Don't Risk It! Podcast

Cancer in the Fire Service Part 2 - Decontamination with Concord Fire Department

May 17, 2022 09:00 - 14 minutes - 12.7 MB

Following up from our previous episode, we continue our discussion on the prevalence of cancer within the fire service. We welcome Fire Chief Jake Williams, Deputy Fire Marshall Travis McGaha and Training Chief Joshua Simpson from Concord Fire Department of North Carolina and ask them about their decontamination program and procedures.

Cancer in the Fire Service Part 1

May 03, 2022 09:00 - 14 minutes - 11.6 MB

Research has shown that firefighters have a higher risk of developing cancer. Why is this happening and how can fire departments help protect their volunteer and career first responders? Keith Brandstedter, President of Glatfelter Specialty Benefits, joins the podcast this week to discuss this important issue firefighters face.

Wildland Fire Preparations

April 19, 2022 09:05 - 12 minutes - 9.68 MB

Wildland fires have increased in frequency and intensity in recent years. Taking steps to prepare for these events before they occur can help limit the devastation. Deputy Chief J.R. Fox of Campbell County Fire Department in Wyoming joins the podcast to discuss what his department does to plan and prepare for the wildland fire season.

911 Center Relationships with ESOs & the Public

April 05, 2022 13:12 - 16 minutes - 13 MB

Communication is the most helpful thing an ESO can give to an Emergency Call Center (ECC). As a public safety answering point (PSAP), 911 call centers are a unit of first response, dispatching to multiple ESOs under various sets of operating agreements. Mark J. Boudreaux, Executive Director of Terrebonne Parish Communications District, joins us to talk about 911 centers, their role in emergency response, and how they manage the relationships with the ESOs they dispatch and the communities the...

Sensory Processing Disorder(SPD) and Sensory Kits

March 22, 2022 14:10 - 15 minutes - 13.3 MB

First responders are accustomed to the bright lights and loud noises associated with an emergency scene, but for individuals with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), these sights and sounds can be debilitating. Saranika Griffith from Lancaster EMS joins the program to talk about sensory bags, developed in partnership with Schreiber Center for Pediatric Development, and how they can be used by responders to help patients with SPD.

Telemedicine Considerations for ESOs

March 08, 2022 10:00 - 28 minutes - 21.5 MB

Recent changes in payment policy have driven changes in EMS organizations, allowing for the integration of telemedicine. In this episode, Matt Zavadsky from Medstar in Fort Worth, TX joins us to talk about the rapid expansion of telemedicine in emergency medical services and how his organization has integrated this technology into their response operations, including platform selection, patient criteria and protocols.

Safety Culture Revisited - Roundtable

February 22, 2022 10:00 - 15 minutes - 16.1 MB

Standard Operating Guidelines (SOGs) are the foundation of an ESO’s safety culture. Without them, employees can only guess what leadership expects of them. In this roundtable discussion with members of the VFIS Client Risk Solutions team, we talk about how SOGs play a role in a positive safety culture when it comes to driver selection and training, and why it’s important to have SOGs in front of employees on a routine basis. For more resources and sample SOGs visit https://www.responderhel...

Intersection Safety

February 08, 2022 10:00 - 9 minutes - 9.94 MB

Intersections are responsible for the majority of accidents involving emergency vehicles. This week on the program we discuss best practices when it comes to training, policies and procedures concerning emergency response and intersections. Our guests for this week are Mike Baker, Director of VFIS Client Risk Solutions and Blair Tyndall, Emergency Services Specialist.

Responders Struck on the Roadway

January 25, 2022 17:00 - 17 minutes - 14.7 MB

Roadside safety starts with education. In this episode, we talk about responders being struck on roadways. Tim Hayes, former medic and CEO of Medic Tim Hayes Ministries, leads us with his inspiring story and powerful message about highway incident response and offers suggestions on how to improve roadside safety through education. Todd Leiss, Traffic Incident Management Coordinator for the Pennsylvania Turnpike, also shares his valuable work to promote stronger safety practices at roadway inc...

De-Escalation Strategies for ESOs

January 17, 2022 17:00 - 10 minutes - 8.82 MB

First responders regularly deal with intense and emotional situations where the people they are serving may be angry or in crisis. Law enforcement professional and adjunct professor Ben Iobst joins us to discuss effective techniques for verbal de-escalation and the significance of having an effective psychological and experienced based skillset for responding to others in a crisis situation. Ben Iobst teaches Verbal De-Escalation for First Responders at Northampton Community College. Visi...

