5-Alarm Task Force!

Latest Episodes:

Episode 180: Episode 6–10 – Nicholas Higgins, Author – “The 5-Tool Firefighter” Nov 25, 2021

Show notes

What makes a great firefighter? And who judges who is a “good” firefighter or a “great” firefighter? To be honest, it should e no one else but the image you see in the mirror. For that person in the mirror, never lies and more importantly, knows every one of your secrets.

It is my pleasure to welcome my dear friend, Nic Higgins, Co-Founder and Editor of “The Firehouse Tribune,” to discuss his newly published first book, “The 5-Tool Firefighter.” Nic put this together with nearly twenty years of experience as a firefighter, a long-time fire instructor and a former collegiate athlete. The name of his book was derived from a term he learned while playing collegiate baseball, the “5-Tool Player. This defined a player who was good at hitting, fielding, running, etc.

With that thought, Nic created this book to provide the reader with similar definitions that would make a great firefighter. No, not a “perfect” one, but a great one. Tune in to view and listen as Nix explains his thought processes and how a baseball term certainly has its place in the fire service.

Photo Courtesy of: Nicholas Higgins

Episode 179: Episode 6–9 – Battalion Chief Jacob Johnson – “DO YOUR DAMN JOB!” Nov 18, 2021

Show notes

We are so pleased to have B.C. Jacob Johnson back on “5-Alarm Task Force!” Chief Johnson has taught his class, “Do Your Damn Job!” at local, state, and regional conferences. His message is crystal clear, “It is the responsibility of experienced firefighters to mentor the new recruits coming in!” It does not mean that you didn’t clean the pumper well or you have to pick-up papers on the day-room floor. It means YOU need to be both a learner and a teacher!

The Chief shares his own failings earlier in his career and how it made him realize how he had dropped the proverbial “ball” in assisting a new recruit. He learned from the lesson that there is much more for a firefighter to do, besides fighting fire and working MVC’s. And if we banter the word, “family” around because we are firefighters, then we must live up to the meaning of family.

Join us and learn how Chief Johnson sees our duty, both in and out of the firehouse!

Episode 178: Episode 6–8 – Fire Commissioner Jared Renshaw – “Answering the Call Inside City Hall” + Drone Rescue Nov 11, 2021

Show notes

In our first segment, Fire Commissioner Jared Renshaw of the Western Berks Fire Department in PA, explain the news that recent broke that his department used their new drone with a TIC (thermal imaging camera) in a rescue. An elderly patient with dementia had wandered away from his care house, and into a huge corn field. While first responders on the ground searched with ATV’s, dogs and even volunteers on horses, it was a difficult search. However, using their newly acquired drone with a TIC, they were able to find the victim, which allowed those on the ground to find him and return him safely.

In our second segment, the Commissioner discusses that the rank of fire chief, often holds more responsibility than tactics, operations, and training. All the facets of a COO (chief operating officer) are in play, as the chief must also be a part of the “city hall” of his/her community. From his recent article in FIREHOUSE® Magazine, Commissioner Renshaw notes the key attributes of being a member of the community leadership, i.e. City Council, Mayor, etc., and provides strong and positive advice of how to participate in this side of the job.

As always, finds us on your favorite podcast platform or watch the webcasts on our YouTube® channel, -5-AlarmTask Force Corp.

City Hall Photo Courtesy of: Fireragestock.com

Episode 177: Episode 6–7 – Ms. Tonya Herbert – Responder Wipes Nov 04, 2021

Show notes

In the past eight years or so, we have learned some difficult lessons regarding the link of cancer in the fire service. At first, many just shrugged off the connection or they looked at it as simply, “part of the job!” Yet, nothing could be further from the truth!

My guest on this episode is Tonya Herbert, the Owner/President of Responder Wipes® and Florida PPE Services, a certified ISP. Tonya shares with us how her life journey led her from her work in an architectural firm to creating Responder Wipes® and, this journey began in 2014, prior to the overall national recognition of the Firefighter Cancer Initiative.

