5-Alarm Task Force!

If you’re a firefighter or in law enforcement, if you’re in EMS or another profession where “risk” at the top of the job description, you have probably had that “feeling in your gut.” You know the one; you are about to do something, but that little voice inside whispers to you to reconsider? If you’re in any profession with high risk, you know exactly what I am talking about. That is your inner-self speaking to you, as it sees or knows a bit more than you do at that very moment.

My guest on this episode is Dr. Richard Gasaway, renowned authority on human factors, situational awareness and the decision-making process in high stress, high consequence, work environments. He has authored six books and he has been widely cited in more than four-hundred books, book chapters, journal articles and online publications. He is the creator and host of the podcast, “Situational Awareness Matters,” available on your preferred podcast streaming service.

In our discussion, we focus on the concepts of “gut feeling” and “intuition;” are they the same, complimentary or different and how the concept applies. Dr. Gasaway shares some of the details from his recent episodes, “Top 10 Near-Miss Interviews,” and “Mental Rehearsal.”

Look at this way, not every decision we make on a day-to-day basis, drives that “gut feeling” or needs that intuitive angle. However, if you to “5-Alarm Task Force” on a regular basis, most likely, you are a first responder. If so, you probably know what we are referring to. To learn more about it, tune in with us for this podcast, “Situational Awareness Matters!”

From an outside view, the life of first responders looks glamorous and exciting. The red, white and blue lights flashing, “busting” the speed limit, sirens screaming. However, when those first responders arrive on the scene, they often find sadness and desolation, the darkest side of humanity or tragic, unnecessary loss. Now, imagine facing those situations day-after-day or on almost every shift. As we are about to close the second decade of the twenty-first century, our first responders see this dark side far too often. Add to that the pressures of everyday life in today’s “I need it now” society and some reach a breaking point.
They don’t wear capes, nor do they have super powers, for those first responders are our neighbors, members of our church or synagogue, shop at the same grocery store that we do. And when we do see them in public, whether in uniform or not, there will probably always be a smile or a friendly nod. However, if we could look deeper, we just might see a very troubled individual.
My guest, Mark Lamplugh, Jr., is a former fire captain and knows of what I describe above. And he has dedicated himself to helping those first responders who suffer from the trauma of the profession, that truth be told, they love. For the past ten years, Mark has answered phone calls and emails from first responders around the county, reaching out from the darkness for help.
In today’s episode, Mark discusses the issues that many first responders face and how he has helped them deal with these behavioral health problems. Additionally, he has taken that experience to create a non-profit agency, to allow first responder agencies or their communities to have their own, private and secure website, customized specifically for that agency or community, where those first responders can turn to learn or for help that has already been vetted to not only work with first responders, but will also accept the insurance coverage of the responder. Learn more with my guest, Mark Lamplugh, Jr.

I am happy to welcome back the two founders of Hoods for Heroes, Jeff Rountree and Bill Hamilton. In Part I of their program, we learned how Jeff and Bill have dedicated the past year to providing new flash hoods, ones with a special weave, the precludes soot, toxins and carcinogens for passing through to the sensitive skin on our neck and face. Their foundation is raising funds from other foundations, corporate sponsors and others, to meet the goal of providing these hoods to every firefighter in the U.S.

In this second appearance, Jeff and Bill are here to answer two very important questions,
1. “Who pays for my cancer treatment if I am diagnosed?
2. Is there a way to financially prepare myself and/or my family?

As someone who was declared disabled at the age of 40, with a wife, two young children and a new house, I was lucky to have purchased a private disability policy at age 29. That policy saved my butt! Now ask yourself, with our strong Firefighter Cancer Initiative education and mitigation programs, do you have any idea of what happens if you receive a diagnosis of some type of cancer?

Joining Jeff and Bill is a friend Tanya, who firefighter husband was recently diagnosed with a Stage 4 cancer. Tanya, who had been in the insurance business until her husband’s illness, explains the financial “tornado” they find themselves in. They had thought that with her husband’s insurance policies through work, everything would have been taken care of. But that is not the case.

Jeff and Bill and explain how payments may work depending on your insurance coverage and tell us about a new program, “Living Benefits,” that provides funds for the patient and his/her family, and not necessarily for just a cancer diagnosis. Every first responder should listen to this podcast!

In any organization, morale is one of the most important facets of the group, whether they are volunteers at a religious facility, workers in a mill, or the staff of a huge law firm encompassing an entire floor of a high-rise. Yet, it plays an even more important role for a cadre of first responders, especially, the fire service.
Most of us have seen a fire department, maybe our own or a neighboring, where morale is low. While vigorously trained to fight structure fires and perform death defying high-level or collapse rescues, this group often loses morale when they do not respond to those types of call in a period of months or for some, years! Thus the question: “How do we boost their morale?”
My guest, Capt. John Lovato, Jr., understands the predicament. In this podcast, Capt. Lovato shares his ideas of using required drill time to allow the “troops” to use many of those skills that they learned and developed. While live burns are rarer these days, he has his crews, drop feeder lines, throw ladders, stretch hoses, and more. And, there is little doubt that, whether day or night, these drills will often result in firefighters who are better prepared for many of the challenges that they will face. As you listen to Capt. Lovato, ask yourself, “Can my department think along these same lines for us?”

If you have been involved in fire and/or EMS, you probably know the name, “Gary Ludwig.” Chief Ludwig has over 40 years of experience in fire-rescue and EMS. He has served as the Chief Paramedic of the St. Louis Fire Dept, the Deputy Fire Chief for the Memphis Fire Dept, and currently serves as the Chief of the Champaign IL Fire Dept.
In his new book, “Fully Involved Leadership,” Chief Ludwig shares some new and fresh perspectives on good leadership. He brings a new view of the leadership triangle and you’ll be surprised at the vision he presents.
Listen, the best leaders are not the ones who shout the loudest or intimidate those of the lower ranks. Chief Ludwig draws on his years of experience, from when he started his career with the St. Louis Fire Dept., just two months after graduating high school to his present position as Chief of the Champaign IL Fire Dept. His new book is for any firefighter/paramedic who aspires to be a leader in this field, from the newest recruit to well-experienced line officer to the chief.