Station 34

Move to the country, they said!! Where the water is clean, the scenery is amazing, and fighting fire can be a major undertaking. This week on Station 34 we talk to Austin Saxton, firefighter with the Long Lake Fire and Rescue in Northern Michigan. For those of you who don't know, Northern Michigan is gorgeous and an incredibly popular vacation destination for people in-state and out-of-state. Austin talks about what it's like fighting fire in an area with very few, if any, hydrants and an area that sees an incredible jump in population during the summer months. He joined the fire service right out of high school and he's been at it for seven years now. We also talk about how Long Lake Fire and Rescue has gone from an all-volunteer department to a combination department made up of full-time, paid-on-call, and volunteer firefighters. All it takes to make that move is support from the community, an open-minded board of commissioners....and money....lots of money. Listen in and check out Lance's company ladder34.com while you're at it. Check back for new episodes every Friday. Stay safe and...go make yourself useful.

It's episode 11 of the Station 34 podcast and our guest is best-selling author and retired Deputy Chief Frank Viscuso from the Kearny (NJ) Fire Department. Chief Viscuso authored one of the most influential books on leadership in the fire service called "Step Up and Lead". The book is not only a must-read for anyone at any level of their career, but it's also been used by many departments as the backbone of their officer training. In addition to that, Chief Viscuso has penned 7 other books with an eighth, a children's book called "Sprinkles the Fire Dog" available for pre-order at his website, commonvalor.com. The new book was done in conjunction with retired Lt. Paul Combs who is also one of the most recognized artists in the world of fire. During our conversation, Chief Viscuso talks about his view on the impact of leadership at all levels and in all walks of life. It's a great talk about taking on the challenges life throws at you, accepting humility, and understanding that to take full advantage of this life, you have to never stop learning. Liston on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts and check back for new episodes ever Friday. Stay safe and....go make yourself useful.

It's Episode 10 of the Station 34 podcast and our guest is a good friend, Lieutenant Casey Spielmaker of the Grand Rapids Fire Department in Grand Rapids, MI. Just four years ago when I was considering applying at Grand Rapids Township FD, I called Casey to ask him for some advice and get a perspective of life in the fire service and he couldn't have more helpful and supportive. Lt. Spielmaker talks about his career with the GRFD and what it's like to be part of an important institution in our city and society. Casey talks about the camaraderie that develops amongst your peers in the fire house and how that group of folks not only becomes your second family, but a group you know you'll be able to count on well beyond your days with the Department. Listen in and check out Lance's company Ladder 34 at ladder34.com. Follow the show on Instagram at @station34podcast. Check back for new episodes of Station 34 every Friday. Stay safe and go make yourself useful.

It's Episode 9 of the Station 34 podcast and today we have Firefighter/Engineer Brian Clark from the Ronks Fire Company in Ronks, PA. So what makes Brian unique and why did we have him on the show? Two reasons: First, Brian is part of an All-Volunteer Fire Department and as we've mentioned before, we have tremendous respect for those folks and second, 70% of their Fire Department is made up of members from the Amish Community...you read that right. Brian gives some great insight into how they cover their mostly rural area and the way in which they deal with the different lifestyle of the Amish and what they do when it comes to training and responding to a call. It's a great glimpse into how it's still possible for groups of people who hail from very different backgrounds to come together and proudly serve their community together. And while you're at it, go check out everything we have to offer at ladder34.com and follow the podcast on Instagram @station34podcast. We hope you enjoy the episode and check back for new ones every Friday! Now, stay safe...and go make yourself useful.

It's Episode 8 of the Station 34 podcast and we had a guest who couldn't make it last minute so we said, "Let's interview each other and let people know who we are." So we did. Lance and Dave have a great conversation about their careers in the fire service and their ever-growing passion for the job. It's a good talk for anyone, of ANY age, who's considering a career in the fire service OR maybe just looking to contribute to your community some way. Thanks for listening! Check out the company Lance owns called Ladder 34 and see what we have to offer and look for new episodes every Friday. Stay safe and go make yourself useful.

It's Episode 7 of the Station 34 Podcast and our guest is US Forest Service Helitack Crew Member, Isaac Abdala. At 22 years old, Isaac gives us an interesting perspective from an ambitious kid who has some specific goals lined up for his career in the fire service. We have a wonderful chat with an intelligent kid who's wise beyond his years. Isaac outlines what's required physically to be a wildland firefighter and if you don't feel like getting in shape right now, you will after he's done talking. Listen in and while you're at it, go see everything we have to offer at ladder34.com and check back for new episodes every Friday. Now...go make yourself useful.

