Comedy As a Fireground Coping Tool

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Welcome everybody.
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You're listening to ApSO21's Weekend Wrap Up Podcast.
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Here is your host, Kevin Ferrar.
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Welcome everyone to another episode of AFSO 21's Weekend Wrap Up Podcast.
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I'm your host, Kevin Ferrar.
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Folks, while pondering what topic I was going to present this week, I felt another archived episode was best.
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So this week, I'm pulling out the episode featuring Jason Patton and Brent Fetton.
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Now, some of you are probably like, well, who are these guys?
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Well, you probably know them as the Fire Department Coffee Guys.
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Jason is best known for his hilarious antics from Fire Department Chronicles, and Brent is best known for his hilarious antics, but most notably his mustache from the various social media commercials for Fire Department Coffee.
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So the three of us sat down a few years ago to talk about how comedy can be a legit coping tool for first responder mental health when the calls pile up.
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So listen as Jason and Brent discuss their experience and dedication to the fire service alongside their unique ability to maintain a compassionate sense of humor amidst tragic circumstances.
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I hope you enjoy this episode as much as the three of us had while recording it.
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We've got some amazing guests on the show today, but at the same time, we're gonna discuss some important topics that really affect the fire service.
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You've heard me talk about these before.
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We're gonna ask our guests some of the same questions and get their input on it.
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So let's get into it.
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My guests today are two individuals from Fire Department Coffee Crew, and you've likely seen them providing what a lot of us call comic relief to firefighters and emergency responders literally around the globe.
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Folks, I'm joined today by Jason Patton.
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Now, Jason is the vice president of Fire Department Coffee, but aside from producing great tasting coffee, Jason is a career firefighter, a paramedic, and as a lot of you know, he is the creator of Fire Department Chronicles.
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So Jason, using his God-given talents as a comedian, he continues to provide firefighters and emergency responders across the globe, like I said, really a means of dealing with the negatives we often encounter while we are responding or on scene of an emergency incident.
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And also joining me today is Brent Fenton.
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Now, you're probably thinking, who is Brent Fenton?
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Well, most of you know him by Firefighter Fenton, the hilarious Boston firefighter who sports and don't deny it, the sexy but masculine red mustache.
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So Brent is also a firefighter and a paramedic, and he just like Jason shares with his fans and firefighters and emergency responders across the globe a different type of comedy, a different type of way of thinking than what Jason does, but that you know many of us can relate to, especially when we're operating over there in Jobtown.
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So, with that, folks, get ready.
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Let's welcome our two amazing guests, Jason Patton and Brent Fetton.
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Hey guys, thanks for coming to the weekend wrap-up.
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We appreciate you being on the show.
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If you guys could just go ahead and introduce yourselves to the audience.
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Whoever wants to be.
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Hi, I'm Firefighter Fenton.
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Nice to meet you guys.
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I'm missing my mustache today now.
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I'm I'm Jason Patton and I'm in my car.
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People are probably confused right now.
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They're like, wait, wait, are they?
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Like they've been playing as well.
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Yeah.
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I'm Jason from Fire Department Chronicles.
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I make funny videos down in Florida.
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That's who I am.
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And my name is Brent.
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I'm Firefighter Fenton, and I also make funny videos, and I'm in Arizona in my car.
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Awesome.
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Awesome.
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Well, again, thanks, thanks for coming on the show.
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Thanks for uh taking time out of your day to be on the podcast.
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As you know, Fire Department Coffee is one of our sponsors.
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I don't have my cup here, it's downstairs.
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I'm I'm dropping the ball on that.
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But uh yeah, I know you need to uh correct that.
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Fire department coffee was one of your sponsors.
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Wow, come on, bro.
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All right, we'll we'll edit that out.
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Well yeah, funny.
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I got a Jag and then we got a CERN.
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Come on.
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Wow, okay, my bad.
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Sorry.
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So take two.
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Now you know, just just some well, you know, we'll start off with a couple, you know, somewhat serious questions on here.
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And Jason, you know, for for you, um, you know, on the fire department coffee website, it's mentioned in you know, in some news and in your bio and everything that you, you know, you you started making videos as an outlet for the stress that you endured being a firefighter.
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Um you and I know, Brett, you know, we we all know being a firefighter is is immensely stressful, you know, whether we're firefighters, paramedics, or anything like that.
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At the end of the day, you know, most of us were we don't have the opportunity to make funny videos like you guys do.
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You know, there's some comics in a firehouse and stuff like that, but but what should you know what words of advice to do you guys have for individuals to I guess handle stress a little bit more, you know, both on and off the job?
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Yeah.
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Well, I mean, personally, I think a well-balanced life is the way to do it, man.
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You know, you you gotta have your outlets in multiple ways.
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Comedy is is a huge one.
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We know dark humor.
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Like you said, there's comedics in the fire station all the time.
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So you got somebody making a joke, which that's that's I think it's multiple things.
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I think if you put multiple of the same personalities, whether they're males or females with all the same type of personality, you put us all together, someone's gonna be making a joke or something like that.
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But just having a well-balanced life, man, understanding that you're a first responder, right?
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You're a firefighter, and that's who you are, a police officer or EMT or paramedic, whatever you are, dispatchers, but that's not your full identity.
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So I think a lot of people when they get off, that's all they like that I'm a firefighter all the time.
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Like, dude, get off, go you're a golfer as well, or you're a dad, go have fun with them, you know, go go do stuff.
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You mean don't murder people at night or anything like that.
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That's weird.
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But you know, it's like have a balanced life.
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That's that's the best thing I can say.
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Yeah, I and I I I just echo that.
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That's that's exactly what I tell people is is knowing your identity, knowing that it don't wrap up your full identity in, you know, just the fact that you're a firefighter, but you're so many other things.
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You're you know, husbands, fathers, friends, sons, daughters, and and all the other things have hobbies, have and really coping mechanisms, you know.
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For me, again, like comedy is a big outlet for me.
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It's it's my art form, if you will.
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And I think Jason would agree with that.
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And and you know, I I I have my faith.
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And so there's a lot of there's a lot of things that that uh you can lean into and surrounding yourself with good people, and just all those things, I think definitely help to just have uh an outlet.
