Undisclosed Agents Podcast #25 Brad Driscoll - Hard Truths
May 20, 2024
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Retired Fresno Fire member Brad Driscoll shares insights on key incidents shaping West Coast fire tactics. Topics include leadership challenges, morale impact of decisions, learning from tragedies, and balancing risk/resources in firefighting. The podcast emphasizes understanding 'why' in firefighting leadership, promoting professionalism, and enhancing tactics and leadership skills for better fire response.
Emphasize assertiveness and aggression in challenging roles like firefighting for proactive handling of situations.
Prioritize collaboration and finding common ground between unions, fire departments, and city administrations to address challenges effectively.
Implement lessons learned from serious accident reviews in training and operations to enhance fire service practices and safety measures.
Balance operational needs with financial constraints for effective risk management strategies aligned with the fire department's mission.
Maintain high standards through honesty, accountability, and quality training to ensure operational readiness and weed out inadequate candidates early on.
Deep dives
Being a Monster and Learning to Control
It is emphasized that one should be assertive and aggressive rather than passive. The discussion covers the importance of being proactive and assertive, especially in challenging positions like the fire department. It highlights the significance of learning to control one's assertiveness and aggression.
Union, Department, City Dynamics and Zero Sum Game
The podcast delves into the dynamics between unions, fire departments, and city administrations, questioning whether it is a zero-sum game. The conversation explores the challenges of balancing priorities and interests between different entities, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and finding common ground.
Serious Accident Review Teams and Lesson Learning
The episode discusses the importance of serious accident review teams in the fire service. It highlights the lessons learned from tragic incidents and emphasizes the need to implement changes based on those reviews. The conversation touches on the significance of integrating those learnings into training and operational procedures.
Risk Management and Firefighters' Role
The podcast addresses risk management in the fire service, emphasizing the balance between operational needs and financial constraints. It discusses the challenges of justifying the costs associated with ensuring firefighter safety and readiness. The conversation underscores the importance of aligning risk management strategies with the mission of the fire department.
Honesty, Accountability, and Quality Training
The discussion stresses the importance of honesty, accountability, and quality training in the fire service. It highlights the significance of maintaining high standards and weeding out inadequate candidates early in the recruitment process. The conversation emphasizes the value of investing in training and personnel to ensure operational readiness and effectiveness.
Challenges in Dealing with Fire Personnel Issues
Dealing with fire personnel challenges involves identifying toxic individuals early on to prevent issues like firing or lawsuits later. A corporate lawyer advised acting promptly when such problems arise, emphasizing the importance of immediate action to mitigate negative impacts on the team.
SafeTrack: An Innovative Software for Fire Academies
SafeTrack is a pioneering software designed for fire academies, offering a comprehensive platform for running evaluations, tests, and tracking progress. It provides custom-designed modules for effective training, evaluation, and reporting, ranking participants based on performance and aiding chiefs in decision-making.
Promotional Process: Sounding vs. Being Professional
The podcast delves into the difference between sounding professional and truly embodying professionalism in fire service promotions. It highlights the importance of practical training and strategic thinking over mere memorization, emphasizing the need for evaluating candidates based on applied knowledge rather than written tests.
Commercial Fire Challenges for Smaller Fire Departments
The discussion addresses the significant challenges smaller fire departments face in handling commercial fires due to limited exposure and resources. The lack of hands-on experience in large commercial settings poses risks, necessitating enhanced training, command structures, and strategies to effectively manage these complex incidents.
Importance of Communication in Fire Incident Reporting
Emphasizing the critical role of communication in fire incidents, the importance of proactive reporting and information sharing among team members is underscored. Encouraging a culture where firefighters feel empowered to voice observations or concerns can lead to improved situational awareness and potentially avert serious consequences.
Today we got a chance to sit down with Brad Driscoll. Brad is a retired member of the Fresno Fire department. Serving at all ranks from firefighter to Battalion Chief. During his 22 years with Fresno Fire department Brad pretty much had his hands and everything from chairman of the local 202 executive board, recruit Academy drill instructor, public information officer, and was also a member of the serious accident review teams on the Cortland incident and Porterville incident. I will attach a link to these two SART reports in the show notes. I suggest if you haven’t already reviewed these reports you do so, the findings and lessons learned at these tragic incidents has helped shape some of the West Coast fireground tactics. The topics Brad brought to the podcast were incredibly thought provoking and stimulated some excellent conversations. We hope you enjoy the discussion as much as we did.