It's Episode 6 of the Station 34 podcast and our guest is Aaron Fields! For those of you who don't know who Aaron is, you should. He's the creator of the Nozzle Forward class, a workshop in Engine Company fire attack strategies that have changed the way many firefighters and Fire Departments around the country attack fire. In addition to his teaching, Aaron also gave an incredibly impactful speech during the 2014 FDIC Convention and was named "Instructor of the Year" at the same convention in 2017. Sit back and listen because Aaron has a lot to say and every bit of it is worth your time even if you're not in the fire service. Check out the Nozzle Forward online to see what it's all about and while you're surfing the web, go to ladder34.com and check out what we're all about. Thanks for listening and check back for new episodes every Friday!

Its Episode 5 of the Station 34 podcast and our guest is Chief Adam Magers from the Cascade Township Fire Department just outside of Grand Rapids, MI. Chief Magers has extensive experience in the military and spent years working for the Battle Creek Fire Department before he came to Cascade Township. He arrived at a time when the Department was in serious need of new leadership. Chief Magers talks about how his military experience and positive outlook have helped reshape the Cascade Township FD by focusing on accountability and expectation to help create the kind of camaraderie that a successful fire department needs. Listen in and check back for new episodes every Friday!

This week on Episode 4 of the Station 34 Podcast, we talk with Battalion Chief Tom Wickman of the Detroit Fire Department. The DFD has an incredible reputation and BC Wickman is a great example of the kind of topnotch personnel they have on staff. Chief Wickman talks about his history with the DFD as well as some of the unbelievable challenges they face in Detroit with a plethora of abandoned buildings and countless structure fires. The Detroit Fire Department may be the best in the United States when it comes to aggressively attacking a burning building and the reason is simple...they do it more than anybody else. We hope you enjoy the episode and go to ladder34.com and see what we're all about. Check back for new episodes every Friday!!! Now...go make yourself useful.

On Episode 3 of Station 34, we talk with Chief Steve Sugar of the Stillwater Area Volunteer Fire Company in New Jersey. Now, many of you may think of New Jersey and have visions of Atlantic City, Trenton, or any of the urban areas across the river from New York City, HOWEVER, much of New Jersey is rural farmland and Chief Sugar's department covers the Stillwater area and the adjacent Hardwick Township which are primarily rural. They do it all with a staff of just over 30 people...and they're 100% volunteer. Listen to in to see how Chief Sugar handles covering the area with a volunteer department and what they do about training, recruitment, and retention. Go to ladder34.com and see what we're all about. We keep hundreds of thousands of feet of fire hose out of the landfill and use it to make products that are simple, rugged, and built-to-last. Check back for new episodes of Station 34 every Friday.

On Episode 2 of the Station 34 podcast, we talk to Chief Aaron Heller of the Hamilton Fire Department. The HFD is in New Jersey and just outside of Trenton. In addition to his work with the HFD, Chief Heller also founded and runs On Scene Training Associates, LLC (OSTA). OSTA travels all over the country utilizing a pool of incredible instructors who run workshops on Engine Co strategies, Ladder Co strategies, and just about any kind of fire service training you're looking for. We have a great talk about his history in the fire service, the way he sees things currently, where they may be moving, and his work with OSTA. We hope you enjoy it!

It's the inaugural episode of Station 34. Hosted by firefighters David Van Slooten and Lance Korhorn, this podcast matches up nicely with the company owned by Lance called Ladder 34 (ladder34.com) that makes simple and rugged products from up-cycled fire hose. In our first episode, we talk to Chief Jason St. Onge from the Mackinac Island Fire Department. Mackinac Island is a beautiful spot nestled between the Upper and Lower Peninsulas of Michigan and it's only accessible by boat or small aircraft. Living in such an environment may be idyllic, but it also poses all kinds of challenges for a fire department trying to keeps it's community safe. For example, how do you effectively battle a structure fire when your mutual aid is about a 16 minute boat ride away from you? Chief St. Onge tells some great stories about his career in the fire service and the reason he left Mackinac Island as a young man and came back a short time later to serve it's residents. We hope you enjoy Episode 1 and keep coming back for more.