Forging Your Team – The Johnny Torgeson Story – 408
SAMatters Radio
The fire service is struggling with recruiting and retention. It’s also challenged by a mental health crisis and a growing apathy within the profession. The good news is, we have the power to fix it. Working in a team environment provides job satisfaction, psychological safety, and a feeling of community. Fire service leaders have the responsibility of developing teams; so, Dr. JT wrote a book on how to Forge Your Team. Dr. JT started his career in 2000 as a U.S. Army Firefighter. He's worked for several fire departments around the world. Currently, he works at MCLB Barstow Fire...
info_outline
Accelerating Leadership Growth and Impact – The Sean Glaze Interview – 407
SAMatters Radio
In this episode, Dr. Gasaway discusses how to accelerating leadership growth and impact with Sean Glaze, author of Rapid Teamwork, The 10 Commandments of Winning Teammates, and Staying Coachable. Sean Glaze is a leadership speaker, teambuilding facilitator, and author who delivers engaging experiences that ignite your team’s performance. Sean has worked with clients like Cisco, John Deere, the CDC, and Emory University to increase collaboration, boost productivity, and build more positive and workplace cultures. As a successful basketball coach, Sean gained valuable...
info_outline
The Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance – 406
SAMatters Radio
In this interview, Dr. Gasaway talks with Jeff Dill about the Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance and their work to reduce firefighter suicides. In 2010, Jeff Dill founded Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance (FBHA). And since 2021, Jeff has served full time as the Behavioral Health Administrator for Las Vegas Fire & Rescue in Nevada. Jeff travels the United States & Canada holding workshops to educate firefighters, dispatchers & EMS about behavioral health awareness, moral injury and suicide prevention. In 2010, FBHA began tracking and...
info_outline
The Minnesota Hometown Heroes Assistance Program - 405
SAMatters Radio
In this interview, Dr. Gasaway talks with George Esbensen, President of the Minnesota Firefighter Initiative (MnFIRE) about the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program. During his 32 years in the fire service, George Esbensen served in many roles, from firefighter to chief. Today, he volunteers as Board President of the Minnesota Firefighter Initiative (MnFIRE), an advocacy nonprofit he co-founded in 2016 dedicated to providing Minnesota's firefighters with the tools they need to prioritize and protect their health. Chief Esbensen has been an advocate for firefighter wellness for his entire...
info_outline
PFAS, Firefighter Cancer and The Foam Exposure Committee - 404
SAMatters Radio
In this interview, Dr. Gasaway talks with Vicki Quint and Rick Nickerson about PFAS, foam exposure and the risk to firefighters. The Foam Exposure Committee Mission Statement - - To reduce firefighter / first responder exposures to perfluorinated chemicals used in firefighting foams in order to protect their health and lives. We will recommend a list of firefighting products for fire departments based on testing data and Committee review. First responders should have immediate access to safer fluorine-free firefighting foams. About the Host Richard B. Gasaway, PhD, CSP is...
info_outline
The NIOSH 5 and Leadership – The Jeff Snider Interview – 403
SAMatters Radio
In this interview, Dr. Gasaway talks with Jeff Snider about the NIOSH 5 – or the five most often cited contributing factors in Line of Duty death investigations and lessons for leaders. Jeff Snider has served with the Canadian military as a Special Forces Operator (3 CDO), a Correctional Officer at a maximum-security facility, and 28 years in the Fire Service, serving in the positions of Firefighter, Lieutenant, Captain, K9 Handler, Acting Training Officer and Assistant Chief, in both the Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services, and the Abbotsford Fire Rescue Service. ...
info_outline
Conducting a LODD After Action Review: Part 2 – 402
SAMatters Radio
On January 06, 2018, Lt. Matthew LeTourneau, a 42-year-old male and 11-year veteran of the Philadelphia Fire Department (PFD), died after becoming trapped from an interior structural collapse while engaged in interior firefighting operations. Two additional firefighters were injured during the collapse and one civilian occupant of the dwelling, who was removed during initial operations, also died. An After-Action Review (AAR) was conducted by the PFDs Health and Safety Office, at the direction of Fire Commissioner Adam K. Thiel, to provide insight into the event and PFD...
info_outline
Conducting a LODD After Action Review: Part 1 – 401
SAMatters Radio
This episode is part 1 of a 2-part interview where Dr. Gasaway talks with retired Philadelphia Deputy Chief Vince Mulray and Battalion Chief Bobby Kennedy about conducting a Line-of-Duty After Action Review following the death of Lieutenant Matthew LeTourneau on January 6, 2018. After Action Review-Line of Duty Death On January 06, 2018, Lt. Matthew LeTourneau, (LeTurnO) a 42-year-old male and 11-year veteran of the Philadelphia Fire Department (PFD), died after becoming trapped from an interior structural collapse while engaged in interior firefighting operations. Two...
