B Shifter

Across The Street Productions

Fire command and leadership conversations for B Shifters and beyond (all shifts welcome)!

  1. 4 DAYS AGO

    Identifying Critical Fireground Factors at the Beginning of an Incident

    Send a text Josh Blum, Chris Stewart and John Vance look at how disciplined size-up and tight language reveal true critical factors and shape an incident action plan that works. We share tools for integrating risk management into strategy, avoiding busy work, and matching tactics to real resources. • why critical factors drive the incident action plan • three core size‑up questions that focus decisions • standard terms for fire conditions and why they matter • 360 and interior reports as continuous size‑up • overlaying risk management on strategy in real time • aligning tactics with actual staffing and capability • stopping duplication, avoiding busy work, keeping crews safe • leadership that prevents bad outcomes and sets clear limits Join us live March 11, 2026 for the instructor webinar on the download center and Blue Card resources. Sign up via the show notes to watch live, ask questions, or get the on‑demand replay. Sign up here: https://streamyard.com/watch/28zvKcGuWhZQ Buy “Timeless Tactical Truths from Alan Brunacini” at bshifter.com in our store for only $10! This episode was recorded on February 27, 2026. For Waldorf University Blue Card credit and discounts: https://www.waldorf.edu/blue-card/ For free command and leadership support, check out bshifter.com Sign up for the B Shifter Buckslip, our free weekly newsletter here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/fmgs92N/Buckslip Shop B Shifter here: https://bshifter.myshopify.com All of our links here: https://linktr.ee/BShifter Thanks for listening - please subscribe and give us your support!

    57 min

  2. 12 FEB

    Standard Conditions, Standard Actions, Standard Outcomes

    Send a text This episode features Chris Stewart, Steve Lester and John Vance We unpack how clear size-ups, shared language, and realistic tactics turn a scene into a coordinated fireground. Standard conditions guide standard actions, which create standard outcomes—and the trust to avoid freelancing and prevent avoidable failures. • defining standard conditions for typical occupancies in your district • using precise radio language that sets tempo and expectations • matching offensive or defensive strategy to true conditions • aligning tactics with staffing, arrival order, and capabilities • training chiefs in role to build trust and succession • measuring outcomes by all-clear, fire control, loss control • running hot washes that separate activity from results • avoiding benchmark overload that hides core objectives • embracing closed-loop communication and silence while work happens Buy “Timeless Tactical Truths from Alan Brunacini” at bshifter.com in our store for only $10! This episode was recorded at the Alan V. Brunacini Command Training Center in Phoenix on February 10, 2026. For Waldorf University Blue Card credit and discounts: https://www.waldorf.edu/blue-card/ For free command and leadership support, check out bshifter.com Sign up for the B Shifter Buckslip, our free weekly newsletter here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/fmgs92N/Buckslip Shop B Shifter here: https://bshifter.myshopify.com All of our links here: https://linktr.ee/BShifter Thanks for listening - please subscribe and give us your support!

    51 min

  3. 5 FEB

    How Leaders React & Interact

    Send a text This episode features Nick Brunacini, Terry Garrison and John Vance We dig into why reactions make or break leadership, how to de-escalate without dodging accountability, and why the best chiefs manage problems early and at the lowest level. Stories from the fireground and the station show how kindness, clarity, and standards live together. • Owning attitude and response under stress • Differentiating training gaps from discipline issues • Managing at the lowest level with real support • Using personal power over positional power • Pausing before acting to create options • Fixing problems early before they gain seniority • Stopping freelancing and backing standards • Modeling humor, consistency and calm • Handling HR and law enforcement escalation wisely • Treating one-offs differently from habitual behavior Read Terry Garrison's article here: https://bshifter.com/think-youre-a-strong-leader-your-reactions-might-prove-otherwise/ Buy “Timeless Tactical Truths from Alan Brunacini” at bshifter.com in our store for only $10! This episode was recorded at the Alan V. Brunacini Command Training Center in Phoenix on February 3, 2026. For Waldorf University Blue Card credit and discounts: https://www.waldorf.edu/blue-card/ For free command and leadership support, check out bshifter.com Sign up for the B Shifter Buckslip, our free weekly newsletter here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/fmgs92N/Buckslip Shop B Shifter here: https://bshifter.myshopify.com All of our links here: https://linktr.ee/BShifter Thanks for listening - please subscribe and give us your support!