Encore Episode: Rollover Prevention

December 28, 2021 10:00 - 14 minutes - 11.9 MB

It's been one year since the launch of the Don't Risk It! podcast, and to help commemorate this important milestone, we're revisiting some of the most popular and relevant episodes. Emergency service organizations operate a wide range of vehicles in terms of size, weight, and operating abilities. In this discussion with Jackie Ireland of VFIS of NC, we talk about how vehicle dynamics contribute to rollover incidents along with some prevention strategies to help departments reduce this risk.

Encore Episode: Driver Training

December 14, 2021 10:00 - 8 minutes - 7.71 MB

It's been one year since the launch of the Don't Risk It! podcast, and to help commemorate this important milestone, we're revisiting some of the most popular and relevant episodes. Emergency vehicle drivers have in their care, custody and control most of the major assets possessed by an organization: the vehicle, portable equipment and personnel. With so much, literally riding in their hands, all drivers need to be trained to understand the dynamics associated with operating an emergency ...

Encore Episode: POV Exposures & Controls

November 30, 2021 14:00 - 8 minutes - 7.37 MB

It's been one year since the launch of the Don't Risk It! podcast, and to help commemorate this important milestone, we're revisiting some of the most popular and relevant episodes. Most volunteer emergency service departments rely heavily on the ability of their members to respond to calls, either to the scene or the station, in their personal vehicles. While this is essential to the organization’s ability to react to emergencies in a timely manner, there are also inherent risks. Blair Ty...

Value Added with Dan Naylor

November 16, 2021 10:00 - 24 minutes - 18.8 MB

Did you know, a large number of Glatfelter associates are actively involved or have previously served in leadership roles in Emergency Service Organizations? This profoundly shapes the organization’s culture and is just one of the unique benefits that comes with a VFIS insurance policy. In this episode, VFIS Sales Regional V.P. Dan Naylor joins us to discuss some of the value-added services VFIS provides that go beyond the financial protections of an insurance policy, including remote traini...

Forming Productive Relationships with the Media

November 02, 2021 09:00 - 13 minutes - 10.2 MB

In today’s society, your reputation can be destroyed at the speed of light. Dave Statter from Statter 911 Communications joins the program to discuss the significance of ESO relationships with the media and the effects of building reputational equity through communication with standard media outlets. For more information from Dave Statter, visit the Statter 911 Communications website at www.statter911.com.

Drones in the Emergency Services with Northwest Fire District

October 19, 2021 09:00 - 22 minutes - 17.2 MB

The use of drones, in emergency services imposes the need for ESOs to have a structured UAS program in place; but, what does that look like for the department? In this follow-up conversation about drone use in emergency services, Deputy Chief Scott Hamblen from Northwest Fire District in Tucson, AZ shares details of his agency’s UAS operations, including its flight certification process, SOGs and training.

Medical Evaluations for ESOs

October 05, 2021 09:00 - 11 minutes - 8.79 MB

A responder’s health can impact the safety of other crew members, agency resources, and civilians. Medical evaluations can help ESOs protect their members by intercepting potential health issues and preventing future illness. Scott Cain joins the program to discuss these benefits and others of adopting a medical evaluation program, as well as some key components to include. Additional resources on this topic can be found at ResponderHelp.com and on our website.

Rollover Prevention

September 21, 2021 09:00 - 14 minutes - 12 MB

Emergency service organizations operate a wide range of vehicles in terms of size, weight, and operating abilities. In this discussion with Jackie Ireland of VFIS of NC, we talk about how vehicle dynamics contribute to rollover incidents along with some prevention strategies to help departments reduce this risk.

Portable Equipment Loss Reduction

September 07, 2021 09:00 - 8 minutes - 7.36 MB

Portable equipment is essential in fire and EMS response but these vital pieces of equipment are often damaged in the course of providing emergency services. In this episode, Chris Bardsley shares some of the trends he’s observed while working in property claims, as well as a first responder and provides some strategies to help protect portable equipment and mitigate potential loss situations.

ESO Relationships with Government Officials

August 24, 2021 09:00 - 14 minutes - 11.7 MB

As changes occur within an ESO and in the community, departments may need to make adjustments that often require additional resources or funding. Maintaining a positive working relationship with local government officials helps to ensure the needs of the ESO are met. Jerry Ozog joins the program to discuss how to effectively work with government leaders in support of the ESO’s mission. Additional resources on this topic can be found at ResponderHelp.com and on our website.

Culture Change in Emergency Services

August 10, 2021 09:00 - 9 minutes - 8.45 MB

Maintaining a positive culture throughout an ESO must include building a culture of safety within the agency. Rick Edinger joins us to discuss how organizational culture impacts the health and safety of ESO members. We’ll also discuss best practices for steering the culture of your ESO towards a producing a more positive and safer environment. Additional resources on this topic can be found at ResponderHelp.com and on our website.