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Yeah.
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Cool, cool.
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So for you, Fenton, you know, it's some of some have said, you know, because of your your your bossed and accent, I can't do it.
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You know, you sound a little bit like Ben Affleck in the movie Goodwill Hunting.
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And you know, Ben's been in a lot of roles.
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He's he's done a lot of roles.
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Most recently we saw him as the Dark Knight Batman.
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So if Hollywood were to call you up today and say, hey, we want you to play a role of a superhero, who would it be and why?
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Oh my goodness, on the spot.
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Like, are we making an are we making a new superhero or is a new superhero?
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Your choice.
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Your choice.
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I think the new superhero, I would be firefighter Fenton, and I would just be absolutely just cynical and salty about everything going on around me.
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What kind of superpower is that?
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Cynical man.
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It's just, you know, it's you know, people, you I yeah, I didn't think that answered through too well.
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I don't really know what kind of superpower that is.
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Yeah, like, oh my gosh, please save, you know.
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I was told somebody's somebody's robbing the bank or whatever.
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Like, yeah, well, that's your problem, not mine.
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They must them they must need money now.
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I was hoping you were about to say Hollywood calls and needs you to play Ben Affleck.
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Are you gonna do it?
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I'll be like, that would be amazing to see that ginger dude playing Ben Affleck.
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I'm not bad.
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Wow, I bet I have the accent.
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Batman.
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More on the dark night.
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That's a hard, you know, that's that's that's a hard question to answer, though.
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Like, what's what superpower?
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Would you have like a new superpower?
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Best thing I ever heard was um, I was out the other night or up in Chicago, we were trying our uh new ready to drink that we're coming out with fire farmer coffee, and we're all sitting down eating dinner, and this this husband and wife are with us, uh Glenn and his wife, man, they're amazing, they've been together for like 30 years.
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But every time he tells a story, she's like, That's not true, and like comes in and interjects something.
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And he's like, after like six hours of this, he's like, you know what?
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If you had a superpower, you would be addendum because that's all you do.
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You just you just addendum into every story that I have.
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Addendum! That's the greatest thing I've ever heard.
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Oh gosh.
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See, folks, I I told you this podcast is gonna go go awesome.
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So so you know, you talked about, you know, Jason, you you briefly mentioned there real quick, you know, you got uh a new drink coming out.
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So, you know, you walk into any firehouse, you're gonna see firefighters drinking coffee.
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Hopefully, it's fire department coffee.
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Yeah, you know, they sit around the table, they're out in a truck bays, they're they're they're they're you know doing whatever they do out there.
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Yeah.
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Do you think more firefighters?
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Now you're probably a little biased here.
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Do you think more firefighters should be drinking more coffee?
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And if so, why?
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And then there's a follow-up to that.
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Oh, great.
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Um, and if they were, what superpower would they get?
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So uh I think that the an appropriate amount of caffeine is the best way to go, even though I own a coffee company.
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I don't want to see, you know, I don't want to see people screw themselves up by drinking too much coffee.
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Like again, coffee, just like anything else, is a part of a well-balanced diet.
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You know, I like a couple cups in the morning, you know, a couple cups in the morning.
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And if I had a rough night, I may need, you know, a few more, then whatever.
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But we all know what happens when you drink too much.
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It's that feeling where you're like shot out and you drink two cups of coffee, and you just feel your brain like, ah, but your whole body's like, I'm not doing anything else.
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And in fact, we're gonna have a heart attack right now.
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So uh I think you should drink the whatever is an appropriate amount, two, two cups, three cups a day, that kind of thing.
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But don't be out there mainlining the stuff, you know.
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Got it.
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So the the follow-up to that is in your opinion, what are your two favorite uh uh flavors?
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Flavors.
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Medium roast is actually my number one, it's our biggest seller.
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I love it, it's just got a good flavor to it, it's not bitter, like the stronger you make it, the better kind of thing.
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But uh, dude, I gotta tell you, man, I I love our spirit infused line and our vanilla bean bourbon has been my absolute favorite up to this point, dude.
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It's it's that it's actually tied between that and Irish whiskey, but I like am a huge whiskey fan.
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So um, but yeah, I I those are my probably my top ones right there.
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Cool, cool.
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What about you, Fenton?
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What what what are your favorite flavors?
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Yeah, the medium roast for sure.
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That's that's the the one that you see the most in our house.
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The vanilla bean bourbon is that is very, very good.
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And we like the uh the donut shop.
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A lot of people that that don't try uh haven't tried the donut shop, it's awesome.
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The the blend the blends is amazing, and what it does with that donut shop is it really brings out a lot of sweetness.
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A lot of the the coffee type that we're using for that brings out the sweetness in the coffee itself, man, and it's really, really, really good.
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Cool, cool.
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All right, question for you, Fenton.
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Um in 2019, you were interviewed by Jim Cross from KTAR News about wildland firefighters, and you stated, and I quote, we're going to risk a lot to save a lot, but we're not going to risk anything to save what's already lost.
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And we've heard that similar statements throughout the fire service, you know, across the country, but yet we continue to see and hear firefighters injured or losing their lives unnecessarily.
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Why do you think, and Jason, you can chime in on this as well, you know, why do you guys think you know, firefighters continue to be injured or you know, unnecessarily, you know, they're they're losing their life, putting themselves at undue risk, you know, you know, why why do you think that's that's a trend that's still ongoing?
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You know, yeah, like you said, it's like for for us, especially in the valley, that's that's the number one thing.
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That's our risk management profile.
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Risk a lot to save a lot, risk a lot to save a savable life, risk a little save savable property, and we won't risk anything to save what's already lost.
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You know, I can't really speak to the line of duty deaths that happen.
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I I know that there's a number of things that can that can attribute to that.
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It can be a lack of training.
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I I often say that we just work in the field of, you know, stuff happens and it happens.
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I mean, there's things that we can't, there's things that we can't control.
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So, you know, I think things happen, you know, and there is an element of, you know, we're all human and we make mistakes, and sometimes, you know, you we pick a bit the worst day to have a bad day and you make that mistake, and that could be the the one that that ends it all, and you make that ultimate sacrifice.