    1h 17m

  4. 22 JAN

    Blue Card Rundown January, 2026

    Send a text Sign up for the Blue Card Instructor's Webinar here: https://streamyard.com/watch/fYtKhpy8ugz6 The episode feature Josh Blum and John Vance We share what’s new and what’s next for Blue Card in 2026, from revamped instructor training and standards alignment to expanding after-action reviews and regional grant models. The focus stays on competence, clean communication, and decisions that match deployment and risk. • regional training benefits and shared language • radio tickets and communications discipline • benton harbor AFG regional project and SDM workshops • revamped train the trainer with stronger why • alignment with NFPA 1550 and 1700 terminology • competence for ICs and instructors as certification standard • instructor webinar details and live Q&A • simulation previews tailored to staffing and deployment • after action reporting access beyond instructors • objective AARs guiding improvement and reinforcing wins • events calendar, Phoenix CTC seats, and road workshops • safety CEs, SOG updates, and tutorial videos • grants and funding paths for command training • conference meetups and direct support • weekly Buck Slip drills and free resources • EMS-to-hazmat decision making with CO case work Please like and subscribe, share it with your friends For Waldorf University Blue Card credit and discounts: https://www.waldorf.edu/blue-card/ For free command and leadership support, check out bshifter.com Sign up for the B Shifter Buckslip, our free weekly newsletter here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/fmgs92N/Buckslip Shop B Shifter here: https://bshifter.myshopify.com All of our links here: https://linktr.ee/BShifter Recorded on January 21, 2026

    54 min

  5. 16 JAN

    Strategic Shifts

    Send a text This episode features Josh Blum, Chris Stewart, and John Vance. We break down two fireground audios from Springdale, OH and Cobb County, GA  where command changes strategy before the buildings force the issue. Clear size-ups, clean handoffs, and disciplined use of divisions and on-deck show how standardized command-and-dispatch integration protects crews and closes incidents faster. • Springdale strip mall fire and regional standardization • Early 360, TLO assignments, and exposure checks • Roof report triggers proactive defensive switch • Dispatch integration with alert tones and tickets • Cobb County garage fire with extension and collapse • On-deck, water supply, and search coordination • Strategic shift timing based on structural integrity • After Action Reviews for shared learning across agencies If you would like us to showcase what you're doing at your department, please contact us in the show notes, and we’d be happy to showcase what you’re doing at your department with your audio  Please like and subscribe, share it with your friends For Waldorf University Blue Card credit and discounts: https://www.waldorf.edu/blue-card/ For free command and leadership support, check out bshifter.com Sign up for the B Shifter Buckslip, our free weekly newsletter here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/fmgs92N/Buckslip Shop B Shifter here: https://bshifter.myshopify.com All of our links here: https://linktr.ee/BShifter

    1h 2m

  6. 8 JAN

    NFPA 1700, Connecting The Work

    Send a text This episode features NFPA 1700 Committee Members George Healy, Murrey Loflin, Dan Madrzykowski, and Chris Stewart. Episode hosted and produced by John Vance We dive into the 2026 update of NFPA 1700 with a focus on search, lithium-ion hazards, and a cleaner common language for strategy and size-up. Research meets field experience to sharpen decisions, reduce confusion, and turn evidence into safer, faster operations.  • evolution of NFPA 1700 and why it matters  • what changed in 2026 across chapters 7, 9, 12, and 13  • lithium-ion battery fires and contamination control  • exterior fire control and strategy clarified  • search and rescue data that shapes victim removal  • making size up specific, actionable, and teachable  • 1700 as the emerging standard of care and legal context  • training, decon, and culture change for safer ops  • future needs in commercial fires and large buildings  • how policy, research, and command tie together    Please like and subscribe, share it with your friends This episode was recorded on January 7, 2026. For Waldorf University Blue Card credit and discounts: https://www.waldorf.edu/blue-card/ For free command and leadership support, check out bshifter.com Sign up for the B Shifter Buckslip, our free weekly newsletter here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/fmgs92N/Buckslip Shop B Shifter here: https://bshifter.myshopify.com All of our links here: https://linktr.ee/BShifter

