All Episodes
Better Every Shift — 317 episodes
Learning to lead differently
How EV weight impacts your tactics
How to build company drills from NIOSH reports
Your tone is your leadership
Today's fires demand a hazmat mindset
Inside the new U.S. Wildland Fire Service with Chief Fennessy
Cold storage close call
Your post-call reset starts here
NERIS: Everybody calm down already
The grant clock is ticking
Schaeffer: The fire service can’t afford CAVE leadership
Safety Stand Down 2026 goes all-in on fitness
Zam’s formula for better health and performance
Dena Ali returns: Mental health starts with leadership
Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell’s mission to elevate the fire service
Develop TIC discipline
Stress changes everything: Gasaway talks fireground decision-making
What’s your bold vision? Chief Dan Munsey talks innovation
If Gordon Graham ran the country ...
Is firefighter stress really different? Captain Marc Wysocki weighs in
The 24/72 push: James Geering urges shift schedule reform
How’s your leadership pipeline?
Training for the big moment — sometimes you only get one shot
Rehab stations: Your sabbatical from zombie mode
What could go wrong? Game out fire command for major events
It’s time to track your incidents. Chief Oates explains how and why
Should firefighters work out in their gear? Annette Zapp breaks it down
Your 2025 after-action review
‘Chiefing 101’: The evolving nature of the fire chief role
‘Stop killing people in training’: Carey’s call to action
‘Lead yourself first to lead others better’: Chief Randy Bruegman returns
Chad Crouse talks AI: We can’t ‘outsource all the thinking’
How to process challenging calls: Dr. Derrick Edwards shares the key step
‘We’re all in this together’: Chief Mary Cameli talks innovation and regional support
‘You are in control’: Dr. Nicole Sawyer on how mindset drives health
‘You just don’t quit’: Chief Jeremy Craft’s lessons for leadership — and rodeo
‘This game of trade-offs’: Jeff Stull talks NFPA standards
Biohack your health: Mike Binney talks fatigue management
‘Technology is the lure’: Kirk McKinzie talks FF recruitment
Rainn Wilson on ‘Code 3’ and the brutal beauty of EMS life
‘Code 3’: A love letter to fire and EMS
Zam’s hot takes: FF arrests, FDNY EMS, shift schedules + more
‘It’s the backup line’: The real role of FEMA
‘Who’s your phone-a-friend?’: Dr. Sara Jahnke on the power of health-focused networks
‘Nobody has a unique problem’: Waldo and Wolford talk shared solutions
Aggressive firefighting: ‘We’ve corrupted the concept’
Extra Alarm: How to deliver strong initial on-scene size-up reports
‘You can really decrease your risk’: Dr. Jeff Burgess talks firefighter cancer
Extra Alarm: Continuation of command — what happens when the IC goes down?
‘As goes the Metro, so goes the global fire service’: Inside the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association
‘We rehearsed this’: Chief Eric Morgenthaler talks mayday command
Extra Alarm: Emergency logistics — who’s your go-to officer?
