June 27, 2025 • 47 mins
www.firefighterstraps.com
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In this conversation, Chief Luke Peterson shares his journey from a firefighter to a battalion chief and entrepreneur. He discusses the inception of his company, Firefighter Straps, which focuses on innovative tools for firefighters, including the New York Hook and Halligan strap and the can strap. Chief Peterson emphasizes the importance of fitness standards in the fire service, advocating for annual fitness tests to ensure firefighters remain fit for duty. He also highlights the significance of traditions within the firehouse, particularly the camaraderie built around the coffee table. The conversation touches on the growth of his business, the challenges faced, and the impact of his products on the firefighting community.
https://l.instagram.com/?u=http%3A%2F%2Ffirefighterstraps.com%2F%3Ffbclid%3DPAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAadLWKoesjfZPgFcAtUH-QI8IxquzIKmECtsjO11t50dnDr3XopbOrc74c8eOw_aem_quv1VwodL9zwcog3X7OmmA&e=AT2lAjZxzpCPpk-3Daw-MgGnZdl0J3tVlutZm9IjxQ-RB5zcc0JzeoMfiFyMhHR_J-AEUjwT_Y2iVa4Ojmp7dZtn6Qdeg2FzMvMvUf8Oq55mimTgyH09ORA
In this conversation, Chief Luke Peterson shares his journey from a firefighter to a battalion chief and entrepreneur. He discusses the inception of his company, Firefighter Straps, which focuses on innovative tools for firefighters, including the New York Hook and Halligan strap and the can strap. Chief Peterson emphasizes the importance of fitness standards in the fire service, advocating for annual fitness tests to ensure firefighters remain fit for duty. He also highlights the significance of traditions within the firehouse, particularly the camaraderie built around the coffee table. The conversation touches on the growth of his business, the challenges faced, and the impact of his products on the firefighting community.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
All right, welcome back everybody.
I have the privilege to sit downwith Chief Luke Peterson.
He served as a paid on call fireman in a small rural
department in 1998. He's hired full time in 2001 by
two station combination department.
From there he worked there for about 16 months and received a
job offer as at his current department.
He works in a Chicago suburb with five stations, a Lieutenant
in 2013, was there for 10 years,was promoted to Battalion Chief
(00:23):
January 2023 and that's his current rank right now.
He is also the fitness coordinator for his department
and he manages their fleet services.
So Chief, welcome. Thank you for coming on the
show. More importantly in that bio,
and we were talking earlier and forgot the real reason and the
most, probably the most important thing about your bio
for this show is owner firefighterstraps.com.
Is that correct, Chief? Absolutely.
(00:43):
All right, is there anything I missed or anything you want to
add there boss? Sounds good, I appreciate you
having me on. Not perfect.
Well, listen. So thanks for thanks for
agreeing to come on. So me and chief connected over
the interweb, over Instagram andhe has a company called
firefighterstraps.com and it is amazing products.
So I was just showing a bunch ofthe boys at work the other day
(01:05):
and it's one of those things where once you look at it,
you're going to say, damn it, I could have done that, right?
This guy is a genius. That makes so much sense.
That's kind of where we're at right now.
So without further ado, chief, please just break us down to
man. How did it start?
Like were you always like man, Iwant an easier way to carry shit
or or or how they kind of March out Chief, if you don't mind,
(01:26):
just explain to the audience. Yeah, absolutely.
I had no ambition to be a business owner, start a
business, anything like that. I got promoted to a Lieutenant
back in 2013. A compliment of tools I love
carrying is the Haligan Bar in New York Hook.
Great complement of tools for energy company officer, truck
company officer, but they they're terrible carry together.
(01:48):
So you get, I mean, 95% of our calls are fire alarms.
You get up to the Knox box, you got to lean the hook against the
the wall, you got to put the baron the ground, you pick them
back up and go on with your business.
So I wanted to come up with a method to marry the New York
Cook and Halgan bar together. So I did and after a couple
terrible renditions of of the strap, I finally came up with a
(02:11):
a good rendition of it. And after I did, I made one for
myself had a lady downtown so itfor me and I bought my stuff on
Amazon. And after that I had it on our
rig and some of my guys at my department said, Hey, where
where'd you get that strap? And I said, well, I made it.
Why? They said, well, can you make me
one? I said sure.
So before I knew it, I had one on every one of our rigs.
(02:33):
And then neighboring department that we work with quite a bit
saw it at training and said, hey, where'd you guys get that
strap? And they said, well, Luke makes
it. So they said, hey, can you make
us a few of those? So before we knew it, I had one
on every one of their rigs. And at the time, my maintenance
boss, I work in our maintenance division on my off days also.
And my maintenance boss said heyit sounds like you got something
here, you should probably do something with it.
(02:54):
Well about 5 or 6 years later I finally did.
I am involved in purchasing for my department and one of the
frustrations I had was finding aone stop shop for straps,
specifically hose straps. So I would go on one website to
find one like the hose trap, another website to find another
like the hose trap and it got very frustrating.
(03:15):
So eventually I said, well, I guess I'm going to make some
hose traps. One of the other things that we
were doing was we were we were finally upgrading our fleet and
I got the approval from our chief to upgrade some of our
tools and equipment when we upgraded our fleet.
And we the, the way that we deploy our hose lines off the
back of our vehicles is 2 1/2 inch hose with a play pipe in
line or 2 1/2 inch nozzle depending what your terminology
(03:36):
is and into an inch and three quarter line.
And that 2 1/2 inch nozzles bouncing around the front yard
sometimes gets shut off on a front porch poster on a curb.
So we had always had bail strapsto keep that nozzle in a locked
and open position to keep that inch and three quarter line
flowing all the time. And it was literally seatbelts
(03:56):
from cars that were cut out fromguys 25 years ago.
The Velcro, you could blow on itand, and it would come apart.
And so I finally got the approval to go ahead and, and
upgrade some of this stuff, which was was definitely need
it. And I couldn't find one.
I couldn't find a Bale strap. So I said, well, I guess I'm
going to make a Bale strap too. And really that was the
beginning of the company. It was The New Yorker Callaghan
(04:17):
strap, the Bale strap and some basic hose straps.
And it was something I had no ambition to doing and it just
kind of fell in my lap. And it was something that I had
come up with and, and ran with it.
So it was kind of. How long has has a company like
really not just you making it for guys or you trying to make
it for your your own department to make your purchasing easier?
(04:40):
How long have you guys kind of been really mainstream when it
comes out to man you're you're sending stuff out all over the
country? So Mainstream has been about
three years, incorporated four years ago.
So we incorporated four years ago, had no idea what we were
doing to be honest with you. And then we really are our big
kickoff point was FDIC. FDIC three years ago was the
(05:03):
really when we started to gain traction where we started to get
our name out there across the country and get orders from
across the country through our website and then also through
direct orders through through contacting me or my partners.
But yeah, so we've been in business for four years.
First year it was kind of a figure it out kind of thing.
And so really three years we kind of been rocking and
rolling. So now explain to me, and this
(05:24):
is because I'm being very selfish right now, Let's talk
about the original product because that's what is the most
interesting to me. So I'm just curious.
I've seen guys with metal clips that they've been able to use
set screws to, like tying on theNew York hooks to be able to
marry a Halligan. I've seen the UL to chain link
(05:45):
onto your, SO why is the strap better than all those?
Well, number one, I didn't want there to be any sort of
modification to the tools. So you can Weld a chain link on
it. You can.
There's a bunch of different modifications that there are for
it. So like I said, there was some
terrible renditions of the strapprior to the one that's out
right now. That works very well.
