Podcasts about usfa

Attention, structural firefighters: Wildfire does impact your community. If you're thinking, “Nope, not here,” then you might be confusing wildfire and wildland fire. This small difference in wording has a big impact, not only on training and tactics but also the funding and resources that go toward battling these fires. Chief Bob Horton, the USFA's newly appointed branch chief for wildfire policy breaks down the terminology and explains how easy it is for any community in the United States to face a serious wildfire scenario. Plus, we dig into all of this: The unique challenge of evacuations in wildfire events New technology that can help fire service leaders How to leverage insurance company changes Why it all comes back to “constraints, tradeoffs and competing interests” – and making the best decisions for the community 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. Enjoying the show? Email bettereveryshift@firerescue1.com to share your feedback!

On this episode of the USFA Podcast, we speak with National Fire Academy Superintendent, Eriks Gabliks about NFA and the recruitment and retention work being done by the National Fire Strategy work group.

While a cadet at the Air Force Academy, Jason Kim '99 experienced the “pedestal effect” and learned the importance of curiosity, compassion, trust and mutual respect.   SUMMARY Jason Kim, a USFA class of '99 and CEO of Firefly Aerospace, discussed his leadership journey and experiences. He emphasized the importance of curiosity, compassion, and mutual respect in leadership. Jason shared his upbringing in Richardson, Texas, and his parents' influence. He recounted his time at the Air Force Academy, highlighting the humbling experience of being among top cadets and the value of building trust. Jason detailed his career path, including roles at Boeing, Raytheon, and Northrop Grumman, and his MBA from UCLA. He stressed the importance of giving back to the Air Force Academy and the Space Force.   OUR FAVORITE QUOTES "I think just being curious and being an active listener and asking questions and listening to other people, sometimes people want to vent, or sometimes people want to just be heard or have a voice, or some, most of the time, people just have good ideas." "And so I would just say, just be curious, what did I miss? Did you miss something? Did we both miss something? If you get all those great ideas and you share it amongst different people from different backgrounds and walks of life, you don't miss as much, you know, and you're just bet off better off, you'll have a better solution." "Building that trust, you know, with your your your teams, that's extremely empowering and motivating when you trust someone else, and they trust you, and you can go much, much further when you build that trust up." "We got this drilled into us, and we didn't even know at the time how important it was. But you know, building that trust, you know, with your your your teams, that's extremely empowering and motivating when you trust someone else, and they trust you, and you can go much, much further when you build that trust up." "And then the last thing I would say is, I think we were one of the first classes that had non commissioned officers alongside with AOCs that were there to teach us about mutual respect, about mutual respect between officers and non commissioned officers. And I think that went a long ways for for all of us, because, you know, once we went to the real Air Force, you know, we were going to lead a lot of officers and NCOs, and getting that kind of exposure early on was helpful, but also learning about mutual respect, that's something that is extremely important in any work setting that you're in."     SHARE THIS EPISODE FACEBOOK  |  LINKEDIN      CHAPTERS 00:00:  Introduction and Background 02:24:  Welcome to Long Leu Leadership 07:42:  Early Inspirations and Motivations 10:56:  Discovering the Air Force Academy 16:00:  Memorable Experiences at the Academy 23:26:  Leadership Lessons Learned 26:32:  Leadership: Curiosity, Compassion, and Mutual Respect 28:14:  Startup Journey: Taking Risks and Minimizing Regrets 30:07:  Leadership Lessons: MBA and Personal Growth 32:05:  Startup Experience: Joining and Growing a Company 36:18:  Family and Risk-Taking: Lessons from Parents 39:36:  Hidden Talent: Drawing and Painting 45:36:  Giving Back: Involvement with the Air Force Academy Foundation 51:30:  Impact of the Air Force Academy: Building Resilience and Confidence   TAKEAWAYS Growing up in Texas with immigrant parents instilled a strong work ethic and a desire to give back to the country in Jason Kim. Inspired by the space shuttle program and the Gulf War, Jason decided to pursue a career in the military. At the Air Force Academy, Jason experienced the pedestal effect and learned the importance of curiosity, compassion, trust, and mutual respect in leadership. Jason's academic and extracurricular experiences at the Academy helped shape his leadership skills and provided him with lifelong friendships. His parents and role models like Colonel Ellison Onizuka influenced his decision to join the Air Force and give back to the country. Curiosity, compassion, and mutual respect are essential qualities in leadership. Taking risks and minimizing regrets can lead to personal and professional growth. Giving back and supporting future generations is important. The Air Force Academy provides valuable experiences and lifelong friendships. Learning multiple languages and exploring different cultures can broaden perspectives. The Academy's challenging environment builds resilience and confidence.   ABOUT JASON KIM '99 Mr. Jason Kim '99 is a member of the Air Force Academy Foundation Board of Directors. He is also CEO for Firefly Aerospace. Jason's career includes his work in the satellite and national security space for Boeing Raytheon and Northrop Grumman. While in the Air Force, he served as a program manager for the Space Superiority Systems program and Reconnaissance Systems Program offices. He has served on the boards of the National Defense industrial Association and space enterprise consortium formation Committee. He began his Air Force career as a cadet, having graduated with a degree in electrical engineering, followed by a master's in electrical engineering from AFET and then an MBA from the University of California, Anderson School of Management.    CONNECT WITH JASON LinkedIn     ABOUT LONG BLUE LEADERSHIP Long Blue Leadership drops every two weeks on Tuesdays and is available on Apple Podcasts, TuneIn + Alexa, Spotify and all your favorite podcast platforms. Search @AirForceGrads on your favorite social channels for Long Blue Leadership news and updates!          SPEAKERS Guest:  Mr. Jason Kim '99  |  Lt. Col. (Ret.) Naviere Walkewicz '99   Naviere Walkewicz  00:01 Our guest today is Mr. Jason Kim USAFA class of '99 and a member of the Air Force Academy Foundation Board of Directors. Jason's career includes his work in the satellite and national security space for Boeing, Raytheon and Northrop Grumman. While in the Air Force, he served as a program manager for the Space Superiority Systems and Reconnaissance Systems program offices. He has served on the boards of the National Defense Industrial Association and Space Enterprise Consortium Formation Committee. He began his Air Force career as a cadet, having graduated with a degree in electrical engineering, followed by a master's in electrical engineering from AFET and then an MBA from the University of California Anderson School of Management. We'll discuss Jason's life before, during and after the Academy, and we'll ask him to share a unique talent. We'll end with his advice for those striving to become leaders and those already in leadership positions, endeavoring toward excellence. Jason, welcome to Long Blue Leadership, my friend, my classmate. Thank you for being here today.   Jason Kim  01:04 Thank you for having me, and thanks for using my call sign.   Naviere Walkewicz  01:09 You're welcome. I know we want it to catch on so everyone knows now. Well, as we do in this, this is such a wonderful opportunity for our listeners to get to know you, and we like to go back and so for us, we're talking, you know, closer to 30 something years ago, right, when you were young. Jason, tell us about what life was like before the Academy was even in your in your line of sight.   Jason Kim  01:31 So, I grew up in Richardson, Texas. It's a suburb north of Dallas, and if you've been to Dallas, it's a metropolitan city, and but it's a little bit country as well. And so yes, I grew up with cowboy boots. I grew up with a belt buckle, you know, driving a pickup truck, all those kinds of things. But I'd listen to all kinds of music. So, judging by my call sign, you know, rap music, R&B, but also some country as well. And my parents were first-generation immigrants from South Korea, and so I really saw how hard they worked, you know, learning a different language, buying a house, doing all that in their late 30s and 40s and raising three children. I'm the youngest of three boys, and so I'm very, you know, grateful for what my parents did for us three boys. My dad was an electrician on oil rigs and was in the oil and gas industry, and that's why we ended up in Texas. And I'd see him travel away for a month at a time, and then come back home for a month to places like Venezuela and United Arab Emirates and Gulf of Mexico and all kinds of places. And so, you know, I heard stories of travel and just everything he was doing. So, we'll get to this later, but he was definitely an inspiration early on for me, and he always, you know, was very grateful for being a naturalized citizen and allowing our family to grow up in the U.S. and get an education. And so, he always kind of inspired me to give back to the country, and always do good things for the community as well. And so that's where I kind of got those roots. And, you know, also being the youngest of three boys, my older brothers were seven and nine years older than me and so you can imagine I was the little kid that they would bring along to school or, you know, meeting with friends. And so, I learned the good things from them and emulated the good things, but then the bad things, the mistakes that they made, I tried to avoid that. So, I kind of got it easy watching them. And so, I owe a lot to them coaching me and mentoring me as I grew up, and then being in Texas, of course, what did I play sports in, I played football. And I would say that a lot of the leadership skills that I got early on came from football, and a lot of the work ethic came from football — the teammates, the collaboration, the strategy. Texas football is pretty legit, and so I got to watch tape, I got to lift weights, practice. All those things that Tom Brady says in his Hall of Fame speech I resonate with now, I didn't end up like Tom Brady, but I resonate with what he said, all those early mornings, waking up, you know, training, all the hard work. It really taught me a lot of good lessons. And, you know, I still kind of  have a lot of that work ethic because of, you know, playing football, and a lot of the team and collaboration came from collaborating with 10 other football players trying to score a touchdown, or keep others from scoring a touchdown. And also, a big reason why I'm a big college football fan, so I'm really happy to see your son play for the Falcons, and I'm going to be rooting for him and the rest of the Falcons, as well as my other alma mater, UCLA, so I'll be at those games as well.   Naviere Walkewicz  05:55 That is awesome. I mean, I'm almost developing a visual of young Jason and his two older brothers and his mom and dad. And what a story. I mean, I think about, you know, just first off, the confidence, resilience and grit of your parents, right? And then you're seeing this, and you're growing up in a household. So, what, as the youngest? I mean, I think, like you said, you were able to kind of see what to avoid, what pitfalls to avoid, and how to kind of navigate that. Well, when did the military kind of come into the picture? Was that something that your older brothers participated in through school? How were you introduced into that side of the world?   Jason Kim  06:32 Yeah so, I would say it kind of goes along with some inspirational people in my life. You know, growing up in Texas, the Space Shuttle program was a big deal. And I think you and I were 8 years old when the space shuttle Challenger event happened, and one of the astronauts that was a hero among all the astronauts on that mission was Col. Ellison Onizuka, and he made a career in the Air Force. He was a test pilot, graduated with his Ph.D., I believe, and became an astronaut, and really gave his life in many ways, to for science and for the Air Force. And so, seeing someone like that that also kind of looked like me was a good role model for me at an early age. And so that kind of got me interested in the Air Force and the Shuttle program. And then, you know, I think you and I remember when we're young, 1991 before we went to the Academy, you know, the Gulf War, and we saw on TV for this first time, all this shock and awe and Gen. Schwarzkopf and Colin Powell, and all the strategy that was used. The technology. You know, you heard about the second offset strategy with those F-117 Nighthawks, and all the flares that you would see that night. And it really just made an impression on me. It got me kind of excited about the military and all the technology that's involved. And also, you know, kind of got me into thinking about being a pilot someday. And again, you know, my dad always saying, “Hey, give back, Jason. You know, this country has given a lot to our family. Give back.” I kind of got that motivation to go into the military. And then, you know, I think we also had family friends that had some people that went to the academies, whether it's the Naval Academy or others, and got to learn a little bit from them what was it like to go to the Academy? And these were really good role models as well. So, I got with my liaison officer, which was a really great liaison officer, got me involved with what I needed to do to get more information. And went to the summer scientific seminar and spent a week on the campus and got to learn what it was like to be a cadet, somewhat. Yeah, it was actually fun. But, you know, meeting people, meeting the upperclassmen, and they were all super nice at the time. And I also, it turns out, I met my future roommate there, and we were, yeah, we met at the summer scientific seminar. And so, lo and behold, when I go into basic cadet training, I see him there. I'm like, “Oh my gosh, you were there at the same time as me!” So it was a really great experience, and that kind of solidified it for me that I wanted to go the Air Force Academy.   Naviere Walkewicz  09:56 So, I mean, you had some great role models to kind of facilitate some of that interest. There was a lot of things happening in the country that, you know, we both were, were very familiar with, and it created some feelings of pride and wanting to give back. Were you always thinking about the Air Force Academy because of those motivations, or were you thinking other service academies as well?   Jason Kim  10:16 I think I had my heart set on the Air Force Academy. You know, I don't know if I said before, but you know, my parents had me late, later in life, and so since I was the baby of the family, by the time I got to the age of going to college, my parents were retirement age, and I was not going to put them through what they did for my older brothers, which was room, tuition, board, and all that stuff that they had to work hard to pay for. I wanted to get a scholarship somehow. And this was a way to give back to the country, get a scholarship, get a great education. Plus, you know, I applied to all the service academies. But, you know, you'll, you'll hear this later, but I wasn't the best swimmer, so I wasn't going to go to the Naval Academy. West Point was foreign to me. I just didn't know enough about the Army, and I wanted to be a pilot. So, I thought, “Hey, the Air Force Academy is the best way to do that.”   Naviere Walkewicz  11:17 Awesome. So, you had a great ALO (pronounced AY-low and is an Academy Liaison Officer) you know, you kind of went through the process, which, in itself, is quite a process, as we remember. And so how did you find out? When did you find out you received an appointment to the Air Force Academy?   Jason Kim  11:31 That was, oh, that was, you know, I've had a lot of great moments in my life, so it's, that's reaching far back. I just remember that I was super happy. You know, it was Congressman Sam Johnson of the 3rd District of Texas that, you know, gave me the nomination. He was actually an Air Force pilot and a Vietnam POW. He since passed away. But, you know, getting a nomination from a legend like that was very much an honor. You know, I also got a senatorial nomination to go to the Naval Academy, but not knowing any better, as the 18-year-old, or whatever I was, 17-year-old, I was like, “Sorry, Senator, I'm going to the Air Force Academy. Thank you very much. I'm not going to the Naval Academy.” So I was very set on going to the Air Force Academy. I was very, very happy, because it was hard to get in. I mean, one of the challenges I had as a fairly big football player in high school was the, you know, the test that you have to physical fitness tests you have to take to get into the Air Force Academy. So, you had to do all the pull ups and the runs and all that stuff. And I had to cut weight, and it really took me waking up every morning, just going through the routine of practicing all those things, and eventually got enough confidence to pass the physical fitness test and all the other things you got to go through. So, it was very rewarding to get to the point where I got in.   Naviere Walkewicz  13:15 That is awesome. And I can see that drive, I mean, just from your family instilled in you to get to be like you said, confident, ready to go. That's no surprise at all. So, talk about at the Academy, we know a little about your roommate. You met him in summer scientific seminar. What was your Academy experience like?   Jason Kim  13:35 I remember Day 1 because there are two funny things that happened. One, somehow I got lucky, and I got paired up with a NCO, enlisted person, who I wish I remembered his name. He didn't end up staying after Basic Cadet Training, so I lost touch. But what he did for me was amazing, because he already knew the drill. He was like, “Jason, you don't know how to wear BDUs, but this is how you do it. This is how you put the blouses on.” How did I luck out? I had somebody that knew what to do and was teaching me how to do it from Day 1. So very, very much grateful to that individual. I wish I could have kept in touch with him. The second funny thing is, we all had name badges. And you know, my name badge, for some reason, it said Jun Kim. And I was like, OK, that's my last name, and it's June, I think. So it makes sense. And then everybody, all the upperclassmen, were like, “Is your name Jun Kim?” I was like, “Yes, yes, sir. My name is Kim,” and I thought it was the month. But it turns out they accidentally switched my nametag with another Cadet named Jun Kim. Yeah, and so he was wearing my Jason Kim, and so, on Day 1, you know, it was very confusing, and that got me into a lot of trouble. They're like, “Do you know…,” all the things you could think of, I was getting all those kinds of comments. And so, it was quite the memorable experience. It's like, it's hard enough being a new doolie and trying to figure it out. But then when you have those kinds of incidents, it's like, it makes it even more confusing, but it was memorable.   Naviere Walkewicz  15:33 Oh, that's awesome. I can, literally picture this.   Jason Kim  15:37 That was Day 1, and then, you know, life as a cadet. They warn you of this. They warn you of the pedestal effect, where you're in high school, you're top of your game, and top of your class and you varsity letter and all that stuff. But when you get to the Academy, oh, boy, was I humbled. I mean, there were people that were smarter than me, more athletic than me, you know, better in every way. And so, I just felt very average. And in retrospect, there's nothing wrong with that, right? But just being around 1,500 cadets, you know they just were the best of the best from wherever they were. It was very, very humbling, but also rewarding, because I got to meet people from different states. I'd go on spring break to California for the first time, because I'd make friends with people that were from Northern California or Los Angeles. So, I got to meet a lot of lifelong friends that have been my support group for my entire life, you know. And every time I get together with my friends from the Academy, it's just like it was old times. It just, it's hard to explain, but you know what I'm talking about, and…   Naviere Walkewicz  17:02 I do. It just feels like time didn't pass.   Jason Kim  17:05 That's right. Some of us, like yourself, look like you do from those days. Some of us aged a little bit differently, like myself, but yeah, it was a great experience. Now, if you remember our year — our year was the first year that had the increased level of the internet and so that got a lot of people in trouble. Because, you know, “What's this internet? What do you do with it?” What we got in trouble for in my class was we played a lot of online games, you know, in first-person kind of games. So, I remember there was a game called Quake, and it was a lot of us just playing together in our in our dorm rooms and spending a little bit too much time on that. And then I remember other video games, like Goldeneye on Nintendo, and it just sucked so much time out of our days that, in retrospect, it's like, “What were we doing?” So, I guess you could say we were kind of old-school video gamers back in the day.   Naviere Walkewicz  18:20 It's funny. I was just going to ask you, we knew that you were getting into electrical engineering. What else were you doing? So, it sounds like it wasn't football, but it was Nintendo.   Jason Kim  18:30 I really loved sports. So, I loved taking all the intramural sports and the classes like golf and tennis, and I got into rugby for a little bit, for a minute, which I really enjoyed, but it's not a very forgiving sport, so that didn't last that long. But, you know, I think just the camaraderie you get playing sports like that was fun, and I think from the academic side, you know, I did go into electrical engineering, so I did all the nerdy stuff. That's probably why we didn't cross paths. Also, you probably weren't at the robotics competitions that we were doing, because that's really nerdy. But we got into doing little Roomba robot construction before Roombas existed, and we created our own Pac Man, you know, handheld games from scratch using a box of parts and processors. And my senior design project was pretty interesting. My classmate and I decided to make a digital karaoke machine. You know, using everything we learned from electrical engineering and apply it to something fun. I just remember us just trying to make the most of it with our friends and our classmates, and trying to make it fun, because it could be a lot. I took a lot of semester credit hours my freshman year. I just remember something like 22-plus credit hours. It was just a lot, and you really needed a way to recharge. And so those were some of the ways. But of course, the skiing was amazing. You know, being so close in proximity to all the ski resorts, like Breckenridge and Copper Mountain and Vail — all those great places. So those were always fun things to do. I had my first bowl of pho in Denver.   Naviere Walkewicz  20:49 In Denver?   Jason Kim  20:52 I remember that vividly. I went to one of my first concerts, Smashing Pumpkins at the Nuggets center. And then I got to go to Red Rocks. So, there was a lot of cultural things that I got to be a part of, too.   Naviere Walkewicz  21:09 I love that. So some of the things that you expressed, and I think this is great for our listeners, because, you know, sometimes some of some of our guests have been very, I don't say tunnel vision, but there's very, like, one track they've been really dedicated to, like one aspect. You know, obviously we have to do military, academic and, you know, physical fitness, athleticism, but there's kind of one track that they really hone in on. It seems like you really kind of experienced a lot, and through all of that, I might ask, what were some of the leadership lessons you picked up and learning about yourself, because you kind of talked about that pedestal effect, right? You were really kind of high coming from high school, and then you came to the Academy, and you kind of had to rediscover yourself in a different way. And it looked like you did that. What did you learn?   