‘Come from curiosity’: Chief Corey Smedley on earning trust as an outside hire
‘Sleep washes the brain’: How shift workers can improve sleep
Extra Alarm: The do’s and don’ts of commanding your first fire
‘Release of calmness’: Detailing the procedure helping firefighters manage PTSD
‘Everything went lights out’: SoCal firefighter details close call
Extra Alarm: Squad programs — reshaping fire response
‘I don’t want to see grieving families’: Danny Kistner talks NFFF mission and support
Accreditation in action: CPSE’s Preet Bassi talks tracking FD practices and progress
Extra Alarm: Mixed signals – managing conflicting orders within the chain of command
The National Firefighter Registry is back: Help fellow FFs ‘be healthier and live longer’
How to hit the ‘RESET’ button on behavioral health
Extra Alarm: The all-in engine company – making it work with 3 members
Dr. Reggie Freeman returns to talk higher education, plus Zam’s MBA
Chief Reid Vaughan: ‘If you can fog a mirror, I’ll find you a job’
Extra Alarm: Fire service pruning – make way for fresh ideas, technology and practices
NFL lineman honors fallen firefighters through ‘My Cause My Cleats’ program
Extra Alarm: The importance of proportional response on and off the fireground
Chief Kim Zagaris reflects on the Oklahoma City bombing 30 years later
Extra Alarm: Fleeing to the firehouse – when work becomes an escape
‘Interior offensive aggressive attack’: Juratovac shares her favorite words
Chief Brian Fennessy talks ‘mind-blowing’ L.A. urban conflagration
Extra Alarm: It’s time for a cabinet-level Department of Emergency Services
Thermal imagers: Andy Starnes talks fireground ‘force multiplier’ technology
Extra Alarm: Electric vehicle fires – where the waiting game wins
Critical connections: The challenges and solutions in public safety communication
Extra Alarm: Conduct a personal AAR in 45 minutes or less
‘Restore classes immediately’: Fire service leaders urge action after NFA training cancellations
Chief Kevin Quinn: ‘If you do retention right, you don’t have a recruitment problem’
Extra Alarm: How battalion chiefs can win the hearts of their firefighters
‘Hyper-connected to the people we serve’: Chief Dean Crispen talks SFFD goals
Extra Alarm: What you need to know about the Social Security Fairness Act
‘I’m proof that it works’: Zam talks resilience-focused habits
Extra Alarm: How to develop a volunteer recruitment playbook
Curt Varone: ‘Our biggest liability is sitting in the firehouse with us’
Extra Alarm: Borrowing from business simply doesn’t work for the fire service
San Diego Fire Rescue chiefs talk recruitment, wellness and community connection
Extra Alarm: ‘The Great AI Lie’ – greater efficiency does not always equate to improved mental health
Introducing the Firefighter Mayday Survey with Lt. Bassel Ibrahim
Extra Alarm: ‘I will stay connected to the members’ -- a challenging goal for newly promoted leaders
Jo Terry: ‘PTSD does not have to end in tragedy’
Extra Alarm: Leading through the political conversation at the kitchen table
‘Do the next right thing right’: Kevin Sofen talks tech fundamentals
Extra Alarm: Fire is fire no matter what you call it
Chief Bob Horton: ‘Wildfire is coming to a town near you’
Extra Alarm: Bridging the gap between firefighters and the 40-hour world
‘It is never too late to start’: Kepra Jack details how to revive your cardiac health
2024 reflections + 2025 bold predictions
‘Work the problem’: Firefighter-survivalist shares ‘Naked & Afraid’ lessons
‘Good, better, best’: Megan Lautz shares a realistic approach to FF nutrition
Adm. Mike Studeman: Great leaders seek ‘maximum performance at highest morale’
Inside EMS: Accountability in action – building a culture that sticks in EMS
‘It raises my hackles’: Chief Chuck Ryan talks unsafe fireground actions
Firefighter gift deals tastier than turkey
Chief Derek Alkonis: ‘Everything you do is focused on life safety’
Greatest Hits: Chief Leeb returns to mark 100 episodes – and brings friends
‘We changed the entire dynamic’: Chief Mike Cunningham talks recruitment
‘It feels good to do good’: Kurt DeGroot talks Project Fire Buddies
Hurricane deployment: Trevor Frodge details his USAR team experience
‘Mission first, people always’: Chief Randy Royal on his leadership mindset