(06:06):
The original version, it worked OK, but it didn't keep the tools
super secure. With the current strap, it keeps
the tools super secure. You don't have to modify the
tools at all. And the second component to it
is it has to be quickly accessible.
You have to be able to remove that strap quickly so you can go
to work. So large pull tabs, gloved hand,
(06:26):
easily accessible. The way we saw our Velcro on our
straps on whether it's our hose straps or the New York Co
Callaghan strap, we always sew the loop Velcro over the hook
Velcro. So when you go to deploy, you
can pull it off with a glove tan.
It's going to slip out, nothing's going to hang up on
it. So those were really the key
features to it was I didn't wantto have to modify my tools for
it. Everybody can't doesn't have
(06:48):
access to a fabrication shop to Weld a chain link on or isn't
handy enough to do something like that.
And no matter what configurationyou have these tools and you can
flip them upside down, you can shake them, you can do whatever
you need to do and the tools aren't going to come apart.
So the chain link is great. You still have to grasp it with
one hand. You still have to keep those
tools together. They will stay together against
(07:09):
the wall with this, no matter what configuration, they stay
together quickly and easily deployable.
You don't have to modify your tools.
So really that was kind of that what I was looking for when I
came up with this strap. Well, I, I love the fact and it,
it dawned on me, as you're saying, man, I didn't want to
modify my tools. I know.
So the department I work for, there are tools there on the
(07:30):
truck that are owned by the cityand we are not allowed to modify
them. How they were purchased is how
they were purchased, period, theend.
And then most guys carry personal tools, personal hooks
and everything else. And that's where you see all the
modification. But I love the idea that guys
can get these straps so they canbe more efficient and effective
firemen. If they don't, especially the
new guys, they just don't have any money to invest in their
(07:51):
craft yet, you know? So the only tools available are
the rig tools. And they're like, man, I want a
better way. At least with your strap,
they're not going to get have toget permission from the city to
modify a tool and get told no. So that's genius.
So you did a New York cook strapthat was a baby then basically
on the hose strap. So again, selfishly, let's can
(08:13):
we talk about the canned strap. So cans across the American fire
service right now is a very hot topic and a very progressive and
good way in my personal opinion,because I feel like we're
talking about utilizing cans a lot more since we're really
understanding flow pass, door control, everything else.
Because now we know we could snuff a fire and hold a lot of
(08:36):
shit at Bay and save a lot of that house with the can quick
actions, you know, pre hose line.
So talk about what your can strap is and then how it would
benefit our can man or whatever you want to call it in your
system. Yeah, absolutely.
So originally we had a can strapvery basic.
There wasn't, it was a lot like the other can straps on the
(08:58):
market. The goal is to be the one stop
shop for firefighting straps. So I was like, well, I'm going
to make a can strap. Made a basic one.
First year at FDIC. We had a gentleman that by the
name of Eric Wheaton, he teachescans and irons class at FDIC
every year. Came up to the booth and he
said, hey, your can strap's OK. He goes, but here's what you got
to do to make it awesome. Like the Cadillac of can straps.
(09:21):
So we took the can strap back and we said, all right, quick
release buckles, quickly adjustable.
You got to be able to with a glove tan.
You got to be able to release the sling, bring it through your
legs. If you're dragging it through
your legs, got to be able to quickly adjust it, tighten it,
loosen it, whatever the case maybe.
And you have to have a tether onthe top so the strap doesn't
slide down the can as you're using it.
(09:41):
So went back to the drawing board on that.
We already have a number of straps that have seat belt
buckles, Velcro, all the all thecomponents that he was looking
for. And through the course of the
last couple years kind of dialedthat into what we call now
because Eric used the terms of Cadillac of can straps.
So really that was kind of the deal with it where we said
there's a lot of them on the market, but how can we make it
(10:04):
better? How can we make it so that it
works well for the people that use the can in the way that
they're teaching in the modern fire service with the cans and
irons class where we're really getting that that pressurized
water can in there to keep the fire at Bay so we can start
searches, so we can make rescues, you know, stuff like
that. So that was kind of where that
where our can strap, which is our our deluxe can strap.
(10:26):
We still do have the other one on the website, but the Deluxe
can strap is the one that we kind of call the Cadillac can
straps. I love it.
And the fact that there's even abuilt in handle on there too,
correct? Which is amazing because we
talked about angles of the can that make a difference, you
know, and I'm sure that's, I'm sure that's a weed in idea that
was pushed in your brain. Absolutely.
(10:46):
That was one of them too as well.
Yeah. So what's your, I'm curious,
what's your top seller then? So you, you you're the one stop
shop for firemen straps, period.The end.
I mean, I know you have rescue straps.
I went, I mean, I went through adeep dive on your website and
was just like trying to figure out how we could buy them all.
So I, I mean, I know you have everything.
So what's really what's the mostpopular right now?
(11:06):
Boy, I tell you since the last two years at FDIC since we've
had that can strap out, it's that's been one of the top ones
are to be honest, that the simplest of all the straps is
the belt tool ring and the flashlight strap.
So it goes on a gut belt, it goes on a truckman's belt, it
goes on an integrated bunker belt and super simple, but it's
not something else that's slung across your body.
(11:28):
It's just a simple belt tool ring on the side of your that's
either hooks your gut belt or your truckman's belt and you can
slide a tool in that. That's our hands down, our
number one seller. The flashlight strap is another
one for Streamlight or whatever.Whatever flashlight you have,
box light you have, but it keepsit at your side without having
something else on across your body to get hung up on.
That's a big seller. As of late, the extrication tool
(11:51):
carrying straps have been reallyreally big make.
Sure. That's because of the big push
of the battery powered, right, Absolutely got a little heavier,
OK. Yeah.
And that and, and really that's where that stemmed from.
My department was going through the process of figuring out what
extrication tools we were going to buy with, you know, what
battery tools we're going to buy.
And so we had all the manufacturers out and we took a
(12:12):
look at everything. And when I was looking at them,
my question to all the manufacturers was, is there a
way to carry these things? I mean, we're talking 5060 LB
tools and now we're, I'm not in a super rural department, but
you got rough terrain, you got rocky ditches and you do have
some rural departments where youmight be humping out into a
(12:35):
field 100 yards for a car that'srolling over out there.
And you got to be able to go to work when you get there.
So I've got some pushback on this, like, hey, hey, bro, how
about I just get you a membership to the gym and you
know, you toughen up and I'm like, it's not about that.
We're worried about safety, efficiency and being able to do
the job when you get there, whenyou get to the scene.
So if you can save yourself for that, that's what it's all
(12:57):
about. But when I was looking at all
these different extrication tools, the one thing I found
that was in common is the cylindrical case on all the
tools. So I said, well, if none of you
guys have a strap for it, I'm gonna come up with a strap for
it. And we have a wide array of
fitness levels in the fire service from smaller to larger
individuals. And so wanting to be able to
(13:20):
provide a product that will allow everybody to be able to go
to work once they get to the vehicle.
If you're carrying a 60 LB tool or 50 LB tool, 100 yards out of
new cornfield, your forearms andyour shoulders are spent by the
time you get there. I don't care if you work out, I
work out every shift, we all do.But you still got to be able to
go to work and you want to be able to work as long as you can
(13:41):
and be as efficient as possible.So really injury prevention,
efficiency and safety, those arethe things with with that.
But the extrication tool strap carrying strap has been a really
big seller for us and a product that not only have fire
departments latched onto, but manufacturers have latched onto
as well. And it's funny because even like
you were talking about the ruralsetting for, and I get it, car
(14:04):
down a ravine or a ditch or whatever, you go in a couple 100
yards into the woods, yeah, man,that's, that's a freaking truck.
