Key the Mic: The Daily Dispatch Podcast

Chief Rhoda Mae Kerr is a fourth generation firefighter who has achieved numerous ‘firsts’ in her nearly 40-year career. Not only has she served as the first female Fire Chief in more than one department, she served as the President of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) in 2015, the first woman to do so in the Association’s 148-year history. Chief Kerr joins us to discuss her journey, the importance of leading by example, and how fire service leaders can foster inclusion within their departments.

Meet Rip Esselstyn, a pioneer for the advancement of plant-based eating. He’s a world-renowned triathlete, best selling author, and former firefighter, all of which has been powered by a Plant Strong lifestyle. Rip joins us to talk about his plant-based journey, food culture in the fire service, and the inextricable link between health and performance.

In this episode, we continue our discussion with COVID-19 innovators. Chiefs Jerry Wendt and Tyler Off tell us about their respective innovations in firehouse sanitization. Chief Wendt, with the Jefferson Fire Department in Wisconsin, used inexpensive, everyday items to devise a solution to disinfect ambulances. With careful research and testing, Chief Off and South Fork Fire & Rescue in Colorado were able to build a simple and effective decontamination chamber for N95 masks. The specs allowed for easy scalability and replication, helping to preserve PPE for the department at a very low cost.

In 2020, a highly contagious virus, shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE), and changing funding structures radically altered many of the day-to-day operations of fire departments across the United States. In response to COVID-19 and its various impacts, first responders and innovators across the country have stepped up to meet the challenge. These inventive thinkers have developed new tools and methods for providing care, while also protecting crews on the front lines of response.

In this episode, we speak with Bill Amador, a retired Fire Chief and current Director for Capture Management at Constellis. Bill discusses the benefits of UV light technology, and how it can be used by first responders to effectively combat the spread of COVID-19.