Jason Kim  21:53 Yeah, so some of the leadership things that I would say, that I got exposed to — and it made me kind of think about it and much later in life, kind of reinforce it — was just to be curious. A lot of times as leaders, you can jump to conclusions but I think one technique that is very helpful, no matter what industry you're in, is just be curious. You know, when you have employees, you could hold folks accountable but be curious about it. Ask the right questions. “Is everything OK? Do you have enough support? Do you have the tools, training to do what you need to? How's your family life?” That kind of stuff. So, I think you could be very curious and compassionate and graceful in terms of leadership, and that's partly learning from good leaders, but also bad leaders that didn't do that. So, I think you got to see both sides as a cadet, and you always want to pick the good leaders and emulate the good behaviors and leave out the bad. So that's one thing I would say. You know, we got this drilled into us, and we didn't even know at the time how important it was. But building that trust with your teams — that's extremely empowering and motivating when you trust someone else, and they trust you, and you can go much, much further when you build that trust up. And then the last thing I would say is, I think we were one of the first classes that had noncommissioned officers alongside with AOCs (Air Officer Commanding) that were there to teach us about mutual respect, about mutual respect between officers and noncommissioned officers. And I think that went a long ways for all of us, because once we went to the real Air Force, we were going to lead a lot of officers and NCOs and getting that kind of exposure early on was helpful. But also learning about mutual respect — that's something that is extremely important in any work setting that you're in. So those are kind of three examples of leadership, things that I would say I remember from the Academy that are also still important today.   Naviere Walkewicz  24:35 I think that's wonderful. Maybe you'll even share an example where you saw either curiosity, compassion or mutual respect really play a role in your professional or personal life after the Academy, but before we get there, I remember you talking about wanting to maybe get into space, right? The astronaut program, be a pilot. How did that all shape out? Because you were an electrical engineer, and then what?   Jason Kim  24:58 So, I really wanted to be a pilot. And for some reason, I really liked the C-17, the Globemaster. And I think it's because it was a fly-by-wire kind of system. It was a stick, but it was like more of a commercial airline-kind of transport plane. So, it was a blend of — fighter pilots use sticks but it was still kind of an air mobility command-kind of system. But, you know, unfortunately, my eyesight, my color deficiency, just didn't allow me to go into that track. So, I really just leaned on and doubled down on my electrical engineering background and got to go to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base as my first assignment. And there I was an engineer-slash-project-manager working on uncrewed aerial vehicles before they became popular. So, things like the Global Hawk and the Predator, UAVs, those were things that I was getting exposed to, and I got to put payloads on. If you remember, in the 1999 timeframe, there were Hellfire missiles put on the Predator. I was there when that was happening. And so, it was just very, very amazing to see all that happen before my eyes. I got to work on the U2 and put payloads on the U2 and other very important missions. And I think that exposed me to the real Air Force. Even though I wasn't flying, I got exposed to assets that actually went into the theater and were very valuable. And then from there, I got assigned to L.A. Air Force Base, and finally got to live out my dream of living in Los Angeles, and was assigned to the Space Superiority Material Wing, and that's where we were acquiring satellites and ground systems to help protect our freedom in space. And so, I learned a lot about space there and ground systems. And, you know, after several years working there, I decided I wanted to go into industry. And so, I did two things. I went to a large aerospace company and became a program manager there. You know, now, in charge of designing and building these satellites. So I went part time to UCLA to get my fully employed MBA, just knowing that I wasn't going to know everything about industry. I wasn't going to know everything about how to be part of a company, and so I wanted to kind of learn more about that side of the industry by getting an MBA. Unbeknownst to me, the MBA wasn't just about company operations and finances, it was actually about leadership. And so, I got a lot of leadership lessons from my MBA program as well. So, it gave me a lot of confidence. And what I mean by that is confidence in just going with your gut, taking risks, getting into high-risk, high-reward situations. And it's because I learned about, the company financials, the underpinnings of a company. I learned about entrepreneurism, what it what it's like to start up a company or operate a company or go through different case studies of how to turn around a company. I learned a lot about accounting and how important and valuable that is. But then most of all, I learned a lot from my classmates. And there were people from the Hollywood industry or investment banking or the medical industry. So, it was really great to learn from my classmates. It got me to conference level where I was like, “Hey, what am I doing at this company? I want to take a risk and go to a startup company.” And I did. I took that leap of faith, and that's where our first, you know, joined Millennium Space Systems, which was a small startup company when it was 20 people. But it was something that I guess I go back to the Air Force Academy where, you know, there's that quote in the Eagle and Fledgling statue that says, “Man's flight through life is sustained by the power of his knowledge.” That kind of always stuck with me and it's one of those things where, when you join a startup company, and you help grow it, and eventually we sold the company to Boeing, you learn so much. I mean, I had five different hats, you know, and I had to learn about finance, program management, business development, engineering, integration and test, all that stuff, mission operations — you learn all those things by doing, and no one will ever be able to take that knowledge away. You just, you just get it for life.   Naviere Walkewicz  30:34 Wow, there's, there's so much that, I mean, you covered such a span, because I'm imagining, you know, maybe I don't want to call — maybe “gift” is not the right word, but not being able to be a pilot might have been something that opened up obviously these opportunities for you in ways that you could not have even foreseen. So, I actually wanted to go back to that really quick and just ask, how did you, how did you kind of re-change your thoughts or shape your mindset to, “OK, well, it's not that. So, what's next?” And how did you handle that? Because I think some of our listeners find themselves in situations where, “Well, if I do all these things, then it will lead to this.” But sometimes there are things outside of your control that even if you do all the things, you can't get there.   Jason Kim  31:20 Well, I think, first of all, I'll always be a fan of pilots and aviators and all these fighters and bombers and transport airplanes — I definitely bleed blue still to this day. So, I definitely appreciate all of our classmates that have sacrificed so much to fly in the Air Force and defend us. That's kind of my mindset is, “What can I do to still contribute to the mission to national security?” And so as long as that was kind of my guide-star, I was fine, because I knew that I was contributing to the mission in some way, whether it be acquiring platforms and putting payloads on those platforms to go support our classmates, or today, you know, designing and building systems and operating systems that end up helping national security. It's really the mindset of, “What can I do to help and make a difference, to help defend our country?” So that's how my mindset shifted, because it takes all of us to contribute what we each contribute to make these missions work. And so that's kind of where my head was at.   Naviere Walkewicz  32:50 I think that's fantastic advice. And there's this theme that's been woven since you talked about your parents, and I think it's this, you know, looking forward and investing in yourself and educating yourself. And so along this path, you've done those things. You're also a family man. When did that kind of come to fruition and how does your family feel about when you joining startups and taking risks and doing some of these things?   Jason Kim  33:16 It goes back to my dad. He gave me a lot of great advice when he was still around, and one of the advice was just sharing his regrets. You know, a lot of people thought he was my grandfather because he had me so late. Really,there's something to be said about that. He was very wise. He had a lot of experience in life, and he had global experience and had seen so many different hardships and overcome them. And he would always say, “Hey, I wish I would have taken, you know, that risk and left my company and joined my other co-workers to go start up that other company.” That actually happened. He had co-workers that ended up starting up a different old drilling company in Texas, and he thought it was too much risk at the time. He regrets that, because obviously those people that went over at the time they did, they did well for themselves. So he would tell me stories like that, and really all that wisdom he would just try to share with me from a young age. And it's hard to admit, but at some point in your, all of our lives, we start to realize how right our parents were sometimes, and so, you know, a lot of the risk taking that I'm doing, that I have done, stems from advice that my dad gave me. It's like, “Hey, go for it. Take the risks. Don't have those regrets.” And so, I think I have lived my life in that manner — just minimize the regrets and take some risk and take calculated risk and really be confident with yourself and double down on yourself. So, yeah, absolutely.   Naviere Walkewicz  35:12 I love that. And your family obviously doubles down on — yeah.   Jason Kim  35:16 I mean, I had kids late in life. I really enjoy spending time with my kids. That's how I recharge. You know, I've got a son that's turning 9 this month, and a daughter that turned 6 a couple months ago, and just watching them grow up and be curious and learn and ask questions and try different things out. You know, we try not to push things on our kids, and I'm the same way. I'm not trying to push anything on my kids, but I do want to give them a lot of opportunities that I wish I had, and just expose them to those opportunities, because you just never know which one takes off and which one really resonates with them. And so that's kind of my mindset right now is, “How can I give my son and daughter as many opportunities as possible so that they could figure it out on their own what they want to do,” right?   Naviere Walkewicz  36:09 Well, even the words that you used, you kind of talked about some of those lessons that you took away as a cadet, and you are seeing it in your children, with the way that they ask questions and the way that they explore. So, I think you have kind of taken those and pass it into your legacy line. I do want to ask a question, because we always find it fascinating when we learn more about our guests. So, do you have a hidden talent that you might share with our listeners?     Jason Kim  36:35 I do. I wish I could say it's something that is so fascinating. But really, it's just some something that I could — I could draw and paint really well, and it was something that I just noticed when I was very young. You know, I learned from my older brothers, and they were pretty good at it, too, but I learned at an earlier age than them, and so I've always been able to sketch and draw realistic pictures. When I was younger, drawing Lamborghinis. Because I always wanteda Lamborghini Countach. They don't make those cars in the price points that I would like, so I don't have one today. But I was always drawing things. And, you know, recently, I started painting as well, and it was crazy. I had never done oil painting before, and when I had my first child, my son, whatever got into me, I just picked up a brush and painted a picture of him, and it actually looks like him. And we did a side by side, like picture of him smiling, and the painting of him smiling. It definitely captures his essence, because I never got training or anything. And so, I would say that's my hidden talent. It was even hidden for me. And, you know, it's just amazing — just go for it. Just go do it. And that's one of the things that I would recommend to people that are wanting to go the Air Force Academy is just get out of your comfort zone and do as many things as you can early on, even before going to the Academy. You know, learn different languages. Just learn as much as you can. Learn lifetime sports. Take lessons of swimming or golf or tennis — all those kind of things. Just do as much as you can, because you'll get busy when you're at the Air Force Academy and you'll have less time to do all the things you want to do. But even when you're in industry and you're working, you don't have as much time to go do that kind of stuff. And you may not think you have a lot of time during junior high or high school, but you do, and you should take advantage of just learning as much as you can, and you'll appreciate it later in life when you go travel to Paris or travel to different places like Thailand or, you know, Japan. You know, if you learn those languages, you can explore those places even more in a way that you know is more enriching, and that gets me to that's what I want to do more of, is travel, travel globally with my family. I think that's something that I want to expose my kids to. And a lot of times you grow up in the United States and you start thinking, “Hey, there's only one way to think about stuff.” But when you travel — and I got to travel for work to Paris a couple years — it opened my eyes. It opened my eyes to a different world and how other people think and dress and go about their daily lives. I've also gotten to London recently for work, and that was eye opening as well, and been to Southeast Asia as well. So, it's just fascinating to go to this these different places and learn the cultures and talk the languages and meet the people. It's very enriching.   Naviere Walkewicz So how many languages do you speak?   Jason Kim So, I grew up learning Korean so I can speak a little bit of Korean. I obviously took Spanish because I grew up in Texas, and that Spanish is a very valuable language in Texas, even in California. And because I took Spanish, you know, when I get to the Air Force Academy, what do they do? They said, “Hey, we don't want you to take Spanish. We want you to be the handful of people that takes Arabic.” So, I got the privilege to take Arabic. I got volunteered into it, and it was very, very difficult for me, because I just had no background in it. I struggled with it. But the silver lining is that I learned about a new culture, and I learned about how to write right to left and, you know, just a new language and new foods that go along with it, too. So I really appreciated that. In hindsight, at the time I didn't think it was that easy, but in hindsight, I wish I would have done more and kept the fluency in it, because learning a different language means you can talk to a different group of people, and you can learn more or teach each other new things. So, it just opens a lot of doors.   Naviere Walkewicz  42:02 So, the experiences you've had, both from the Academy and the languages and throughout your career, both professionally as well. It's personally, what's something that you've taken back from those experiences that you might share with a listener that maybe hasn't had that kind of exposure, that they can bring to the leadership table. And how do you use that at yours?   Jason Kim  42:20 I think it just goes back to what it touched on before, is just the curiosity. Just always be curious. You know, I think Ted Lasso had it right. Just be curious, right? If you had just asked questions about, “Hey, did you throw darts when you were younger?” Oh, if you would have known that you would have known that Ted lasso was really good at darts. I think just being curious and being an active listener and asking questions and listening to other people, sometimes people want to vent, or sometimes people want to just be heard or have a voice, or, most of the time, people just have good ideas. And you know, it's all about, “Hey, did I miss something? Did you miss something? Did we both miss something?” If you get all those great ideas and you share it amongst different people from different backgrounds and walks of life, you don't miss as much and you're just better off, you'll have a better solution. And in my industry, you have a better design, you have a better result, performance result. And so, I would just say, just be curious.   Naviere Walkewicz  43:29 What did your road back to the Academy look like? You know, now you're part of a board of (USAFA) Foundation directors, and so you talked about learning from your dad and your mom, always about giving back. So, I have to think that's probably been part of was in the back of your mind. But how did that all come together?   Jason Kim  43:44 You know, I had no road map to do the job that I'm in right now. I never anticipated doing this job, and I also didn't anticipate being on the board of directors for the Air Force Academy Foundation. But I had folks reach out from, you know, the Air Force Academy Foundation, and ask me, “Hey, do you know what we do? You're a big football fan. Are you aware there's a Falcon Stadium renovation?” And I was like, “No, tell me more.” And with that first visit, I actually donated right away, I was like, “I'm on board. Sign me up. I want to donate to this because I believe in it.” You know, Falcon Stadium was where we graduated, right? It's such a memorable place. We saw a lot of football games there. And so, it means so much. So, I was all about donating to that cause. And then I would say that the second time around, when the same person came back and said, just to check up on me — he had mentioned, “Hey, there's this foundation, and they're looking for someone that has a space background, and you have a space background. So, are you interested in potentially coming to a board meeting?” When I went and attended the board meeting as a guest, I just stared around the room, and I was just in awe, because there was Paul Kaminski, who's, to me, is one of my role models in terms of all that he's done for the country and continues to do for the country. And he was on the academic committee. And so, of course, I wanted to join the academic committee. I saw Gen. Eberhardt. I saw Gen. Born, and there were just so many amazing people, Paul Madera, that I was just in awe. And, you know, from that respect, I was like, “Sign me up. I want to be a part of this.” And I saw them and how much they cared about the Academy and the cadets and making sure that the Academy kind of stayed relevant and was giving the cadets the best education that they can to compete with the Stanfords and MITs and the Harvards, I really saw a good cause, and then the fact that they were interested in my space background. I said, “Yeah, I definitely want to be part of whatever I could do to contribute to the Air Force Academy, to graduate not only people that are going to go to the Air Force, but also to the Space Force.” And so that's something I hope to contribute to is maybe someday a future space education center at the Air Force Academy, so that the cadets could get a great education and be future leaders in the Space Force as well.   Naviere Walkewicz  46:53 Well, it certainly makes a difference. And I think I remember seeing you at that first board meeting that you participated in. I was so excited to see you. That was like, oh, '99s in the house. So that was wonderful. Yes, well, I have two questions left. The first one is, really, I want to just ask you, because we've covered so much, and you've given such wonderful, I think, advice and just perspective. But is there anything that I didn't ask you that you had wanted to, you know, talk about today?   Jason Kim  47:20 You know, I think at the end of the day, going through the Air Force Academy is extremely challenging, but after you graduate, and after you go through life experiences, all the hardships, the challenges, what I've realized is going through the Academy kind of helped me overcome what I had to overcome in my adult life and in my industry life. We didn't like it at the time but breaking you down and then building you back up and making you get up back again every time you fall down, gives you life lessons and a confidence in yourself that you can kind of do anything that you put your mind to. I really believe that the Air Force Academy kind of helped me overcome a lot of different hardships in my life. You don't really realize that going through it, but later in life, I appreciate the fact that I went there and getting through there actually gave me the confidence that I could get back up and be OK and keep growing and continuously learn and get better and improve. So that's kind of something that I could attribute to the Air Force Academy.   Naviere Walkewicz  48:49 Oh, that is awesome. And, I mean, and it's obviously taken you to new heights. Leading a corporation is no small feat. So,  one of the things we really like to do is make sure we kind of hear the takeaways, from you to our listeners. So, it's really kind of a message to them. But before we do that and get your final thoughts, I just wanted to offer a note of thanks to our listeners for being here on the Long Blue Leadership. The podcast drops every two weeks on Tuesdays and is available on all your favorite podcast apps. Be sure to send us your thoughts and comments at socialmedia@usafa.org, and listen to past episodes at longblueleadership.org  So, Jason, I want to come back to you now, because I hope that gave you a little bit of time to think about what is the message you'd like to share to our listeners. And our listeners are far and wide. We have those aspiring to go to the Academy, we have family members of cadets, and we have graduates all alike. What would you like to share when you think about kind of your experiences in the realm of leadership?   Jason Kim  49:48 To them, I think the Air Force Academy is a great place to graduate from. It's really hard to get through. So, be really proud of your sons and daughters that are going through it and persevering, and it really is a great experience for them. For those that are prospective students: You're going to get to do things that you never could do anywhere else. You know, jump out of planes fly gliders, eventually go into the Air Force or Space Force. And then for graduates, we've made so many lifelong friends, and we've made so many memories. It's something we can all do is give back, whether it's — go march back from Jacks Valley, or go to the reunion this year for our 25th reunion for the class of '99, or go to some football games. The Foundation has plenty of great, noble causes to donate to, because it's all about that Long Blue Line. We want the next set of cadets to get an even better experience in education than we did. We want to keep it going.   Naviere Walkewicz  51:12 It is always a pleasure to not only hear your voice, but today, I got to see you as well. That just brings me such joy, and I can't wait until our reunion, just in a couple of months as well. Thank you so much for your time today, Jason, it's been amazing. Lil' Kim, thank you. Bye.   KEYWORDS Jason Kim, Firefly Aerospace, Air Force Academy, immigrant parents, work ethic, space shuttle program, Gulf War, military career, pedestal effect, curiosity, compassion, trust, mutual respect, leadership, CEO, curiosity, compassion, mutual respect, electrical engineering, startup, satellites, taking risks, giving back     The Long Blue Line Podcast Network is presented by the U.S. Air Force Academy Association and Foundation      

