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Better Every Shift: Daily Summaries Delivered
by FireRescue1
FireRescue1’s Better Every Shift Podcast spotlights the passion and perseverance of firefighters. Hosted by Madison, Wisconsin, Firefighter Aaron Zamzow, the show brings kitchen table conversations to the airwaves, always focused on solutions, positivity and the realities of station life. Zamzow and guests tackle myriad hot topics, whether fire service, news or even pop culture-focused, bringing some levity to the often very serious nature of the profession. Dig into what drives firefighters to improve themselves, their crew, even the fire service as a whole. Listen in to get better every day, every call, every shift.
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- 2 weeks ago37 min
How to build realistic command simulations
Some of the hardest fires you’ll ever command are ones you can’t safely recreate for real. A well-built simulation is the closest most firefighters will get. Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department Captain Mark Killion explains how to build command simulations that hold up: Stagger unit arrivals using real response data, tie fire behavior to the clock, script the radio traffic with multiple voices, and build every scenario around structures in your first-due. Get it wrong and you risk creating a “training scar.” Get the culture right — no “gotcha” — and officers can actually learn from it. Killion and Zam offer practical steps for taking your sims beyond the size-up. Read next: Incident command simulations: Inside one department’s process Command resources: Get more command-focused training at FireRescue1’s Fire Command Ready series This episode of the Better Every Shift Podcast is sponsored by Verizon Frontline, the advanced network and technology for first responders. Learn more about incident command in FireRescue1’s Fire Command Ready series. Enjoying the show? Email editor@firerescue1.com to share feedback.
- 3 weeks ago38 min
Is your culture your best recruiter?
The best recruiting pitch might be the one you never make. Kentland (Md.) Volunteer Fire Department Sergeant Alex Caldaro says his Prince George’s County house doesn’t beg for members, doesn’t lower its standards and doesn’t require a minimum number of hours — yet it runs 4,000 to 5,000 calls a year and has kept four volunteers on the truck around the clock since 1995. Caldaro explains how ride-alongs, word of mouth and a humble culture do what flyers can’t, why giving members a voice builds buy-in, and what “10% pressure 100% of the time” looks like in practice. Whether you’re fighting a retention problem or trying to hold on to the people you have, he offers practical ideas for building a department people want to stay in. This episode of the Better Every Shift Podcast is sponsored by TheFireStore. Learn more about getting the gear you need at prices you can afford by visiting TheFireStore. Enjoying the show? Email editor@firerescue1.com to share feedback.
- Oct 8, 202637 min
USA vs. Australia: What each fire service does better
Australia has been using door control and flow path for roughly a decade longer than we have — and it's still wrestling with the same recruitment, burnout and mental health problems you are. After separate trips there, Zam and Fire Chief Jason Caughey compare what they saw: state-level purchasing that puts the same PPE and apparatus in downtown Sydney and rural towns, decon taught from the first day of the academy, and turnout gear swapped out after every fire. They’re just as candid about what doesn't work, from academies that don’t fail anyone to focusing more on performance-based training. Caughey and Zam come back with practical ideas worth borrowing, whether you run a rural department or a busy urban company. Enjoying the show? Email editor@firerescue1.com to share feedback.
- Oct 1, 202639 min
‘I need to talk’: Four words can change everything
“Meet me at the bench.” That’s it. No explanation required. Retired Orlando firefighters Chris DeMaagd and Joseph McCluan created The Bench 988 as a safe place for firefighters who want to connect with someone — ideally starting a conversation before they hit a crisis point. The Bench 988 started as an idea to memorialize two Orlando firefighters lost to suicide but quickly grew into something much bigger: weekly walks, peer support and a way to keep retirees connected with active members. DeMaagd calls it “putting tennis shoes on the kitchen table” — taking the camaraderie firefighters miss after retirement and adding movement, sunlight and meaningful connection. Joe and Chris share how they chose the bench location, why attaching 988 matters and what departments should consider before creating their own. But the bigger takeaway isn’t really about a single bench. It’s about making it easier to ask for help and creating what they describe as proactive peer support — catching someone farther upstream, before the crisis. This episode of the Better Every Shift Podcast is sponsored by TheFireStore. Learn more about getting the gear you need at prices you can afford by visiting TheFireStore. Email bettereveryshift@firerescue1.com to share your feedback.
- Sep 25, 202644 min
Dad 101: CRR beyond smoke alarms
Community risk reduction doesn’t have to start with smoke alarms, fall prevention or another familiar program. Sometimes it starts with a firefighter asking, “What does our community actually need?” Cherry Grove (Michigan) Fire and Rescue Chiefs Noah Knauf and Aaron Sogge have taken that approach with Dad 101, a class created by dads for dads that tackles everything from infant care and choking to what parents can expect when they call 911. But the bigger story is how one idea opened the door to more: safe-sleep education, car-seat checks, bike safety, autism-focused training and programs aimed at the next generation of firefighters and EMTs. Knauf and Sagi also make the case for giving members room to act on what they see in homes every day. The takeaway for leaders: Stop treating CRR like a checklist. Listen to your people, find the right partners and give good ideas room to run. This episode of the Better Every Shift Podcast is sponsored by TheFireStore. Learn more about getting the gear you need at prices you can afford by visiting TheFireStore. Email bettereveryshift@firerescue1.com to share your feedback.