But like I know in our region now, since we became untethered
and went battery operated, we'reutilizing spreaders on the rear
of commercial structures. And we can set a three man team,
two guys setting gaps just big enough to get the spread in
(14:24):
there and start ripping these doors rapidly when we need to
provide extra means of egress onthese large commercial
buildings. So even in downtown
Philadelphia, just picking a random city, right, that would
be absolutely a great option to add to that mix.
You talked about the belt, yeah,the belt tool ring.
(14:45):
And that was something else thatlike me and the boys were like
kind of drooling over because italmost seems and I, I don't know
the answer almost seems like it's interchangeable.
So we saw where like it goes on your belt loop and then you can
basically click in your box light, you know, can that click
into like other parts of your your carrying devices?
Yeah. So the way the belt tool ring
does not have a seat belt buckleon it, we do have a yeah, we do
(15:08):
have another came out with a forcible entry tool called AT
one and they wanted a device to carry that.
There's nowhere to tether on it.So we do have a sling with the
belt tool ring on it, but it's not doesn't have the seat belt
buckle on it because that's not what they wanted.
But the rest of our tool complement, we have the sling
(15:29):
that has the female buckle on itand every other tool, every
other tool portion of our strapshas a male buckle on it.
So if you had that sling on, if you wanted to carry an
extrication tool, if you wanted to carry a flashlight, if you
know anything that we have that you put on the tool that has a
seat belt buckle on it, the maleportion is on the tools, the
(15:51):
female portions on the sling. So you can click it right into
our sling. It's it's interchangeable tick.
You know, there's a bunch of different things, but I do want
to go back real quick to you made a good point about our
extrication tool carrying strap.And one of the biggest benefits
and will actually probably the largest grossing department
that's bought them from us is a large city fire department that
(16:12):
uses these extrication tools forforceable entry and high rise
buildings. And when you're going up
multiple flights of stairs or you guys a ton of equipment to
carry up in a high rise fire andyou're looking to force multiple
doors in a real quick fashion, it, it was greatly beneficial to
them. Actually, the salesman came to
(16:33):
me and said, these guys are coming up with some ridiculous
ways to carry this thing and they are beating the crap out of
these tools. Can you please give me one of
these straps so I can show it tothem?
So I did and ultimately they ended up buying them for all the
tools for their high rise evolutions.
And then the other application, which kind of goes a little bit
outside the fire service, but I think it's worth mentioning is
(16:53):
they start, they started developing these tools for
forcible entry for law enforcement.
And with law enforcement, it's extremely important for them to
be hands free. So they have to have a way to
carry this tool and still have access to their weapon.
So we've kind of ventured off into the law enforcement aspect
with forcible entry tools and the sling because they really
need that that aspect of being hands free when they're carrying
(17:16):
the tools as well. So.
And that, that makes sense. That never would have ever
entered my brain, honestly, you know, But it might.
Be either until they asked for it.
I mean, that's freaking that's awesome.
And then helping, helping our brothers in blue.
So that's that's always, it's a good thing.
I'm gonna go on a quick tangent real fast.
What was the name of that Himacha rabbit tool Halligan T1?
All right. Do you guys have them in your
department? We do.
(17:39):
Honest opinion, what do you think about them?
So we had some issues with we had some issues.
I'll give you my issues. I'm curious on your issues.
Well, we had some issues with the previous tools that we had.
So we had the hydro Rams before and we were blowing seals on
those things all the time. So we tried out the T1, we had
mixed reviews with the T1. Some guys are set like it's,
it's heavy, it's the head is waytoo heavy, it's not balanced.
(18:00):
But ultimately in the end, when we looked at the application for
it, the removable forks on the end to be able to get a purchase
point, keep that purchase point.And then we never, I mean, we
beat the heck out of that thing when we trialled it and we were
never able, able to make it fail.
So it was, it was kind of a a replacement for our Hydra amp
(18:22):
tools that we had and and I got you.
All right, well, I'll go. I'll go on a quick rant.
So we got them at a win because it's one of those budgetary
things. Hey, there's a allotment of
money has to be spent yesterday.If not, it's gone in 1/2 a
second. We pulled the trigger on it.
They sounded like an amazing idea.
I was actually extremely like excited when they came in before
(18:45):
actually using. I love the detachable forks.
I think that's the best wedge onthe market.
I agree. I don't believe it's a well
balanced tool. Here's my biggest gripe, 2
biggest gripes, and if a Moucho is listening, come see me and
I'll show you. The first gripe is in.
It's impossible with the gloved hand to release that pressure.
That freaking little, tiny little valve, whatever that is
(19:06):
garbage. Dumbest thing I've ever seen.
The other part is the reason that we got them and we're very
excited to get them was for exactly what we just talked
about, those really tough commercial outward swinging
doors. And what we found through a
bunch of forcing is they bind the doors and their they, they
cannot force that door. It actually creates so much
(19:28):
pressure. It binds want to outward inward
Oh my God, it blasted all day long.
But like the reason we were thinking was commercial and
outward swinging really tough reinforced stores and it does
not perform my opinion so but. I laughed.
I laughed when you talked about the the release mechanism
because I went to our salesman and I'm like, hey, this is a
(19:50):
good tool. It's a great tool.
We want it, but like you got to do something about this release
mechanism. It's so small and it it sticks
and there's no way to release itwith a glove tan.
And he's like, they're working on it.
They're working on it. I said, OK, well, we'll buy them
once they once they work that out.
And he said, I'll make a deal with you, You buy them now when
they come out with it, I will replace your tools with the new
(20:12):
ones. I said, all right, deal.
So they are working on that release mechanism because that
was our number one gripe when wetested those tools.
Well, thank you for helping all of us across the United States
with that because not every single person, because we ran it
through the grinder and you know, it's like the feedback
that was always every single person, negative feedback on
(20:32):
that part of the tool. Yep.
And I'm like, how did they not know that prior to?
I'll, I'll get off that tangent before we transition to just
kind of your department and the great things you guys are doing.
Is there anything else you want to talk about with your company,
Sir? I think the biggest thing is you
had mentioned before, we are theone stop shop for fire fighting
straps. We're not quite there yet.
That's the ultimate goal to be the one stop shop for
(20:54):
firefighting straps. I think the way that we get
there, number 1 is great customer service.
So if you call, if you go on ourwebsite, you're going to see my
picture, you're going to see my e-mail address.
If you e-mail me, I'll get rightback to you.
And so on. My partners, we, we have great
customer service. We'll get back to you right
away. The other thing is that we're
more than willing to provide custom straps.
(21:16):
So one of the biggest selling custom products that we have as
of late is our hose bundle strapkits.
So people come to come to me andsay, hey, I want a hose bundle
strap kit for our high rise. And they'll say I got 100 feet
inch and three quarter and I'm like, all right, well, how's it
packaged? How's it bundled?
(21:37):
What do you want? Do you want a sling?
Do you want 3 straps tethered together?
What do you want? I'm more than willing to work
through that with people becauseI think hose bundle straps are
very important in that. Well, number one is I like
individual host straps better than I like hose bundle strap
kits. Fire chiefs like hose bundle
(21:57):
strap kits because they're tethered together and you don't
lose host straps all the time. What we found is that we have an
adjustable hose bundle strap kiton the website.
It works. It works fine for you.
I would prefer and I prefer the stationary hose bundle strap
kits where we make it to exactlywhat you need.
We put the right hose straps on it.
