5-Alarm Task Force!

Like many kids in countries around the world, many want to be firefighters. And many of us fulfill that childhood dream. Our guest on this episode of “5-Alarm Task Force!” is Lt. Michael Stachowicz of he Edinburgh Fire Service in Scotland. Prior to joining the Edinburgh Fire Service, he was a firefighter with the Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue Services in England.As you view the video and/or listen to the audio podcast, you will see that Michael is a “Student of the Science of Fire.” He lectures at local and regional conferences in the UK and Europe. Subjects? Fire Behavior, High-Rise Firefighting and Technical Rescue, which is one of his specialties. In 2023 and 2024, Michael presented at the IFIW – International Fire Instructors Workshop. Michael has as the heart of a warrior, however, he also cares deeply about other fire departments and their personnel. Thus, he has also dedicated himself to assist wherever he can through charitable and humanitarian work in countries like Moldova and Ukraine, as well as delivering fire trucks and firefighting equipment to Ukraine, after the war broke out. He is also passionate about simplifying scientific concepts and making them relevant and applicable for firefighters during day-to-day operations.You can reach Michael at stachofire@aol.co.uk! Now - Enjoy ********************Please remember that we need your help to raise the funds we use to financially help a Brother/Sister and or their families, when they are in dire need. Since 2020, we have donated nearly $7,000.00 to our Brothers and Sisters. We can only do that with your help. Please visit our homepage at https://www.5-AlarmTaskForceCorp.org and scroll down to the photo of the E2QB siren. Select the photo and our donation page will appear. From $1.00 to whatever you can, any amount will help us. And you can always reach us at Dalmatprod@Outlook.comPhoto Courtesy of ALAMY Stock Photos

Chief Justin Bailey is a 25+ year “student of the Fire Service. He is the Fire Chief with the Oliver Springs (TN) Fire Dept. and a Captain/Medic with the Knoxville (TN) Fire Department, where he has been serving since 2007 and currently assigned to Engine 1. His career began in 1999 as a Junior Firefighter/Explorer with the Oliver Springs Fire Dept. He is a part-time fire instructor with the State of Tennessee Fire Service and Codes Enforcement Academy, delivering classroom and hands-on instruction in various topics on-campus, at regional fire conferences, and at various local fire departments throughout Tennessee.He has instructed nationally on the topics of volunteer training program development, professional development and rural fireground management, having presented at both FDIC and Firehouse Expo. Chief Bailey has an Associate’s Degree in Allied Health Science from Roane State Community College and a Bachelor’s Degree in Fire Administration from Columbia Southern University. ********************In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, we have learned that nearly a dozen firefighters lost their lives as they tried to effect rescues and saved pets. In the face of the hurricane, no one waved or had to think twice. They new their duty was to save anyone and everyone they could. Hurricane Helene has been rated the worst hurricane since Katrina! And we all know how that turned out. We are researching the news articles to determine who these brave men and women are and what we can do to help. Please remember - these brave firefighters, who worked around the clock in preparation of the storm, know that performing their duties in and after this storm was not going to be easy. PLEASE!!! We need your help! Please remember that we need your help to raise the funds we use to financially help a Brother/Sister and or their families, when they are in dire need. Since 2020, we have donated nearly $7,000.00 to our Brothers and Sisters. We can only do that with your help. Please visit our homepage at https://www.5-AlarmTaskForceCorp.org and scroll down to the photo of the E2QB siren. Select the photo and our donation page will appear. From $1.00 to whatever you can, any amount will help us. And you can always reach us at Dalmatprod@Outlook.com

Chief Dave Robertson has more than 25 years in the Fire Service in five different departments in Canada, from bust urban systems to wildland, and to rural/semi-rural areas. He has instructed with his fire departments, in fire academies, paramedic schools and private fire institutions.Chief Robertson is fueled by a sincere passion to make the fire service better, which today includes talking to his classes about his own struggles with PTSI or PTSD. He hopes that by being open to recruits right at the front end of their careers and explaining to them the very real threat, that each recruit will be able to have a long and joyful job. ********************Please remember that we need your help to raise the funds we use to financially help a Brother/Sister and or their families, when they are in dire need. Since 2020, we have donated nearly $7,000.00 to our Brothers and Sisters. We can only do that with your help. Please visit our homepage at https://www.5-AlarmTaskForceCorp.org and scroll down to the photo of the E2QB siren. Select the photo and our donation page will appear. From $1.00 to whatever you can, any amount will help us. And you can always reach us at Dalmatprod@Outlook.com

It is no secret that being a firefighter, career, volunteer, WUI, Paid-on-Call, etc., can take a physical and emotional toll on us. Often a rookie/probie takes a “lot of heat,” and that is before his/her have even rolled out of the station. Now, add everything else we must do outside the fire service, and we might be shouldering physical issues like weight, unbalanced diets, etc. Our Guest on this podcast can provide pointers to you.Capt. Aaron “ZAM” Zamzow has been in the fire service for over twenty years. He is the owner for Fire-Rescue-Fitness, a company that creates workout programs and fitness articles that focus on getting Fire Rescue Athletes, “Fit for Duty.” He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Health and Wellness, and is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, a National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Trainer and an IAFF/IAFC Peer Fitness Trainer. He has also worked in the fitness industry for over 25 years and has experience working with the general population, as well as athletes from the NBA, NFL, and NHL.Tune in as “ZAM” shares some sage advice regarding how to hone your diet, your work, both on and off the Job. Visit his website at www.FireRescueFitness.com and learn even more! ********************Please remember that we need your help to raise the funds we use to financially help a Brother/Sister and or their families, when they are in dire need. Since 2020, we have donated nearly $7,000.00 to our Brothers and Sisters. We can only do that with your help. Please visit our homepage at https://www.5-AlarmTaskForceCorp.org and scroll down to the photo of the E2QB siren. Select the photo and our donation page will appear. From $1.00 to whatever you can, any amount will help us. And you can always reach us at Dalmatprod@Outlook.com

