National Fire Radio Podcast Platform

Andy Starnes is a focused, intentional man who brings so much to the conversation. He believes in three foundational blocks that structures his life, Faith, Family and the Fire Department. Part 1 focuses on us, the firefighter, and our individual mental health and all around way we work and live with those around us. "Love Deposits, Love Withdrawals", a power way to put in perspective our time and commitment to those around us. In this case, Andy talks about his family and using this method to ensure some type of "balance". This idea can be applied to any part of your life as a way to represent the give and take we all struggle with in in life. Two passions Andy has is Fire Behavior and Firefighter Behavior. Part 1 focuses on the Firefighter Behavior and it gets in the trenches. His ability to put in word what so many of us feel is a unique gift and Andy Starnes doesn't beat around the bush. This is an episode you do not want to miss!! Stay tuned for Part 2...

Pip’s guest this week is living his mantra of Adapt and Overcome. Gary Weiland was a Firefighter in Texas for 7 years when he experienced a series of very unfortunate events. His leg was amputated just below his knee. Gary decided that this tragedy was not going to end his career and passion for fighting fire. 10 months and 6 days after his amputation, he was back on the Fire Truck, full-duty, no restrictions. Gary’s taken his life of service to a whole new level, by proving that nothing is impossible. He has become the first amputee to qualify for the semi finals of NBC’s American Ninja Warrior. He also competes in the paralympics representing team USA, is a children's author and motivational speaker. Gary’s story of perseverance and his overall positive attitude are on display from the very beginning of the interview. Pip is also joined on this podcast by his younger son, Dex. He is a huge fan of Gary and has watched his epic run on ANW several times. Gary’s story will have you asking yourself that question. What’s my SIZE UP??? IG:Gary_weiland Website: www.GaryWeiland.com Website: www.adaptandovercomestories.com

This quick drop is Jeremy discussing his recent July 4th social media post about loosing sight of the important of the great good. Today, we are so focused on the individual and compared to years prior of taking great pride of our communities and our fire companies. We need to get back to the larger picture where others matter and people care for and look out for one another. Our fire companies are at the root of it all and we need to ensure that we are still investing the time and energy needed to push this job forward. What's more important; the individual or the whole?? Something Jeremy goes after in this 20 minute drop. Enjoy!!

Rob Ramirez played baseball and it was the structure he enjoyed growing up. The team aspect of the game, knowing your position and where you fit in were what Rob enjoyed about America's pastime. As his baseball career wound down, an invitation to join the cadet program at the local fire department was his next chapter in which he was excited about. Finding plenty of similarities between baseball and the firehouse, he chased after being the best he can be so that he could get a spot on the starting roster. 22 years later and currently a Captain, Rob has found his place on the team. His passion for the rescue services led to a position on Florida Task Force 2 in which he operated at many high profile incidents during his tenure. One in particular, the 2010 Haiti earthquake gave Rob a chance to understand his passion for the Mayday Mindset, a class in which he lectures and trains on across the country. His experience in a collapsed building helped form his own ideas about mindset and the response firefighters have during Mayday situations. Rob Ramirez is passionate about sharing his knowledge and experience with students across the country. His Mayday program has a no nonsense, straight forward approach that focuses on "Adult Learning". Communication is key and Rob certainly knows how to work with firefighters from all levels of experience and mindset. Experience matters and we must pass it forward in order to push this job forward!!

Do you have facial hair??? Do you want to grow facial hair??? Do you care about personal grooming??? Do you hold a special disdain for men with facial hair??? Whatever your stance on the matter, this episode is for you. Pip is joined by Griff Coiner, founder of Stache Salt, where they are more than just mustache wax. Griff shares his story of growing up and joining the fire service, then starting Stache Salt out of a basic need of his own and those around him. Just like growing an epic mustache, growing a small business takes patience and time. Griff also shares some “pro tips” for facial hair care. Pip takes Griff’s advice during The Size Up’s first ever, how to segment. Griff walk’s Pip through some stache care and styling tips. Unbeknownst to Pip, he has been doing it wrong the whole time. Pip’s new “summer” cohost Dex drops in again with his unique brand of questions and comments about his dad’s facial hair, and mothers opinion on it. This episode was a lot of fun and we hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed recording it for you. And as always, it gives you a few chances to ask yourself. What's My Size Up???? IG: stache.salt IG: that_stache_guy Website: www.https://stachesalt.com/