- Sep 17, 202654 min
What firefighters really want from training
“Stop talking. Give me reps.” That’s the message from the What Firefighters Want survey report focused on training. Captain Lisa Burton joins Zam and Janelle to break down the survey findings, including the fact that motivation isn’t the issue; it’s securing training that respects firefighters’ time and prepares them for the job. The discussion gets into checkbox drills, instructor qualifications, measurable objectives, micro-training, realistic scenarios and the challenge of fitting meaningful development into already packed schedules. This episode of the Better Every Shift podcast is sponsored by FirstNet, Built with AT&T. The only wireless network built with — and for — firefighters like you. Learn more at FirstNet.com. Enjoying the show? Email editor@firerescue1.com for feedback.
- Sep 9, 20261h 14m
What ‘Never Forget’ means 25 years later
As mark the 25-year remembrance of 9/11, FDNY Chief of Department John Esposito joins podcast hosts Lt. Aaron Zamzow, Jim Dudley and Rob Lawrence for a deeply personal conversation about 9/11, its enduring impact and the lessons that continue to shape fire, EMS and law enforcement. Esposito was a newly promoted FDNY lieutenant on Sept. 11, 2001. He recalls returning to the city after the towers fell, the collapse of command and communications, the desperate effort to account for missing members, and the realization that FDNY had suffered unimaginable losses. The discussion also examines what emergency services learned: stronger accountability, controlling self-deployment, incident management teams, interoperable communications, interagency cooperation, intelligence sharing and peer support. Esposito reflects on the continuing toll of World Trade Center-related illness and explains why “never forget” must mean more than remembering 343 names. For him, it means remembering the decisions responders made, the conditions they faced and the thousands of lives their actions helped save. His challenge to today’s generation is simple: Know your job, keep learning, take care of your people and ask whether you are prepared to “measure up” to those who came before. Key quotes from Chief Esposito “Never forget is not just their names and who they were, how they lived their lives, and most importantly, the decisions that they made that day and the actions that they took.” “They’re like, ‘No, we think we lost everybody.’ And that was when it started to sink in that no, this is gonna be as bad as it could be.” “If we never showed up and we had no losses that day, the loss of civilians is in the tens of thousands.” “This is your legacy. This is our legacy, this is what we do, and these are the people that did this before us.” “I believe that some of them knew that they were not going to make it home that night. And they still did their job.” “September 12th came, the doors of the firehouse went up, people got on fire trucks, and they went out and did their job.” “It was like an all-star team that we lost. Some of the best people to ever do this job we lost that day.” “I see my job here and our job in this building and headquarters is to take care of the people that take care of the city.” “We have no idea. We’re in a firehouse or an ambulance one second and in five minutes we could be in the worst situation we’ve ever been in.” “It’s our job to make sure that the people in the field are prepared and when they need something, it’s our job to get it for them.” Thank you to our sponsor This crossover episode of the Policing Matters, Better Every Shift and EMS One-Stop podcasts is sponsored by FirstNet — the only wireless network built with and for first responders. Twenty-five years ago, first responders faced an emergency unlike any other. They stepped forward to protect and care for others, demonstrating extraordinary courage and resolve. This September 11th, we remember and honor those who answered the call. The example they set endures through the values that continue to inspire the profession today. Learn more about FirstNet, Built with AT&T, at www.firstnet.com. Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. You can also follow the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to your podcasts. And email bettereveryshift@firerescue1.com to share your feedback.
- Sep 3, 20261h 13m
Create your resilience protocol
The worst time to figure out how you’ll respond to trauma is after it happens. Resilience has to be built beforehand — through sleep, relationships, fitness, trusted peers and a culture where asking for help is part of the job, not a last resort. That idea sits at the heart of our conversation with retired FDNY Captain Frank Leto, who helped shape the department’s counseling and peer support programs in the years after 9/11. As the fire service approaches the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, we’re revisiting this episode because many of the lessons born from that tragedy still apply to every department today. Leto explains why FDNY’s early attempts to embed clinicians in firehouses fell short and why fellow firefighters became the key to effective peer support. This episode of the Better Every Shift Podcast is sponsored by TheFireStore. Learn more about getting the gear you need at prices you can afford by visiting TheFireStore. Email bettereveryshift@firerescue1.com to share your feedback.
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About Better Every Shift
FireRescue1’s Better Every Shift Podcast spotlights the passion and perseverance of firefighters. Hosted by Madison, Wisconsin, Firefighter Aaron Zamzow, the show brings kitchen table conversations to the airwaves, always focused on solutions, positivity and the realities of station life. Zamzow and guests tackle myriad hot topics, whether fire service, news or even pop culture-focused, bringing some levity to the often very serious nature of the profession. Dig into what drives firefighters to improve themselves, their crew, even the fire service as a whole. Listen in to get better every day, every call, every shift.
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