Additionally, she has become one of the key leadership members of the Carney Strong Initiative, created in memory of Battalion Chief Josh Carney, who succumbed to occupational cancer at far too young an age.

Episode 176: Episode 6–6 – Steve Greene – “My Story” - When You Can No Longer Be a Firefighter Oct 28, 2021

Show notes

What happens to a firefighter who cannot be a firefighter any longer? What happens to that firefighter when an injury or illness ends his/her firefighting career? I know because it happened to me!

In this special episode of “5-Alarm Task Force,” I share my personal experience of how an unnecessary accident wound up costing me my career as a volunteer firefighter, after only eight years.

We who choose the fire service feel a calling to do so. And when we’re in, learning, doing, learning more, doing more, it becomes a passion; it begins to define who we are. When the ability to follow that passion is suddenly cut short, due to an injury or illness, it tears out piece of who we are. And all too often, it leads us to a “dark place.”

I share with you my story – what happened, how it occurred and what the long-term results were. I will not lie and say that it was easy, because it was not. It was emotional, difficult on many levels and very dark at others, too.

Remember, there is always someone you can talk to. At the very least, to can text the word “badge” to 741741. Stay Safe & Stay Well.

As always, catch the webcast on our YouTube® channel, “5-Alarm task Force Corp,” or listen on your favorite podcast platform or our website, https://www.5-AlarmTaskForceCorp.org.

Episode 175: Episode 6–5 - The Wingspread VII Panel Oct 21, 2021

Show notes

The Wingspread conferences began in the 1960’s. It brought members of the fire service and affiliated agencies together at the Johnson Foundation Wingspread Conference Center in Racine WI. At that point, through Wingspread VI in 2016, the conference was held every ten years. However, with the pandemic and other key professional, cultural, and societal changes occurring, the leadership decided that the industry (and therefore, the public) would be best served by the conference taking place every five years.

Wingspread VII took place in August 2021 at the Conference Center. For this webcast/podcast, we are truly honored to have a panel of fire service leaders and educators who will share their “take-away” from the conference. My guests include Chief John S. Butler of Fairfax County VA Fire & Rescue, Ms. Jessica Pickett of RPM Solutions Group, Inc., Kevin Roach a FACETS partner and formerly of the Phoenix Fire Dept., and Commissioner Adam Thiel of the Philadelphia Fire Dept.

What they share has meaning for anyone and everyone in the American Fire Service, no matter if your career, volunteer, part-pay or WUI! We discuss not just what we do, but how we do it, both out on calls and in our lives in our stations.

As always, catch the webcast on our YouTube® channel, “5-Alarm task Force Corp,” or listen on your favorite podcast platform or our website, https://www.5-AlarmTaskForceCorp.org.

Photo courtesy: The Johnson Foundation

Episode 174: Episode 6–4 – FF/PM Jim Burneka – Firefighter Cancer Oct 14, 2021

Show notes

If you are a member of the fire service, you should be aware of the toll cancer has taken on members from every area of “the job,” career, volunteer, part-pay and WUI. It wasn’t so long ago, that many of us attributed cancer losses to our brothers and sisters who worked the pile after 9|11. Sadly, that was not the case. Though the number of working fire years per year (for most non-urban departments) were down, WHAT was burning had evolved. No longer was furniture and its covering made from real wood and fabric. They had been replaced with parts and covering made from fossil-based chemicals, e.g., natural gas and petroleum, as are so many products in in our homes today. And when these burn, they release massive amounts of carcinogenic compounds into the structure. Thankfully, the Firefighter Cancer Initiative was officially launched in 2015.

My guest today is FF/PM Jim Burneka. Jim has served with the Dayton OH Fire Dept. for twenty years and has been involved with the fight against occupational cancer for fifteen years. He has presented on cancer prevention across the U.S. and Canada. And as you will hear on this podcast, his knowledge about firefighter cancer is not just from study and his presentations. Over the last year, it became personal.
PLEASE....Listen to this episode! It just might save YOUR life!

