PODCAST · education
B Shifter
by Across The Street Productions
Fire command and leadership conversations for B Shifters and beyond (all shifts welcome)!
Episodes
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Best Of B Shifter: Blue Card Explained
Send us Fan Mail This is a "Best Of B Shifter" that was originally published on November 2, 2021. It features Nick Brunacini, Josh Blum and John Vance We go back to the roots of Blue Card and explain why it exists, what problem it solves, and why so many critiques miss the point. We tie…
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Aggressive Water Supply Without Hydrants
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…
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Multi-Agency Incident Audio And Blue Card Rundown
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,...
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Chris Ferrara & Specialized Resources For A Modern Fireground
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...
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Silverback Leadership: Boss Power (Part 2)
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…
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Silverback Leadership: Boss Power (Part 1)
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…
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The IAFF's Evidence-Based Fireground Operations
Send us Fan Mail The panelists on this B Shifter Podcast include: Grady Valencis, Jeff Seaton, John Ceriello, Chad Christensen, Sean Gray, Michael McCarthy, Ian Bennett, Sean Decrane, and it is hosted by Chris Stewart and John Vance. We talk with a nationwide IAFF instructor cadre about how...
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Strategic Decision Making & Blue Card (Permission To Kick A** With A Plan)
Send us Fan Mail We sit down with Worcester Fire’s (and Blue Card lead Instructor) Gary Fleischer, plus Blue Card lead instructors Eric Phillips and Chris Stewart, to unpack how strategic decision-making and critical thinking make Blue Card work on real calls. We connect the “why” to NIOSH…
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The Cyanokit Conversation: What Firefighters Need to Know
Send us Fan Mail This episode features Dr. Dustin Calhoun, Scott Williams, Steve Lester and John Vance. About our guest: Dr. Dustin J. Calhoun, MD, FAEMS is an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine and Associate Director of the Division of Emergency Medical Services at the University of...
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Big Box To Mega
Send us Fan Mail This episode features National Fire Sprinkler Association President Shane Ray, Assistant Chief Scott Williams, Blue Card Program Director Josh Blum, and John Vance. We break down why today’s mega warehouses and cold storage facilities create fireground problems that residential...
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Blue Card Updates Plus Incident Audio From Harrison, Ohio
Send us Fan Mail We talk through mid-year Blue Card updates, why command training is worth paying for, and how regional leaders keep a shared system alive even when departments change chiefs. We also dig into big box fire realities and then break down working-fire radio audio that shows what…
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The Silverbacks On Performance Management
Send us Fan Mail The Silverbacks are back, talking about performance management as an essential tool for fire service leaders. This episode features Nick Brunacini, Terry Garrison, and John Vance. We lay out a practical performance improvement model that keeps looping through SOPs, training…
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Dan Madrzykowski And Fire Dynamics On The Exterior
Send us Fan Mail We talk with UL FSRI’s Dr. Dan Madrzykowski about how fire dynamics drives outcomes at outside fires, vehicle fires, and “container” incidents just as much as it does in homes. This episode connects real case studies to practical command decisions so crews stop feeding the fire...
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Blue Card Is A Safety System
Send us Fan Mail This episode features Josh Blum, Chris Stewart and John Vance We argue that firefighter safety on the fireground works best as a built-in system, not a lone safety officer trying to play catch-up outside the hazard zone. We connect real injury and fatality patterns to…
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Food Plant Fire In Ohio
Send us Fan Mail This episode features Fire Chief (Ret.) Thomas Lakamp, Assistant Chief Scott Williams, Blue Card Program Director Josh Blum, and John Vance. Thomas Lakamp, Fire Chief (Ret.), Fairfield (Ohio) Fire Department Chief Thomas Lakamp is the fire chief for the City of Fairfield, Ohio.…
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Three Levels Of Air Management
Send us Fan Mail Our guest this week is Battalion Chief Ryan Eldridge, Blue Card Lead Instructor Ryan Eldridge is a dedicated fire service professional with a career spanning over three decades. He began his journey in 1995 when he joined the Las Vegas Fire and Rescue Explorer Program. Directly…
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Fire Command, 3rd Edition
Send us Fan Mail This episode features Nick Brunacini and is hosted by John Vance. We trace the origin of the Fire Command textbook from Alan Brunacini and why standardizing incident command changes everything from water-on-the-fire decisions to firefighter safety. We walk through what’s new in...