‘Let your people run’: Chief Josh Waldo on empowering your members
Chief Eric Valliere: ‘Safety isn’t about backing off’
‘The wins are all in the details’: Trisha Wolford on making members feel heard
Zam on the hot seat: ‘It’s been a crazy ride’
The enduring legacy of 9/11 on public safety practices
Chief Clare Frank: ‘It doesn’t matter where you row, row hard’
‘Take charge of your health’: How one captain caught his cancer
‘There’s another 150 years ahead of us’: Chief John Butler on the IAFC’s future
Chief Darryl Jones: ‘Attack the problem, not the people’
Caughey talks 'Carpool Command’ and other training tips for ICs
‘It became a necessity’: Kory Pearn on CRACKYL’s personal impact
‘This is big’: Chief Tom Jenkins talks NERIS
‘The magic is us’: Captain Frank Leto talks peer support
‘I did my best to rise it up’: Chief Joanne Rund reflects on her Baltimore County career
PPE for truckies: Jeff Stull breaks down the NFPA standards changes ahead
‘When you start loving your recliner more than the craft, that’s a problem’
Dr. David Griffin: ‘I didn’t know what I didn’t know’
‘I don’t like close games; I like blowouts’: Nicol Juratovac talks aggressive fire attack
‘Push the gate’: Chief Kris Blume on mission-drive culture in action
‘The most jarring transition’: Making the move from line to admin
‘Every skill has a shelf life’: Safety Stand Down spotlights back-to-basics fire training
‘The impact is generational’: An award-winning rescue provides perspective
‘A lot to absorb’: Here’s what you missed at FDIC 2024
Corley Moore: ‘I understand how insidious and seductive complacency is’
Lt. Zam goes to Emmitsburg: Insights from a National Fire Academy first-timer
Stephanie White: 'Laughter is the simplest, cheapest thing we can give our firefighters'
‘We’re going (100 miles per week) streaking!’ with FF/ultra-runner Andy Glaze
‘Build your band’: Country music star Frank Ray on the power of peer support
‘You saved Hawkeye’: Inside the Jeremy Renner snowplow incident response
‘What is your learning culture?’: Chris Paskett details how to encourage idea-sharing
‘Have a date on the calendar’: Joe De Sena’s pro-tip for staying motivated
Chief Bryan Frieders: We need Super Bowl-level efforts to conquer firefighter cancer
Rocco Alvaro: ‘Once you stop developing others, it’s time for you to leave’
‘Turn it up a notch’: Chief Keith Padgett on the power of higher education
Jason Patton: ‘I’m not making fun of people!’
Spanish for firefighters: Make your communication skills excelente
Introducing the Resilient 50: Your back-to-basics health routine
Dr. Glenn Landry: Firefighters can ‘shock the system’ back to a healthy sleep routine
‘The podcast of misfit firefighters’ team reflects on 2023
Curt Varone: Beware the ‘human equivalent of a lightweight wood truss building’
Li-ion battery fires: Barowy and Goldfeder tackle the ‘spaghetti’ of tactical considerations
‘If you find yourself alone, start worrying’: Linda Willing shares advice for all FFs
Chief Frank Leeb returns: Make yourself ‘difficult to injure, impossible to kill’
Fire up the festivities: 5 great gifts for your crew
‘We are anti-fragile’: How firefighters can get stronger through challenges
‘I connect the dots’: Joe Minogue on the power of relationship-building
‘I held it in for so long’: Lauran McColloh shares the story of her first fire – a double LODD
‘We’re all engineers’: Chief Randall Hanifen talks IFE-USA influence
‘Please don’t turn me away’: Ben Vernon on seeking help post-stabbing — Part 2
‘This is a kill shot’: Captain Ben Vernon details his attempted murder on the job — Part 1
‘I’ve never been lonely at the top’: Chief John Butler talks team building
‘I don’t want rules-followers’: Brian Fennessy champions intent-driven firefighters
‘I’m going to change this department if it kills me’: Thomas Bell talks culture change
‘This podcast is worth millions’: Jerry Brant explains how to secure FD funding
Fire Prevention Week prep: Plug-and-play messaging you can use today
Remembering 9/11: Legacy, vigilance and cohesiveness
‘The better we are, the better we serve’: Common themes from 40 shows
‘It’s the same circus with different clowns’: Gordon Graham talks universal FD problems
Chief John Oates: ”Can we just retire the ‘it’s a generational thing’ mindset?”