info_outline
The 400th Episode Anniversary of the SAMatters Show - 400
SAMatters Radio
Dr. Gasaway, along with some special guests, celebrates the milestone of reaching our 400thepisode. Description The Situational Awareness Matters Show debuted on May 12, 2014. This episode highlights the journey Dr. Gasaway has taken to educate first responders about situational awareness and high-risk decision making. About the Host Richard B. Gasaway, PhD, CSP is widely considered a trusted authority on human factors, situational awareness and the high-risk decision making processes used in high-stress, high consequence work environments. He served...
info_outline
2015 Amtrak Passenger Train Derailment in Philadelphia - 399
SAMatters Radio
In this episode, Dr. Gasaway interviews Vince Mulray, retired Philadelphia Deputy Chief, discussing the 2015 derailment of Amtrak Train #188 traveling from Washington DC to New York City. On May 12, 2015, at approximately 9:20pm, Amtrak Train #188 traveling from Washington D.C. to New York City derailed and crashed on the Frankford Junction curve on Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor. All seven cars and the electric locomotive left the tracks. The derailment and crash resulted in 8 deaths and over 200 passengers injured. This incident...
info_outlineIn this interview, Dr. Gasaway talks with George Esbensen, President of the Minnesota Firefighter Initiative (MnFIRE) about the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program.
During his 32 years in the fire service, George Esbensen served in many roles, from firefighter to chief. Today, he volunteers as Board President of the Minnesota Firefighter Initiative (MnFIRE), an advocacy nonprofit he co-founded in 2016 dedicated to providing Minnesota's firefighters with the tools they need to prioritize and protect their health. Chief Esbensen has been an advocate for firefighter wellness for his entire career, leading efforts to ban cancer-causing flame retardants, establish the Hometown Heroes Survivor Act, and, in 2021, pass the most comprehensive firefighter well-being legislation in the nation.
Hometown Heroes Assistance Program
The summer of 2023 marked the two-year anniversary of the Minnesota legislature’s passing of the Hometown Heroes Act. This win for the state’s fire service has since ensured that every Minnesota firefighter has access to a MnFIRE Assistance Program with expanded emotional trauma resources, including free visits to mental health professionals and ongoing peer support, an up-to-$20,000 critical illness policy that they’re automatically enrolled in, and ongoing health and wellness training, all at no cost to them or their department.
Firefighters across the country – and across Minnesota – are affected by serious health concerns including cardiac disease, emotional trauma and cancer at rates nearly twice as high as the general public. But since the legislation went into effect, the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program (HHAP), administered by the Minnesota Firefighter Initiative (MnFIRE), has changed thousands of lives through an array of confidential resources available to all active volunteer, paid-on-call, part-time and full-time Minnesota firefighters. In just over two years, the program has provided:
· Nearly 1,000 firefighter-focused mental health providers across the state to offer up to five no-cost counseling sessions per issue per year to firefighters and their families. To date the MnFIRE Assistance Program has facilitated nearly 1,600 visits with mental health providers.
· An expanded network of trained MnFIRE peer supporters, which has responded to more than 675 calls.
· 149 paid Critical Illness claims, totaling $1.9 million. Illnesses have included full-benefit cancer, COVID-19, post-traumatic stress disorder, skin cancer, other cancer, ALS, heart attack, sudden cardiac arrest, heart disease, kidney failure, coronary artery disease needing surgery and more.
· 1,118 MnFIRE trainings to 17,524 firefighters about the increased occupational health risks they face and how to cultivate a healthy lifestyle.
About the Host
Richard B. Gasaway, PhD, CSP is widely considered a trusted authority on human factors, situational awareness and the high-risk decision making processes used in high-stress, high consequence work environments. He served 33 years on the front lines as a firefighter, EMT-Paramedic, company officer, training officer, fire chief and emergency incident commander. His doctoral research included the study of cognitive neuroscience to understand how human factors flaw situational awareness and impact high-risk decision making.
Contact us
www.SAMatters.com
www.RichGasaway.com
612-548-4424 (office)
Let’s Get connected
Facebook: SAMatters
LinkedIn: Rich Gasaway
LinkedIn: Situational Awareness Matters
Twitter: Rich Gasaway
Youtube: SAMattersTV
itunes: SAMatters Radio
Stitcher Radio: SAMatters Radio
Google Play: SAMatters Radio
iHeart Radio: SAMatters Radio
Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System
http://www.firefighternearmiss.com/
George Esbensen Contact Information
MNFireInitiative.com
The SAMatters Show is the longest running, fastest growing, safety focused program on the Internet. If you know a company that might be interested in advertising their product or service to our listeners and viewers, ask them to contact us at SAMatters.com.