Undisclosed Agents Firefighter Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Hey everybody, thanks for joining us as we crack up another episode of the undisclosed agents podcast. Today on the podcast, we got a chance to sit down with Jay Bonnifield. Jay is a Captain with the Everett Fire Department in the state of Washington, he is a proud member of station 6, assigned to E6. Jay has been blessed with the opportunity to teach engine operations and live fire training in many venues and conferences across the country. His written work has been published in multiple fire service magazines and has been featured on multiple fire service podcasts. Jay is constantly seeking to learn and share helpful information while pursuing excellence as an engine company officer. Jay is a husband first. He and his wife have 4 amazing children who never stop moving, but wouldn’t have it any other way. This was an excellent conversation with an engine work aficionado, we hope you enjoy the conversation as much as we did. 

https://hortonsandhunt.com/

Grit First Fire Training is a training company based out of San Diego California. The trio that makes up Grit First are some of the most solid gentlemen we’ve had the pleasure to work with. Grit First offers classes both hands on and lecture on search, tactical TIC use and fire dynamics to name a few. Keep your eye out for these guys, they’ll be offering classes at a conference near you. 

• Dave Stepp Grit First instructor with a passion for teaching search, hose management,  thermal imaging, firefighter survival, RIC and ventilation.  Has had the opportunity to split time riding both engines and trucks throughout the city.  Currently serves as a Captain on Engine and Truck 10 in the area of San Diego State University.  His approach to training is a blend of real world experiences matched up with the skillsets taken from conferences such as FDIC, Firehouse World, Firemanship, FireShows West and soon to come March Mayhem.      

• Mike Smith is an instructor with Frit First Fire Training and has been in the fire service for 18-years and holds the rank of Captain. He serves as the Departments Training Officer and stays neck-deep in training through his work with the County Training Officers and his zone partners. Mike started teaching fire academies back in 2013 and is a State Fire Training instructor for FF1/FF2 academies, Fire Control 3, Firefighter Survival, and Low Angle Rope Rescue. Mike’s passion lies in engine company work, focusing on what matters most on the fireground - putting the fire out and searching for victims. Mike’s about training that's gritty and built for the realities of the job. 

• Jesse Fournier is an instructor for Grit First Fire Training with 18 years in the fire service. He holds the rank of Training Captain with the San Miguel Fire & Rescue Fire Department. Jesse is a State Fire instructor and teaches FC3, RRAO, Firefighter Survival and  Driver Operator. He also serves as an instructor for Miramar College, an  Academy instructor for his Fire Academy, and serves on the USAR Task force. Jesse’s passion is teaching and seeing others’ love for the job grow. He is trying his hardest to bring SoCal back on the map and back to old school gritty firemanship.  More than all of that, Jesse sees himself as a student of the fire service trying his best to make it better than when he started because it has given him so much

https://hortonsandhunt.com/

On this episode, we sat down with Jarrod Sergi. At the time of this recording Jarrod was a Captain with Norfolk Fire Rescue in Norfolk VA. And was just about to get promoted to Battalion Chief. 

Jarrod is a State Instructor for both the Virginia Department of Fire Programs and the National Fire Academy focusing on MAYDAY and Strategy/Tactics. 

He is a graduate of the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program and has a Masters in Executive Leadership from Liberty University in Virginia. 

He has been featured in several fire service publications. Jarrod is the founder of Trial by Fire, whose mission is to advance the Fire Service through strong leadership, accountability, and training. 

We had an excellent conversation with Jarrod related to the company officer, Leadership at the company level, how to build cohesion, navigating morale issues, setting expectations, building good relationships with your bosses, and preparing for the role of the officer. As well as his book No nonsense leadership. Edition 2 is now available link below.  

We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did. 

No-Nonsense Leadership: A Realistic Approach for the Company Officer https://a.co/d/j8DbzYU 

https://hortonsandhunt.com/

On this episode of the podcast, we’re joined by Captain Clark Glass of the Atlanta fire department. Clark joined the fire service in 1997 at a small 2 station fire department department. In 2005 Clark had the itch for something more and made the switch to the Atlanta Fire Department. He began his career with Atlanta serving at companies on the Southwest side of the City until when he was assigned to Squad 4 Heavy Rescue. In 2017 he promoted to Lt. and stayed on Squad until November of 2022 when he was promoted to Captain. Clark currently serves on Truck 14. 

Humble fireman is the best way to describe Clark. When I asked him for his topics and what he’d like to talk about he simply replied “The things that occupy my thoughts and actions are going to fires, the  Georgia Smoke Diver program, and functional fitness.” We talked about all of this and more in this episode. 

Due to an ongoing staffing crisis back at the home department my co-hosts Micah and Bryon were unable to join us on this episode so I went to the bullpen. But no worries because I rounded up none other than THE BOYERMAN himself. Chris Boyer joins me as cohost in this episode.

https://hortonsandhunt.com/

Brian Brush is the training chief for the Midwest City (OK) Fire Department. With more than 25 years of fire experience, his background spans several states from rural volunteer to metro-sized departments. He holds a masters degree in fire and emergency management, and an EFO as well.  He has recently published a new book co-authored with Chief Anthony Kastros titled Mastering Fireground Command that is a must read. I’ll leave a link in the show notes to fire engineering books so you can purchase your copy. I will also leave a link to the Elkhart brass tacks and hard facts website where you can review Chief Brushe’s, informational training videos.

