B Shifter

Send us Fan Mail This week, our guest is Assistant Chief Matthew Dhoore, Chief of Operations at the Clay Fire Territory in St. Joseph County, Indiana. That department is a Blue Card department that has large populated areas without the benefit of any municipal fire hydrants. That has prompted them to adopt an aggressive alternative water supply strategy We talk through how to build sustained fireground water when there is no hydrant, the hydrant is too far away, or the municipal system cannot...

Send us Fan Mail We break down what it really takes for multiple departments to operate as one on the fireground, from standardized SOPs to the hard conversations that keep mutual aid safe. Then we play condensed incident audio from Colerain Township and explain why clear size-up, smart staging, and disciplined deployment end problems fast instead of creating bigger ones. • expanded command and division operations expectations for ICs, division bosses, and support roles • mutual aid as the de...

Send us Fan Mail We sit down with Chris Ferrara of U.S. Fire Pump and get a clear look at what industrial firefighting really takes when a facility fire outgrows municipal capability. We walk through big water, foam strategy, logistics, and the mindset shift that keeps incident commanders from committing to a plan they cannot sustain. • what U.S. Fire Pump does and why high capacity pumping changes outcomes • real world incidents from tank fires to ship fires, landfills, and lithi...

Send us Fan Mail Terry Garrison, Nick Brunacini, and John Vance (The Silverbacks) are back with a new Silverback module (available to all Blue Card subscribers). We pick up part two of Boss Power and get blunt about how a leader’s angels and demons shape firefighter behavior and department culture. We keep coming back to one simple filter that prevents most boss mistakes: focus on the work, use the process, and do not let ego drive decisions. We talk about: • angels versus demons ...

Send us Fan Mail Terry Garrison, Nick Brunacini, and John Vance (The Silverbacks) are back with a new Silverback module (available to all Blue Card subscribers). We break down Boss Behaviors and the reality of boss power in the fire service, where leadership lives between City Hall pressure and the crews delivering the work. We argue there’s no neutral gear for a boss, and we share practical ways to protect credibility, service delivery, and values when budgets and politics get loud.&nb...