    1h 7m

  7. 18/12/2025

    Command Lessons from Three 1.3M Sq Ft Distribution Center Fires

    Send a text This week on the B Shifter Podcast, Josh Blum and Johsn Vance are joined by Steven S. Sarver, Assistant Chief of Operations with the Monroe Fire Department (OH). Chief Sarver breaks down his department’s response to three separate incidents at a 1.3-million-square-foot distribution center, sharing hard-earned command lessons from complex, high-risk events. He explains how Blue Card principles—especially lessons reinforced in the Big Box Workshop—helped drive effective decision-making, coordination, and successful outcomes in a challenging big-box environment. We unpack how a 1.3 million square foot Amazon facility fire was held by sprinklers and managed by disciplined command. We share what changed across three incidents, why pumping the FDC is non-negotiable, and how preplans, tech, and patience keep crews safe. • department profile, coverage area, staffing • mutual aid setup across two counties • Amazon facility design, hazards, commodities • alarm upgrade logic and high-hazard card • attack team, on-deck, roof report essentials • FDC and fire pump priorities, water supply • ESFR head performance and stream discipline • locating seat with TICs, video, drones • evacuation confirmation and search mindset • riser maps, zone isolation, shutdown language • forklift-led overhaul and safety • AAR process, lessons learned, SOP updates • training resources, workshops, and standards “Hook up, pump up, and let the system run.” This episode was recorded at the Alan V. Brunacini Command Training Center in Phoenix on December 10, 2025. For Waldorf University Blue Card credit and discounts: https://www.waldorf.edu/blue-card/ For free command and leadership support, check out bshifter.com Sign up for the B Shifter Buckslip, our free weekly newsletter here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/fmgs92N/Buckslip Shop B Shifter here: https://bshifter.myshopify.com All of our links here: https://linktr.ee/BShifter

    58 min

  8. 09/12/2025

    Effective Outcomes & Customer Service

    Send a text This episode features Nick Brunacini, Terry Garrison, and John Vance. We push past acronyms and politics to center customer service as the fire service’s true north, linking training, staffing, and culture to outcomes for Mrs. Smith. We call out FINO departments, hazing, weak command presence, and political gamesmanship that erode trust and increase risk. • customer service as the organizing principle for chiefs and unions • training tied to standard problem-solving outcomes • tactics anchored to life safety through fire control • FINO departments and response time realities • overtime, constant staffing, and budget politics • using mayday and fatality data to defend night staffing • on-scene education to convert angry customers to allies • hazing, misconduct, and decisive leadership in crises • NIOSH lessons, lawsuits, and predictable, preventable failures • inside–outside culture alignment and whistleblower safety • influence over control as a leadership stance  Make sure to subscribe and tell your friends. This episode was recorded at the Alan V. Brunacini Command Training Center in Phoenix on December 4, 2025. For Waldorf University Blue Card credit and discounts: https://www.waldorf.edu/blue-card/ For free command and leadership support, check out bshifter.com Sign up for the B Shifter Buckslip, our free weekly newsletter here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/fmgs92N/Buckslip Shop B Shifter here: https://bshifter.myshopify.com All of our links here: https://linktr.ee/BShifter

    1h 11m
See All (173)

About

Fire command and leadership conversations for B Shifters and beyond (all shifts welcome)!

Information

  • Creator
    Across The Street Productions
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    173
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Across the Street Productions
  • Show Website
    B Shifter

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