‘We can’t read your mind’: Ben Thompson urges firefighters to speak up about stress
‘Make THIS place better’: Kris Kazian’s advice to frustrated firefighters
LACoFD firefighter details ‘surreal experience’ appearing on ‘LA Fire & Rescue’
Chief Todd LeDuc: ‘Your risk becomes everyone’s risk’
‘Just call people out’: Dr. Candace Ashby on defeating toxicity at the firehouse
Chief Jim Keiken: ‘You have to periodically reinvent yourself’
Corley Moore: ‘If you’re not having fun doing this job, you are doing it wrong’
‘A flowchart mindset’: UL FSRI researchers talk dynamic decisions on the fireground
Lithium-ion battery fire hazards, training, resources for firefighters
The Goldfeders: ‘The fire service has been wonderful to this family’
‘It’s an honor’: Victor Stagnaro on his new role as NFFF CEO
‘Attack every situation’: Vince Bettinazzi shares shift expectations
Cebollero: ‘We need to reverse the organizational chart’ in EMS
Nick Martin: ‘When the bell rings, it’s game time’
FDIC 2023 playback: Reliving the chaos, appreciating the connections
Chief Randy Bruegman: ‘Nothing good happens without a plan’
‘Crawl. Walk. Run’: Andy Beck details smart mayday training
Jonathan Tate: ‘I know I’m supposed to bring healthier meals into the firehouse’
Chief Ron Siarnicki: ‘Leave it better than you found it’
Better Every Shift LIVE: The Healthy 10 – How to define a healthy firefighter
Chief John Salka: ‘Spend more time at home’
Dr. David Griffin: ‘The success in my life has come from the worst day of my life’
Electric vehicle fires: Products, strategies and the power of time
‘We need to walk the walk’: Leaders face off in wellness competition
Jason Patton: ‘Nothing comes natural to me at all’
‘Don’t do that!’: A first responder therapist signals common relationship red flags
Chief Jason Caughey: ‘Everything we do is about people’
Super Bowl showtime: How Glendale fire crews are preparing for the big game
January rear-view: Hamlin ‘takes,’ tattoo controversy, giving life beyond death
Chief Tim Sendelbach: ‘This profession can’t afford the status quo’
Battalion Chief Dena Ali: ‘You can’t leave your baggage at the door’
‘Royal Rumble’ of firefighter fitness: Zam goes head-to-head with Dan Kerrigan and Jim Moss
2022 in review: ’Words of the year,’ major incidents that hit hard, uplifting moments
Chief Josh Waldo: ‘You’re only going to grow when you get uncomfortable’
Chief Reggie Freeman: ‘I refused to be the weakest link’
Dr. Sara Jahnke on data-driven change: ‘You have to give early, easy wins’
Chief Frank Leeb: ‘We can do better. Start today.’
‘Never forget’: meaning, purpose and emphasis
New to Side Alpha? Start here.