(22:19):
We make it the exact length thatyou want it, whether using the
Wichita load, the Denver load, whatever the case may be.
Let me know your host circumference, let me know the
length of your bundle. Let me know what you're looking
for. We'll make a custom hose bundle
strap kit for you. Our manufacturers are awesome.
We deal with it all the time. And that's really something I
think that kind of sets us apartbecause there really isn't a lot
of companies out there that willmake you a custom hose bundle
(22:41):
strap kits and you can keep coming back for more later.
But the other, the other point that I want to make is I started
this company with 7 holsters through the course again, not
the fire departments through thecourse of people calling me and
contacting me and saying, hey, do you have something for this?
Do you have something for this? Can you help me out with this?
Now we've got about 43 differentproducts and a lot of that
(23:03):
probably 50% me and 50% firefighters reaching out
because firefighters have great ideas, but they don't always
have the means to make it happen.
The other half of that is firefighters reaching out to me
and saying, hey, I need something for this.
Can you help me with that? And I love that because not only
am I hoping a fellow firefighter, but also it's
likely a product that another another firefighter is going to
(23:25):
need at some point because there's, you know, if there's a
need, other people are probably needing it as well.
So that I think that's the biggest thing, you know, and
wrapping up the whole business side of things is I'm more than
happy to make things, more than happy to modify things.
And I'm not going to say 100%, Ican always make what you need,
but I'll give him my best shot and we'll see what we can do so.
(23:47):
Dude, I love it. And again, that's I mean, you're
on this show, you're not on thisshow to promote and sell your
product. You're on this show because
first of all, you're a fireman. Second of all, you're trying to
make everything better for us, the American Fire Service.
And you said it multiple times and I always tell the kids this
too, like the recruits, I am here to train you to be
effective and efficient. And like you must have said,
(24:07):
efficient probably like 10 times.
And it's true because the more efficient we are, the more work
we can do in a timely manner, which makes us better at our
freaking job, which is every using one of us want to be a
stud when the tones drop. I don't care if you got a year
on the job or 35 years on the job when tones drop, you want to
be a stud. So you're out there making stuff
that makes us more likely to be a stud on seed.
(24:30):
So dude, kudos. Thank you for, I mean, I know it
kind of like fell on your lap and then it just took off.
But I mean, good things happen to good dudes for good reasons.
And, you know, just thank you for helping the American Fire
Service and, and like you said, making this more efficient.
You know, then. And I love the idea that guys
can reach out to you and say, bro, this is my problem because
(24:52):
that's that's how we learn. And we this show we talk about
all the time, you know, get outside your comfort zone.
This is exactly what we're talking about.
You know, he is outside the comfort zone saying call me and
challenge me and I'll try something.
You know, it might not work, butI'll try.
You know, I'll do my best. So yeah, I'll do my best.
No, brother. So I know you've been a
Battalion Chief for a couple years now, right?
About three years or so. But I'm putting you back in the
(25:14):
right front seat. I'm putting you on the wagon of
the ladder wherever you were. So we're running our 95% house
fire, our single story dwelling,your first in.
How does your system work for that first arriving house fire,
How many engines, how many ladders and kind of March out
how the call goes if you don't mind for the audience?
Yeah, absolutely. 4 engines, 2 trucks and two ambulances and a
(25:37):
battalion. That's that's our first in
depending on the amount of chiefs that are around, but at
least at least two chiefs. And that's our normal
compliment. We run three people on a fire
company and we're in the area that we're in Chicago suburbs.
We're we're aggressive interior attack now with flow path and
all the research that's come out, you know, we we've modified
(25:59):
that certainly. And we're not afraid to darken
something down and then go in and hit it.
But yeah, we're, we're pretty aggressive with interior attack.
We first engine in most the first four companies that arrive
on the scene, they've got their marching orders just out of our
Sogs and they're they're rollingwith it.
They're going right away. They're not waiting for orders,
(26:19):
they're moving. So first, first engine is a fire
attack, Second engine is water supply if, if we don't already
have one and second line trucks coming in, they're doing search
forcible entry if they need to get around to the back, starting
to throw ladders. 3rd engine, ifthere's an assignment for them,
if we need them, then we're going to we're going to put them
to work. But that's kind of a catch all
Third engine, 4th engine, secondtruck writ assignment unless
(26:43):
there's something that needs to get done.
And then we utilize our medics pretty heavily.
So our first medic unit to the scene teams up with our first
engine, helps to get that first hose line in place and then they
branch off and start a search onthe fire floor.
Second engine or second medic that comes in is going to be our
rehab medic. So that's in a nutshell bread
and butter house fire. That's how we operate and that's
(27:05):
pretty standard in our area withfor my department and for my
surrounding departments. All right.
So that fourth engine and 2nd ladder, they're automatically
obviously unless they're needed,they're automatically married as
a rapid intervention. Is that correct?
Both the companies? Unless they're.
Yeah. Unless there's, I mean quite
often there are assignments to be handled.
(27:26):
So we're putting them to work orat least one of those companies
to work. But as a standard in our Sogs,
that is what they're slated to do unless told otherwise.
OK. And that first engine, do they
go dry? And that second engine makes
their connections, do they lay in?
So typically, I mean, we're, we're pretty fortunate.
We've got water in about 90% of our area.
(27:48):
So that first in engineer is usually usually responsible for
getting their own water. I mean, we got, we got hydrants
pretty much everywhere. If not, that second engine comes
in, second engine drops their water to the first engine, and
then they lead out to the hydrant.
OK, copy. Yeah, I was just wondering
because some departments always lay in, they'll have two lines
come in eventually. Some never lay in, you know, in
(28:09):
that second or some will just lay a line dry and that second
engine will go ahead and make their connection.
So I'm always, I'm always curious on like what that
typical first aid engine will orwill not do depending.
Because then like in in the system I work in, it is you will
not lay in if it's a rescue profile.
So someone's on the horn. Hey, I'm trapped or whatever.
(28:31):
And then if not, it's the officers discretion if they lay
in or not. We just verbalize it on the
radio either way. That way, you know, either
second line needs to get picked up or, or it's fine.
So I was just curious on becauseyou guys are SOG driven, which
I, I love SOG driven because it probably cuts down on radio
traffic a lot, right? It does.
It does, yeah. And we, I mean, we typically do
(28:52):
not lay in, we typically we have750 gallons of water on our
engines. And so I mean we're get a line
off, protect the stairs, get up in a night time fire where
there's potential rescues to be made.
Let's get in there. Let's protect egress, let's make
rescues, let's get people out. I mean, ultimately we want to
save everything we can, but let's save lives first, get that
(29:15):
750 gallons of water to work andlet's worry about water supply
after that. So, and I don't say I say that,
but you know, that's in the forefront of our mind.
We've worked, like I said, we'revery fortunate having hydrants
in 90% of our district. So and our engineers are, are
pretty proficient and getting that water supply pretty quick.
And if not that second engines right on top of them and they're
they're helping them out with that so.
(29:37):
A copy. So what is, what's the reason
for the two battalions? Does 1-GO interior as a sector
officer or how do you guys run that?
Yeah, typically we so depending on the magnitude of the fire,
we've got a command and then operations.
So we'll have command that's in a controlled environment and
everybody does this different. Some people are standing
outside, you know what the at the tail of the bug tail end of
(29:59):
the buggy. Some people are standing in the
front yard is command for us. The way that we do it is command
is in the car. They're in a controlled
environment. You can roll the window up, you
can roll the window down. You can think clearly.
You don't have people barking atyou the whole time.
