We hop into the time machine & go back 23 years (that can't be right?) to our fire academy days when we were young whiipersnappers trying to get on the job. We give you all the tips it takes to prepare yourself, and we talk about how far the right attitude will take you. We talk about the stuff we were bad at, & how we improved, how to study, how the instructors act, how to get over your fear of heights, what PT is like, how to get the most out of your academy, & most importantly:...

For the first time ever, we have a PhD, & a Harvard grad on our show. Dr Chelsea Shover is an epidemiologist who headed the Covid 19 Vaccination program for LA county's unhoused population. That means more Skid Row stories. Plus we get into her journey into epidemiology. What's it like to become an epidemiologist right before a global pandemic hits? How do you get some of the hardest to reach people to get vaccinated? We cover a bunch of other stuff too; getting hit by a car, a town with...

We talk about the trials and tribulations of the probationary year of a firefighter and how to survive it and thrive. Danny draws from his own experience as a rookie with the LAFD, as well as his time as a veteran firefighter who's seen a lot of rookies do well or struggle. We hear about the guy who fainted giving a drill, the guy who fell thru the roof on his first day leading a Truck company on a structure fire, why you close the door behind you at an apartment fire, & a bunch of other...

We talk to the author of "How To Be An International Disaster Volunteer" Michael Noone. He tells us how he went from Paramedic to Firefighter to Disaster Aid Volunteer to Disaster Service Analyst for LA and surrounding counties to Keynote Speaker to Published Author. He breaks down the crazy world that is the 3rd world after a disaster. He explains how to get deployed, how it works once you hit the ground and how a patchwork of people and organizations come together to offer aid.We also learn...

We talk about the horrific elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. Not just the details of the event, but what its like to respond to shootings with kids, shootings with multiple victims, active shooter situations, & the PTSD for the first responders that work these scenes. We talk about what its like to work in the neighborhood you grew up in, or still live in. The risk of having to treat your immediate family members. The fear of possibly making a mistake with someone you know...

We're joined by LAFD Battalion Chief Kris Larson. An awesome guest who candidly tells us her super interesting life story. Sure she was the 1st black woman Captain, Task Force Commander, & Battalion Chief in the history of LAFD. But did you know she was a 3 time All American on the legendary UCLA track team in the late 80's with Olympic legends like Jackie Joyner Kersee? Strap in as she takes us on a journey that starts in a small town in Washington & goes thru multiple firefighter...

We're joined by social media star & content creator Yarema (@yarmatoocrazy) as he tells us about a nasty injury from a freak accident at home that he absoiutely needed to call an ambulance for and refused to, resulting in permanent nerve damage to his hand. He explains his whole reasoning to not call, & how long he wound up waiting for help. We go into how common this is, why people refuse to call, and why people refuse to go to the hospital even when facing death. We explain what AMA...

We're joined by business owner, expert cake decorator, Krav Maga green belt. assistant to business titans, old school LAFD wife, & expert grandma; Linda Gonzalez. Not only is she our mom, she's married to our dad & tells the whole story of the life of a fire wife from the hiring process, to the rookie year, promotion, & retirement. She gives great insight into what it takes to make a relationship work with a firefighter. She tells an awesome story that covers the LA Olympics, the...

We talk about some of the firefighter line of duty deaths in the LAFD that have hit home for Danny in his career. We explain the fire department traditions surrounding firefighter deaths, whether it be on duty, off duty, or in retirement. Danny remembers some of the Firefighter funerals he has attended, & explains the different levels of funerals that the fire department gives its members. He talks about reading about firefighters who died at stations he worked at, & the mini...

We're joined by LAFD Inspector Roger Sackaroff. A former sports reporter and native New Yorker, Roger was inspired to join the fire service after 9/11 and wound up in LA. Roger tells us the incredible tale of a mystery illness that sent his 7 year old son into liver failure and put him on the transplant list. After multiple extended stays in Children's Hospital. Roger was finally told that his son had aplastic anemia, a rare blood disoder that affects only 100 Americans per year. Rogers' son...

Danny describes his first big fire as a young firefighter in the Skid Row district of LA. The LA Produce Market is at least 2 full city blocks of all of the produce LA County can handle on a given day. On this given day, all it produced was a huge fire. Danny describes every detail, from seeing the loom up while on another call, to feeling poisoned by literal habanero chili pepper smoke. This is a crazy story of one of the most unique major fires, including a river of avocadoes &...

We go back in time again to discuss the craziest part of Paramedic school; internship. Where the student who crammed a year of medical school into 60 classroom days & a month in the ER gets to be a real paramedic running 911 calls with the FD. We remember our time as interns and talk about our preceptors, their personalities, & how much that comes into play. We talk about all of the real elements you have to face out there for the first time in many cases, and for the first time as...

We're joined by LAFD Drill Tower instructor and CAPS program director, Captain John Marasco. He tells us everything it takes to pass the drill tower at the LAFD training academy. He explains the culture shock and huge adjustment to entering the LAFD from any other job & the physical and mental demands. We talk about how the workforce and hiring pool has changed, & why the Drill Tower can be such a shock to their system. He tells us how this change led to the creation of the Candidate...