Chief Rhoda Mae Kerr reflects on blazing a trail as the first woman to hold various fire service leadership roles
Bryon Gustafson speaks to the benefits of higher education for firefighters and details one public safety program’s unique approach
’Fireman’ vs. ’firefighter’: What’s in a name – a fire service association name, that is
Dr. Bill Jenaway details ERSI’s new nationwide database where first responders can report roadway response struck-by incidents
’It’s those low-frequency events that tend to get us in trouble’
Robert Weisbaum addresses the challenges of affordable housing and the resulting impact on recruitment and retention
Walmart distribution fire raises questions about fire protection systems
Captain John Haseney outlines 7 common barriers to implementing cancer-focused best practices
Chief Otto Drozd details the challenges of leading a major metropolitan fire department
Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell shares her experience as the newest U.S. fire administrator
Chief Billy Goldfeder shares his cancer story and details his new initiative 40PlusFire
Don Abbott shares insights from Project Mayday research
The grass isn’t always greener at another fire department
Fire Chief John Oates talks fire service data and his new role with the IPSDI
Firefighter Jonathan Tate offers simple steps to healthier firehouse food
Chief Dave Downey reflects on the Surfside condo collapse response effort
Firefighters need to move beyond the fear of defeatism for calling a mayday ‘too early‘
Looking back at 2021: Bashoor and Cebollero unpack the stories and trends affecting fire and EMS
Dalan Zartman digs into fire operations involving electric vehicles and storage systems
Chief Reginald Freeman shares his experience moving across the country to join the Oakland FD
‘This isn’t what I signed up for’: Chief Bob Horton unpacks his provocative editorial
‘Are we really this childish?’ Reflecting on the ‘over-sexed culture’ station investigation in S.C.
FDNY Chief Frank Leeb talks training at ”The Rock” and how to market safety messages to members
Side Alpha Podcast: IAFC President Ken Stuebing talks vaccine mandates, leadership tenets that resonate, and IAFC support
Keith Stakes details the newly expanded mission for UL‘s Fire Safety Research Institute
Varone explores the top disciplinary issues that get fire officers in hot water
‘I didn‘t come here to make friends‘: Discipline in the fire service
Tulsa Chief Michael Baker talks firefighter morale, department change and lifelong learning
Pittsburgh Chief Darryl Jones details how to engage the naysayers and be a positive change-agent
Chief Sam Greif tackles terrorism response and cybersecurity threats facing public safety
‘A punch in the gut‘: Unpacking the Baltimore FD retirement debacle
Public safety leaders discuss the 20th anniversary of 9/11
Former Fire Commissioner Sal Cassano reflects on the arduous role of redesigning FDNY post-9/11
‘We shall never forget‘: Reflections and questions 20 years later
NIFC‘s Jessica Gardetto addresses the wildfire threats unfolding across the country
Division Chief Martha Ellis unpacks fireground communications and FirstNet
Chief Bashoor tackles a new epidemic: ‘D-Drivers‘ putting first responders at risk
Captain Andrea Hall discusses servant leadership plus her presidential inauguration story
Chris Cebollero unpacks ET3, treatment-in-place, reimbursement and more
‘Be nice‘: Chief Bashoor applies Chief Brunacini‘s mantra to interactions within the industry
Dr. Sara Jahnke details the effects of ‘Long-COVID‘ on first responders
Chad Costa considers why some firefighters are still suffering from ‘Dirty Helmet Syndrome‘
IAFC CEO Rob Brown discusses the future of the IAFC, plus emerging fire service issues
‘I‘d say America is still burning‘: Chief Bashoor reflects on seminal fire and life safety report
Pete Piringer talks PIO life and offers tips of the trade
Sean Duncan details how and why firefighters should follow PPE decontamination protocols
Chief Nathan Trauernicht: Inside a university fire department
Jim Pauley and Russ Sanders explain how firefighters can get involved in the NFPA
Unpacking mobile integrated healthcare in the fire and emergency services
Fire Chief Trisha Wolford tackles cross-generation supervision in the fire service
NVFC leaders Sarah Lee and Kevin Quinn detail the organization‘s current transition plans
Superintendent Eriks Gabliks shares what‘s ahead for the National Fire Academy
Chief Eric Valliere explains the 2021 Safety Stand Down theme, ‘Rebuild Rehab‘
Chief Dan Rogers explains why not every volunteer wants to operate like FDNY
Why do we keep experiencing so many apparatus rollover accidents?