In this episode we dive deep into everything from Chief Brush’s incredible 2023 FDIC keynote speech “an unquenchable faith”, his insight on the tide change in the American fire service towards rescue right now, building a fire ground from the task level up, fireground objectives, vs tactics, and several other topics that were absolutely outstanding. 

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t impressed by the entire conversation. Chief Brush hits an an absolute homerun in this episode with his thought-provoking topics, tactical viewpoints, and humble delivery.

I hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did.

https://fireengineeringbooks.com/books/mastering-fireground-command-calm-the-chaos/

https://www.brasstackshardfacts.com/author/bbrush/

https://hortonsandhunt.com/

Hey everybody, thanks for joining us as we crack open another episode of the undisclosed agents podcast. Today on the show, we had a chance to sit down with Cody Cavin and Pat Case the owners of BA Shields. Cody started in the Private EMS world in 2009. In 2012 he dipped his toes into the fire world and began volunteering with Truckee Meadows fire protection district in Reno Nevada. Little did Cody know, 1700 miles away Pat Case was on the same path in Minnesota. Working private EMS for the Mayo Clinic and volunteering as a firefighter as well. As fate would have it these two met in the Fire Academy for the Sparks Fire department just outside of Reno in 2015. There they would forge a partnership that has had a tremendous impact on the fire service

Chances are you have a BA Shield on your SCBA mask right now. If you don’t you should. In this episode we’ll talk not only about the BA Shield and its vast array of benefits, but about the trials and tribulations of starting a firefighter owned business. The up and downs, and the incredible community and brotherhood that Cody and Pat found along the way. This is an awesome conversation with firefighters trying to leave the fire service better than they found it. 

BAShields - Superior SCBA And Dive Mask Protection 

https://hortonsandhunt.com/

This episodes guest is Captain Rob Ramirez.  Born and raised in Miami, Florida. He has been a passionate student of the Fire Service for over 22 years. Rob is a state-certified Fire Instructor II, Fire Officer II, Safety Officer, and Live Fire Training Instructor. 

Since 2005, he has served as a Rescue Team Manager for the Department of Homeland Security F.E.M.A. U.S.A.R. Florida Task Force out of Miami, FL. He has deployed on many national and international high-profile USAR missions, including the Haiti earthquake in 2010 and major Hurricanes Katrina, Harvey, Florence, Michael, and Ian. 

Rob is the founder and Lead Instructor of Mayday Mindset Consulting LLC. Rob is also the lead instructor for the Firefighter Rescue programs at the Ft. Lauderdale Fire Expo Conference and travels nationally and internationally as a guest instructor, speaker, and keynote at various Fire Conferences throughout the year. 

Strap in and get ready for a Mayday master class! This was one of the most intense episodes yet and I definitely took more notes that I talked. We hope our get as much out of this episode as we did!

https://hortonsandhunt.com/

Preston has served as a firefighter/paramedic at North Metro Fire in Colorado for nine years. He is a 10-year Navy veteran and got his  start in firefighting as an aircraft crash and salvage firefighter onboard the flight decks of aircraft carriers during the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. Then had his first exposure to structure firefighting in the 850 as a volunteer firefighter in Escambia County, FL in 2010. Preston is also the creator of Fit Fire Fortitude on Instagram but has recently rebranded and created a podcast under the name Relentless Rejects. we’ll dive into this topic and several others, including his recently published article “When fire conferences meet reality” referenced in the show notes. Preston is a driven non nonsense firefighter who holds himself and others around him accountable through his actions not just his words. Preston has some thought provoking ideas and we had an excellent conversation. 

https://www.firefighternation.com/leadership-and-management/when-fire-conferences-meet-reality-bridging-the-gap-between-passion-and-proficiency/#gre

https://www.instagram.com/therelentlessrejects?igsh=MTZlMmJpOGthc3l6bA== 

https://hortonsandhunt.com/

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.  

https://www.fresno.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/SART-Report.pdf

https://cms9files.revize.com/PortervilleCA/departments/Fire/PFD-SART-Report.pdf

https://hortonsandhunt.com/

We’re starting something new. The Undisclosed Agents Podcast  wants to help firefighter owned businesses, as well as promote ways to better yourself as a firefighter so were going to start recording some “mini episodes” that do just that. Today we sat down with Trish Bonari, Executive Director of Fire Shows West. This is a conference in Reno, Nevada coming up this September. Fire Shows West is changing and has the potential to be a premier fire conference out West. This mini episode highlights some of the exciting changes happening this year and gives you all of the information you’ll need if you’re  interested in attending this year. 

https://www.fireshowswest.com/ 

https://hortonsandhunt.com/