And and then we had we got operations up to the scene right
away. And then they're the, they're
the one that's handling the operations and reporting
(30:20):
back-to-back to command as far as what they need.
So that's how we typically handle a single family structure
fire. And then as we fill out our,
our, as further chiefs arrive, then we will get a, you know, if
we need a Division C, we'll get a Division C.
If we need a safety officer, youknow, safety officer Rich chief,
you know, stuff like that. We'll fill the compliment out as
as more chiefs arrive. I got you and I, I, I agree with
(30:43):
you because I've been in that situation, in that controlled
environment. It's nice when you can literally
lock the doors and roll the windows up and be like, yeah,
you know, I like, yeah, I'm on the radio right now.
But yeah, I agree. But you're you're right though.
I mean, I've talked to the battalion cheese that literally
will set up almost like a a yardsale table on the sidewalk.
And I'm like, you know, but theylove it.
(31:06):
They prefer because they feel like they're closer and they're
more in tune with the guys. So I mean, all have their
benefits, but I, I do I, I prefer your guys's method for
short when it comes about command.
The last question about command is your initial arriving
officer, I'm assuming will assume command and then how does
that come over to the battalion?Is that a face to face or is
(31:27):
that something that's just transferred over the radio?
How do you guys do the transfer?So we do it a little different.
We do not our first driving officers do not establish
command. So we're yeah.
So that's the kind of the the blue card system and we kind of
take a little bit of that blue card system.
But our first driving officers do not establish command.
(31:47):
Like I said, we're so G driven pretty heavily.
So our first in chief is usuallyon the scene within a minute or
two of that first in fire company.
Now if the chief is not there that first in engine company
officer, truck company officer is going to designate what they
need to needs to be done, but they don't officially take
(32:07):
command. The first in Battalion Chief
takes command and then they willradio the 1st in officer and get
a can report from them and then roll from there.
OK, a copy. So they give a on scene report
and they go to work basically. And then once the chief gets on
scene he gets a CAN report and then starts rolling his Rolodex
from there. Absolutely.
(32:29):
Yep. OK, cool.
Hey, I like it. Actually.
I like it a lot. That's one.
All right, so we know like I love what you're doing for the
American Fire Service right now.Like your department sounds like
you guys are rocking and rolling.
You've been there for for quite some time.
Is there anything you want to leave the audience with?
And before we get into kind of the questions of the season.
I think we've covered a lot. The only thing from the business
(32:52):
perspective, the only thing I want to leave the audience with
is through the month of July, we've got a discount code copper
on our website. Put in the discount code copper.
You get 10% off for anything on our website.
So go to our website, favoritefighterstraps.com, check
it out. Put in the code copper at
checkout. You get 10% off any of our
stuff. There you go.
Awesome. Yeah, Code copper get 10% off.
(33:12):
Freaking amazing, amazing tool supporting a brother owned
company. What can you?
What else can you ask for? All right, so let's get into the
the questions of the season, right?
This is my favorite part. So let's start with the why.
We asked the why in the Americanfire service a lot.
We asked the why when you're trying to get hired.
We asked the why when you're promoting.
Should we even ask the why when you're trying to do other
positions within your job? But why?
(33:33):
Why did Luke become a fireman? Did you get bit by the bug?
Was it something you always wanted to do?
Just tell the audience why you ended up with the American Fire
Service, brother. Yeah, it was, it was actually
pretty interesting. So I was grew up in a small,
somewhat rural community, very small volunteer POC fire
department. And I happen to go to the
Community College in that town. When I got out of high school,
(33:56):
my brother was on the fire department and he's he's like,
hey, man, we're super short staffed during the day.
You're going to be in town, you're going to the Community
College right here in town. He said you should get on the
fire department. All right, I'll get on the fire
department. Why not?
I was going to be I was good with numbers.
I was going to be an accountant or I don't know what.
I was going to be something thatI would have been miserable in
for my whole life. And I got on the fire
(34:16):
department. That was it.
I had no, I had no desire as a kid.
I wasn't growing up as a kid being like, I want to be a
firefighter. I want to be a firefighter.
Really never thought about it. And my dad was on the same
Volunteer Fire Department for for a number of years before my
brother got on. My brother got on and he's, he's
like, you gotta get on. He was kind of a role model of
me for me as as I was growing up, boys kind of following in
(34:38):
his footsteps. And I said, yeah, I'll get on.
And you either love it or you hate it.
And I got on the fire department.
It's either for you or it's not.And it was 100% for me.
And I immediately just took a right turn and said change my
major. I know what I'm doing.
And from that day forward, it was let's get my EMT, let's get
my. Well, at the time it was
Firefighter 2, but let's get this done and let's get rolling
(34:59):
cuz this is the job for me. I love it.
Yeah, it was kind of the spur ofthe moment.
I had no idea as a kid what I wanted to do.
And once I got a taste of it, that was it.
You know, it's funny because there's a good portion of really
good dudes on the job that got into it by freaking accident.
It was like it just came across and you're like, but then when
they did, they're like, Oh my God, this is my calling.
(35:20):
I just had no idea prior to. Is your brother still on the job
or no? He is, he is.
Yep, he's in a in. The same department.
No, he's in a another Chicago suburban department as a deputy
chief. OK, cool.
Any other family on the job? OK, well, that's cool, man.
I like a freaking brother on thejob.
That's that's freaking amazing. So we know the why, right?
(35:43):
So let's talk about traditions. So everyone's got different
traditions, but wholeheartedly we're trying to hold on to them
desperately. I'd like to say because of
society in general, they're trying to, they look at a lot of
things we do as hazy and whatever the case might be, but
we have so many good traditions in the American fire service.
What is your favorite American fire service tradition?
But more importantly, why? Why is it your favorite
(36:04):
tradition? You know, I, you might, you
asked me this before kind of kicking this around, but to me,
and this is something we talked about in my department a lot, is
it's coffee table really. I mean, there is so much at the
coffee table that goes on. And one of the things that we've
talked about, you know, I've talked about with my officers
and like, man, we got all these new guys that get hired and
(36:28):
they're, they're awesome. They're doing what they should
be doing. They get here, they get to to
shift at 6:00, we start at 7, they get to shift at 6:00,
They're out checking their vehicle.
They're doing good stuff. And I'm like, they're missing
the coffee table. That's yeah, there's a lot of
banter that goes on. There's a lot of nonsense and
everything, but there's also a lot of good handoff that happens
there. There's a lot of good, you know,
it's the calls from the day before, the issues that you ran
(36:49):
into. It's the whatever you know is
going on with your vehicle. There's a lot of that stuff that
ties into that too. And whether it's the coffee
table in the morning, whether it's the coffee table after
dinner. I mean, I think that tradition
of sitting down, oh, this is ourhome away from home.
This is our family away from family.
And you learned so much about everybody at your mealtimes
(37:09):
sitting down before shift. You really get a good hand off
at that coffee table in the morning.
And so we're trying to draw our,our new hires into that where I
know they don't want to sit down.
I know they don't, you know, they feel like I got to be doing
something. I got, I should get the laundry
going, I should get the bathrooms clean, I should get my
rig checked on. But that is really important for
them to be a part of that. I, I feel anyways.
(37:31):
And I think that like the coffeetable's a great tradition at the
Firehouse. I love it.
It's funny, a couple months ago I had a Battalion Chief Chris
Slayer on and his answer to thatquestion was same as yours.
He calls it the kitchen table, right?
But he he goes bro, he and literally this is his words.
He goes, bro, we shouldn't be getting a freaking flame tat or
multis tattoo. Cool Dragon Tattoo.