As always, catch the webcast on our YouTube® channel, “5-Alarm task Force Corp,” or listen on your favorite podcast platform or our website, https://www/5-AlarmTaskForceCorp.org.

Photo courtesy: Healthline.com

Episode 173: Episode 6–3 – Capt. John Lovato, Jr. – Brotherhood Coaching Oct 07, 2021

Show notes

What makes a team? Its members? Its leader? Its tasks? To be honest, it is all of those and more. It takes training, learning, training some more, learning more and of course, the leader and members sharing their knowledge.

Capt. John Lovato Jr., has been a firefighter in southwest Florida since 2003, with the City of Ft. Myers Fire Dept. A third-generation firefighter, he started in the suburbs of Chicago; no easy place to learn to be a firefighter! As he learned his craft, he rose through the ranks, now a Captain and fill-in Battalion Chief.

One of the most important tenets he learned was teamwork, And that means that every firefighter on the team must share in the team’s tasks. As is often said,” Just because you got a t-shirt, doesn’t make you a firefighter!”

It takes working together, practicing together, learning, and teaching each other. Just like two cogs in a machine, when the gears mesh-up, the machine works well. But if just one cog has a broken tooth, the machine stops…COLD. If firefighting teams stop…danger and disaster may follow!

Listen to his message, then ask yourself, “Am I a true member of a team or am I a freelancer?”

Photo courtesy: NASA/Daniel Casper, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Episode 172: Episode 6 – 2 – Lt. Chris Kessinger – Citizens First Fire Training Aug 25, 2021

Show notes

Chris Kessinger is a career Lieutenant with the City of Riverside Fire Dept. in OH. He has been in the fire service for seventeen years. Chris believes every firefighter must be a lifelong student of the craft and love this blue-collar job!

Chirs serves as the lead instructor and owner of Citizens First Fire Training, in addition to his roles as training officer and instructor for numerous schools, training facilities and departments. In addition, he is also a member of the Central Ohio F.O.O.L.S. chapter.

While currently assigned to an engine company, his passion and heart will always be with truck company operations. Chris just loves this job and loves spreading that passion everywhere he goes.

Our citizens are our number-one priority and we must always remember our mission and they are number one!

Photo courtesy nohat.cc

Episode 171: SEASON 6 PREMIERE - Episode 6 -1 -Todd Leduc – Lifescan Wellness Centers Aug 18, 2021

Show notes

As First Responders, we face many challenges and risks. Many of them can be seen and avoided, some are just fate and others, well…we may just not know about…yet! So, what do we do? That’s where Lifescan Wellness Centers enter the picture.

My guest is longtime friend and Chief Strategy Officer of Lifescan Wellness Centers and, Executive Assistant Chief (ret) Todd LeDuc. In his Chief’s position, he was charged with managing the health and wellness of an 800-member fire service. As you’ll year in today’s episode, Todd will explain how he came to engage with Lifescan Wellness Centers, in his effort to be proactive in protecting these members.

As many of you know, our next webinar takes place on Tuesday, August 31st at 6:30 PM EDT. Tickets are still available at https://Bit.ly/PFOS_PFOA2021. Net proceeds will go to the 5-Alarm Task Force Foundation, which disburses financial assistance to our Brothers and Sisters, and/or their families, in dire need.

We have recently been posting on social media that we would announce the major prizes for the webinar. We can tell you that both the First and Grand Prizes could make a difference in your life and the lives of others. All you need to do is purchase your ticket and join us on August 31st, as every attendee has an equal chance of winning any of the prizes! We’ll also be raffling off three of our new t-shirts, as well.

Tune in to “5-Alarm Task Force” on your our website, www.5-AlarmTaskForceCorp.org, your favorite podcast platform or watch our interview on our YouTube® Channel, 5-Alarm Task Force Corp.

Photo Courtesy Cllarius.com

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