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So, you know, uh there's a lot of factors I think that play into that, why we why we still see line of duty deaths, you know, we're all type A personalities, we want to get in there and get after it.
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We everybody wants to make the save, make the grab.
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And, you know, we're we're more willing to put ourselves in harm's way because ultimately what we want to do is we want to, we want to, we know we're all about life safety.
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And so, you know, it's I think it's one of those things that it is a nature of the business, unfortunately.
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You know, we we definitely want to see those numbers come down.
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I I know on the West Coast where we are very different in just our approach to structured fires in general, just from guys that I've talked to back east and just just all kind of all around the country, firefighting it at its core is the same job, but there is a lot of different things.
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And so we the big thing that we do out on the west side is we take a look at the buildings from the outside and try to get as much information based on what the smoke and the fire and everything is showing us to decide one, is that even a survivable environment that we're gonna go into?
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And to make that decision of whether or not it's it's an option to go inside.
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We would rather figure that out from the outside than go in, take two steps in the building, figure out we shouldn't be in here, and it flashes, the ceiling comes down.
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You know, there's a number of things that go in there.
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Yeah.
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No, I do exactly what he said.
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Here are the facts.
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We we work in a high-risk business, right?
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And it doesn't matter how much training we do, we can minimize it, but but you know, uh unforeseen events, you know, rapidly changing environments.
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I mean, those are all things that we've that we've trained for or attempted to train for, so on and so forth.
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But the fact is that this is what we do for a living.
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It is high risk.
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Unnecessary death is 100%, like you said, you know, if you walk in and and the uh structure is fully involved, pretty low, pretty low possibility that anyone's gonna be alive in that.
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But the issue is that we always work on the 2%, right?
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We always work on the side of 2% survivability, you know, that kind of thing, or that there is a possibility that the person's alive.
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And I have personally pulled up to a apartment that was completely fully involved, blowing fire out of every window.
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And there were reports that babies were that there was children inside.
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We did a really strong attack, should have been defensive, but we went offensive, went in and found a one month old under a pillow or under a door inside of a pillow, and the baby was alive.
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So, and if we would have done defensive, there's no way that baby would have survived.
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So, you know, it takes training, it takes a lot of training, is the number one thing, lowering machismo, getting people to cognitively understand what they're getting into, how you know, again, are they going in, not understanding proper egress?
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Are they getting too excited, not understanding where they are in the building, you know, stuff like that.
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So, but again, you can train all day long.
00:18:32.060 --> 00:18:35.820
Inevitability, we're in a high-risk business, someone's gonna die, you know?
00:18:35.980 --> 00:18:36.380
Yep.
00:18:37.100 --> 00:18:52.220
So it's it's it's a little coincidental that you know you you guys you guys bring up, you know, about scene size up, looking at things from the outside, because because NFPA recently came out with 1700 with the online training talking about fire dynamics and everything.
00:18:52.539 --> 00:18:56.380
Do you think the fire service, you know, have you seen well?
00:18:56.460 --> 00:18:57.180
Let me ask you this.
00:18:57.259 --> 00:19:02.380
What what do you guys do in your respective departments in terms of the scene size up?
00:19:02.460 --> 00:19:16.460
Because, you know, throughout my career, I've seen you know, the the blinders are put on, you know, firefighters see that fire, they see that doorway, they think, oh, we got to get in there, and they're not seeing the signs that indicate, hey, this isn't safe to go into.
00:19:16.620 --> 00:19:26.460
So, what do you guys do in your respective departments to educate, make sure people are doing the situational awareness, the constant scene size up?
00:19:26.620 --> 00:19:30.620
I mean, we have a battalion, you know, battalion chief that arrives on scene along with the captain.
00:19:30.860 --> 00:19:32.620
Captain normally does a 360.
00:19:32.779 --> 00:19:37.900
I can normally see two to three sides as he pulls up, then he does a full 360 before he even lets his crew go inside.
00:19:37.980 --> 00:19:40.060
I mean, we got to make sure there's nothing ridiculous going on.
00:19:40.220 --> 00:19:46.220
But what I have actually appreciated about our battalion chiefs over the last five years, they've changed their the way that they approach things.
00:19:46.460 --> 00:20:03.259
99% of the time, and I don't know what is another or the way it was before was we roll on scene when the battalion chief came on, took over, took over the command, they would be almost at the front door calling, uh calling commands or whatever, calling for FPL and asking for updates and stuff like that.
00:20:03.500 --> 00:20:04.460
They stopped doing that.
00:20:04.620 --> 00:20:07.420
Now they pull up, they're nowhere near the scene.
00:20:07.740 --> 00:20:23.100
They're they got a full uh best view they can get, and they sit at the back of the vehicle and they have their accountability board, they call for things, get their benchmarks and everything, but they're never involved with the scene, which I actually really appreciate because it allows them to stay back.
00:20:23.340 --> 00:20:35.660
In fact, I've had I've had battalion chiefs that stay inside of the vehicles the entire time and watch, and they don't have any outside stuff that's affecting their ability to judge whether or not they can, you know, because they're watching for structural integrity, stuff like that.
00:20:35.740 --> 00:20:38.620
Plus, you have a safety person walking around as well.
00:20:39.500 --> 00:20:40.299
Oh, right.
00:20:40.779 --> 00:20:51.100
Yeah, and and out here in the valley, it it's like what Jason said, we we always try to make it a point to see at a minimum two, but we try to get three sides of the building on on arrival.
00:20:51.180 --> 00:20:52.700
You're always doing a 360.
00:20:52.940 --> 00:20:55.259
The first dude company establishes command.
00:20:55.500 --> 00:20:58.860
Again, you're you know, you're looking for all the the sign, the standard signs that we're looking for.
00:20:59.019 --> 00:21:02.620
But like you said, we also we have a fairly robust system out here.
00:21:02.700 --> 00:21:08.539
We've got, you know, the battalion chiefs show up, they they park at a centralized location where they can see the scene.
00:21:08.620 --> 00:21:10.380
They also there it's a two-man rig.
00:21:10.460 --> 00:21:16.860
I don't know if most departments do that, but it's uh there's also so it's a battalion chief, and then it's a fit or an ISO on there.