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Strategic Decision-Making For Commercial Fire Operations
Send us Fan Mail Commercial fires will expose weak decision-making—fast. In this episode, we break down why commercial fire operations demand a completely different mindset than house fires—and how the Blue Card strategic decision-making model keeps us out of trouble. We focus on size-up…
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Blue Card Rundown for April, 2026
Send us Fan Mail We share the April 2026 Blue Card rundown, from FDIC plans to major updates in training, online content, and continuing education. We dig into what’s changing in Fire Command, why objective after action reviews matter, and how we keep the whole response system stronger from...
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Worcester Fire Chief Martin Dyer
Send us Fan Mail We sit down with Worcester Fire Chief Martin Dyer to talk about what real officer accountability looks like and why the front seat cannot be a part-time leadership role. We break down how a disciplined incident command system, integrated training, and sustained culture change…
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Recruits and Command
Send us Fan Mail This episode, Josh Blum, Chris Stewart and John Vance connect recruit training to stronger incident command by showing how day-one decision making, radio discipline, and functional evolutions create safer firegrounds. Along the way we share first-arriver expectations, Mayday...
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Identifying Critical Fireground Factors at the Beginning of an Incident
Send us Fan Mail 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...
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Standard Conditions, Standard Actions, Standard Outcomes
Send us Fan Mail 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...
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How Leaders React & Interact
Send us Fan Mail 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...
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Blue Card Rundown January, 2026
Send us Fan Mail 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…
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Strategic Shifts
Send us Fan Mail 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...
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NFPA 1700, Connecting The Work
Send us Fan Mail 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...
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Command Lessons from Three 1.3M Sq Ft Distribution Center Fires
Send us Fan Mail 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…
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Effective Outcomes & Customer Service
Send us Fan Mail 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...
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The IC and Roadway Safety
Send us Fan Mail This episode features Josh Blum, Scott Williams and John Vance. Sample Roadway incident SOG: https://bshifter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Sample-Roadway-Incident-SOG-December-2025.pdf Traffic Incident Management Training Here For Waldorf University Blue Card credit and...
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Who Is Training The Senior Advisor?
Send us Fan Mail The Silverbacks are in the studio this week, talking about "who is training the Senior Advisor?" This episode features Nick Brunacini, Terry Garrison, and John Vance. We dig into the senior advisor’s real job on the fireground, why command vans work when they’re quiet and...
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Jarrett Tarver
Send us Fan Mail A Conversation with Captain Jarrett Tarver This powerful episode features Captain Jarrett Tarver of the Sedona Fire District, brother of the late Bret Tarver, Phoenix Firefighter, whose ultimate sacrifice shaped how departments nationwide approach the hazard zone. Joined by Chris...
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Who Is Training Your Firefighters?
Send us Fan Mail This episode features Josh Blum, Chris Stewart and John Vance. 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...
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The Fire Department Mission Statement
Send us Fan Mail The Silverbacks are in the studio this week talking about The Fire Department Mission Statement. This episode features Nick Brunacini, Terry Garrison, Pat Dale, and John Vance. We trade long, forgettable mission statements for simple words that drive decisions: be safe, be nice…
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Fit For Duty, Ready To Command
Send us Fan Mail This episode features Josh Blum, Chris Stewart and John Vance. Sign up for the Blue Card Webinar (free!): NFPA 1700: Guide to Structural Firefighting — Why Does It Matter to an IC? Here: https://streamyard.com/watch/C4bNT3WgfnWU For Waldorf University Blue Card credit and...
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You Are First Due - Now Own it!
Send us Fan Mail This week, we’re joined by two outstanding guests: Erik Phillips, Captain with Las Vegas Fire & Rescue (Nev.) and Fire Chief of Diamond Valley Fire Department (Utah), and Gary Fleischer, District Chief with Worcester (Mass.) Fire Department. Together, we challenge first-in…
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Building Trust
Send us Fan Mail We want your helmet (for the AVB CTC)! Check this out to find out more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg5_ZwoCZo0 Sign up for the B Shifter Buckslip, our free weekly newsletter here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/fmgs92N/Buckslip Shop B Shifter here:...