Incident Stress Management with Dr. Kathy Jansen

July 27, 2021 09:00 - 17 minutes - 15.2 MB

Critical incident stress can have a lasting effect on emergency responders; yet, the stigma surrounding mental illness often interferes with seeking help. Dr. Kathy Jansen discusses potential solutions to help manage traumatic situations when they arise and tools to consider when integrating a critical incident stress management program into your organization. Additional resources on this topic can be found at ResponderHelp.com and on our website. Download the Risk Bulletin: https://hubs...

ResponderHelp.com

July 13, 2021 09:00 - 5 minutes - 4.72 MB

ResponderHelp.com is a valuable resource for emergency personnel, developed and administered by VFIS and offering content sourced from a broad variety of industry specialists. The website offers a robust variety of safety-related resources in response to the needs and questions of emergency responders everywhere. ETC Technical Writer and Site Administrator Rick Gurba talks with us about some of the site's features and the sign up process.

Patient Handling for Emergency Responders

June 29, 2021 09:00 - 10 minutes - 9.05 MB

Patient handling is a complex task that emergency service organizations (ESOs) undertake every day. However, the basics of patient handling are often taken for granted and associated incidents can result in injury and damage to the responder, the patient and the organization. Sr. Risk Control Representative Dave Bradley joins the program to discuss how poor patient handling impacts organizations and some potential solutions to help control this exposure. Download the Risk Bulletin: https:/...

Driver Monitoring Systems

June 15, 2021 09:00 - 7 minutes - 6.78 MB

Is your emergency service organization getting the most out of your current driver monitoring program? In this episode, we join VFIS Client Risk Solutions Director Mike Baker to discuss how driver monitoring systems can help improve your organization’s fleet safety and impact overall maintenance costs. We’ll explore how the data generated by these systems can provide timely alerts of risky driving behaviors to fleet managers so they can proactively address them before they lead to an accident.

Severe Weather Preparation with Pender EMS & Fire

June 01, 2021 09:00 - 32 minutes - 25.4 MB

When’s the last time your department updated its severe weather plan? This week on Don’t Risk It! we sit down with Chief Woody Sullivan from Pender EMS & Fire of North Carolina to discuss the importance of being proactive, not reactive, in storm response.

Fatigue Management with Chesterfield Fire & EMS

May 18, 2021 09:00 - 29 minutes - 24.2 MB

Fatigue impacts personal health as well as a responder’s ability to perform key functions including patient care, incident command and vehicle operations. In this episode we revisit the discussion of fatigue management in EMS operations with Fire Chief Loy Senter and Battalion Chief Kevin Moran from Chesterfield Fire & EMS. Chief Senter and Chief Moran join us to talk about the details of an internal fatigue management study they’ve recently conducted within their department. To learn more...

Securing Emergency Response Units

May 04, 2021 09:00 - 10 minutes - 7.96 MB

Theft of emergency vehicles, including the specialized medical equipment and medications onboard, can be costly; and in some cases, losses of this nature have resulted in catastrophic injuries or fatalities. Furthermore, vehicle and equipment theft can occur anywhere. VFIS Industry Specialist Blair Tyndall provides some considerations for securing vehicles while away from and at the station.

EPL - Sexual Harassment & Discrimination Prevention Part 2

April 20, 2021 09:00 - 24 minutes - 22.4 MB

Sexual harassment continues to be a hot topic for business and organizations. What can EMS and fire departments do differently now to address and prevent sexual harassment in the workplace? How can ESOs protect personnel from unwanted attention? Mike McCall, President of MJ Consulting, sits down to discuss what departments can do to foster safe and positive work environments. Join us for a special two-part series exploring this topic.

EPL - Sexual Harassment & Discrimination Prevention Part 1

April 06, 2021 09:00 - 22 minutes - 20.8 MB

Sexual harassment continues to be a hot topic for business and organizations. What can EMS and fire departments do differently now to address and prevent sexual harassment in the workplace? How can ESOs protect personnel from unwanted attention? Mike McCall, President of MJ Consulting, sits down to discuss what departments can do to foster safe and positive work environments. Join us for a special two-part series exploring this topic.

Drones and Other UAS in Emergency Services

March 23, 2021 09:00 - 11 minutes - 11 MB

Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), commonly referred to as drones, have become favored tools among emergency service organizations (ESOs) for a variety of tasks. A UAS program can be a vital asset to an ESO. It’s recommended that ESOs develop a UAS protocols before purchasing a UAS platform, as the intended use for the drone may impact selection. Chris Rodgers discusses some things to consider when looking to adopt a UAS program.