00:21:17.580 --> 00:21:22.380
It's a field incident technician, but basically he's the uh incident safety officer of the scene.
00:21:22.460 --> 00:21:29.180
So he'll be out doing a 360 while cruiser interior fighting, reporting back to the battalion chief.
00:21:29.340 --> 00:21:31.500
Obviously, sectorization is a big thing.
00:21:31.660 --> 00:21:34.620
And then they also have tactical worksheets that they fill out.
00:21:34.700 --> 00:21:38.700
So they're they know they're actually writing down, they're drawing a picture of the scene.
00:21:38.779 --> 00:21:42.860
They know who's in staging, they know who's assigned where, they have their accountability records out.
00:21:43.019 --> 00:21:50.620
And so that's really the way that that's kind of how we attack scene size up and just kind of handling a fire scene.
00:21:50.860 --> 00:21:57.420
But I also think a lot of scene size up that people forget comes from, you know, pre-planning and understanding the buildings that you're going in.
00:21:57.980 --> 00:22:08.940
Obviously, large buildings, we all know, you know, you're going in there doing your basic pre-planning, making sure you understand what's going on in the buildings, locations of uh, you know, any big fire hazards or fire loads or stuff like that.
00:22:09.019 --> 00:22:11.900
But you know, fire inspectors, huge for them.
00:22:12.140 --> 00:22:19.259
We had a fire inspector that was that would go around when people were starting to do like certain constructions, or they would just go into buildings and see how things are going.
00:22:19.420 --> 00:22:21.740
They go into one and they're like, they had to send out this big email.
00:22:21.900 --> 00:22:25.259
Do not go into you know XXX Fourth Street.
00:22:25.420 --> 00:22:28.940
When you go in the second story, they had burrowed out a hole.
00:22:29.500 --> 00:22:31.100
So uh because they were working on stuff.
00:22:31.180 --> 00:22:34.299
So if you walked in there, you're going down to the first floor.
00:22:34.460 --> 00:22:41.980
So, like these are things that that are really important because let me tell you, I don't know about you guys, but if I go in and my partner disappears, I'm like, what the heck happened?
00:22:42.060 --> 00:22:43.100
Let me go in after him.
00:22:43.259 --> 00:22:44.779
Now we're both on the first floor.
00:22:44.940 --> 00:22:48.299
Hopefully, you know, he breaks my fault because I can't get injured.
00:22:48.460 --> 00:22:59.340
So you guys, I mean, you guys have the luxury, I think, you know, being in a in a career department, a paid department to where you have fire inspectors, you know.
00:22:59.420 --> 00:23:02.220
Here in Central PA, we don't necessarily have that.
00:23:02.299 --> 00:23:11.500
You know, a lot of the departments are volunteer departments and they don't have you know actual fire inspectors, and and often we don't see you know company inspections go out and do walkthroughs.
00:23:11.740 --> 00:23:17.340
Do you do you think that should, you know, I think the answer is yes, but I'd like to hear it from you.
00:23:17.420 --> 00:23:37.180
You know, how how does the volunteer service fix that, you know, if they can to where these inspections go out there and become more aware of you know incidents or you know issues like that, that that hole in the floor to where you know if they just go in blindly, next thing you know, they've got crew members down.
00:23:37.500 --> 00:23:39.180
Yeah, how do how do they fix that?
00:23:40.060 --> 00:23:43.180
I mean, look, that's a difficult question, right?
00:23:43.340 --> 00:23:45.259
Because you want to say they just need to do it.
00:23:45.340 --> 00:23:46.299
You need to volunteer your time.
00:23:46.380 --> 00:23:48.299
If that's what you do, then you volunteer and go out there.
00:23:48.460 --> 00:23:51.820
But you know, it's hard to get people to do that for free, right?
00:23:51.980 --> 00:23:57.019
Because they have nine to fives, they have other jobs, they have families they want to go spend time with.
00:23:57.259 --> 00:24:04.380
So what I would truly say is, you know, a lot most departments or a lot of volunteer departments are going to, you know, paid on call.
00:24:04.460 --> 00:24:06.460
You get paid five bucks a call or 10 bucks a call or whatever.
00:24:06.539 --> 00:24:09.980
I mean, I don't know the numbers, but that needs to happen, right?
00:24:10.060 --> 00:24:18.860
You need to tell people, like, hey, the the local businesses, you have a fire inspection every year that you're gonna get it costs you$20 to have your fire inspection.
00:24:18.940 --> 00:24:21.820
It's mandatory, and you pay that guy 20 bucks or whatever.
00:24:21.900 --> 00:24:24.860
It's$50 a year, guy pays$50, you know, and you show up.
00:24:24.940 --> 00:24:29.660
It's better for you, it's better for us, it's better for your business, it's better for the businesses around you.
00:24:29.820 --> 00:24:33.580
You make it a mandatory thing and you make it to where the businesses are paying.
00:24:33.740 --> 00:24:35.100
$50 a year.
00:24:35.259 --> 00:24:41.500
If you told a firefighter, hey man, I'm you're gonna go to these inspections, you're gonna get paid$35 per inspection.
00:24:41.580 --> 00:24:45.580
You know,$15 goes back to the department to pay for you know ancillary stuff.
00:24:45.740 --> 00:24:48.380
But dude,$35, man, how many of those can you knock out?
00:24:48.460 --> 00:24:50.299
Good things so you can knock out 10 of them a day.
00:24:50.620 --> 00:24:52.539
That's good, that's that's a good amount of money, man.
00:24:52.700 --> 00:24:55.660
People will be knocking down the doors to want to do that.
00:24:55.900 --> 00:24:56.539
Yep.
00:24:57.580 --> 00:25:03.500
Yeah, that like you said, that is that is a difficult question, especially in the volunteer sector.
00:25:03.900 --> 00:25:15.100
You know, uh it's it's if you don't have a reason to go into a building, you know, like for us, you know, if we we get assigned in firehouse, hey, we're gonna go do check out this building and go do a walkthrough.
00:25:15.180 --> 00:25:23.820
But we also have we have fire investigators, we have fire marshal, so they handle all that stuff for us, but they will sometimes ask us to go and and check on something or whatever.