(37:51):
He's like, we should be getting coffee or got a coffee table
kitchen table tattoos. He's like, because that's where
the fucking magic of the fire service is.
And it's, you're absolutely right.
And it, you know, I never reallythought of it until you just
said that you're right, because we tell these new kids like,
listen, go to work when you get there, get there early, right?
And you work from when you get in there to when your captain
(38:12):
tells you to rack out and you learn as much as you can.
But we forget to tell them or make sure that they understand
that there's, there's certain periods that are important for
them to sit and listen. And that's exactly right.
I mean, the, the best thing in the world is when you come in
because either you saw somethingon Instagram, right, or you just
smell the Firehouse and you're like, oh, the boys had a job and
(38:34):
you're just waiting for them to wake up.
I'm like, tell me everything, right?
Tell me how good it was. Tell me what went wrong.
Tell me what you guys screwed up.
Tell me what the hell. I mean, tell me I want to hear
right or whatever the case mightbe.
But you're right. And we're missing so much and
it's, it's our therapy, it's our, it's our training table.
It's everything. To us, so absolutely.
Yep. Dude, perfect.
Well, let's go completely opposite of that now, right?
(38:56):
So if you can snap your fingers right and instant gratification
1, something is changed in the American Fire Service.
So that was inserting, deleting,whatever you want to do happens
right away. No sweat equity.
What would it be? But why?
Why would you change insert, delete whatever this this thing
is? Annual fitness standard.
(39:17):
Holy shit, talk more my brother.We do AC pad.
I don't know what you guys do where you're at.
By us, AC pad test is a standard.
You got to pass the CPAT, you got to have your cute little
card when you come in to get hired to say I'm physically fit
to be a firefighter. After that day, that's it.
You're done. It's terrible.
Something I've been battling fora while.
(39:38):
I told you I'm the fitness coordinator, coordinator at my
department. It's frustrating.
It is frustrating. I think, you know, I, the talks
that I have with our new hires is, hey, this is a lifestyle
change for you. You're a firefighter now.
So you're a firefighter whether you're at work or firefighter,
whether you're at home, if something happens outside of
here, the headlines not going toread.
Luke Peterson got arrested for whatever.
(39:58):
It's going to read firefighter got arrested for whatever.
But the flip side of that is people know what you do for a
living. And people, you know, how many
times you have a station tour where people walk through and
then they they kind of look at you and, you know, you got
somebody on on your shift and they're like, wait, he's a
firefighter. And you're like, yeah.
And. The unfortunate part is that
(40:20):
it's not only a detriment to therest of the people you work
with, but I mean, to that individual themselves and to the
public. And that's the problem, is that
we have a standard when people get hired and we don't have a
standard we have to uphold throughout the rest of your
career. I would love to see an annual
fitness test where you have to pass it.
And if you don't pass it, you'reoffline.
(40:41):
You know, that's something we don't have locally.
I know like Indianapolis Fire Department, phenomenal at it.
They've got, but they also have the resources.
They have a facility, they have on duty physicians, they have
physical therapists, they have personal trainers.
They have the ability to do that.
You know, unless you're in some set type of cooperation with or,
(41:03):
or some set a type of County Fire department where you have
10 different districts that cometogether and you have the
resources to do that, it's very difficult.
But I think we owe it to ourselves ultimately.
And I tell these guys when they get hired, I'm like, hey, what's
our goal in this job? Obviously, like aside from all
the the real work stuff, like the ultimate goal of this job is
(41:24):
to work a successful career and suck as much money out of the
pension fund as you can when youretire, right?
I mean. Along the way to help.
People, we're going to do the best we can.
We're going to be all in. We're going to work our butts
off. Like all that stuff, but we work
a very difficult job. It's trying on our families,
it's trying on us. Work on yourself, keep yourself
(41:44):
in shape so that when you retireat 50 or 55 or 60, you can suck
as much money out of that pension fund because you deserve
it. But if you don't take care of
yourself throughout your career,you're a detriment to your
residents, you're detriment to your coworkers and you're
detriment to yourself. So really that like ultimately
the one thing, if I can snap my fingers right now and say this
(42:07):
is what I want right now, I wantto fit for duty standard
annually that everybody has to pass.
And if you don't pass it, you got to figure out how to pass it
before you come back to. That that is exactly how it
should be across the nation. I I was a fireman back east
prior to moving here out West and that was a constant joke in
no shade. I love that fire department, but
(42:28):
it was all the best shape of my life was the day I graduated the
Academy. It's like, dude, shame on you if
that's the case. My biggest culture shock when I
moved out West here was the opposite.
These motherfuckers are doing skillies like every day and I'm
looking I'm like, he's 10 or 15 years older than me and he's
freaking smoking me. I was embarrassed and I'm like,
(42:49):
holy cow. But our whole area, everyone
kind of does the same thing. You have to pass an annual
physical and there are metrics and VO2 Max numbers you must
meet. And if you don't, you can't be
on a truck. But but they give you a year and
resources to get you back there.Because exactly what you said,
the public looks at us as whatever city, whatever County
(43:12):
Fire department, period, the end.
Or whatever city, whatever county fireman, right, period,
the end. It's not my God, that fire
department's awesome. But Luke Peterson, he's a fat
slob, you know, or Steve or C, he's like freaking load, right?
Yeah, it's the name on the back of our shirts is huge for a
reason, you know, So it sucks that that's not across the
(43:32):
nation. And it's funny because when I
talk to guys out here, it's justbeen a norm for them.
So they're like, what do you mean?
They don't have annual physicals?
It's like, well, they do, but it's for like heavy metals and
things like that. It's not actually.
You don't get and do a stress test and on an exercise bike and
they're like, you don't, right? It's like, no.
And I'm like, oh, that's weird, right?
It's it's just funny because, yeah, what do you think the
(43:54):
biggest push back in your regionis about those physical or is
there a push back at all? I mean, the biggest thing is the
process. So like you said, you get a year
to get yourself into the shape you need to get into to be able
to pass that test. And I think the the biggest
problem is lack of resources to make it come to fruition for us
(44:18):
as far as what do we do when somebody fails it?
How long do we give them? Where do we send them?
How do we rehab them? Who are the professionals who's
guiding this thing? It's a big undertaking and I
think the, I think the biggest hurdle right now is having the
resources to be able to implement something like that or
the union's going to be heavily involved in something like that
(44:39):
to say, hey, wait, wait, you can't take somebody off the job
right now. And I and I get that.
Oh, you got to be able to, you got to be able to give them some
time to rehab. You got to give them fair
warning, give them an opportunity, which is fair.
I think that, yeah, in our region we have a lot of medium
sized fire departments that don't necessarily have the
resources as if we brought everybody together to do it, you
(44:59):
know, collectively, which is very difficult to do.
You know, at my department, one of the things, one of the great
things we do is probably our Fire Chief is super pro fitness.
And probably 2/10/12 years ago we ran a study on our, our high
call volume times. When do we actually have time to
work out? And what we found was O 700-0900
was our downtime. That was the time where our call
(45:21):
volume was the lowest. He said, all right, here's what
we're going to do 700 rig checks.
You get done with your rig checks, you're in your workout
clothes, you workout, shower up.We're not scheduling any drills
till O 900. That's your workout time.
Now. We're not covered for calls, but
that's your time. We're not putting anything on
the schedule till O 900. Get your egg checks done.
Go work out. That's what we do, which is
(45:42):
good, but we don't have an official fit for duty test
annually. Got you No, and like I said,
that's a that's a great, you know, snap your fingers because
like you, like you had said, thegoal is to drain the pension
system across the nation. We make it 7 years from when we
retire nationally, right? So we retire and seven years
(46:03):
later, we're fucking dead. Like, that sucks.
