Don't Risk It! Podcast

Recruiting the next generation of volunteer firefighters has become increasingly challenging. Empire Hose Company 3 of the Merrick Fire Department in New York is taking a creative approach to this issue—and seeing positive results.

In this episode, Jon Loew and Kyle Stibritz from Empire Hose Co. 3 join Chris Rodgers from VFIS to discuss the Empire Games, a competition designed to introduce high school students to firefighting through hands-on training.

Listen to hear them talk about:

• Activities that make up the Empire Games
• Firefighting skills students develop through hands-on training
• Benefits the Empire Games have provided

Interested in bringing a program like this to your department? Reach out to Jon at jonloew@ehc3.org to learn more

Electric vehicles have increased in popularity over the years—but when an EV catches fire, fire departments can face challenges when extinguishing and managing the vehicle.

Deputy Chief Rick Reeg from Aldine Fire & Rescue in Houston, Texas, joins Chris Rodgers from VFIS to discuss the EV Tainer, a specialized piece of equipment his department uses to manage electric vehicle incidents.

Listen to hear them discuss:

• The challenges departments face when responding to electric vehicle fires
• How the EV Tainer works to contain, extinguish, and safely relocate burning vehicles
• The benefits of using an EV Tainer compared to other methods

Learn how Aldine Fire & Rescue uses the EV Tainer to respond to electric vehicle incidents—and how the equipment could help your department manage these challenging calls.

Are you overlooking property hazards that could turn into a major incident at your facility?

Listen to hear some common risks we observe at emergency service organizations relating to:

• Above ground fuel tanks
• Training props
• Facility systems
• And more!

In our latest podcast episode, VFIS Emergency Services Specialists, Chris Rodgers, Blair Tyndall, and Dave Bradley, discuss considerations for your facility inspection and maintenance program, including simple ways you help improve safety at your station.

Steve Rabine, former VFIS Education Specialist and Claims Adjuster, current Public Safety Equipment Specialist with Witmer Public Safety Group, and Fire Chief, joins Chris Rodgers from VFIS to discuss personal protective equipment (PPE) inspection, maintenance, and replacement.

Listen to hear them answer questions such as:

• How often should a department inspect their gear and what should they look for during the process?
• What should be done if turnout gear is found to be torn or damaged during inspections?
• Why is documentation of inspections important?

Take 12 minutes to learn key PPE practices for emergency services—and discover how they can be applied to your organization.

When an emergency call comes in, every second matters—but responding in a privately owned vehicle (POV) can create unique safety risks.

In this podcast episode, Rick Lago, Investigator for Firefighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program with NIOSH, joins Chris Rodgers from VFIS to discuss a tragic incident involving a firefighter driving a POV and the lessons learned through NIOSH's investigation.

Listen to hear them explore:

•

The risks of firefighters responding from home versus the firehouse.

•

How training can help responders recognize and prepare for elevated risks in the field.

• The importance of communication, route planning, and proper notifications when responding in a POV.

Plus, read the report from this here.

Could the training in your fire department be more structured, consistent, or effective?

In our latest podcast episode, Chris Rodgers from VFIS, and Rodney Foster, Education, Training, and Consulting Specialist from VFIS of Oklahoma and Arkansas, discuss the best strategies to improve training processes in your organization.

Listen to hear them talk about:

• Ways to improve training participation among volunteer firefighters
• How to prepare lesson plans and objectives for training nights
• The importance of training record keeping

Every department can strengthen its training program—and this episode will help you identify where to start.

With 5 generations in the workforce today, learning how to effectively engage with different age groups is more important than ever—especially in emergency service organizations (ESOs).

For this episode, VFIS Emergency Services Specialists Blair Tyndall and Megan Carr, and former VFIS Education Specialist and current Battalion Chief at York Area United Fire and Rescue, Jake Hoover, join Chris Rodgers to discuss:

• Challenges of having multiple generations in ESOs
• Effective communication strategies
• Benefits of voluntary mentor programs

Take less than 16 minutes to learn how your organization can foster better relationships between generations—and ultimately bridge this generational gap.

Social media has become a powerful communication tool for ESOs—but responsible use across both your organization's accounts and members' personal accounts is essential.

In our latest podcast episode, VFIS Emergency Services Specialists, Chris Rodgers, Dave Bradley, and Blair Tyndall, discuss the benefits and challenges of social media use.

Take less than 16 minutes to learn how ESOs can use these platforms effectively, what to include in a social media policy or code of conduct, and how to ensure posts reflect your organization's mission.

Apparatus getting struck by vehicles on divided highways or other high-speed roadways is a leading cause of firefighter injuries—and sometimes even fatalities.

Jake Hoover, former VFIS Education Specialist and current Battalion Chief at York Area United Fire and Rescue, joins Chris Rodgers of VFIS to talk about the best practices for responding to calls on these roads.

Listen to this episode to hear them discuss:

• Safe turnaround approaches
• Acceleration and deceleration on high-speed roadways
• Blocking traffic with vehicles on the scene of an incident

Take less than 14 minutes to learn about safety measures that can help keep your members safe.

Unsafe driving of emergency vehicles can result in significant risks, such as damage to apparatus and serious injuries to drivers, passengers, and other individuals on the road.

