Please Suck Less

I welcome Asst. Chief Justin McCarthy of the New Haven Fire Dept. to the show. Justin and I talk about the lack of leadership training in the fire department. What would a good leadership class would look like. How do we encourage our people to make decisions and not live in fear of getting in trouble. 

Never forget we are always students and we must strive to learn everyday

I took the show in a different direction this month. As emergency service workers and military, we are exposed to terrible things. There are times we need help to cope and process. We are fortunate to have Behavioral Health Specialists imbedded in the fire service, police force and military to help.

I had the pleasure of speaking to Frederick County's Behavioral Health Coordinator Natalie Bowers. Natalie discussed her work and what she offers to the men and women of Frederick County Fire and Rescue. We don't have to suffer alone there is a path to good mental health for us and our families. 

This is such great information in this podcast. Please take the time to listen. There are links on my Facebook as Instagram to seek addition help and information.

Sam and I talked about what to do when the boss has his hands in your job and how you can resolve the issue. Good respectful communication is key. Most likely the boss does not realize he is micromanaging you. 

As an officer you need to make decisions. it is ok to make mistakes. Own your mistakes and share what you learned with your crew and peers.

I welcome Dave McGlynn to my show. Dave is the Training Assistant Chief at Letterkenny Army Depot. Dave shares his experience as a chief on how to overcome shortcomings, lack of experience and administrative  knowledge through training, putting your ego in check and asking for help.

Having pride in your company is great, make sure your pride does not blind you to learning new things. 

RJ and Sam join me in the studio to discuss combination fire and rescue system and the challenges that arise in these systems.

COVID has eased up and we are being called to teach more. We talk about upcoming classes we are teaching and how training helps bring career and volunteers together to focus on the fire service mission. 

Frank Ricci and I discuss firehouse communications. There are many ways, as leaders we communicate with our officers and firefighters. It is an art and as a boss you have to learn how to master it. The kitchen table is a great place to have discussions and learn to listen to your people. Mastering 1 on 1 communications allows you to gain great insight as to what is going on inthe stations and resolve conflicts and finally stop rumors that are false and offer insight on things that are true. Being a great communicator and listener grows your leadership credibility. 

Part 3 of my interview with Dave Braun. Dave has a great story that you have to hear. Make sure you listen to part 1 and 2. 

To all the leaders out there, make sure you are there for your people. Make sure you recognize when they are in need of help.

I continue the podcast with Dave Braun. 

Dave Braun joins me on the show again. David dives deep into his personal life through all the ups and downs and how he succeeded as a Marine, husband, dad and a firefighter. He tells all the lessons he learned along the way.

In this episode I take a different direction. I had the pleasure of talking to my long time friend Kemo. Kemo was the guitar play in our band. Kemo has been busy over the last 30 years including music, stand up comedy, recording a parody album, being a dad and a husband.

We reminisce about the band days being on stage and just having fun.