After doing 35 years serving thepublic, you, you deserve a lot
longer. And it's up to us, You know,
it's up to us to make that a very acceptable and normal part
of our daily routine at the house.
You know, and it's, you know, especially as company officers
and chief officers, you know, the best thing to do is you just
(46:23):
doing it right. And they're like, crap.
The chief's in the gym. We'll go see what.
The chief's doing right in there, yeah.
I better or I better get in there.
Shit, he's in there, right? So I mean, yeah, just doing it
like anything we say, like when we start talking about ladder
work or whatever. Hey, you want to get better
single man 20 fours, guess what?Go throw single man 20 fours
against the station over and over again and you'll be by
yourself for a couple weeks and eventually a guy.
I'll join you. And before you know it, the
(46:44):
whole shifts out there and you're learning new ways to do
stuff. The fitness is no different.
You know, it's it's part of our trade.
But dude, I love it. So again, chief, thank you so
much for taking time out your busy day.
I apologize. This was we tried to schedule
this a couple times. So I'm so happy we're able to
sit down and get this going. But again, please, everyone
reach out to Chief Peterson firefighter strap stock.
(47:07):
His link for his company will bein the bio.
You can find him on Instagram and everything else you've heard
him. He's one of the brothers, right?
And he's here to make our lives better, make us more efficient
and make us freaking studs on the fire ground.
So with that, Chief, you got anything to leave the audience
with? No, I appreciate your time,
Steve. Thanks for having me on.
All right. Thank you, my brother.
We'll see you guys in another two weeks.
(47:27):
Have a good one. You too.
Thanks for listening. We'll be back in another two
weeks. Remember to like, share, review
if you can. Helps drive traffic to our
podcast. Remember, let's leave our ego
out of the fire service. It's amazing what we can
accomplish when no one's lookingfor credit.
Much love. Let's stop eating our own and
(47:48):
become better firemen. Catch you next time.
All right, welcome back everybody.
I have the privilege to sit downwith Chief Luke Peterson.
He served as a paid on call fireman in a small rural
department in 1998. He's hired full time in 2001 by
two station combination department.
From there he worked there for about 16 months and received a
job offer as at his current department.
He works in a Chicago suburb with five stations, a Lieutenant
in 2013, was there for 10 years,was promoted to Battalion Chief
(00:23):
January 2023 and that's his current rank right now.
He is also the fitness coordinator for his department
and he manages their fleet services.
So Chief, welcome. Thank you for coming on the
show. More importantly in that bio,
and we were talking earlier and forgot the real reason and the
most, probably the most important thing about your bio
for this show is owner firefighterstraps.com.
Is that correct, Chief? Absolutely.
(00:43):
All right, is there anything I missed or anything you want to
add there boss? Sounds good, I appreciate you
having me on. Not perfect.
Well, listen. So thanks for thanks for
agreeing to come on. So me and chief connected over
the interweb, over Instagram andhe has a company called
firefighterstraps.com and it is amazing products.
So I was just showing a bunch ofthe boys at work the other day
(01:05):
and it's one of those things where once you look at it,
you're going to say, damn it, I could have done that, right?
This guy is a genius. That makes so much sense.
That's kind of where we're at right now.
So without further ado, chief, please just break us down to
man. How did it start?
Like were you always like man, Iwant an easier way to carry shit
or or or how they kind of March out Chief, if you don't mind,
(01:26):
just explain to the audience. Yeah, absolutely.
I had no ambition to be a business owner, start a
business, anything like that. I got promoted to a Lieutenant
back in 2013. A compliment of tools I love
carrying is the Haligan Bar in New York Hook.
Great complement of tools for energy company officer, truck
company officer, but they they're terrible carry together.
(01:48):
So you get, I mean, 95% of our calls are fire alarms.
You get up to the Knox box, you got to lean the hook against the
the wall, you got to put the baron the ground, you pick them
back up and go on with your business.
So I wanted to come up with a method to marry the New York
Cook and Halgan bar together. So I did and after a couple
terrible renditions of of the strap, I finally came up with a
(02:11):
a good rendition of it. And after I did, I made one for
myself had a lady downtown so itfor me and I bought my stuff on
Amazon. And after that I had it on our
rig and some of my guys at my department said, Hey, where
where'd you get that strap? And I said, well, I made it.
Why? They said, well, can you make me
one? I said sure.
So before I knew it, I had one on every one of our rigs.
(02:33):
And then neighboring department that we work with quite a bit
saw it at training and said, hey, where'd you guys get that
strap? And they said, well, Luke makes
it. So they said, hey, can you make
us a few of those? So before we knew it, I had one
on every one of their rigs. And at the time, my maintenance
boss, I work in our maintenance division on my off days also.
And my maintenance boss said heyit sounds like you got something
here, you should probably do something with it.
(02:54):
Well about 5 or 6 years later I finally did.
I am involved in purchasing for my department and one of the
frustrations I had was finding aone stop shop for straps,
specifically hose straps. So I would go on one website to
find one like the hose trap, another website to find another
like the hose trap and it got very frustrating.
(03:15):
So eventually I said, well, I guess I'm going to make some
hose traps. One of the other things that we
were doing was we were we were finally upgrading our fleet and
I got the approval from our chief to upgrade some of our
tools and equipment when we upgraded our fleet.
And we the, the way that we deploy our hose lines off the
back of our vehicles is 2 1/2 inch hose with a play pipe in
line or 2 1/2 inch nozzle depending what your terminology
(03:36):
is and into an inch and three quarter line.
And that 2 1/2 inch nozzles bouncing around the front yard
sometimes gets shut off on a front porch poster on a curb.
So we had always had bail strapsto keep that nozzle in a locked
and open position to keep that inch and three quarter line
flowing all the time. And it was literally seatbelts
(03:56):
from cars that were cut out fromguys 25 years ago.
The Velcro, you could blow on itand, and it would come apart.
And so I finally got the approval to go ahead and, and
upgrade some of this stuff, which was was definitely need
it. And I couldn't find one.
I couldn't find a Bale strap. So I said, well, I guess I'm
going to make a Bale strap too. And really that was the
beginning of the company. It was The New Yorker Callaghan
(04:17):
strap, the Bale strap and some basic hose straps.
And it was something I had no ambition to doing and it just
kind of fell in my lap. And it was something that I had
come up with and, and ran with it.
So it was kind of. How long has has a company like
really not just you making it for guys or you trying to make
it for your your own department to make your purchasing easier?
(04:40):
How long have you guys kind of been really mainstream when it
comes out to man you're you're sending stuff out all over the
country? So Mainstream has been about
three years, incorporated four years ago.
So we incorporated four years ago, had no idea what we were
doing to be honest with you. And then we really are our big
kickoff point was FDIC. FDIC three years ago was the
(05:03):
really when we started to gain traction where we started to get
our name out there across the country and get orders from
across the country through our website and then also through
direct orders through through contacting me or my partners.
But yeah, so we've been in business for four years.
First year it was kind of a figure it out kind of thing.
And so really three years we kind of been rocking and
rolling. So now explain to me, and this
(05:24):
is because I'm being very selfish right now, Let's talk
about the original product because that's what is the most
interesting to me. So I'm just curious.
I've seen guys with metal clips that they've been able to use
set screws to, like tying on theNew York hooks to be able to
marry a Halligan. I've seen the UL to chain link
(05:45):
onto your, SO why is the strap better than all those?