Fishing enthusiast or not, this time of year in June there really isn't a bad spot to toss a line. Pro Angler Johnnie Candle joins The Bend Show crew. Do you know about BBQ cookout Etiquette for attending? Yes there are rules when invited to that backyard bash! Join radio hosts Rebecca Wanner aka 'BEC' and Jeff ‘Tigger' Erhardt with The Bend Radio Show & Podcast, your news outlet for the latest in Outdoors & Western Lifestyle News! Episode 188 Details Fishing Tips with Pro Angler Johnnie Candle and Essential Etiquette for Backyard BBQs & Cookouts  Plan Now To Fish In June, Here Is Why JOHNNIE CANDLE, PRO ANGLER EXTRAORDINAIRE Discover the fascinating journey of Johnnie Candle, a seasoned pro angler with over 30 years of experience, now a proud member of The Bend Field staff. From his formative years fishing on his father's charter boat in the Great Lakes to mastering the art on Lake Erie's central basin, Candle's expertise is unparalleled. With a Master of Great Lakes US Coast Guard Captain's License earned by age 21, he embarked on a lifelong pursuit of excellence in fishing, guiding, and sportfishing communication. Since 1993, Candle has navigated the waters from the Trout and Salmon-rich Lower Niagara River to the Walleye-rich Dakotas and even ventured to the Gulf of Mexico. His illustrious career boasts remarkable achievements, competing at the highest levels in prestigious tournaments such as USFA, NAWA, PWT, MWC, and NWT. Join us as we delve into the inspiring story of Johnnie Candle, whose passion for fishing continues to fuel his remarkable journey.   Featuring: Johnnie Campbell; learn more at JohnnieCandle.com Facebook: @JohnnieCandleProfessionalAngler Rules & Etiquette for Gatherings, BBQs & Backyard Parties MUST Follow Rules When Attending A Cookout: If you were not invited by the host, DO NOT show up. DO NOT bring extra people if not listed on the invite. (Understand there are times when unexpected family may be visiting, etc. First analyze your situation, can these extras enjoy a day or evening being "Tourists" in your town or visiting sites nearby? If not, make sure you ask the host first before ever bringing additional guests. ALWAYS ask, "What can I bring?". Even when the answer is "no", always still bring a bag of chips or at least a gift for the host. Our "Go-To Host Gift" is a bottle of wine. Everyone has different "House Rules". Be respectful. If you notice that shoes are taken off at the door to use the bathroom, follow suit. Same goes, if in questions when going "in-doors", always take off your shoes! Drinks. Most gatherings in this day in age are BYOB, meaning Bring Your Own Beverage. If the party has drinks served, be respectful and drink what is offered regardless of the brand or preferences. An event is not cheap to host, so be respectful! Bottled Water or Red Solo Cups. Finish the bottled water before opening another, and if you're afraid of your bottle or cup being lost in the party - use a black marker and write your initials or name on it. This is a BIG start to being invited to future events and neighborhood BBQs! Have Fun!   REFERENCES https://johnniecandle.com/   FIELD REPORTS & COMMENTS Call or Text your questions, or comments to 305-900-BEND or 305-900-2363 Or email BendRadioShow@gmail.com FOLLOW Facebook/Instagram: @thebendshow https://www.facebook.com/thebendshow SUBSCRIBE to The Bend YouTube Channel. Website: TheBendShow.com https://thebendshow.com/ #catchBECifyoucan #tiggerandbec #outdoors #travel #cowboys The Outdoors, Rural America, And Wildlife Conservation are Center-Stage. AND how is that? Because Tigger & BEC… Live This Lifestyle. Learn more about Jeff ‘Tigger' Erhardt & Rebecca Wanner aka BEC here: TiggerandBEC.com https://tiggerandbec.com/   WESTERN LIFESTYLE & THE OUTDOORS Jeff 'Tigger' Erhardt & Rebecca 'BEC' Wanner are News Broadcasters that represent the Working Ranch world, Rodeo, and the Western Way of Life as well as advocate for the Outdoors and Wildlife Conservation. Outdoorsmen themselves, this duo strives to provide the hunter, adventurer, cowboy, cowgirl, rancher and/or successful farmer, and anyone interested in agriculture with the knowledge, education, and tools needed to bring high-quality beef and the wild game harvested to your table for dinner. They understand the importance in sharing meals with family, cooking the fruits of our labor and fish from our adventures, and learning to understand the importance of making memories in the outdoors. Appreciate God's Country. United together, this duo offers a glimpse into and speaks about what life truly is like at the end of dirt roads and off the beaten path. Tigger & BEC look forward to hearing from you, answering your questions and sharing in the journey of making your life a success story. Adventure Awaits Around The Bend.