Emergency Driver Training: Initial & Ongoing

March 09, 2021 10:00 - 8 minutes - 7.73 MB

Emergency vehicle drivers have in their care, custody and control most of the major assets possessed by an organization: the vehicle, portable equipment and personnel. With so much, literally riding in their hands, all drivers need to be trained to understand the dynamics associated with operating an emergency vehicle. Additionally, all drivers need to have continuing and on-going refresher training to keep their skills sharp. In this episode, Sr. Risk Control Representative Dave Bradley pro...

POV Exposures & Controls

February 23, 2021 10:00 - 8 minutes - 7.4 MB

Most volunteer emergency service departments rely heavily on the ability of their members to respond to calls, either to the scene or the station, in their personal vehicles. While this is essential to the organization’s ability to react to emergencies in a timely manner, there are also inherent risks. Blair Tyndall, Industry Specialist with VFIS Client Risk Solutions joins the program to identify these risks and some potential solutions to help reduce their impact.

Special Guest Chief Ron Siarnicki of NFFF

February 09, 2021 10:00 - 31 minutes - 24.9 MB

The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) works to honor firefighters who have fallen in the line of duty, as well as support their surviving families, communities and crews. We sit down with NFFF's executive director, Chief Ronald Siarnicki to discuss the organization's history, mission and outreach initiatives.

Electronic Devices & Social Media p2

January 26, 2021 16:00 - 21 minutes - 21.8 MB

Emergency responders are utilizing social media at a rapid pace. EMS employees’ usage, written content, images and videos on social media platforms can create a multitude of problems for them and the entities they work for. Mike McCall joins Don’t Risk It! in this two-part program to highlight some of the potential challenges facing ESOs with regard to electronic devices and social media use.

Electronic Devices & Social Media p1

January 12, 2021 16:00 - 19 minutes - 19.7 MB

Emergency responders are utilizing social media at a rapid pace. EMS employees’ usage, written content, images and videos on social media platforms can create a multitude of problems for them and the entities they work for. Mike McCall joins Don’t Risk It! in this two-part program to highlight some of the potential challenges facing ESOs with regard to electronic devices and social media use.

Firefighting Foam: Class B Foams and PFAS

December 29, 2020 16:00 - 5 minutes - 5.34 MB

Sr. Vice President of VFIS Client Risk Solutions Scott Harkins joins the program to discuss firefighting foam concerns associated with per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). PFAS pose a hazard to the environment and to the people that use them. Scott will discuss steps to help mitigate these exposures while helping protect emergency responders and the environment.

Risk Control for EMS Mid-Level Managers

December 15, 2020 16:00 - 10 minutes - 8.02 MB

Risk Control for Mid-Level Managers is a program developed by John Kottmyer, Director of VFIS Training Programs, and designed to re-introduce the emergency services officer (supervisor, FTO, etc.) to risk control and how it plays an integral part in safety as well as overall operations. We visit with John Kottmyer to review some of the program details including risk management, roles, responsibilities and potential pitfalls.

Fatigue Management for ESOs

December 01, 2020 16:00 - 7 minutes - 7.07 MB

Fatigue impacts personal health as well as a responder’s ability to perform key functions including patient care, incident command and vehicle operations. Efforts to move to shorter shifts continue to face significant resistance while the number of EMS agencies using 24- and 48-hour shifts continues to rise. Dave Bradley details the potential hazards associated with fatigued drivers and provides some potential solutions.

The Sterile Cab Concept in Practice

November 17, 2020 16:00 - 8 minutes - 9.24 MB

Distracted driving is a significant factor in vehicle accidents and emergency services organizations (ESOs) are not immune to these incidents. Historically, emergency vehicles have had a degree of distraction built in by design with two-way radio traffic, sirens, air horns and flashing lights. Blair Tyndall discusses the origin of the sterile cab concept and how it can potentially reduce distracted driving in emergency response. Additional resources on this topic can be found at ResponderH...

Don't Risk It Podcast

October 21, 2020 12:56 - 1 minute - 1.48 MB

Introducing the Don’t Risk It! Podcast We’re excited to announce the launch of VFIS’s new podcast, Don’t Risk It! Don’t Risk It is designed to help emergency service organizations better protect their responders, equipment and clients by covering a range of safety-related topics. Each episode will be available on multiple streaming and podcast platforms – making it a fast, easy way to brush up on your crew’s safety IQ. Every other week, host Chris Rodgers, of VFIS Client Risk Solutions,...

Don't Risk It! Podcast

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