We take a trip down memory lane and tell you all about the ordeal of our paramedic school days from 20 years ago (that can't be right), as Danny begins precepting a new paramedic intern on his rescue. We break down the paramedic training landscape in LA, & tell you how we wound up at the toughest school of them all. We explain the academic insanity that is paramedic school (a year of medical school crammed into about 60 school days) & what it takes to prepare and survive it. You learn...

LAFD Public Information Officer & Captain Erik Scott joins us to talk about what a PIO is and does. We learn what it's like to be responsible for the messaging and social media brand of one of the most recognized Fire Departments in the world. We talk about special duty, all of the jobs you can do besides firefighting in the LAFD & Captain Scott shares his own injury story surviving a roof collapse in a structure fire that landed him on special duty assignments. He tells us how the...

Our 1st episode of 2022 finds us reflecting on life & death on the job (mostly death). We talk about how often you witness sudden death, the aftermath of it & the toll that takes on your psyche. We talk about declaring people dead on scene in the field & Danny describes a gruesome stabbing incident where he recently had to declare someone dead. We talk about the LA County Firefighter who recently died in a structure fire, as well as the tragic apartment fire in the Bronx that...

We talk about what it’s like to have one of the only jobs where you HAVE to work on Christmas some years & how the holiday staffing situation has changed recently. Danny shares his least favorite South Central LA Christmas tradition, & also gives you a bunch of Holiday safety tips. We talk about how many ways things can go wrong for you with all of these new holiday hazards, including mass casualty incidents over the holiday season. Then Ben tries to explain a little more about the LA...

This is it. We are giving you the goods for all of our listeners who are trying to get hired as a firefighter. We have recently retired LAFD Captain Chris Lewis, a 34 year veteran who has sat on countless oral interview boards, both entry level & promotional, even for other cities. He tells us all of the do’s & do not do’s of the FD oral interview, & there are A LOT. Danny also breaks down how to prep, what to wear, how to wait in the waiting room, how to walk in the room, how to...

We dive into substance abuse issues on the job, how easily it can creep up on you, then unique circumstances that lead first responders to it and how it can get out of hand. Danny goes in depth on his own personal struggles with this and explains how he hit rock bottom. We hear his personal journey of how he pulled himself out and the difficulties that go along with recovery. Once sober and back on track he is placed with a new partner goin through the same struggles with [pain pills after an...

We're joined by LAFD Firefighter Paramedic Andrew Tom. Andrew was assigned to Rescue 9 with FF/PM Alex Saenz (Ep 49, The Boyd Street Incident) & was trapped in the building on Boyd Street during a BLEVE (Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion) that created a giant blowtorch in the building Andrew was working inside of with Engine 9. What's it like to have conditions turn pitch black in a fire & then hear what sounds like a freight train coming thru? To know you have one way out,...

We discuss the tragic events that unfolded at the Astroworld Festival 11/5/21 & explain how an incident action plan works, the command post set up, the crowd grid & how the medical assignments work, the chain of command, the kill switch, & how this all has to work together to prevent these tragedies. We talk about how and why crowd crushes and surges happen, including ones that we've experienced as concert goers. We get a lesson on the history of music festivals and raves in LA,...

It's the "controversy" that won't go away. Our third and FINAL vaccine mandate episode covers the last things we didn't cover in the previous episodes. Mainly the deceptive facts and misinformation posted to social media by the top anti vax firefighters group. We explain how this b******t works, why even though the staffing numbers in these posts may be accurate, they're blamed on the vaccine mandate when the truth is these numbers haven't changed for DECADES. We explain the real reason for...

LAFD veteran Firefighter Alonzo Williams gives us a completely different angle to a story we previously heard in episode 44 (Shots Fired) when LAFD Engineer Kelly Kilmartin told us about a robbery and shooting of Light Force 50 at a structure fire during night one of the 92 LA Riots. Alonzo realized they were actually being shot at before they were robbed at gunpoint, then as they were being robbed at gunpoint their Captain actually refused to hand over their radios at first, and was nearly...

We have comedians, podcasters (Common Ground), married couple, & new parents Rachel LaForce and Alex Gettlin along with baby Jonah, explaining how the baby made it through birth, then how his mom made it. Rachel goes in depth on her first-time mom journey. Everything is going great, so great that the baby won't come out. Rachel gets induced, has a long labor, delivers, then starts to severely hemorrhage & needs emergency surgery. In between we learn about doula's, birth plans,...

LAFD Captain Enrique Graciano is a 20 year veteran firefighter, who also has 3 years as an LAPD officer under his belt. He tells us about the scariest night of his life. In September of 2003 he was a young firefighter on Truck 88, assigned to interior truck operations in a supermarket fire with flames and heavy smoke in the rear of the building. In a matter of minutes, conditions severely deteriorate, and when the order is given to pull out, he gets separated from his company, and is unable...