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Assigning a Division Boss
Send us Fan Mail This episode features Josh Blum, Chris Stewart and John Vance. For Waldorf University Blue Card credit and discounts: https://www.waldorf.edu/lp/blue-card/ For free command and leadership support, check out bshifter.com Sign up for the B Shifter Buckslip, our free weekly…
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Blue Card Rundown for September, 2025
Send us Fan Mail This episode features Josh Blum and John Vance. For Waldorf University Blue Card credit and discounts: https://www.waldorf.edu/lp/blue-card/ For free command and leadership support, check out bshifter.com Sign up for the B Shifter Buckslip, our free weekly newsletter here:...
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Anatomy and Physiology of Leadership: Ears
Send us Fan Mail We want your helmet (for the AVB CTC)! Check this out to find out more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg5_ZwoCZo0 Sign up for the B Shifter Buckslip, our free weekly newsletter here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/fmgs92N/Buckslip Shop B Shifter here:...
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Best of B Shifter: Initial Radio Report
Send us Fan Mail Best of B Shifter: The Initial Radio Report This fan-favorite episode—one of the most downloaded in B Shifter history—dives into what Chief Alan Brunacini called “probably one of the most important communications we transmit throughout an entire incident”: the Initial Radio…
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The Silverback Blueprint: Strategic Planning & Department Culture
Send us Fan Mail We want your helmet (for the AVB CTC)! Check this out to find out more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg5_ZwoCZo0 Sign up for the B Shifter Buckslip, our free weekly newsletter here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/fmgs92N/Buckslip Shop B Shifter here:...
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Why Incident Action Plans Matter
Send us Fan Mail This episode is hosted by Josh Blum, Chris Stewart, and John Vance. We want your helmet (for the AVB CTC)! Check this out to find out more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg5_ZwoCZo0 Sign up for the B Shifter Buckslip, our free weekly newsletter here:...
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Why Risk Management Matters
Send us Fan Mail This episode is hosted by Josh Blum, Chris Stewart, and John Vance. We want your helmet (for the AVB CTC)! Check this out to find out more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg5_ZwoCZo0 Sign up for the B Shifter Buckslip, our free weekly newsletter here:...
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Why Size-Up Matters
Send us Fan Mail This episode is hosted by Erik Phillips, Steve Lester, Greg Timinsky and John Vance. We want your helmet (for the AVB CTC)! Check this out to find out more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg5_ZwoCZo0 Sign up for the B Shifter Buckslip, our free weekly newsletter here:...
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Strategic Shift in Cobb County
Send us Fan Mail This episode is hosted by Josh Blum, Chris Stewart, and John Vance. We want your helmet (for the AVB CTC)! Check this out to find out more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg5_ZwoCZo0 Sign up for the B Shifter Buckslip, our free weekly newsletter here:...
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Push Brooms and Leaf Blowers
Send us Fan Mail We want your helmet (for the AVB CTC)! Check this out to find out more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg5_ZwoCZo0 Sign up for the B Shifter Buckslip, our free weekly newsletter here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/fmgs92N/Buckslip Shop B Shifter here:...
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Blue Card Rundown for July 2025
Send us Fan Mail This episode features Josh Blum and John Vance. For Waldorf University Blue Card credit and discounts: https://www.waldorf.edu/lp/blue-card/ For free command and leadership support, check out bshifter.com Sign up for the B Shifter Buckslip, our free weekly newsletter here:...
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Thermal Imaging Cameras for Size-up (Part 2)
Send us Fan Mail This episode is hosted by Josh Blum, Erik Phillips, John Eadiccio, Grant Light, and John Vance. We want your helmet (for the AVB CTC)! Check this out to find out more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg5_ZwoCZo0 Sign up for the B Shifter Buckslip, our free weekly newsletter here:...
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Thermal Imaging Cameras for Size-up (Part 1)
Send us Fan Mail This episode is hosted by Josh Blum, John Eadiccio, Grant Light, and John Vance. We want your helmet (for the AVB CTC)! Check this out to find out more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg5_ZwoCZo0 Sign up for the B Shifter Buckslip, our free weekly newsletter here:...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Fire command and leadership conversations for B Shifters and beyond (all shifts welcome)!
HOSTED BY
Across The Street Productions
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does B Shifter have?
B Shifter currently has 194 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is B Shifter about?
Fire command and leadership conversations for B Shifters and beyond (all shifts welcome)!
How often does B Shifter release new episodes?
B Shifter publishes regularly with 194 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to B Shifter?
You can listen to B Shifter on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts B Shifter?
B Shifter is created and hosted by Across The Street Productions.
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