The Volly House Podcast (@vollyhousepodcast)

Are we doing enough with the mental health of first responders? How do we spot signs that somebody is going through a rough time? Do we know what resources are available to us when we're not feeling ok? Check out our discussion about this crisis on episode 91 - available now on YouTube & Spotify.

You shouldn't be relying on your thermal imaging camera while operating. It's a great tool to use, but it should be secondary to your senses. If it fails while you're using it, and you haven't been paying attention to your surroundings, you can find yourself in deep trouble.

A fire hook has many uses. How often are we using it to its full potential, or even applying it with other tactics?

Collapse situations are one of the leading causes of firefighter maydays. Even when looking for signs, you may not see them right away. Using tools that are available to you can help prevent potential incidents.

The gear firefighters wear today gives us much better protection. However, it makes it harder for us to feel dangerous heat. This is why understanding smoke/fire behavior, and using tools are important.

Are we using the water can properly? A recent report showed that firefighters aren't using the can enough. When using it during search operations, it has an incredible ability to knock back flames and cool down the environment. With better water application, potential victims have a much better chance of survival.

Learning how to read smoke is a great mental tool to have. Turbulent, dense, dark colored smoke could be an indication that it's about to flash. When you understand these patterns, it can help you decide the next best move.

Kevin gets frustrated during a game of blind ranking fire tools. Yes, we do talk about other important things as well. Episode 90 out tomorrow!

We need to invest more in the fire service. The best tool we have on the fireground is our brain. When we're properly trained, we're less likely to make mistakes. Politicians need to understand that cutting funds to the fire department has a major impact on training.

What do you do when your neighboring department continues to send exterior firefighters to mutual aid requests? The best option is to talk with them and create a standard for response. If that doesn't change things, you can absolutely look elsewhere for mutual aid.

What would you do if you pulled up to a fire scene and there was a random fire department there? There have been a few instances around the country where groups of people are creating their own unauthorized fire departments, and showing up to calls.

There's a lot of good going on in the volunteer fire service. Recent fires on Long Island have resulted in multiple rescues which is credited to the constant training we do. Don't let the negativity shadow all the great things we do everyday for our communities.

Should we be doing more "one man" drills? Given the circumstances, we may sometimes be shorthanded. Things like raising a ladder, rope knots, SCBA maneuvers, etc. are all things we can drill on by ourselves or with a small crew. If we learn this way, we can get a lot more done when we have a light crew.

Can you imagine traveling SEVENTY miles to a RIT/FAST mutual aid?? In some areas across the country that's a reality. Episode 89 out tomorrow!

Martin discusses the reason behind the buyer protection program on Garage was due to him getting scammed for a leather helmet. It's unfortunate, but those types of people are out there.

People don't understand what it takes to run a fire department. The fact that most departments have to raise their own funds just to protect the community they serve is a shocking reality that nobody really thinks about.

If you're spending a million dollars of taxpayer money for a fire truck, you'd better go through every inch of that truck to make sure it's worth every penny.

Martin explains that the appraisal tool on Garage is used to help find market value. There's a misconception that the price of used apparatus is final. Both buyers and sellers can work out what's best for them, and there have been cases where rigs have either been donated or discounted for a buyer.

Fire departments have been finding creative ways to save money and budget properly. Instead of purchasing new apparatus, some have been buying used so they can allocate additional funds to other resources. Episode 88 is now live!

A volunteer fire department on the brink of closing found a way to get funding, recruit new members, and stay open. Listen to the full story on episode 88 out tomorrow!

Fire Department's need to start using their social media to their advantage. Your posts aren't reaching the people you think they are. If you're looking for a class on how to improve your recruiting or fundraising efforts with social media, you can submit a form to our website www.vollyhousepodcast.com!

Can you tell a buildings construction type just by looking at it? We discuss the importance of taking additional classes to better educate yourself. For example, in the event of a balloon type building, you might see fire on the second floor, but it could have started in the basement. All things we need to consider when showing up to jobs.

The idea of putting water on fire is to create more cooling power than there is heat. We discuss why different types of water application can either improve or worsen fire conditions.

The big debate on roof ops. When looking at structural integrity of a building, sometimes it might not make sense to commit a team to the roof. Especially if the fire has already vented itself. Size-up, situational awareness, and training, should all be considered in these types of scenarios.

Should we still be smashing windows of cars parked in front of hydrants? Or can we act more professionally and figure out other ways to move the vehicle?

We're starting to see building construction types merge with each other. Something we need to be more aware of when going through our response areas. Episode 87 out tomorrow!

Maybe instead of waiting to see who runs for officer, we find the people with the right mindset. You may have a firefighter in your department who has great leadership qualities, so why not work with them to step into the position?

We should always be training on the basics, but we also need to look at some of the emergencies we've responded to in the past that have thrown curveballs at us, and train for unlikely scenarios as well.

If you don't know something, ask someone who's been in that position before. There's no sense in guessing to protect ego over damaging situations.

If we take every opportunity to practice our skills on calls, the better we'll be during scheduled training. When this happens, it will cut down on the amount of time we have to spend at drill, and will offer us the ability to work on more complex scenarios.