How is the shift towards collaboration and data-driven decision-making transforming the public safety industry? Hello Smart Firefighting Community! Welcome to another episode of covering real world innovations via interviews with fire service and technology industry experts that empower YOU to develop your very own Smart Firefighting strategy! Welcome back to this 20-episode ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Texas Robotics Summit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Mini Series! This 4 day event (March 4-7, 2024) was hosted at the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Reveille Peak Ranch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and by our friends at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Granite Defense⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and showcased the use of robotics (air/water/ground) in public safety via keynote presentations, training scenario stations, roundtable conversations, and more. In this episode: Emphasizing teamwork in public safety drones The transformative power of collaboration and technology Data-driven approaches shaping the future of emergency response Hear from Coitt Kessler - a Customer Success Manager at DroneSense, Inc. Coitt talks about gratitude, community, collaboration, and the evolution of public safety aviation. We cover the IAFF IAFC Drone Working Group, an initiative to develop cohesive strategies and best practices. This drives the importance of data-driven decision-making, especially with the upcoming rollout of NERIS from USFA. We also explore the role of leadership and the shift in conversations within the public safety industry. The focus is on continued growth, service, and the power of teamwork. So click play now to hear what he has to share! And stay tuned for the next Mini Series episode! Head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.smartfirefighting.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to discover how SFF accelerates innovation for emergency responders, to find out when our next event is, or review our curated resources! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn

In 2022, there were 32 million incidents. At a minimum, 65% of them are emergency medical service-related responses.

On this episode, we speak with Fire Administrator Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell to recap 2023 accomplishments and discuss USFA priorities for 2024.