00:25:23.900 --> 00:25:42.779
But that a big thing that I always tell new guys is like, hey, even when we're just out and about shopping or for any reason, anything in your own personal life, especially if you live in your do, just be looking around, checking things out, always thinking about, you know, always kind of doing a size up or a pre-plan on anywhere you go.
00:25:43.019 --> 00:25:45.740
Yeah, cool, good advice.
00:25:46.140 --> 00:25:54.140
So, one thing, you know, I I've had Billy Goldfetter on here before, and I forgot to ask him this question, and I've actually discussed it on previous episodes.
00:25:54.380 --> 00:26:02.299
When it comes to communication radios, you know, the it there's some back and forth discussion on this, a lot of debate.
00:26:02.620 --> 00:26:16.779
Should every firefighter, you know, at the minimum, those that are interior have a radio, or is it safe to just rely on one person with the with a radio when you're you know interior or even exterior?
00:26:17.019 --> 00:26:17.980
Absolutely not.
00:26:19.100 --> 00:26:27.900
No, I yeah, you for my for for me, I mean it's all the system that I've ever known is it it's not an option to have a radio.
00:26:27.980 --> 00:26:28.860
You have to have a radio.
00:26:28.940 --> 00:26:37.580
I mean, I do understand that that financially that may not always be a reality for departments, but in my opinion, I communication is key.
00:26:37.660 --> 00:26:39.500
You have to, you have to have that's your lifeline.
00:26:39.660 --> 00:26:46.140
I mean, uh, other than your own skills and abilities and your air pack, you know, that's your lifeline to help.
00:26:46.940 --> 00:26:53.340
Well, it's funny because we well, A, it's it's for you, it's for the safety of you, but it's also for the safety of the people around you, right?
00:26:53.740 --> 00:26:56.380
Our entire business is built off of redundancies.
00:26:56.620 --> 00:26:57.100
Everything.
00:26:57.259 --> 00:27:04.220
Like, you know, your your rope is is is meant for 5,000 pounds, but has the ability to withstand 25,000 pounds.
00:27:04.380 --> 00:27:05.180
Like, you know what I'm saying?
00:27:05.259 --> 00:27:12.380
Like those are the right numbers, but like that everything is built on redundancies, and especially when it comes to crew integrity and cruise safety.
00:27:12.539 --> 00:27:15.420
That's you know, that's why, at least for us, it's two in, two out, right?
00:27:15.500 --> 00:27:18.060
Like you got 10 people right to go at the door, that kind of thing.
00:27:18.220 --> 00:27:19.500
So, yeah, I get it, man.
00:27:19.660 --> 00:27:37.180
You know, financially, you you work with what you got, but if it's an option, like you should absolutely because, dude, if if your bunny goes down, you it's gonna be really awkward for you to be trying to get over his body to find his radio and key up, you know, and put yourself in a worse situation, that kind of thing.
00:27:37.259 --> 00:27:39.580
So, yeah, I don't think it should be an option.
00:27:39.820 --> 00:27:40.140
Cool.
00:27:40.299 --> 00:27:42.620
Yeah, all right, guys.
00:27:42.700 --> 00:27:57.660
Some of the some of the listeners, you know, they they're they're asking, we've got yourselves on the show, you know, as as as you know, comedians and you know, with with you know fire department chronicles and on fire department coffee.
00:27:58.140 --> 00:28:01.820
They want to know when are we gonna see the female side?
00:28:02.060 --> 00:28:07.259
When are we gonna see uh maybe a third comic on air, a female comic?
00:28:07.820 --> 00:28:10.940
Dude, tell her to come out, like yeah.
00:28:12.460 --> 00:28:13.820
We're not pressing them.
00:28:15.259 --> 00:28:20.700
I'm not saying you are, like, and you know what?
00:28:20.860 --> 00:28:24.220
I welcome we welcome anything, like it's just fun.
00:28:24.299 --> 00:28:30.539
Like, I love like I love what Fenton does, you know, and it's funny because Fenton has a different style of comedy than I do.
00:28:30.700 --> 00:28:36.060
I mean, obviously it licks together because we're firefighters, but you know, he his reaction videos to stuff is incredible.
00:28:36.220 --> 00:28:44.299
His music, the music videos, I can't I like I again I can't even process how much work that is.
00:28:44.539 --> 00:28:46.620
So it's it's really, really cool.
00:28:46.700 --> 00:28:49.340
So absolutely, we'd love to see the female side of it.
00:28:49.580 --> 00:28:57.340
That's that is it so there's the any female firefighter that wants to start making their own page, we will support you.
00:28:57.500 --> 00:29:00.380
Come on on the fire department coffee, we'll we'll help you out.
00:29:00.460 --> 00:29:01.420
So anytime.
00:29:01.740 --> 00:29:02.460
Awesome.
00:29:02.700 --> 00:29:04.299
There, there it is, folks.
00:29:04.539 --> 00:29:07.420
All right, so don't direct message me personally.
00:29:07.980 --> 00:29:13.340
Go through my fiance first, and then to me, uh same same for Brent's through his wife.
00:29:17.340 --> 00:29:22.299
So for the the those that are listening and watching, fire department coffee is a veteran-owned business.
00:29:22.460 --> 00:29:28.940
And you know, as a veteran myself, you know, I can't think what you guys are doing enough out there, you know, you know, supporting veterans and everything.
00:29:29.259 --> 00:29:32.620
You know, a lot of my listeners are veterans, military firefighters.
00:29:32.779 --> 00:29:45.980
What message do you guys have for veterans, particularly military firefighters who are, you know, fans, or we need to get them to be fans, you know, of fire department coffee, of each of your shows.
00:29:46.060 --> 00:29:48.860
You know, what what do you have to say to those folks?
00:29:49.100 --> 00:29:50.220
We're just like you.
00:29:50.460 --> 00:29:51.180
That's first.
00:29:51.580 --> 00:29:56.779
You know that you know when you wake up in the morning, you look in the mirror, you're like, I'm the sexiest idiot in this place.
00:29:56.940 --> 00:29:57.420
That's us.
00:29:57.580 --> 00:29:59.340
That's we think the same thing.