Deputy Fire Chief Scott Henry joins Chris Rodgers from VFIS to discuss a new driver monitoring system implemented by Southern Area Fire and Emergency Rescue (SAFER) in York, PA.

Take 15 minutes to learn how this system operates, what driving factors it monitors, and how the system has encouraged safer driving habits.

In this episode, Fire Chief Bill Wiegman joins the VFIS podcast to talk about how his shared experience as a firefighter and mental health clinician informs his work in youth-set fire prevention, intervention, and investigation.

Listen to Chief Wiegman and Chris Rodgers talk about the:

• Psychology behind these incidents
• Importance of expertise and compassion
• Deep need for continued education

Take less than 17 minutes to learn more about how you can take a holistic approach to arson prevention in your community.

Fidelity risk refers to the financial loss your emergency service organization could face due to intentional dishonest acts by your members, such as theft, embezzlement, or forgery.

Some of the major areas of fidelity risk include:

• Financial management
• Fundraising & special events
• Cybersecurity

In our latest podcast episode, VFIS Emergency Services Specialists, Chris Rodgers and Blair Tyndall, discuss simple ways you can better protect your agency against these risks.

Take less than 15 minutes to get quick tips you can implement today, like always requiring two signatures on every check—and only signing after it's been completed in full.

Lives lost. Millions of dollars in damages. Up to four-year production delays for apparatus. These are just some of the potentially devastating costs that your emergency service organization could face because of a vehicle accident.

One possible tool to help decrease vehicle crashes are digital alerts that notify the public about approaching emergency services vehicles.

In this episode, Darrell Fisher of New Holland EMS joins Chris Rodgers of VFIS to share how their organization utilizes HAAS Alert technology and how they integrated it into their fleet.

https://www.haasalert.com/

EMS personnel face very real threats each day, including the risk of violence.

Melanie Kempf of Lancaster EMS joins Chris Rogers from VFIS to share how a seemingly routine call turned into a lifechanging experience.

Listen to hear her recall the violent event, how it impacted her mental health, and changes that she helped implement to help future first responders cope with trauma

*Sensitive Content Warning: This podcast discusses violence against EMS personnel, including a real-life example.*

This episode looks at the benefits of an Injury Prevention Specialist in Emergency Services applying athletic trainer concepts to help prevent staff injuries. Specifically, Lancaster EMS in Pennsylvania is a front runner in using an on-staff Injury Prevention Specialist to help reduce workplace injuries and keep the first responders fit for duty.

https://www.psatsociety.com/

On this episode we are joined by Brent Lewis, with Correll Insurance Group, Inc. Brent is the Regional Sales Director and Producer for VFIS of South Carolina. He helps us explore the role of service animals in emergency services to include roles, certifications, training, deployment and what legal protections are in place through the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Brent also shares a personal and amazing journey with "Maggie", his own service animal!

A lack of understanding, limited communication, and stereotypes are just a few of the reasons that 911/communication center personnel and field first responders, like firefighters and EMS personnel, may have some animosity towards one another.

However, breaking down barriers between your emergency service organizations and establishing better relationships may not only help improve your working relationships—but benefit your entire emergency response system as well.

In this episode, Chris Rodgers and Blair Tyndall, VFIS Industry Specialists, offer a few ideas help establish better "off air communications" and relationships within your response chain.

EMS teams are often asked to be on standby at events, like community gatherings and sporting activities, to provide assistance if a participant or spectator needs medical aid. However, while these scenarios are common, they're not without risk to your organization. For example, these events are often contacted on either a dedicated or non-dedicated basis, meaning you may or may not be obligated to leave the event to respond to 911 calls, which should drastically change your written agreement for the event to help protect your organization.

Join Chris Rodgers and David Bradley, VFISIndustry Specialists, as they discuss risks to be aware of and best practices to help protect your EMS agency during standby assignments.

The declining and aging volunteer firefighter base is a major concern for many fire departments and community leaders—especially in more rural areas and among smaller departments.

To help combat this challenge, many emergency service departments have implemented programs, like a cost-effective LOSAP plan, to help them recruit, retain, and reward volunteer firefighters based on their longevity of service.

VFIS is proud to be the leader of LOSAPs in emergency services nationwide and to serve as a trusted resource to LOSAP clients to help them better understand and utilize their benefits.

That's why Chris Rodgers, VFIS Industry Specialist, and Sarah M. Talerico, VFIS LOSAP Client Relationship Manager, sat down to share some best practices to help you properly maintain your LOSAP, including important paperwork and information to keep updated.

A vehicle or apparatus crash will typically cost your emergency service organization more now than ever, with year-after-year claim costs continuing to rise.

From inflation, rising replacement costs, and increasing labor costs—there are many factors at play when it comes to insurance rates and premium being at an all-time high.

However, there are things that you can do to help your ESO manage the cost of risk.

In this episode, Chris Rodgers, VFIS Industry Specialist, and Scott Harkins, Senior Vice President of Risk Control for VFIS and Glatfelter Insurance Group, take a deep dive into what "cost of risk" means, how to better manage it, and the landscape of insurance in the emergency services industry.

75 years of caring for the caretakers