Chief Jon Dorman addresses how to balance booksmarts and practical fireground skills
Aaron Zamzow and Marc Bashoor share their fitness journeys and current fitness regimens
ISFSI President Chief Peter Van Dorpe connects fire service training and research
How the Cosumnes Fire Department incorporated virtual reality into training
The Firefighter 3 crew swap stories about those firefighter life skills beyond FF1 and FF2
Deputy Chief Ian Emmons offers guidance for fostering a new crop of leaders
The next ‘giant leap‘: A federal parent for fire and EMS
Firefighter and finance expert Matthew Broom details how firefighters can stay smart about money
Chief Ralph Terrazas shares LAFD‘s approach to county COVID-19 surges, plus vaccine distribution
Fire Chief Marc Bashoor tackles the debate over patient transport in the engine
Fire Chief Tiffany Green explores professional development, from cadet through chief
Fire Chief John Tippett discusses the impact of crew resource management on the fire service
Fire Chief Marc Bashoor addresses the Constitutional crisis facing America
Marc Bashoor and Janelle Foskett reflect on a year unlike any other
Mike Pertz tackles why members leave the fire service and offers advice for new recruits
Gordon Graham details the top risks facing firefighters – and how to avoid them
2019 LODD data: Analyzing the USFA report amid the push to ‘Get Below 50’
Dr. Burton Clark examines fire service safety culture
Dr. David Black discusses his work with firefighters on behavioral health and mental fitness
Firefighter James Pribyl shares why he became a volunteer firefighter
Deputy Chief Billy Goldfeder explains what keeps chiefs up at night -- and where to focus training
Gordon Graham talks response coordination and Lexipol Connect
Chief Randy Bruegman outlines critical issues impacting the future of the fire service
Keith Stakes explains the recent UL FSRI research into coordinated fire attack
Division Chief Greg Ward details Loveland‘s Tactical Firefighting Teams
Side Alpha Podcast: Baltimore Chief Niles Ford talks navigating politics and budgets
Side Alpha Podcast: Chief Jason Caughey talks volunteer leadership
Chief‘s Forum: We are not the enemy
Side Alpha Podcast: Linda Willing addresses diversity of members and opinions
Side Alpha Podcast: Dr. Sara Jahnke discusses COVID-19 surges and testing
Chief‘s Forum: There‘s a fire service budget tsunami coming
Chief‘s Forum: COVID-19: Where do we go from here?
Side Alpha Podcast: FEMA‘s Cathie Patterson details grant application tips
Side Alpha Podcast: Chief Todd LeDuc discusses the firefighter health trifecta
Side Alpha Podcast: Division Chief Kent Davis details protest response in Charlottte
Side Alpha Podcast: SFFD Lt. Baxter details Pier 45 response efforts
Chief‘s Forum: Leadership by Lane
Side Alpha Podcast: NVFC Chair Steve Hirsch talks fire service volunteerism
Chief‘s Forum: LAFD officer likely saved lives by noticing ‘scene sickness’
Side Alpha Podcast: Dr. Terry Jodrie describes his COVID-19 deployment to New York City
Chief’s Forum: The ‘petri chief’: Under the COVID-19 microscope
Side Alpha Podcast: Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell talks data-based decision-making in the fire service
Chief‘s Forum: COVID-19: It’s not a house fire; it’s a conflagration
Chief‘s Forum: What constitutes COVID-19 exposure and when to quarantine vs. isolate
Chief‘s Forum: A plea to protesters during COVID-19
Chief‘s Forum: Should first responders receive hazard pay during COVID-19?
Side Alpha Podcast: Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer focuses on seeing the unique attributes of members
Side Alpha Podcast: Chief Gary Ludwig addresses firefighter cardiac health
Side Alpha Podcast: Bill Webb talks fire service politics
Side Alpha: Fire Chief Joanne Rund talks about running a combination department
Side Alpha: Dr. Denis Onieal describes USFA and NFA learning opportunities
Side Alpha: Ron Siarnicki discusses occupational cancer and behavioral health issues
Side Alpha: Fire Chief John Butler talks strategic planning, mentoring and diversity