00:29:59.500 --> 00:30:00.620
Just like, wow.
00:30:01.660 --> 00:30:02.779
And our coffee's the best.
00:30:02.860 --> 00:30:03.580
That's that also.
00:30:03.740 --> 00:30:09.340
Like, if you like good, strong coffee, it keeps you caffeinated, makes you makes you poop too.
00:30:09.420 --> 00:30:10.620
It's great for the bowel system.
00:30:10.860 --> 00:30:12.220
That's that's us, man.
00:30:12.299 --> 00:30:13.820
That's fire department coffee.
00:30:14.460 --> 00:30:15.820
Yeah, thank you for your service.
00:30:15.900 --> 00:30:17.420
And Jason's exactly right.
00:30:17.580 --> 00:30:28.060
We are exactly like you guys, you know, and and we just happen to make funny funny, we just happen to know how to work a camera and edit some videos and make funny videos on the internet.
00:30:28.299 --> 00:30:35.259
But yeah, I mean, my wife still looks at me when I make videos and she says, There is freaking something wrong with you.
00:30:35.420 --> 00:30:37.900
And yeah, I always say, I always say, Hey, well, you know what?
00:30:38.140 --> 00:30:39.740
You married me, so what does that say about you?
00:30:39.900 --> 00:30:58.539
So I love, you know, I veterans, those that it served, you know, I, you know, again, I I I always hate, I do want to thank people for the service, but when I say thank you for your service, it's become such a negative thing in my head because people on the internet have ruined it for me.
00:30:58.620 --> 00:30:58.700
Yeah.
00:31:00.860 --> 00:31:05.340
Like, uh, but anyone who signs, I went to military school, boot camp.
00:31:05.420 --> 00:31:08.060
I was a bad kid, and I was gone for it was six months.
00:31:08.220 --> 00:31:08.940
It was nothing.
00:31:09.100 --> 00:31:16.860
And and I could not imagine, you know, signing a piece of paper that says, yo, you're gone for four years or six years or whatever.
00:31:17.100 --> 00:31:23.980
And not only are you leaving, but you're not gonna, you're gonna be nowhere near your family, you're gonna be in the middle of nowhere that you don't even understand.
00:31:24.299 --> 00:31:26.940
Like, and it's gonna be a crap show, you know?
00:31:27.180 --> 00:31:30.539
And you have at no point in time can you just go, oh, this is nice.
00:31:30.620 --> 00:31:32.700
Like it's just high alert all the time.
00:31:32.860 --> 00:31:35.500
So, man, that that's an incredible thing to do.
00:31:35.740 --> 00:31:40.060
Every single person that ever signs that document that that goes that goes for that contract, man.
00:31:40.220 --> 00:31:41.580
That's such a cool thing, dude.
00:31:41.660 --> 00:31:45.820
You should be super proud of yourself when you wake up in the morning and and we appreciate what you're doing.
00:31:45.900 --> 00:31:49.900
If you ever, whenever you come back to the to the states, come down to Florida, I'll buy you a beer.
00:31:50.060 --> 00:31:52.779
You go to Fenton's house, I'll give you his address, just show up there.
00:31:55.259 --> 00:31:56.380
Only allowed to wear boxers.
00:31:56.620 --> 00:31:57.420
Let's just put that now.
00:31:57.500 --> 00:32:00.299
You know, like oh boxers.
00:32:02.860 --> 00:32:11.019
All right, guys, this part of the show, before we before we wrap up here, you get to answer two questions, two random questions.
00:32:11.259 --> 00:32:13.100
And they're would you rather?
00:32:13.660 --> 00:32:25.580
And uh the the first question is would you rather accidentally laugh loudly at a funeral or fart while giving a speech at a wedding?
00:32:25.900 --> 00:32:30.460
Well, first off, I was hoping you would say, would you rather be a cynical superman?
00:32:31.100 --> 00:32:43.900
Or I I'm gonna go with uh I'm gonna go fart at a wedding speech all day because I would turn, I would just keep be like, ah guys, you know, married Mike.
00:32:44.860 --> 00:32:47.019
That's how I feel about them getting married.
00:32:52.700 --> 00:32:54.779
What if he's done both already?
00:32:55.259 --> 00:32:56.220
No, I'm just kidding.
00:33:02.299 --> 00:33:08.220
I you know it was laugh, so it was laugh at a funeral or fart during a wedding speech.
00:33:08.380 --> 00:33:08.700
Yep.
00:33:10.380 --> 00:33:11.259
Oh man.
00:33:14.380 --> 00:33:20.940
I feel like I I'll just I would say yeah, fart fart during a wedding speech, I think is I think it's that's a classic.
00:33:21.259 --> 00:33:23.740
You can because everyone in that room is probably gonna laugh.
00:33:23.900 --> 00:33:30.140
Because if you're speaking at a wedding, it's probably the same idiots that you are, just you know, different faces.
00:33:30.460 --> 00:33:39.180
But the uh but laughing at a funeral, uh that's gonna that's gonna be hard to talk about, yeah, or brush off.
00:33:39.259 --> 00:33:40.380
Like here, talk.
00:33:40.620 --> 00:33:43.420
I was thinking about that last thing he said right before he died.
00:33:43.580 --> 00:33:48.620
I was all right.
00:33:48.940 --> 00:34:00.620
Second question Would you rather work with dead people in a mortuary or work with the busiest ER trauma unit in the world?
00:34:01.900 --> 00:34:06.380
Now you're both paramedics, so this is an interesting question.
00:34:06.620 --> 00:34:09.739
Yeah, that's hard because I'm into dead people.
00:34:10.380 --> 00:34:15.420
But uh so one part of my life goes there.
00:34:15.579 --> 00:34:22.779
No, I think I I well Brent, you you asked you I went first last time if you can answer.
00:34:23.420 --> 00:34:27.420
Man, I working with dead people on the mortuary.
00:34:27.659 --> 00:34:29.340
That I I don't know if I could do that.
00:34:29.420 --> 00:34:31.259
I I that's just gross.
00:34:31.420 --> 00:34:33.820
I could do I could do the busiest trauma, I think.