Collecting and communicating the big EMS news of 2023 The American Ambulance Association and the Academy of Mobile Healthcare Integration (AIMHI) collect, collate, categorize and share weekly EMS-based news stories widely with many national organizations and associations, including NHTSA, USFA and NAEMT. The information contained in the news tracker allows officials and EMS leaders to brief and educate journalists and elected officials, as well as the public as to the current plight of EMS. EMS is delivered on a local level and those experiencing issues with their service can believe it is just them suffering funding shortages, staffing challenges, hospital delays or general poor performance. The tracker can be used to demonstrate that the issues are occurring on a wider regional, state, national and, in some cases, international level. In this episode of the EMS One-Stop podcast, host Rob Lawrence, who also heads up the AAA-AIMHI news collation effort, welcomes fellow news collator, Rodney Dyche of Patient Care EMS; and AIMHI Education Committee Chair, Matt Zavadsky, chief transformation officer at MedStar Mobile Healthcare. Rob, Rodney and Matt examine EMS news and current trends, and discuss how these themes can be used to inform, influence and educate. Top quotes from this episode “There's a perverse ‘incentive' about response time … if you have the target of 8:59, you arrive on time and the patient dies; that's a success. If you arrive in 9:01 and the patient lives; that's a failure. That's absolute garbage” — Rob Lawrence “There was a quote from Dr. Clawson in a news story that was done in Minneapolis, and I love his quote. He says, ‘there is no evidence that using red lights and sirens have saved more lives than they've taken.'” — Matt Zavadsky “Every week in this great country, an ambulance is stolen either from hospital or from scene – that's avoidable.” — Rob Lawrence “Stop being timid. Stop licking your wounds. Get out in your community, talk to your elected officials. Talk to your city managers or county administrators – very factually, not emotionally. There will be time for emotions, but give them the facts and let them know what it's gonna take to resuscitate their EMS delivery system.” — Matt Zavadsky Episode contents 00:23 – Guest introduction 02:06 – AAA/AIMHI News Tracker and story categories 04:22 – A resource to brief the press and elected officials 04:30 – Operational challenges across many states 05:50 – Massive sign-on bonuses – robbing Peter to pay Paul 06:30 – Staffing and funding issues 08:40 – Communities/local governing bodies facing the fact that they are running out of money, and their EMS isn't free 09:40 – Transitioning from a volunteer to a paid system 11:00 – Explaining EMS economics to your elected officials 11:50 – Has anyone died? Bring data 13:30 – EMS systems closing 15:30 – “Elected officials get nervous deciding to allocate funding to a service that they haven't had to fund or haven't, haven't had to fund to this certain level in the past.” 18:40 – Response time 19:25 – Increase in low acuity calls 20:30 – Service design 22:50 – Single- versus double-paramedic crewed trucks 25:04 – MEDIC Charlotte – Taking bold steps within categories of response 27:00 – The rate of ambulance crashes across the county at intersections 27:47 – If you are not the ambulance driver … who is? 29:49 – There is no evidence that using red lights and siren have saved more lives than they've taken! 30:30 – Stolen ambulances 32:59 – Supply chain and vehicle availability 34:00 – Rurality and ambulance deserts 35:00 – Violence against providers 37:00 – Responding to patients in crisis/agitated patients 38:00 – How to use the media log in your locality to good effect 40:00 – Final thoughts About our guests Matt Zavadsky is the chief transformation officer at MedStar Mobile Healthcare, the exclusive emergency and non-emergency public utility model EMS system for Fort Worth and 14 other cities in North Texas that provides service to 436 square miles and more than 1 million residents and responds to over 170,000 calls a year with a fleet of 65 ambulances. MedStar is a high performance, high value EMS system, providing advanced clinical care with high economic efficiency. Zavadsky is also immediate past president of the National Association of EMTs, and chairs their EMS Economics Committee. He is an appointed committee member to the Joint Commission's Home Care Professional and Technical Advisory Committee (PTAC), and the Lewin Group's Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (HOQR) Program Stroke and AMI Expert Work Group developing metrics for use in value-based purchasing measures for emergency departments. He is also the co-author of the book “Mobile Integrated Healthcare – Approach to Implementation.” Rodney Dyche is director of compliance and responsible for risk management with PatentCare EMS Solutions. PatientCare EMS Solutions is a multistate EMS solution, and additionally provides a hybrid online training program and owns a remount facility. As a teenager, Dyche began his EMS career in rural Missouri. He has had multiple system experiences in addition to rural EMS, including MAST (Kansas City, Missouri), REMSA (Reno, Nevada) and Mercy (Las Vegas). In 2010, he became an internal consultant to Paramedics Plus until its sale in 2018. During that time, he led several high-level projects, to include the timely transition of the purchase of Paramedics Plus. Rodney resides in East Texas and in his spare time is a licensed HAM radio operator, and enjoys fishing, off-roading and reading. Resources AAA-AIMHI news collation tracker Analysis of Ground Ambulance Crash Data from 2012 to 2018

Our friends at the U.S. Fire Administration recently had the opportunity to screen the new documentary “Elemental: Reimagine Wildfire” with the film creators. Before the screening, the U.S. fire administrator, Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell, sat down with one of the film's participants, Margo Robbins, to get a better understanding of cultural fire and how the practice of cultural burning will lead to a healthier ecosystem, long-term fire protection for residents, and provide a platform that will support traditional hunting and gathering activities. The conversation was shared on the USFA podcast and now, we're sharing the conversation with you.

In this episode Marlon sits down with Dr. Katie Wilson, the Executive Director for the Urban School Food Alliance. Katie's list of accomplishments that led her to her current position at USFA is...extensive. Join Marlon as he learns more about Katie, her passion for innovation, disruption, and feeding children. All of which make her one of the best, if not the best in her field.

2023 Travelers Championship & Betting Preview | From the Rough 6/21 Join host Timm 'IndyCarTim' Hamm and PGA of America member John Gerber as they break down the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands and discuss its storylines. They'll also preview Johnny's winning picks, weekend matchups, and best bets. SUBSCRIBE TO THIS CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvbMn8mPiJ8iP09KiAruUWA AUDIO: ‘From the Rough' is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts and wherever else you listen to podcasts. WEBSITE: https://www.dspmediaonline.com/show/from-the-rough/ SOCIAL MEDIA -FOLLOW From the Rough on Twitter: https://twitter.com/fromtheroughpga -FOLLOW Fan Stream Sports / DSP Media on Twitter: https://twitter.com/fanstreamdsp ABOUT THE SHOW: From the Rough brings you everything you need to know in the world of professional golf. Nearly every day, PGA of America member and golf handicapper John Gerber and radio host Timm 'IndyCarTim' Hamm bring you the best analysis in the game. From DFS to betting previews, interviews and recaps, everything golf is on the table when you listen to From the Rough on the Fan Stream Sports network of shows. Brought to you by The Golf Depot in Gahanna, OH at TheGolfDepotGahanna.com. Also sponsored by TurfLife.Club, Orca Golf Bags at Orca-Golf.com, and Golf Central Magazine at GolfCentralMag.com. Want to create live streams like this? Check out StreamYard: https://streamyard.com/pal/d/5629821149249536

Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell announces plans to rename the USFA to the U.S. Fire and EMS Administration  This episode of EMS One-Stop With Rob Lawrence is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com. EMS One-Stop Host Rob Lawrence recently travelled to Florida to attend the Metropolitan Medical Directors Gathering of Eagles Conference. In this week's episode, he shares video from key sessions and interviews with a number of leading EMS medical directors, including Dr. Jim Augustine, medical director of Lee County, Florida. The Eagles also gave the floor to the U.S. Fire Administrator Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell, who identified how the Metropolitan Medical Directors will work closely in the future with the U.S. Metropolitan Fire Chiefs – and identified that a name change to USFA may soon follow. TOP QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE “Seventy-five percent of what we do in the fire response space is in fact EMS, and something that I shared with these guys yesterday is an action, I won't say a movement yet, but an action under way, we may in fact in the near term actually rename the U.S. Fire Administration the U.S. Fire and EMS Administration.” — Dr. Lori Moore Merrell “We have just stood up in January an EMS branch within our National Fire and EMS Programs Division. That is a huge move for USFA, so we are going to be moving toward even bigger announcements in the near future ... but we need to embrace what we do in the fire service, that is greater than 70%, most departments 75% and up of EMS.”  — Dr. Lori Moore Merrell EPISODE CONTENTS 01:00 - Takeaways from Brandon Morshedi, MD; Peter Antevy, MD; Joseph Zalkin; Petar and Amber Hossick 02:00 - Introducing the comments from Dr. Moore-Merrell 04:00 - Recorded comments from Dr. Moore Merrell 09:00 - Discussion with Dr. James Augustine 24:00 - Closing commentary