Finding people who push you to do better usually leads to incredible things. When Sean Duffy was talking with like minded individuals, the conversation always came around to why not everyone was so passionate about the fire service. As each conversation weaved between the group, it all came back to the common theme of culture. If you want a good one, you have to BUILD IT. Welcome, Build Your Culture; a training group of like minded firefighters that believe in hard work and dedicated to building a positive culture. With over 18 years in the fire service, Sean has worked for different departments that each offered their own challenges. Regardless of their make up and size, each has the potential to be successful and the foundation is solely built on the culture. "Take pride in where you ride", sounds easy, but it takes work. Between hands-on training and lecture classes, Sean and his crew talks about the importance of the job and the mindset that it needs. Searchable vs. Survivable, a class offered by the Build Your Culture team dives head first into the fire ground and how we operate to protect the citizens we serve. Sean believes that this job is an honorable one and he is proud to be apart of it. 
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Sean Duffy can be contacted at duffy558@gmail.com and check out Build Your Culture on Facebook.

In order to keep a growing department on top of their game, it takes a tremendous amount of work at all levels. But the backbone of any department is the Shop. The center of activity and a place where information is shared, repairs are made and education is learned. At the center of it all is a detail oriented and super talented Mechanical Supervisor, Frank Docimo. Hired in 2008, during his early years on the line Frank was known as a Black Cloud, Jobs seemed to happen when he was around. As his time progressed and his other skills were required, Frank found his way to the Shops. Since then, Frank and his talented team has transformed the Shops into a premium division within the Stamford Fire Department. Loose equipment, apparatus repair and purchasing, vehicle upfitting, preventative maintenance, purchasing, supply chain, incident response and so on. The list of responsibilities is endless and Frank wouldn't have it any other way. He thrives on the organized chaos and he often finds a way to pull a rabbit out of a hat. As the backbone of the department, Frank knows the importance of his position and that so much is dependent upon his division. "So The Pride Can Ride"... a slogan that is taken to heart each and every day Frank and his team make it happen!!

PipTalks Episode 5: Progress by Jeremy Donch

With a presence that can fill up any room, Ric Jorge is certainly a personality promoting what's best for the fire service. Ric has an incredible story, from rough and tough beginnings to becoming a retired firefighter with focus and a mission at hand. His mission is to break down the barriers of PTSD, drug and alcohol problems and other mental health conditions. Counseling and therapy for first responders has become his focus and he is more passionate than ever. This episode has plenty packed into it; from the importance of self care, input vs. output, individual character and "mental hygiene", Ric crushes the conversation. "Developing Firefighter Resiliency" is a program that Ric offers which deep dives into all aspects of his experience when dealing with mental health. Mind, body and soul... three things that Ric holds to the highest degree. Meditation and spirituality help Ric focus daily and has allowed for his personal growth so that he can help others. A remarkable story, Ric Jorge is making a difference for the fire service. His story is one not to be missed.

Episode 23 is sort of a part 2 interview. Pip and Jeremy just finished recording an episode of National Fire Radio with the guys from Vanguard Safety Wear. Then Jeremy and Pip switch seats and jump right into an episode of The Size Up. This group talks about business, friendship, hard work and dedication. Each of them has a different perspective on life, but somehow they are all saying the same thing. Pip also takes a stab at The Size Up 10 with all four of these guys. Some of their answers surprised even him. We didn’t exactly define success in this one, but we definitely gave you some reasons to ask yourself the question. What’s my Size Up???? Ryan Pennington @ryanepennington Nick Dinges @dingesfirecompany Andy Shapiro @vanguardsafetywear