00:34:33.980 --> 00:34:38.299
Biz busiest trauma room in the ER in the country.
00:34:38.539 --> 00:34:45.500
I think I could do that just because I think my superpower there would just be perfect.
00:34:45.659 --> 00:34:47.339
No, make the dead people, man.
00:34:47.419 --> 00:34:49.179
If you're gonna have a look at this guy.
00:34:50.940 --> 00:35:01.419
Well, you know, I there would be a lot of weekend at Bernie's going on if I was working with the dead people, but if I'm in the if I'm in the uh the trauma room in the ER, it's fun to just get after it.
00:35:01.659 --> 00:35:08.619
And yeah, I mean I I I am kind of known to be a little probably inappropriate on scene sometimes.
00:35:08.940 --> 00:35:10.539
I mean, without the patient knowing it.
00:35:10.940 --> 00:35:11.179
Yeah, yeah.
00:35:12.779 --> 00:35:15.500
No, we uh I would I would probably go trauma room as well.
00:35:15.659 --> 00:35:24.619
I I think just because that would be cool, man, to see like the knowledge base you would get in there, like the camaraderie you would get with people, high stress environment, that kind of thing, man.
00:35:24.699 --> 00:35:26.460
I think that would be super cool.
00:35:26.619 --> 00:35:30.139
By the way, speaking of on scene, really fun game to play.
00:35:30.619 --> 00:35:32.699
Beginning a shift, you you pick a word, okay?
00:35:32.779 --> 00:35:42.859
And obviously not like any like really bad calls or anything, but you pick a word like ketchup, and you gotta slip that word in somewhere on every call.
00:35:43.099 --> 00:35:46.379
So, you know, whatever's going on, like, yeah, my toe's been hurting.
00:35:46.460 --> 00:35:46.619
Really?
00:35:46.859 --> 00:35:47.339
That's fine.
00:35:47.419 --> 00:35:48.619
Did you like hit it on anything?
00:35:48.699 --> 00:35:51.579
Like maybe a bottle of ketchup or something like that before you know you fell?
00:35:51.659 --> 00:35:54.219
Like, gotta get it in there every time.
00:35:54.699 --> 00:36:05.739
We've done that and we've done the uh the boop where the goal is to boop somebody on the nose at some point in the call, at some point in a call throughout the shift.
00:36:05.819 --> 00:36:08.379
If you can make it happen, they pay for your dinner.
00:36:08.619 --> 00:36:18.219
I had a call specifically one time where it was it was a it was a lady who was being very, very dramatic.
00:36:18.539 --> 00:36:21.419
She we had been on her multiple times.
00:36:21.579 --> 00:36:25.179
I I think she was just lonely, but she was saying she had a headache.
00:36:25.259 --> 00:36:30.219
It wasn't any particular bad headache, she just had a headache, she didn't have time at all, really just wanted somebody to talk to her.
00:36:30.379 --> 00:36:32.699
But got in there and I looked at my crew and I kind of winked.
00:36:32.779 --> 00:36:33.819
I was like, I've got this.
00:36:33.980 --> 00:36:35.579
And it was like, go ahead.
00:36:35.659 --> 00:36:38.699
I'm like, you know, gonna do the pen light with the pupils.
00:36:38.779 --> 00:36:41.019
So I check her pupils and I was like, all right, go ahead and wash my finger.
00:36:41.099 --> 00:36:44.779
And I was like, this way, this way, I'm like, out, and boop.
00:36:44.940 --> 00:36:46.299
And I was like, you're good.
00:36:46.379 --> 00:36:50.460
And I just looked at my crew and I winked, and and everybody was like, like, oh my god.
00:36:55.579 --> 00:36:58.699
You know what I'm excited for as we go on to the next question?
00:36:58.859 --> 00:37:02.139
Is uh you and your cheese office, and like and I'm like one of the things.
00:37:02.299 --> 00:37:06.299
I was dude, I was just gonna say, Chief, if you're watching this, I totally made that story up, it's not true.
00:37:06.539 --> 00:37:07.179
Never do that.
00:37:07.419 --> 00:37:09.259
Well, uh, tell me about the boom.
00:37:09.739 --> 00:37:15.579
No, it was more than set more than seven years ago.
00:37:15.659 --> 00:37:23.819
Statute of limitations is well, guys.
00:37:23.899 --> 00:37:25.739
That's that's all the questions I got.
00:37:25.819 --> 00:37:37.259
I mean, this is this is the point where you know, the guests I give you free reign, whatever you want to get off your chest, whatever you want to say to the audience, you know, the the time is yours.
00:37:37.579 --> 00:37:41.339
Be yourselves, be your characters, whatever you want to do.
00:37:41.500 --> 00:37:45.419
We'll I'm gonna give wrap up, we'll wrap up the show with you with you guys.
00:37:45.659 --> 00:37:49.259
Oh, I'm gonna give people a quick uh piece of advice because people always ask me this.
00:37:49.339 --> 00:37:57.899
They're like, especially uh for the up-and-coming female firefighter, you know, uh paramedic or emt comedian.
00:37:58.059 --> 00:38:00.779
I'm gonna give you the same three pieces of advice my chief gave me.
00:38:00.940 --> 00:38:01.339
All right.
00:38:01.579 --> 00:38:03.019
Because everyone's like, how do you start?
00:38:03.099 --> 00:38:03.899
It's very simple.
00:38:03.980 --> 00:38:05.819
Okay, don't do anything stupid.
00:38:05.899 --> 00:38:10.379
Like, you know, don't write on top of the ambulance or anything trying to surf it uh for a video.
00:38:10.619 --> 00:38:13.659
Don't put your department or your agency in any of it.
00:38:13.819 --> 00:38:15.980
Never show your patches, nothing like that.
00:38:16.219 --> 00:38:18.460
And if you get fired, you did it to yourself.
00:38:18.699 --> 00:38:21.659
So just remember those things.
00:38:22.299 --> 00:38:24.139
That's exactly what my team said to me.
00:38:26.539 --> 00:38:27.099
Oh, yeah.
00:38:27.179 --> 00:38:27.659
Yep.
00:38:27.980 --> 00:38:30.779
I completely and a hundred percent agree.