Listener Questions Are Answered. Past special guests including Cowboy Chef Kent Rollins, Pro Angler Johnnie Candle, and JB's Wildlife Designs tackle cooking, fishing, and taxidermy questions. We have Outdoors news plus the latest food trends this summer! This is Rebecca Wanner aka BEC and Jeff ‘Tigger' Erhardt with the outdoors & western lifestyle show The Bend Show! Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcasting app or on The Bend Show YouTube channel. EPISODE DETAILS BEC often thinks of June, as is National Outdoors Month (according to National Day Calendar)… That June is almost like a whole month of celebrating Fathers, Uncles, Grampas, and Friends... Anyone that's taken the time to share, show all of us the Wonders of the Outdoors. For that reason, as you cherish loved ones still amongst us, or think of those that have passed, cherish those memories and continue to keep making new ones! This season so far we have had quite a few interesting guests, in case you've missed them. Famous Cowboy Chef Kent Rollins, who has just come out with a terrific new book EVERY kitchen and cabin needs - "Comfort Food The Cowboy Way". Then fishing expert, guide and 25-year veteran Professional Angler Johnnie Candle joined our crew, and lastly most recently up and coming Taxidermist Jake Faehnrich owner of JB's Wildlife Designs. We are ALWAYS asking for your thoughts and comments, and when one asks, one receives! We've heard ya loud and clear and later in the show Tigger goes into ACTION and gets these guys on the phone to answer the questions. SPOTLIGHT We have got something SUPER exciting for ya all this week to spotlight. Who doesn't like, LOVE a Giveaway?! Or a reason to “Road Trip”??... Maybe somewhere you've never been? If you are a rodeo fan and a country music fan? You will love this giveaway!  The Bend Show has teamed up with the historic Mandan Rodeo Days, considered one of the oldest rodeos in the country. We are giving away a pair of free tickets to the kick-off concert with true American cowboy, and former saddle bronc rider, Wyoming's Chancy Williams. This will be an epic party in the dirt. Literally!  Country Artist, Chancy Williams, will be center stage joined by the duo Southerland, and Zach Thomas on Friday June 30th in Mandan, North Dakota at the brand new Dale Pahlke Rodeo Arena at the Dakota Community Bank & Trust Rodeo Grounds to kick off the 144th Mandan Rodeo Days. This is a World-Class, Premiere event venue; that we are excited to have added to the Rodeo Scene.  How fun is that? Interested? Ever thought of road-tripping to or thru the Dakotas? The Chancy Williams concert kicks off your Fourth of July with the next 3 nights of Top Notch PRCA rodeo action. Here we go, to enter the chance to win a pair of tickets to the Chancy Williams concert at the Mandan Rodeo Days, Call or Text 305-900-2363, and say/text: I LOVE “The Bend Show”, or something like that... Besure to leave, this is important, when calling or texting, leave your full name, phone number, and address so that we can get in touch with the winner! All entries are accepted starting June 17th thru June 22, 2023. A random winner will be chosen and announced on next week's show (June 24th)!! Visit North Dakota this summer, and plan to catch the Chancy Williams Concert and the 144th Mandan Rodeo Days in North Dakota over the Fourth of July!   NEWS Columbia - This was the biggest story last weekend, one that touched all heartstrings. Four children were found last weekend alive in a jungle in Columbia. The siblings had been missing for 40 days following a plane crash that took the life of their mother and pilots. The children were ages 13, 9, 4, and 11 months. They were able to stay alive thanks to the 13-year-olds knowledge of survivor skills.  Small footprints were discovered at the crash site leading search teams to believe the children were still alive in the rainforest, which is home to jaguars, snakes, and other predators. The knowledge of fruits and jungle survival skills kept the siblings alive. Florida - Officials are warning people not to walk dogs near bodies of water, especially as it is alligator mating season. Recently a Florida man saved his dog from an alligator attack. The man was walking the dog along a river bank when an alligator came out of the water and snatched it. The man jumped on top of the alligator and freed his dog. This event spurred the Florida Wildlife Officials again to remind all walking near bodies of water to be on alert and definitely avoid if with pets. Illinois - a 9-year-old Wyoming, Illinois girl has gone viral for catching a Largemouth Bass with a McDonald's Chicken McNugget. The bass weighed 5 lbs. The girl stuck her McNugget on her hook before tossing her lure into a body of water. She reeled the bass in by herself… And this isn't the first time she's been adventurous with her choices of bait. She's had success too with crackers & gummy worms…. LOL… BEC says, HEY - WHATEVER WORKS, and WHATEVER gets kids outside!! FBI WARNING - These things noone is a fan of reporting on however, it is vital that we are all aware and up to date on the latest technology, especially when it could be a potential threat. The FBI is warning people to be careful when posting selfies online. Scammers and hackers are stealing the photos and then using artificial intelligence (AI) and deepfake technology to extort people. This is BAD stuff. The scam artists are placing people's faces on other people's naked bodies in which they then threaten to send pictures or videos to the victim's friends, family, and co-workers.  The FBI says the scammers ask for money to not send the fake, X-rated material. THIS is a topic to discuss with your family too as our youth are becoming younger and younger having full access to various social media as well as with the elderly.  One tip that BEC can offer is that before sharing photos on social media, like Facebook or Instagram, Snapchat, BeReal, etc... Take the time now to check your privacy settings, so that you are ONLY sharing information with people you want to be and to keep a close eye on your social media Friends Lists, that there have not been “Ghost accounts” created mirroring someone else which was added to your crew when they should not have been     COOKING, FISHING & WILDLIFE QUESTIONS Tigger has reviewed the vast number of questions received from listeners and fans of The Bend Show. He reaches out to the experts, and past guests on The Bend Show, to get the answers. Meet our experts and past guests.   COWBOY CHEF KENT ROLLINS Cowboy Kent Rollins is a genuine cowboy who has been cooking up a storm for over 30 years. He is known for his authentic cowboy cooking style, delicious recipes, and entertaining personality. Cowboy Kent Rollins was raised on a ranch in Oklahoma, where he learned how to cook from his mother and grandmother. He has been cooking on the open fire since he was a child, and his authentic cowboy cooking style is a reflection of his upbringing. Rollins is a true pioneer of cowboy cooking. He has a passion for cooking that is evident in every dish he prepares. Cowboy Kent Rollins has been featured on numerous television shows, including the Food Network's "Chopped Grill Masters", and winning "Throwdown with Bobby Flay" with his famous Kent Rollins Chicken Fried Steak to beat Bobby Flay... And since has won many other shows/competitions along the way. Ever wanted to crack the secrets to McDonald's Big Mac secret sauce, scroll down, as that's just what this Cowboy Chef has done, we share the YouTube tutorial for "The Big Mac - Cowboy Style Homemade Big Mac Recipe." Kent Rollins and his wife, Shannon Rollins, have released three cookbooks, one of which was just released called, Comfort Food the Cowboy Way. You can learn more about Kent and order his latest cookbook at KentRollins.com. You can also check out Kent Rollins' YouTube Channel here.    JOHNNIE CAMPBELL, PROFESSIONAL ANGLER Meet 30-plus-year veteran pro angler, Johnnie Campbell, as the newest member of The Bend Field staff. Growing up fishing on his father's charter boat on the Great Lakes, Johnnie Campbell honed his skills on Lake Erie's central basin. By age 21, Campbell had obtained his Master of Great Lakes US Coast Guard Captain's License, beginning his lifelong journey to becoming a Pro Angler, a Fishing Guide, and Sport Fishing Communicator. Since 1993, Campbell has made a career out of fishing. He has guided trips from Trout and Salmon in the Lower Niagara River, to Walleye in the Dakotas, to guiding on the Gulf of Mexico. Johnnie Campbell's pro angler stats are phenomenal having taken to competing at the highest level on the USFA, NAWA, PWT, MWC and NWT tournament fishing trails. We are excited to have him aboard the ship here at The Bend Show. Hear his story on how his successful career came to be, and remains a passion to this day. Johnnie Campbell; learn more or book a guided trip visit JohnnieCandle.com Facebook: @JohnnieCandleProfessionalAngler   JB's WILDLIFE DESIGNS Meet Jake Faehnrich, owner of JB's Wildlife Designs located in Mandan, North Dakota. Faehnrich is an exceptional up-and-coming taxidermist. From North American to Exotic wildlife trophies, JB's Wildlife Designs turns memories into Works of Art. Preserving our trophy animals, fish, and birds. Jake Faehnrich has experience in everything from mounts to rugs to painting on the skulls of our harvested trophies. JB's Wildlife Designs strive to exceed the expectation of every customer, preserving those moments and memories for a lifetime. Featuring: Jake Faehnrich; Taxidermist & Owner of JB's Wildlife Design Facebook: @jbswildlifedesign COOKING TREND & EASY RECIPE   Got a new trend, this one BEC says she is TOTALLY going to try. BEC is a huge pickle fan, and where she is from - You love Ranch Dressing and DILL PICKLES of all varieties! The newest Pickle trend is the answer to your need for an easy recipe or easy appetizer. Dip mini or petite dill pickles into warm, melted chocolate and then set on wax paper to harden. If using Kosher pickles, dip them into the warmed chocolate and then roll the pickles in sea salt and let harden. As mentioned, if you know BEC she will be surprising all of her family and friends this summer with this easy Fourth of July appetizer recipe! If you have a fondue pot, consider this as a fun activity too for the kids. So many possibilities with these Pickle Recipes.   Drinking Alcohol and Mosquitos. Another trend across social media has been debunked, drinking Gin & Tonic - we are sorry to report will not WARD OFF mosquitos! BEC & Tigger have heard of many reasons to have a cocktail or two, but not this one until I was approached and then had to investigate. It turns out that drinking alcohol actually makes you slightly more attractive to those biting skeeters, mosquitos. It is advised the best thing one can do is buy a true repellent. Personally, after trying many things; Tigger & BEC have weighed the pros and cons of tick-related diseases such as Lyme disease, one that is often overlooked by the medical world, and now stockpile their household with insect repellents that contain DEET. We know that some of you listening will not agree, and that is OKAY it has just been our family's decision to go after a Deep Woods product that contains preferably 40% Deet. Regardless, this year be sure to NOT be drinking that Gin & Tonic in hopes of warding off the mosquitos, and do plan ahead with some sort of bug repellent!   FIELD REPORTS & COMMENTS Call or Text your questions, comments to 305-900-BEND or 305-900-2363 Or email BendRadioShow@gmail.com FOLLOW Facebook/Instagram: @thebendshow   SUBSCRIBE to The Bend YouTube Channel.   Website: TheBendShow.com https://thebendshow.com/ #catchBECifyoucan #tiggerandbec #outdoors #travel The Outdoors, Rural America And Conservation are Center-Stage. AND how is that? Because Tigger & BEC… Live This Lifestyle. Learn more about Jeff ‘Tigger' Erhardt & Rebecca Wanner aka BEC here: TiggerandBEC.com https://tiggerandbec.com/ WESTERN LIFESTYLE & THE OUTDOORS Tigger & BEC represent the Working Ranch world, Rodeo, and the Western Way of Life as well as advocate for the Outdoors and Wildlife Conservation. Outdoorsmen themselves, this duo strives to provide the hunter, adventurer, cowboy, cowgirl, rancher and/or successful farmer with the knowledge, education, and tools needed to bring high-quality beef and the wild game harvested to your table for dinner. They understand the importance in sharing meals with family, cooking the fruits of our labor and fish from our adventures, and learning to understand the importance of making memories in the outdoors. Appreciate God's Country. United together, this duo offers a glimpse into and speaks about what life truly is like at the end of dirt roads and off the beaten path. Tigger & BEC look forward to hearing from you, answering your questions and sharing in the journey of making your life a success story. Adventure Awaits Around The Bend.

On this episode of The USFA Podcast, FDNY Chief Chief Hodgens talks about New York City's approach to mitigating residential building fires caused by lithium-ion batteries in micromobility devices. Listen on Apple Podcasts.

EPISODE DETAILS Fisherman or not, this time of year in June there really isn't a bad spot to toss a line. Pro Angler Johnnie Candle joins our crew. This is Rebecca Wanner aka BEC and Jeff 'Tigger' Erhardt with the outdoors radio show The Bend. We have Outdoors news, spotlight grizzly sightings in Yellowstone, tell about a Ghost Town, plus have your Travel and entertainment headlines. Be sure to tune into The Bend Show!   SPOTLIGHT   In case you needed some extra good news today, The Queen of the Tetons is still with us. The famous grizzly named 399 emerged from hibernation.  She's the oldest known bear in the Yellowstone ecosystem, spanning 7 decades of records, to give birth at the age of 27. Queen of the Tetons, Grizzly 339 was photographed last month with a new cub at her side. AND This leads to a great reminder! MANY animals are now with or about to be with, their babies. From cubs to calves to fawns; never be “That Guy” approaching to try photographing wildlife. There's always a joke or meme at this time of year, “Don't Pet The Fluffy Cow” aka Buffalo or Bison. That holds true on anything from Moose, they are mean, to of course mountain lions to bears. Enjoy the view, Be in the Moment. Do not approach wild animals especially while with their young.     NEWS   Poor Driving Hereditary - NOW if you've got a family gathering in your near future? This may just be the topic that could “Stir the Pot” if you're looking to get the goat of some people, or just have fun with a little debate. A study from Scrap Car Comparison has revealed that bad driving might be hereditary. 1,000 drivers were surveyed and was discovered that 66% of these drivers who had tickets also had parents with poor driving records. 50% of the drivers with poor driving parents have received at least one ticket in the past 10 years. 55% of people say that they LEARNED speeding from their parents and 49% of drivers say they learned Road-Raging from their parents…. BEC dares you to bring up THIS TOPIC at your next family bbq! LOL Looking to relocate? How about buy your own town? A Texas ghost town is up for sale for $100,000. The town of Lobo, Texas is located 20 miles from the Mexico border and has been abandoned since 1991. If interested, we wish you the best - the town contains a gas station, a motel, a grocery store and several empty homes. To the north of Lobo is Guatelupe National Park; to the south is Big Bend National Park. North Carolina - is where one man calls home, and this man has not used Toilet paper in ten years. Robin Greenfield of Asheville, NC claims he has not used TP since 2013 and instead uses Blue Spur Flower leaves because they are eco-friendly and the same size as a square of toilet paper. Mr. Greenfield went on to explain that the average American spends over $11,000 on tp over the course of their life. The Blue Spur Flower leaves he claims have a natural, minty scent, and are easy to grow. I'm just going to believe him on that one… and still expect Tigger to pack the biodegradable toilet paper.     JOHNNIE CAMPBELL, PRO ANGLER Meet 30-plus-year veteran pro angler, Johnnie Campbell, as the newest member of The Bend Field staff. Growing up fishing on his father's charter boat on the Great Lakes honing his skills on Lake Erie's central basin. By age 21, Campbell had obtained his Master of Great Lakes US Coast Guard Captain's License, beginning his lifelong journey to becoming a Pro Angler, a Fishing Guide, and Sport Fishing Communicator. Since 1993, Campbell has made a career out of fishing. He has guided trips from Trout and Salmon in the Lower Niagara River, to Walleye in the Dakotas, to guiding on the Gulf of Mexico. Johnnie Campbell's pro angler stats are phenomenal having taken to competing at the highest level on the USFA, NAWA, PWT, MWC and NWT tournament fishing trails. We are excited to have him aboard the ship here at The Bend Show. Hear his story on how his successful career came to be, and remains a passion to this day.   Featuring: Johnnie Campbell; learn more at JohnnieCandle.com Facebook: @JohnnieCandleProfessionalAngler   ENTERTAINMENT NEWS Trisha Yearwood is selling the Nashville home she bought over two decades ago for $4.5 million. If you were a fan of not just Trisha Yearwood as a singer, but also of her cooking style in the Kitchen, Trisha has filmed 11 seasons of her Food Network show, ''Tricia's Southern Kitchen'', at the house. The home has five bedrooms, three fireplaces, an elevator, and a pool.   New country star Parker McCollum says hunting with his wife can be a challenge. He explained in a recent interview that his wife loves wearing lots of fragrances. So while he's sitting in the stand bathed in scent killer, his wife, Parker McCollum jokes is smelling like a field of flowers. The country star did so though that he loves being with her in the field, even if she can make hunting a challenge.   TRAVEL & PLANNING Butchering Dates for this fall's wild game or your own raised beef, pork, etc. Consider calling now to get your name on the list or schedule. Some butchering processor facilities only process wild game at certain times and the dates fill up quickly. Remember you can typically always cancel. State Park Passes: Thinking a Staycation this year? If you are thinking of this year sticking closer to home possibly and exploring your state's many beautiful parks. This is a reminder to be purchasing those passes now. Depending on your state you may qualify for discounts regarding age, and current or past military experience, and some states even have promotions right now for a buy one pass get a second pass half off. Regardless, order state park passes now incase you qualify for promotions and special identification is needed. We want everyone ready to road trip in their own "backyard", meaning your state, this summer.   FIELD REPORTS & COMMENTS Call or Text your questions, comments to 305-900-BEND or 305-900-2363 Or email BendRadioShow@gmail.com FOLLOW Facebook/Instagram: @thebendshow   SUBSCRIBE to The Bend YouTube Channel.   Website: TheBendShow.com #catchBECifyoucan #tiggerandbec #outdoors #travel The Outdoors, Rural America And Conservation are Center-Stage. AND how is that? Because Tigger & BEC… Live This Lifestyle. Learn more about Jeff ‘Tigger' Erhardt & Rebecca Wanner aka BEC here: TiggerandBEC.com   WESTERN LIFESTYLE & THE OUTDOORS Tigger & BEC represent the Working Ranch world, Rodeo, and the Western Way of Life as well as advocate for the Outdoors and Wildlife Conservation. Outdoorsmen themselves, this duo strives to provide the hunter, adventurer, cowboy, cowgirl, rancher and/or successful farmer with the knowledge, education, and tools needed to bring high-quality beef to your table for dinner. The understanding of the importance in sharing meals with family, cooking harvested wild game and fish from your adventures, and learning to understand the importance of making memories in the outdoors. Appreciate God's Country. United together, this duo offers a glimpse into and speaks about what life truly is like at the end of dirt roads. Tigger & BEC look forward to hearing from you, answering your questions and sharing in the journey of making your life a success story.

