Combustible

Episode 080 - Joy, the Job, and Some Questions from Austin Kohler

The CTP Group

For this episode, we talk with “backstep” Firefighter Austin Kohler, who is only a few years into his career in the fire service. We ask him what he enjoys about the job, and what he didn’t expect about it. And about halfway through, we give Austin the upper-hand and let him ask us questions like:

• How do you perfect your craft in a position without the upper echelon thinking you’re a “turd” for not wanting to move up?

• Who was the best Driver Operator you ever worked with? And what’s the difference between a good Driver and a great Driver?

• How much talking on the radio is too much?

• How do you motivate older firefighters with a bad case of “Don’t-give-a-damns”?

• What is Blue Card? (from a previous episode)

For this episode, we talk with “backstep” Firefighter Austin Kohler, who is only a few years into his career in the fire service. We ask him what he enjoys about the job, and what he didn’t expect about it. And about halfway through, we give Austin the upper-hand and let him ask us questions like: How do you perfect your craft in a position without the upper echelon thinking you're a “turd” for not wanting to move up? Who was the best Driver Operator you ever worked with? And what’s the difference between a good Driver and a great Driver? How much talking on the radio is too much? How do you motivate older firefighters with a bad case of “Don’t-give-a-damns”? And What is Blue Card? (from a previous episode)

Episode 079 - Planning, Preparation, and Pivoting with Louie Bruno

The CTP Group

The book Leadership On The Line says a plan “is no more than today’s best guess.” So why do some in our profession get so attached to their plan that they can’t see when their plan has lost all chance to succeed?

In this episode, we sit down with Louie Bruno to talk about planning and preparation. Louie’s experiences in Technical Rescue for the last eight years have given him some valuable insight into the merits of planning, as well as the benefits of knowing when to pivot and rely on your preparation instead.

Episode 078 - The Tenth Man

The CTP Group

What you’re about to hear wasn’t really ever intended to be an episode. It was a side conversation that took place during a recording session in December 2019 that we just happened to record. We sat on it for over a year, but we’ve decided it’s something others should hear. It’s about what to do with a great idea before you try to implement it, and how your “great” idea can be even better. It first has to be exposed to the crucible of “The Tenth Man” -- a process like forging iron that will subject your idea to enormous heat, pounding from all different directions, bending, re-heating, more pounding, quenching, and tempering so you end up with an idea that can withstand daily use and just might change the world.

(Then) Lt. Colonel Hal Moore during the Battle of Ia Drang, 1965 in Vietnam.

Episode 077 - A Challenge for 2021, Hal Moore, and Buried Treasure

The CTP Group

We’re issuing all of our listeners a challenge in 2021. It’s only nine minutes long, but the effects could last for many years to come if you’re willing to take us up on it.

Episode 076 - A Better Version of Yourself?

The CTP Group

We’ll wager there isn’t a firefighter in the fire service who isn’t an advocate of training. But when you call that training “higher education” you start to get somewhat mixed reactions. Make higher education a prerequisite for some promotions, and now you’ve probably got some real disagreement.

What’s the correct balance between experience, training, and formal education? How do you measure experience against the other two? Which of them, if any, are indispensable? And if you’ve got formal education, what are you doing with it?

This episode had to be recorded remotely, so forgive some deficiencies with the sound quality. But it did mean that we have video to accompany our recording, so check us out on YouTube as well as all of the podcast listening platforms.

Episode 075 - A Risky Episode: Building Your Team of Rivals

The CTP Group

How do you figure out if someone is good for your team? Good for the organization? Good for you as a leader? What does it mean to build a diverse team, and how can different skillsets, talents, and perspectives be beneficial? Can they fill in the gaps that the team has, or that you don’t fill yourself? And when does it become unhealthy? When do differing opinions, or goals, or approaches become an obstacle to success?

In this episode, we attempt to answer all of those questions. Then Pabel proposes a system for evaluating risks and benefits, and we spend some time debating the challenges inherent in using it. In other words, what are the risks/benefits of using Pabel’s risk/benefit tool? Like the title of this episode says, you should surround yourself with people who will challenge you. We’re just practicing what we preach.

Photo by Konrad M from FreeImages

Episode 074 - Ten Rounds of Undermining and Custom Turnout Gear

The CTP Group

When you don’t agree with a decision made above you, is it wrong to let people know you don’t agree? For this Ten Rounds we discuss whether telling those you are supervising that you don’t agree with something undermines authority or whether it actually helps you get that thing done. Then, as is the nature of these Ten Rounds episodes, Pabel takes us in a completely different direction to talk about why turnout gear should be better designed for the individual.

Episode 073 - Screw-Ups Are Your BFF

The CTP Group

No matter how hard we try to avoid them, screw-ups are going to happen. When they happen, we shouldn’t avoid acknowledging them. Don’t wear them like a badge of honor, but own them nonetheless. You’ve already paid the price for the lesson; you might as well get the benefit of learning from it.

In this episode, we go over some of our own personal biggest screw-ups (not counting the previous examples in Episodes 22, 25, 26, and 28) and how to really capitalize on the fact that you’re going to screw-up. We also take some time to talk about how to write your letter about your screw-up; what to include, and more importantly what not to put in it.

Photo by Gábor Suhajda on FreeImages

Episode 072 - Ten Rounds Of Managing Expectations

CTP Group

At the end of our last recording session we only had twenty minutes left to record, which isn’t enough for a full episode. So Hatch suggested we do Ten Rounds. It’s simple: any one of us can talk for two minutes uninterrupted on any topic we want. When the bell ends that round, someone else can either continue on the topic, or start on a different topic. They talk uninterrupted for two minutes, and then the next….well, you get the idea. Ten rounds of two minutes equals a 20 minute podcast.

Shane starts this one off talking for two minutes on managing expectations, and we go from there.