00:38:31.019 --> 00:38:41.819
When I actually first started out, there's actually a social media policy at my department because of me and the very first video I ever made because we made the video for a banquet.
00:38:41.980 --> 00:38:49.819
I put it on YouTube for the people that couldn't come to it, and it blew up overnight because it showed where I worked, it showed everything.
00:38:49.899 --> 00:38:51.659
And so learned a lesson on that one.
00:38:51.739 --> 00:38:53.179
But yes, I totally agree.
00:38:53.419 --> 00:38:54.699
Don't show where you work.
00:38:56.139 --> 00:38:58.219
You know, be yeah, don't don't do anything stupid.
00:38:58.299 --> 00:38:58.859
Be respectful.
00:38:58.940 --> 00:39:02.299
The biggest thing is remember that you represent us all.
00:39:02.940 --> 00:39:05.659
And so don't make us look like a bunch of tools.
00:39:05.739 --> 00:39:17.099
I mean, and that that may sound like I'm being a hypocrite because I make jokes and we me and Jason make jokes and make funny videos, but we always are respectful to firefighters, to the profession, to things like that.
00:39:17.259 --> 00:39:23.659
We don't we don't go out there and parade around like we hate people that call 911 and things like that.
00:39:23.819 --> 00:39:31.500
We like we will show, I will show myself and somebody else, like the lighter side or the monotony and that of things that happen.
00:39:31.579 --> 00:39:33.419
And we all know the system abuses and things like that.
00:39:33.500 --> 00:39:39.819
I never say I hate system abuses, I just point out the hilarious things that happen when it comes with those kind of calls.
00:39:39.980 --> 00:39:45.500
So, yeah, just respect profession, uh enjoy yourself, keep it clean.
00:39:45.739 --> 00:39:51.099
Yeah, I mean, you could look, you can we can all make fun of each other, you know, and people push the line.
00:39:51.179 --> 00:39:52.940
We've all pushed the line at some point in time.
00:39:53.019 --> 00:40:02.859
So just just literally, whatever you put on the internet, if as you're getting ready to hit post or send, if the thought in your head is, should I post this?
00:40:03.099 --> 00:40:03.899
You probably shouldn't post.
00:40:04.219 --> 00:40:07.179
You probably should back away, man.
00:40:07.419 --> 00:40:10.299
Like exactly.
00:40:11.179 --> 00:40:14.059
But yeah, I mean, enjoy it.
00:40:14.219 --> 00:40:19.419
And like we talked about at the very beginning, remember your identity is not the job.
00:40:19.579 --> 00:40:21.019
There's so many, so much more things.
00:40:21.739 --> 00:40:23.419
You are a firefighter, but that's not it.
00:40:23.579 --> 00:40:30.139
You're many other things, and enjoy and be proud of who you are, because I, you know, I'm proud to be firefighter, paramedic, all the fun stuff.
00:40:30.219 --> 00:40:32.779
But I do other stuff too.
00:40:33.259 --> 00:40:33.899
Cool.
00:40:34.460 --> 00:40:36.859
Well, guys, that's gonna do it for the show.
00:40:36.940 --> 00:40:38.299
I I definitely appreciate it.
00:40:38.379 --> 00:40:43.179
Like I said, you know, as a veteran, I appreciate what you guys do uh to support our veterans out there.
00:40:43.339 --> 00:40:59.419
I appreciate what you guys are doing, you know, as firefighters, paramedics, and especially the the comic relief, because you know, with COVID, with you know the incidents that that we get bombarded with every day, just being able to vent, laugh about some things and and move on.
00:40:59.739 --> 00:41:00.219
De-stress.
00:41:00.460 --> 00:41:01.419
I mean, that that's important.
00:41:01.500 --> 00:41:09.739
So you you have definitely helped, I think, the fire service emergency responders as a whole, just providing that comic relief that that de-stress.
00:41:09.819 --> 00:41:11.179
So thanks, thanks for what you guys do.
00:41:12.139 --> 00:41:13.019
Appreciate it, man.
00:41:13.179 --> 00:41:14.460
Yeah, thank you so much.
00:41:14.779 --> 00:41:15.579
Thank you.
00:41:18.139 --> 00:41:19.659
Well, folks, there you have it.
00:41:19.739 --> 00:41:22.779
Another great episode here at AFSO 21 Radio, the weekend wrap up.
00:41:23.099 --> 00:41:24.139
What can I say?
00:41:24.219 --> 00:41:31.099
You know, Jason Patton and Brent Fetton, again, thanks to those guys for coming onto the show, taking time out of their day.
00:41:31.339 --> 00:41:36.139
The comic relief that they provide is just so amazing, inspirational.
00:41:36.379 --> 00:41:38.940
It gets a lot of firefighters through the day.
00:41:39.179 --> 00:41:40.779
So, you know, hats off to them.
00:41:40.940 --> 00:41:42.219
So stay tuned.
00:41:42.539 --> 00:41:48.699
We are still being sponsored by Fire Department Coffee, despite me not having my coffee cup during the show.
00:41:48.859 --> 00:41:52.539
I'm gonna hear about that a lot, probably from Jason and Brent.
00:41:52.699 --> 00:41:59.579
But stay tuned for a few words from our sponsor, Fire Department Coffee, and then also our parent company, AFSO21.
00:41:59.659 --> 00:42:08.859
So be sure to give us a like, whether you're listening on the podcast, whatever channel you you subscribe to, and also here on YouTube.
00:42:09.099 --> 00:42:13.659
Make sure you hit that subscribe button, give us a thumbs up, go ahead and comment as well.
00:42:13.899 --> 00:42:17.659
We look forward to you know the comments that that listeners provide.
00:42:17.899 --> 00:42:26.699
And as always, if you have a question or a topic you want here on the show, go ahead and send us an email at podcast.
00:42:27.019 --> 00:42:32.859
That's P-O-D-C-A-S-T at afso21.com.
00:42:33.179 --> 00:42:38.539
That's podcast at afso21.com.
00:42:38.699 --> 00:42:42.219
So with that, folks, as always, stay safe.
00:42:42.379 --> 00:42:48.139
Keep supporting your local fire and emergency services, and until next time, we're out of here.