Chief Bryan Frieders is fired up about preventing occupational cancer – fired up to the point where he’s putting firefighters of all ranks on blast for not doing everything possible to prevent an often-preventable disease. He calls out firefighters for not wearing their SCBA, cleaning their gear and taking care of their health (“Why are we risking our lives? Stupidity.”), as well as leaders who don’t prioritize member health and safety (“If you’re old school, then you’re lost”). Frieders challenges all firefighters to ask themselves how much their life is worth to them, and to the chiefs specifically, what are they doing to advocate for the wellness of their members.
And having just worked the Super Bowl, among many other large-scale events, Frieders considers the connections between preparing for big events and preventing the Big C – and even shares what Bono had to say to him before a recent performance.
Plus, we dig into all this:
- Questioning our tactics related to car fires and ventilation
- The unfortunate connection between bugles and plungers
- The firefighters who might want to apply for work at Wendy’s
- The push to put the FCSN out of business – for the best possible reason
This episode of the Better Every Shift Podcast is sponsored by TheFireStore. Learn more about getting the gear you need at prices you can afford by visiting TheFireStore.
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