Code 3 - The Firefighters' Podcast Scott Orr

If you’ve ever known a firefighter who committed suicide, you know how it can change your life.
It may have come as a complete surprise to you. Or maybe you had been worried about the firefighter’s state of mind.
There’s been a lot said and written about what we can do for ourselves to prevent suicide.
But today, we’re going to talk about a program designed to help you intervene in another firefighter’s emotional crisis before it becomes a fatal one.
It's called “Small Bites.” Because that’s how you fix an elephant-size problem…one small bite at a time.
The program was developed by Sheena Glover. She is a captain with the Omaha, Nebraska Fire Department. She’s a 15-year veteran and holds several specialty ratings. Sheena is just the fourth Black female in the history of the department.

Friday, June 30, 2023, is the 10th anniversary of the deaths of 19 wildland firefighters in Arizona.
They were hotshots, the kind of people who really do fight fire with fire.
Led by a consummate professional, the team made a move that no one expected and no one can explain.
That move caused the deaths of the entire crew except for a lookout, who was stationed some distance away.
To help me tell their story today, I’ve enlisted the help of Todd Able. He’s a battalion chief with the Central Arizona Fire and Medical Authority. He is also an experienced Type I Operations Section Chief for wildland fires. And that’s where he was assigned on the Yarnell Hill fire.

It’s getting hotter outside, and that traditionally signals the start of wildland fire season in the U.S.
Nowadays, of course, there’s no real “season” when wildland fires burn. The season can be all year long in some parts of the country.
We won’t argue about the reasons why—suffice it to say, wildland fires are growing bigger and more frequent than in the past.
And, as residents of the northeast U.S. can attest, they are starting to burn in less fire-prone regions.
With that in mind, and considering that this month is the 10th anniversary of the loss of the Granite Mountain Hotshots in Arizona, we’re talking wildland fires.
This time, it’s a sort of primer on decision-making for those fighting fires in the backcountry. And some lessons learned from a guest who’s familiar to those who have listened to Code 3 for a while.
Chad Costa is Assistant Fire Chief for the city of Petaluma, California. He’s had 24 years of experience working in both urban and wildland firefighting environments. That includes time at Cal Fire and as an Operations Branch Director for California Interagency Team 1.

How fit are you?
If you’re newer to the fire service, say two or three years in, you’re probably still in reasonably good shape. After all, you had to meet minimum standards at the fire academy.
But unless you’ve kept up with the physical fitness regimen, you may be getting a little soft around the middle.
Or losing endurance.
My guest today says it’s time to do something about that.
Aaron Zamzow is a firefighter/training officer at the Madison, Wisconsin, Fire Department. He has 20 years of experience as a fitness trainer, for athletes and others. He created Fire Rescue Fitness and lectures everywhere.
And he has a podcast, too, called Better Every Shift, on FireRescue1.com

On this episode, we’re talking with Phil Jose, the expert on reading smoke.
As you may know—and as Phil likes to remind us—smoke is fuel.
In most cases, it’s just waiting for the right conditions to ignite.
We’ll discuss how to keep that from happening.
Also on the agenda is a little talk about the relative merits of vertical ventilation. When do you go to the roof and start opening it up? It’s all about coordination.
And finally, we’ll talk about when it’s time to change how things are done on your fireground.
Sounds interesting, doesn’t it?
Phil Jose retired from Seattle Fire Department as the Deputy Chief of Operations/Shift Commander after 31 years of service. He’s had the opportunity to work in the training division as a Lieutenant, Captain, and Deputy Chief. Phil is a popular seminar speaker around the country, a published author, and he also runs Ignition Point Training.

We’ve talked several times on this show about PTSD and its effects on firefighters. It’s a serious problem, one that affects nearly 40 percent of first responders.
On this edition of Code 3, we’re going to talk about a documentary available on YouTube that brings the problem home in a very impactful way.
It's titled, “The Call We Carry: Confronting PTSD in the Fire Service.”
It’s quite a good documentary, packing a lot into just over an hour of screen time, and winning some prestigious film festival awards.
The film was produced and directed by firefighter-paramedic Cody Shea. He’s been with the Tacoma, Washington Fire Department since 2018.