Rich Merritt - Firefighter & Computer Sim Guy

09/07/21 • 21 min

Rich Merritt spent most of his life in Southern California, but now lives primarily in Tennessee. He's been married for almost 22 years and has 2 sons. Rich is also an accomplished trumpet player!
Recently retired, he had a 30 year fire service career, most of it spent on the Costa Mesa Fire Department in Orange County, CA.
Digital Combustion was started with his fellow firefighter and friend Doug Prochnow over 23 years ago. Doug also is a 30 year veteran of the Fire Service.
More information about Digital Combustion here.
You can contact Rich at [email protected] .
Contact John Vance at [email protected]
Production assistance from Katie Brunacini

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Rescue Lt. Grant Light, Company Leadership & a Mayday from the Inside

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Daryl Gordon LODD NIOSH Report https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/pdfs/face201506.pdf

Radio traffic from the Daryl Gordon LODD https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21_3UzmMOY4
Grant Light has more than 40 years invested in the fire service. He started in 1977 on small suburban departments as a volunteer and part-time employee. For the past 26 years, Grant has worked for the Cincinnati Fire Department, where he began his tenure as a backseat firefighter on busy urban engine companies. After promoting to lieutenant in 2002, Grant spent 4 years in the training division, delivering recruit and incumbent-level training. When the CFD expanded its special operations by adding a second heavy rescue, Grant took the opportunity to transfer into the program. He spent every workday in his last years with CFD in charge of HR 9. CFD’s heavy rescues are responsible for hazmat, technical rescue and fire suppression. Grant is also a deputy commissioner for Hamilton County USAR and serves as rescue team manager for Ohio Task Force 1, a FEMA USAR team. Grant has recently turned in his retirement papers and is prepping for his next challenge.
Josh Blum, Blue Card Program Manager is the co-host.
Josh Blum has been in the fire service since 1993. He began his service as a volunteer firefighter before accepting a full-time career position. Josh served as the deputy chief of operations for the Loveland Symmes (Ohio) Fire Department, where he measurably increased the department’s training and operational effectiveness. Josh retired from Loveland Symmes in 2020 and now works for Blue Card as the program manager in all aspects of curriculum development and program delivery. Josh continues to work directly with departments throughout Southern Ohio assisting with training and fire department operations. Josh has developed and managed many fire service training programs throughout his career. He is a graduate of the Ohio Fire Executive Program
Contact Josh Blum at [email protected]
Contact John Vance at [email protected]
Production assistance by Katie Brunacini and Michelle Garrido Sutton

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We call her Garrido, the Editor in Chief of B Shifter Quarterly (with Nick Brunacini)

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On this episode we visit with Garrido and Nick about how they started working together, learn about some of the legends that Garrido has worked with and how she came to be the Editor in Chief of B Shifter Quarterly.
Michelle Garrido Sutton, editor of B Shifter, has 21 years of fire-service editorial experience. She has worked on several public-safety titles, including “Emergency,” “Jems,” “FireRescue” and “Wildland Firefighter,” in addition to multiple trade and consumer publications. Since 2009, Michelle has worked for Across the Street Productions on its Blue Card, B Shifter and Fire Command projects. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, Trent, and their son, Ethan.
The famous Christmas Tree story can be found here.
If you have a question for Michelle Garrido Sutton or you would like to write an article for B Shifter, you can contact her at [email protected].
This is the latest B Shifter Quarterly featuring the Alan V. Brunacini Command Training Center link here.
Nick Brunacini (our leader/ring leader) can be contacted at [email protected]
Associate Producer Katie Brunacini
Hosted and produced by John Vance.