On this episode of The USFA Podcast, Fire Administrator Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell interviews former administrator Keith Bryant about his time in office and his priorities as the Oklahoma state fire marshal. Listen on Apple Podcasts.

On this episode of The USFA Podcast, the FIRST Center's Dr. Jennifer Taylor discusses use of the SAVER checklist and model policy to mitigate occupational violence against EMS responders. Listen on Apple Podcasts.

On this episode of The USFA Podcast, Dr. Denise Smith discusses the effects of long COVID on the fire service. Listen on Apple Podcasts.

On this episode, Dr. Sara Jahnke and Todd LeDuc discuss how to get firefighter occupational health risk information into the hands of medical providers using the Provider's Guide to Firefighter Medical Evaluations. Listen on Apple Podcasts.

On this episode, we recap 2022 accomplishments with Fire Administrator Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell and discuss USFA priorities and initiatives for 2023. Listen on Apple Podcasts.

On this episode, we talk with Dr. Sara Jahnke, director and senior scientist with the Center for Fire, Rescue and EMS Health Research at the National Development and Research Institutes USA, about firefighter behavioral health. Listen on Apple Podcasts.

On this episode, we talk with USFA fire program specialist Abigail Bordeaux and FEMA fire grant recipient Rebecca Clarke about the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. Listen on Apple Podcasts.

In this episode of Next Up, your host, Marlon Gordon, meets with USFA member San Diego Unified School District. He chats with Melanie Moyer, Diego Robles, and Janelle Manzano about the success they saw in their districts 200 schools for Plastic Free Lunch Day. Listen in to learn what tips and tricks they used in their district to make this day as successful as it was.

On this episode, we talk with Dr. Jennifer Taylor about diversity, equity and inclusion within the fire service, and more specifically, how to start the conversations within our organizations. Listen on Apple Podcasts.

Tune in to JLN's Critical Conversations, as we sit down with Dr. Denis Onieal. As the former senior career federal fire official, Dr. Denis Onieal was responsible for the day-to-day operation of the United States Fire Administration (USFA) — the annual training of over 140,000 first responders at and through the National Fire Academy; the National Fire Incident Reporting System, which documents and analyzes 28 million fire department emergency responses a year; the USFA's fire prevention, public information and public education programs; and the 26 campus buildings and the grounds of the historic National Emergency Training Center in Emmitsburg, Maryland. An honorably discharged Army veteran, he joined the Jersey City Fire Department and rose through the ranks from firefighter to deputy chief, and then to acting chief, leading a uniformed force of 650 firefighters and officers. He spent his entire time "in the street" as a line fire officer. He completed a Bachelor of Science from New Jersey City University, a Master of Public Administration from Fairleigh Dickinson University and a Doctorate in Education from New York University (NYU). He taught in the master and doctorate programs in education at NYU for five years. Beginning on Sept. 12, 2001, he led the USFA's team at the World Trade Center, working behind the scenes to help the New York City Fire Department re-establish their systems of command, control and on-site communications. In 2005, he was sent to Atlanta, Georgia, to lead the in-processing, training and dispatch of 4,000 firefighters to assist in the response to Hurricane Katrina. He served in leadership roles in almost every national disaster. He serves on the Board of Directors for the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the International Fire Service Training Association (IFSTA) and the Wellspan Health System. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/jlncriticalconversations/message

On this episode, we talk with National Fire Academy branch chief Christine Spangler about changes to the Executive Fire Officer Program, remaining challenges and the program's exciting future. Listen on Apple Podcasts.

On this episode of The USFA Podcast, we talk with Steve Kerber about ongoing research benefiting the fire service and the public at the Fire Safety Research Institute. Listen on Apple Podcasts.

On this episode of The USFA Podcast, we talk with Bill Troup about how U.S. Fire Administration research programs are supporting firefighter health and safety and fire mitigation. Listen on Apple Podcasts.

On this episode of The USFA Podcast, we talk with Dr. James Augustine about some of the COVID-19 challenges that the fire and EMS continue to deal with. Listen on Apple Podcasts.

On this episode of The USFA Podcast, staff from the U.S. Fire Administration discuss the wildland urban interface and how USFA partnerships help structural firefighters prepare for wildland fires. Listen on Apple Podcasts.

In this episode, Matt talks to former Ohio State Fire Marshal Bob Rielage. They speak about his service in Vietnam as an Air Force Intelligence Officer, fire service leadership, and transitioning from the military to civilian fire service. Chief Rielage has been a chief officer in several departments with over 30 years of experience. He is a graduate of the Kennedy School's Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government at Harvard University. He also holds a master's degree in public administration from Norwich University and is a past president of the Institution of Fire Engineers – USA Branch. He has worked with national-level organizations, such as FEMA, the USFA, and the National Fire Academy, and has served as a committee member for NFPA 1250 and NFPA 1201. For his service to the state of Ohio, Chief Rielage received the Ohio Fire Service Distinguished Service Award in 2019.

This episode of The USFA Podcast features Superintendent Eriks Gabliks discussing diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, and getting National Fire Academy training closer to fire/EMS stakeholders. Fire Administrator Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell also provides an update on new initiatives at the U.S. Fire Administration. Listen on Apple Podcasts.

This week on Louisiana Prep Weekly Cade Todd and Jimmy continued their conversation with LHSAA Executive Director Eddie Bonine. They also welcomed Kristi Moore who serves as the UIC for the City of Laurel Mississippi as well as the Mississippi UIC for USFA. Segment #1: LHSAA Executive Director Eddie Bonine on the upcoming vote for […] The post Louisiana Prep Weekly 4-19-22 | LHSAA Executive Director Eddie Bonine: PART 2; Kristi Moore appeared first on 1045 ESPN.

This week we have Greg, Tommy C., and friendly new(almost Canadian) face Zach Biles! **Sponsors** Sonar.Software Towercoverage.com **/Sponsors** This week we talk about: Getting better at git using git in your environment batfish SuzieQ Arista ZTP blogpost Mikrotik 100Gb switch CRS504-4XQ-IN Mikrotik 7.2 stable release CRS326 port extender mode; if extended switch gets a loop(More)…

In this episode we spoke with Chief Tonya Hoover, Deputy U.S. Fire Administrator with the United States Fire Administration. We discussed Chief Hoover's background, what drew her to a fire service career, mentors and people that have shaped her career, adoption of requirements for residential fire sprinklers in California, the National Fire Academy and the curriculum, community risk reduction, and the future. National Fire Academy: https://www.usfa.fema.gov/training/nfa/ USFA Social Media Tool Kits: https://www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/outreach/media/social_toolkits/

This episode of The USFA Podcast features a discussion with the National Fire Academy's Mike Weller on community risk reduction. We also check in with the USFA's Mike Pritchard on the Fire Is Everyone's Fight initiative. Listen on Apple Podcasts.

In this episode of the talk show, Marlon Gordon and Amanda Venezia sat down and had a conversation with Lora Gilbert, the Senior Director of Food and Nutrition Services at Orange County Public Schools about what it was like to be a founding member of the USFA as well as what her district is doing to better their community. https://urbanschoolfoodalliance.org/

This episode of The USFA Podcast features Marion Long discussing the value of the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) to the fire service. Join us as we discuss 1 of USFA's 4 stars, data collection. Listen on Apple Podcasts.

In this episode of the Side Alpha Podcast, Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell shares her experience as the newest U.S. fire administrator, a position she began in October 2021 following her time with the International Public Safety Data Institute. Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell addresses several topics: Two major fatality incidents in the past several weeks; How past experience prepared her for the role as U.S. fire administrator; What to expect for the mission and vision of the USFA during her tenure; The role of data in the USFA and the broader fire service; The new USFA podcast; and What fire departments can continue to do to lessen the impact of COVID-19. This episode of the Side Alpha Podcast is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell, the United States Fire Administrator, sits down with host Tom Louis to discuss the future of fire service data and other exciting initiatives brewing at the USFA that will impact the American fire service.

On the first episode of The USFA Podcast, U.S. Fire Administrator Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell and Deputy U.S. Fire Administrator Tonya Hoover discuss agency programs and their vision for the future. Listen on Apple Podcasts.

This preview for The USFA Podcast's first episode features interviews with U.S. Fire Administration leadership. Listen on Apple Podcasts.

In today's quick episode we talk about the probability of a home fire due to cooking your amazing Thanksgiving feast.  Have a quick listen to our stats from the USFA on Thanksgiving fires and check out our rebroadcast of Close Your Doors with Captian Cole Wieland with the Las Vegas Fire and Rescue to learn about fire safety and getting a plan in place.  Help prevent Thanksgiving home fires non-preppers.  See you next time and Happy Thanksgiving, we are thankful for you our listeners.  

