If you're on a volunteer department, chances are you are getting about 1 hour of training per week. If you're career - you're not safe either. Many crews out there only get about hour of actual, good training/week too. Do we really think this is enough to be effective in our roles?

"We're busy" , "I have a family" , "I'm so tired" , "We don't go on that many calls" , "My crew is too relaxed *ahem* er - lazy" , "All of our calls are the same boring thing, so why should I waste my time to train on anything else?". I get it. I've been there. But - there are easy, applicable ways to add training into our everyday routines and make it work with us, not against us. Let's dig in.

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As always, I don’t claim to be an expert, I just love to talk fire and I’m not afraid to get into real & deep discussions.  Everything I say is my own opinion and does not reflect the opinions of any agency or organization I am associated with.

Have a topic or question you want me to cover?  Know someone who would like to be a guest on the podcast? Let me know!        

Get Official Podcast Merch at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠couplingsfirepodcast.myspreadshop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

For 15% off of Flame Decon, use code "couplings15" at checkout! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.FlameDecon.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Find my favorite fire conferences: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linktr.ee/couplingsfirepodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Be sure to let me know what you thought of the podcast by leaving a rating, review, and by reaching out! [email protected]

Find me on Social Media! Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/CouplingsFirePodcast  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.instagram.com/couplingsfirepodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠     YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.youtube.com/channel/UC75ze7HT8IAlVYwV1y5Aosg

I've been to a lot of conferences lately and there's one thing that keeps coming up: Man, we sometimes just suck at public speaking . The information is good, but the delivery plain old sucks.

And, I get it. You're probably asking yourself now: "I'm never gonna teach a class, host a podcast, or become famous - so why should it matter to me?" or "I'm a serious firefighter and people don't care how I speak. The information is good and that is enough." Well, I'm here to shed a light on a thought - public speaking is a useful and often discounted skill that can be used with an audience of 1 just as easily and effectively as an audience of 1,000 - and we owe it to ourselves and our maker to build that skill and use it for good. Let's dig in.

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As always, I don’t claim to be an expert, I just love to talk fire and I’m not afraid to get into real & deep discussions.  Everything I say is my own opinion and does not reflect the opinions of any agency or organization I am associated with.

Have a topic or question you want me to cover?  Know someone who would like to be a guest on the podcast? Let me know!        

Get Official Podcast Merch at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠couplingsfirepodcast.myspreadshop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

For 15% off of Flame Decon, use code "couplings15" at checkout! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.FlameDecon.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Find my favorite fire conferences: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linktr.ee/couplingsfirepodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Be sure to let me know what you thought of the podcast by leaving a rating, review, and by reaching out! [email protected]

Find me on Social Media! Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/CouplingsFirePodcast  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.instagram.com/couplingsfirepodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠     YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.youtube.com/channel/UC75ze7HT8IAlVYwV1y5Aosg

The Comeback.

Guys - I'm ready. It's been A WHILE. So, join me for  the first of many more episodes to come.

Today, let's get into what my tips are for submitting proposals to conferences. I read tons of proposals every year getting ready for Les Lukert, so I know a lot of basic mistakes that are made, what I like to see, and some small extra things that'll give you a bit of an edge. There are some that may seem basic and definitely others you never thought of. Let's dig in.

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As always, I don’t claim to be an expert, I just love to talk fire and I’m not afraid to get into real & deep discussions.  Everything I say is my own opinion and does not reflect the opinions of any agency or organization I am associated with.

Have a topic or question you want me to cover?  Know someone who would like to be a guest on the podcast? Let me know!        

Get Official Podcast Merch at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠couplingsfirepodcast.myspreadshop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

For 15% off of Flame Decon, use code "couplings15" at checkout! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.FlameDecon.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Find my favorite fire conferences: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linktr.ee/couplingsfirepodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Be sure to let me know what you thought of the podcast by leaving a rating, review, and by reaching out! [email protected]

Find me on Social Media! Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/CouplingsFirePodcast  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.instagram.com/couplingsfirepodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠     YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.youtube.com/channel/UC75ze7HT8IAlVYwV1y5Aosg

Join me for Car Chronicles.  

Is there ever a good time to break the rules? No, I'm not talking about going rogue, but going against the basic rules of the fire service & fire suppression. I think there is. Let's dig in.

**Don't take any episode - ESPECIALLY THIS ONE - out of context. What's best for your department needs to be discussed between you, your officers, and your department.**

Are you like me - where when you take long drives to conferences or other destinations, your brain just... runs?  You find yourself on a topic, can't stop thinking about it, get completely fired up, and want to talk to someone right then?  Yeah - it happens to me a lot.  So, I introduce you to Car Chronicles.  The audio isn't the best, but the content is straight from my heart.  No notes - just solid stream of consciousness and a look into how my brain works & processes topics.

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Have a topic or question you want me to cover?  Know someone who would like to be a guest on the podcast? Let me know!        

Find my favorite fire conferences: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linktr.ee/couplingsfirepodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Be sure to let me know what you thought of the podcast by leaving a rating, review, and by reaching out!

Find me on Social Media!

Bill Grossnicklaus is back as he amends a statement he made in the previous episode. Here at the Couplings Fire Podcast, we value transparency and honesty - so we are happy to bring this update to you by Bill himself.

Join me for Car Chronicles.  

This episode, we're getting into Saying No. Do we stretch ourselves too thin that we leave ourselves ragged and in no shape to give anyone our best? I have some thoughts.  Let's dig in.

Are you like me - where when you take long drives to conferences or other destinations, your brain just... runs?  You find yourself on a topic, can't stop thinking about it, get completely fired up, and want to talk to someone right then?  Yeah - it happens to me a lot.  So, I introduce you to Car Chronicles.  The audio isn't the best, but the content is straight from my heart.  No notes - just solid stream of consciousness and a look into how my brain works & processes topics.

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Have a topic or question you want me to cover?  Know someone who would like to be a guest on the podcast? Let me know!        

Find my favorite fire conferences: ⁠⁠⁠⁠linktr.ee/couplingsfirepodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠

Be sure to let me know what you thought of the podcast by leaving a rating, review, and by reaching out!

Find me on Social Media!

It's time for another Fireflix & Chill.

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Have a topic or question you want me to cover?  Know someone who would like to be a guest on the podcast? Let me know!        

Find my favorite fire conferences: ⁠⁠⁠linktr.ee/couplingsfirepodcast⁠⁠⁠

Be sure to let me know what you thought of the podcast by leaving a rating, review, and by reaching out!

Find me on Social Media!

Pessimism is a common thread in the first responder industry - and sometimes I get so sick of it! We have the privilege to do this job, so let's act like it.

Have a topic or question you want me to cover?  Know someone who would like to be a guest on the podcast? Let me know!        

Find my favorite fire conferences: ⁠⁠linktr.ee/couplingsfirepodcast⁠⁠

Be sure to let me know what you thought of the podcast by leaving a rating, review, and by reaching out!

Find me on Social Media!

Part 2 with Kyle Straight!

This episode, we get into all things F.O.O.L.S. (Fraternal Order Of Leatherheads Society). What are they about, is there a chapter near you, how do you join, and even more questions will be asked and answered. Be ready for plenty of rabbit trails - Kyle and I just can't help ourselves!

Have a topic or question you want me to cover?  Know someone who would like to be a guest on the podcast? Let me know!        

Find my favorite fire conferences: ⁠⁠⁠linktr.ee/couplingsfirepodcast⁠⁠⁠

Be sure to let me know what you thought of the podcast by leaving a rating, review, and by reaching out!

Find me on Social Media!