that job to work for Fire Engineering Magazine.

Do you ever get the feeling that there are some people doing this job who really aren’t into it? They’re around -- but that's all. They’re mostly found in the ranks of the volunteer departments. These are the guys who want to wear the t-shirt and say they’re a firefighter—but don’t actually want to do the work.Now, you may want to just jettison these people. But what if you could motivate them to become actual assets on the fireground? That’s what my guest today would like to do. Jeremy Perrien is the Chief of the Scott County Rural Fire District in Missouri. It’s a volunteer agency, and Jeremy was hired to head it up in 2010. He has 20 years in emergency services.

What does it take to be a fire officer? There’s more to it than just giving orders, of course. In fact, being a great officer could be considered a skill … or even an art. My guest today wrote a post for the Firefighter Nation website about the art of being a fire officer. Kirk Galatas is Interim Assistant Chief at the Mukilteo Fire Department in Washington state. He began his career as a firefighter with the US Air Force right out of high school and then worked as a volunteer firefighter.