There is plenty of speculation regarding the Steelers Week 1 roster and if all of the 2021 roster is currently affiliated with the team. There are veteran EDGE rushers that could be signed for depth and an intriguing rookie that was signed as an USFA that is older than most. Join BTSC’s Matt Peverell for his solo show as he examines the ins-and-outs of the Steelers dollars and “sense” situation when it comes to personnel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fire Chief Marc Bashoor breaks down the U.S. Fire Administration report summarizing the fire service line-of-duty deaths (LODDs) in 2019, spotlighting the decrease in death totals, highlighting commons causes and reinforcing the push to "Get Below 50" LODDs in a single year.

Chief Tonya Hoover is the Deputy Fire Administrator at the U.S. Fire Administration. As the senior career federal fire official, she is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the USFA which includes the annual training of over 100,000 first responders. Chief Hoover joins Fireman Dan for a candid conversation about her career, and specifically how the National Fire Academy and firefighting training has had to pivot during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Back in January 2000 EMS World (then Emergency Medical Services Magazine) asked prominent industry experts to foretell the future of EMS. They obliged (find their responses here), not knowing we'd circle back 20 years later to review how they did. Supplementing that September 2020 cover story, the USFA's Rick Patrick—a contributor to that package in 2000—shares his take here on how the industry has evolved and what we all got right and wrong. Join Host Mike McCabe as he goes back to the future with Rick.Follow EMS World on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. EMS World Expo Virtual is Sept. 14–18! 

The former deputy U.S. fire administrator speaks to the mission of the U.S. Fire Administration, and discusses mentorship and the National Fire Academy

FMBA Nation host Bill Brower sat down with Dr. Denis Onieal, the US Deputy Fire Administrator to talk about the United State Fire Administration, the United States Fire Academy, The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, and his upcoming retirement. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In this episode, we talk with Zoltan about his new project the United States Fitness Association a California 501 (c) (3) not for profit corporation. The USFA was established to further develop the sport of fitness for the average athlete and to make competing accessible, enjoyable, and rewarding. Find out more at: https://myusfa.org/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/almost-daily-show/message

Interview with John Pengelly Find a Dual spearfishing world record holder John Pengelly joins us and shares the tales of these two special fish taken from the waters of French Polysnesia. On his second day in the Austral Islands John took the opportunity to shoot a 137 lb or 62.6 kg Wahoo that beat out the former record by more than 12lbs. As if the Wahoo wasn't enough John went out again and shot a 240 lb or 109 kg Dogtooth Tuna smashing the former 91kg, 200.4 lb model taken by former guest on the show in Indonesia.  This interview is packed full of practical information and ideas to improve your spearfishing. Listen in! Key takeaways for me from this interview Opportunity (good and bad) comes when you least expect it Body positioning for pelagics + shot placement is crucial (listen for further detail) Stay calm in tough situations by doing the best you can with what you've got + keep a good first aid kit Taking a world record. Using certified scales and taking the second shot with a speargun you loaded yourself Prepare your gear a week in advance of a big trip   As if this bloke wasn't cool enough with two impressive world record fish he then had to go and get himself a girlfriend that loves spearfishing as well (I'm glad she gave him some encouragement to come on the show:)Thanks for giving him a push Hilary! Down to earth, relaxed and insightful. That was my impression of John after an hour chatting with him on this interview. Listen in for some awesome tips and insights from John Pengelly! Episode Time Stamps 5:00 How John started spearfishing 7:00 First memorable fish and learning how to start regularly spearfishing Coral Trout. We have a good discussion about learning early hunting techniques 11:00 French Polynesia - a trip straight off the back of an (unsuccessful) trip to Norfolk Island. John was working at Ocean Hunter in New Zealand at the time when he was given the opportunity to head over and hunt with well regarded spearfishing Gerard Grave aka "G" in the Austral Islands G's French Polynesian backyard. This is one hell of a story about one hell of a trip. Two very special fish taken over several days. 38:00 What were your major struggles when you started spearfishing? Inadequate information Freediving and pushing breath-hold with mates What helped with your spearfishing? Freedive pool training, USFA safety video (link below), mentors and experienced spearos 41:00 What are your current spearfishing challenges? 45:00 What is your favorite spearfishing hunting technique and how do you apply it effectively? Be relaxed and keep your body language calm. Slow movements Take in your surroundings and get out of the 'seek and destroy' mentality Learn fish body language. Watch and observe before pulling the trigger Coral Trout - approach them from the top in free fall. Especially for the cagey big ones! Adopt the attitude that going home empty handed is ok 50:00 What has been your toughest situation in the ocean? (we get 3!) A mate blacking out in Johns early days and timely rescue John's been attacked by a Bull Shark off Lamont Reef A mate falling 7 meters from a rock and landed on his head 66:00 Veterans Vault - Understanding the Oceans Cycles Don't believe everything you hear Keep a Dive Log Develop your own forecasting methods Learn to enjoy the whole spearfishing process 75:00 Whats the funniest moment you've had out spearfishing? 79:00 What is in your spearfishing divebag? 82:00 Spearo Q&A What is the single best piece of advice you've been given spearfishing? Who has been the most influential person in your spearfishing? During your 11 years spearfishing what is the biggest lesson you've learned? What does the spearfishing experience mean to you in one sentence? Who is the best person to go spearfishing with and why? Mentioned in the show Spearfishing guide Brett Vercoe - Liquid Focus Weatherwatch APP Westpac Rescue Helicopter Air Sea Rescue men and women everywhere RACQ Rescue Helicopter RACQ Life Flight As mentioned our Kickstarter campaign is live and more than 50% funded! Noob Spearo Partners + some spearfishing discounts . Use the code NOOBSPEARO save $20 on every purchase over $200 at checkout. Huge savings with their EASTER SALE! Get DOUBLE savings with our CODE and the EASTER SALE . Listen to 99 Tips to Get Better at Spearfishing or James Nestors ‘Deep: Freediving, Renegade Science, and what the ocean tells us about ourselves’ free  . Subscribe to the best spearfishing magazine in the world . Use the code noobspearo to save $20 on the full Penetrator Spearfishing Fin Range . Check out the latest in spearfishing fin technology Use the code noobspearo to save 20% Sign up for ‘The Floater’ – Shrek and Turbo’s email newsletter  Exclusive spearfishing equipment deals The latest blog posts and interviews delivered to your inbox 10 Tips To Become A Better Spearo PDF Access to our Private Facebook group  

Back in the day, coaches received training at was then called Coaches' College. Begun in the late 80s by the United States Fencing Association, its purpose was to create an opportunity for professional development for fencing coaches. When the cold war ended, the USFA brought Soviet bloc coaches over in 1990 to lead the program with Jack Keene serving as the main organizer. Alex Beguinet and Vinnie Bradford took up the reins in 1993. Vinnie helped organize it for 10 years, Alex for 20. The USFA decided to cancel the Coaches' College in 2003. The United States Fencing Coaches Association (USFCA) started the Coaches' Academy last year to fill the professional development void. Only 8 coaches attended but the spark was created. The Academy this year, organized by Gary Vanderwege, had triple the number of participants. It featured a Moniteur level session from July 30-Aug 3, and an advanced (Prevot and Master) level session from Aug 2-6. The USFCA Annual General meeting was held Aug 3 and several special awards were given out. The main purpose of the Coaches' Academy was to prepare coaches for their certification exams, with most sessions being led by fencing Masters like Peter Burchard, Gary Vanderwege, Paul Sise, Vinnie Bradford, and Jen Oldham. Ariana Klinkov and David Sierra also were on hand to help guide participants. In addition there were sessions such as sport psychology, the business side of being a fencing coach, armory sessions led by Michael Mergens, referee seminars, yoga, watching Dan Kellner give Sam Moelis a high-level Foil lesson, a roundtable discussion about coach vs referee ethics, among others. All in all the Coaches' Academy appears to be getting off to a strong start, as evidenced by the comments from the participants. Listen now to their input about what they experienced at Keystone College in Pennsylvania in early August.

Michael "Mergs" Mergens, is a USFA certified Armorer, Coach and Referee with over 35 years of experience in the sport of Fencing. He regularly works as the Head Armorer and Team Armorer for many of the USA Fencing National and International events. He is the owner of the online Armorer’s Store (http://www.thearmorersstore.com) and is the author of the well-known book called The Care and Feeding of all Things Fencing. Mergs graduated from Texas A&M in 1977 with an engineering degree and belonged to the Corps of Cadets and Parson’s Mounted Calvary. He went on to serve in the US Army and was stationed in Bosnia and Iraq. He also was a part of many projects for NASA, including the creation of a trash compactor for the Space Station. This is one smart man!! Listen now to the interview I did with him in the cafeteria of Keystone College in Pennsylvania where we were both attending the Coaches’ Academy.

Episode 50! Interview with Peter Saunders In this chat with Peter Saunders we talk about issues relevant to every spearo such as; The broad threats to spearfishing and how spearo’s can make a difference What representative bodies such as the USFA and AUF in Australia do for spearfishing Easy actions everyone can take to improve our …

Monday, March 16th 2015  The US Flowboarding Association  will be going on-air LIVE Tonight at 8:00pm EST on the Kevin Sutton Show to talk about all things Flowboarding - the good, the bad and the ugly; discuss an update on the FlowRail project and make some exciting announcements for 2015  

Monday, March 16th 2015  The US Flowboarding Association  will be going on-air LIVE Tonight at 8:00pm EST on the 

In this episode, Grants Office CEO Michael Paddock will be discussing the US Fire Administration's Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER Grants), helping local fire departments address their staffing and deployment needs.

In the final episode of our Winter Safety Series, we focus on the heightened dangers of fires caused by smoking materials.  Learn more about this topic at NFPA’s  Winter Safety Series webpages.

The effects of winter weather, like snow and freezing cold temperatures, can easily lead to an increased risk of fire or injury in your home.  Learn how to stay safe in this episode of our Winter Safety series.

Often called the "silent killer" carbon monoxide is a frequent problem in the cold winter months when people are using stoves or portable generators to heat or power their homes.  In this episode of our Winter Safety series, we get the lowdown on avoiding CO poisoning.

In the fourth episode of our Winter Safety series, Glenn Gaines from the USFA and NFPA's Lorraine Carli talk about how to stay safe when heating your home this winter.

In the third episode of our Winter Safety series, Glenn Gaines from the USFA and NFPA's Lorraine Carli gives us some sobering statistics about how dangerous lit candles can be at this time of year.  

In this episode of our Winter Safety series, Glenn Gaines from the USFA and NFPA's Judy Comoletti talk about safety precautions you can take when decorating your home for the holidays.

In the first episode of our Winter Safety series, we talk with USFA's acting fire administrator Glenn Gaines and NFPA's Public Education Division manager Judy Comoletti about staying safe while cooking.

LOVE TO LOVE BRADY, GREY CUP, PETE NEWELL, WAKAMATSU, MCNABB, PACMAN, 'SKINS FANS

CHARLIE CHEESEBURGER; DON HASKINS, USC-OSU, ND-UM, USFA , NFL WEEK 1. SPECIAL GUEST:AARON MATTHEWS

Josh and Danny discuss the screamers, yellers, and bellowers of the piste. The article reviewed is from American Fencing Magazine. They discuss a letter to the editor from the winter 2006 issue.If you don't have the magazine, check out the USFA. They don't have winter on their website yet, but if you become a USFA member, you can request one.Let us know what you think after you listen, and post a comment. (look for the comment link below)Enjoy!