Those of us who have served or those who continue to serve as a First Responder, as a firefighter, law enforcement and EMS know that beneath the “glory” feeling as we respond, it often comes with a darker side. And, whether we admit it or not, the horrors and trauma we see, we tend, we transport, etc. take an emotional toll on us, whether we wish to admit that or not. When we were little kids and we loved ice cream, too much ice cream, no matter the flavor with take a toll with at least, your stomach! Now, change the result of eating too much ice cream as a kid to what we see everyday on the job. What? Do you think your hands and mind are oblivious to the trauma we see? Not sure if that is you? Try standing in front of a mirror and looking at that person reflected to you. Here is the “wicked” truth. That person knows every single detail of your life! You cannot hide your feelings, thoughts, etc. from the mirror image. So, cut the crap that you think you can control. Because if you do not admit it, it will take charge of you.Our guest on this Ninth Season Premier of “5-Alarm Task Force,” is Chief (ret) Arjuna George. He knows about everything you see in the top paragraph. And he too, thought he could deal with everything, until he could not, any longer. On this episode, Chief George recounts part of what he went through over 24 years as a firefighter, line officer and a Chief. Some of you are dropping your mouth because you thought he was the best. However, he “saw the writing on the wall,” and now he needed help, both emotionally and professionally. And it was that admission that allowed him to grow beyond serving as a fire chief to the excellent trainer to help others who finds themselves in a similar situation. Listen to Chief George and see what you can glean from his experience and wisdom.Please remember that we need your help to raise the funds we use to financially assist a Brother/Sister and or their families, when they are in dire need. Since 2020, we have donated nearly $7,000.00 to our Brothers and Sisters. We can only do that with your help. Please visit our homepage at https://www.5-AlarmTaskForceCorp.org and scroll down to the photo of the E2QB siren. Select the photo and our donation page will appear. From $1.00 to whatever you can. And you can always reach us at Dalmatprod@Outlook.com

Our guest, Jack Sullivan is the Director of Training for the Responder Safety Institute and has been with us several times over the years. On this occasion Jack addresses the tragically high number of “Struck by,” incidents, where a firefighter, law enforcement officer, ambulance team, recovery (tow) operator, Road Ranger and even innocent good-Samaritans are injured or killed, most due to inattentive drivers, from people on bikes to large tractor trailers. We, who are First Responders much work to educate our members to always maintain, “Situational Awareness” and our heads on a “swivel” in our efforts to bring more safety to our jobs.Jack also explains to us the heavy need for more TIM (Traffic Incident Management) Teams around the country. These teams review past response incidences and how they could have been handled and feed that info to the responder agencies. They also conduct training with various First Responder agencies to help their members learn how to be safer and how to include those findings with those involved. For more information, here are several links:https://www.respondersafety.com/ - Main Website with news and resources andhttps://learning.respondersafety.com/ - Responder Safety Learning Networkhttps://www.ReportStruckBy.com – For reporting struck by vehicle incidents involving emergency responders at incident scenes.https://www.enddd.org/ - End Distracted Driving resourcesJack Sullivan CSPDir. Of Training, Emergency Responder Safety Institute www.ResponderSafety.com Cell: 804-514-3766ResponderSafety@GMail.comAnd you can always reach us at Dalmatprod@Outlook.com

David Wiklanski is an Engine Company Captain for an urban fire department in New Jersey. He has over twenty years in Emergency Services. Wiklanski is a speaker and writer, with most of his presentations on behavioral health, in addition to Suicide Terrorism. His mission is to end the stigma associated with mental health and to connect responders with the available resources to not only survive but thrive in their careers. He has contributed articles to Fire Engineering, Firehouse Magazine, Firehouse Tribune, and Firefighting in Canada. His first book: Suicide Bombers, Understanding Suicide Terrorism from a Cultural and Memetic perspective is available online and he is currently working on authoring his next book. Wiklanski has an MA in Behavioral Sciences-Human Behavior and Organizational Psychology from Kean University. He has been an adjunct professor at Kean University for the past 17 years. Wiklanski holds certifications as a Fire Instructor II, EMT Instructor, and NJ Certified Emergency Manager (NJCEM). He is a Behavioral Health Specialist for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) working on projects such as the Taking Care of Our Own (TCOOO) course and the Uniformed Peer Support Program. He was recently hired as the Program Manager for the Vulnerability Assessment Program (VAP), an online risk assessment tool. Here are a few links to the programs that we discussed. Also, if you can list my foundation email (DWiklanski@firehero.org) for anything NFFF-related. Taking Care of Our Own: https://www.firehero.org/fire-service-resources/taking-care-of-our-own/Vulnerability Assessment Program: https://firevap.org/