Well, number one, I didn't want there to be any sort of
modification to the tools. So you can Weld a chain link on
it. You can.
There's a bunch of different modifications that there are for
it. So like I said, there was some
terrible renditions of the strapprior to the one that's out
right now. That works very well.
(06:06):
The original version, it worked OK, but it didn't keep the tools
super secure. With the current strap, it keeps
the tools super secure. You don't have to modify the
tools at all. And the second component to it
is it has to be quickly accessible.
You have to be able to remove that strap quickly so you can go
to work. So large pull tabs, gloved hand,
(06:26):
easily accessible. The way we saw our Velcro on our
straps on whether it's our hose straps or the New York Co
Callaghan strap, we always sew the loop Velcro over the hook
Velcro. So when you go to deploy, you
can pull it off with a glove tan.
It's going to slip out, nothing's going to hang up on
it. So those were really the key
features to it was I didn't wantto have to modify my tools for
it. Everybody can't doesn't have
(06:48):
access to a fabrication shop to Weld a chain link on or isn't
handy enough to do something like that.
And no matter what configurationyou have these tools and you can
flip them upside down, you can shake them, you can do whatever
you need to do and the tools aren't going to come apart.
So the chain link is great. You still have to grasp it with
one hand. You still have to keep those
tools together. They will stay together against
(07:09):
the wall with this, no matter what configuration, they stay
together quickly and easily deployable.
You don't have to modify your tools.
So really that was kind of that what I was looking for when I
came up with this strap. Well, I, I love the fact and it,
it dawned on me, as you're saying, man, I didn't want to
modify my tools. I know.
So the department I work for, there are tools there on the
(07:30):
truck that are owned by the cityand we are not allowed to modify
them. How they were purchased is how
they were purchased, period, theend.
And then most guys carry personal tools, personal hooks
and everything else. And that's where you see all the
modification. But I love the idea that guys
can get these straps so they canbe more efficient and effective
firemen. If they don't, especially the
new guys, they just don't have any money to invest in their
(07:51):
craft yet, you know? So the only tools available are
the rig tools. And they're like, man, I want a
better way. At least with your strap,
they're not going to get have toget permission from the city to
modify a tool and get told no. So that's genius.
So you did a New York cook strapthat was a baby then basically
on the hose strap. So again, selfishly, let's can
(08:13):
we talk about the canned strap. So cans across the American fire
service right now is a very hot topic and a very progressive and
good way in my personal opinion,because I feel like we're
talking about utilizing cans a lot more since we're really
understanding flow pass, door control, everything else.
Because now we know we could snuff a fire and hold a lot of
(08:36):
shit at Bay and save a lot of that house with the can quick
actions, you know, pre hose line.
So talk about what your can strap is and then how it would
benefit our can man or whatever you want to call it in your
system. Yeah, absolutely.
So originally we had a can strapvery basic.
There wasn't, it was a lot like the other can straps on the
(08:58):
market. The goal is to be the one stop
shop for firefighting straps. So I was like, well, I'm going
to make a can strap. Made a basic one.
First year at FDIC. We had a gentleman that by the
name of Eric Wheaton, he teachescans and irons class at FDIC
every year. Came up to the booth and he
said, hey, your can strap's OK. He goes, but here's what you got
to do to make it awesome. Like the Cadillac of can straps.
(09:21):
So we took the can strap back and we said, all right, quick
release buckles, quickly adjustable.
You got to be able to with a glove tan.
You got to be able to release the sling, bring it through your
legs. If you're dragging it through
your legs, got to be able to quickly adjust it, tighten it,
loosen it, whatever the case maybe.
And you have to have a tether onthe top so the strap doesn't
slide down the can as you're using it.
(09:41):
So went back to the drawing board on that.
We already have a number of straps that have seat belt
buckles, Velcro, all the all thecomponents that he was looking
for. And through the course of the
last couple years kind of dialedthat into what we call now
because Eric used the terms of Cadillac of can straps.
So really that was kind of the deal with it where we said
there's a lot of them on the market, but how can we make it
(10:04):
better? How can we make it so that it
works well for the people that use the can in the way that
they're teaching in the modern fire service with the cans and
irons class where we're really getting that that pressurized
water can in there to keep the fire at Bay so we can start
searches, so we can make rescues, you know, stuff like
that. So that was kind of where that
where our can strap, which is our our deluxe can strap.
(10:26):
We still do have the other one on the website, but the Deluxe
can strap is the one that we kind of call the Cadillac can
straps. I love it.
And the fact that there's even abuilt in handle on there too,
correct? Which is amazing because we
talked about angles of the can that make a difference, you
know, and I'm sure that's, I'm sure that's a weed in idea that
was pushed in your brain. Absolutely.
(10:46):
That was one of them too as well.
Yeah. So what's your, I'm curious,
what's your top seller then? So you, you you're the one stop
shop for firemen straps, period.The end.
I mean, I know you have rescue straps.
I went, I mean, I went through adeep dive on your website and
was just like trying to figure out how we could buy them all.
So I, I mean, I know you have everything.
So what's really what's the mostpopular right now?
(11:06):
Boy, I tell you since the last two years at FDIC since we've
had that can strap out, it's that's been one of the top ones
are to be honest, that the simplest of all the straps is
the belt tool ring and the flashlight strap.
So it goes on a gut belt, it goes on a truckman's belt, it
goes on an integrated bunker belt and super simple, but it's
not something else that's slung across your body.
(11:28):
It's just a simple belt tool ring on the side of your that's
either hooks your gut belt or your truckman's belt and you can
slide a tool in that. That's our hands down, our
number one seller. The flashlight strap is another
one for Streamlight or whatever.Whatever flashlight you have,
box light you have, but it keepsit at your side without having
something else on across your body to get hung up on.
That's a big seller. As of late, the extrication tool
(11:51):
carrying straps have been reallyreally big make.
Sure. That's because of the big push
of the battery powered, right, Absolutely got a little heavier,
OK. Yeah.
And that and, and really that's where that stemmed from.
My department was going through the process of figuring out what
extrication tools we were going to buy with, you know, what
battery tools we're going to buy.
And so we had all the manufacturers out and we took a
(12:12):
look at everything. And when I was looking at them,
my question to all the manufacturers was, is there a
way to carry these things? I mean, we're talking 5060 LB
tools and now we're, I'm not in a super rural department, but
you got rough terrain, you got rocky ditches and you do have
some rural departments where youmight be humping out into a
(12:35):
field 100 yards for a car that'srolling over out there.
And you got to be able to go to work when you get there.
So I've got some pushback on this, like, hey, hey, bro, how
about I just get you a membership to the gym and you
know, you toughen up and I'm like, it's not about that.
We're worried about safety, efficiency and being able to do
the job when you get there, whenyou get to the scene.
So if you can save yourself for that, that's what it's all
(12:57):
about. But when I was looking at all
these different extrication tools, the one thing I found
that was in common is the cylindrical case on all the
tools. So I said, well, if none of you
guys have a strap for it, I'm gonna come up with a strap for
it. And we have a wide array of
fitness levels in the fire service from smaller to larger
individuals. And so wanting to be able to
(13:20):
provide a product that will allow everybody to be able to go
to work once they get to the vehicle.
If you're carrying a 60 LB tool or 50 LB tool, 100 yards out of
new cornfield, your forearms andyour shoulders are spent by the
time you get there. I don't care if you work out, I
work out every shift, we all do.But you still got to be able to
go to work and you want to be able to work as long as you can
(13:41):
and be as efficient as possible.So really injury prevention,
efficiency and safety, those arethe things with with that.
But the extrication tool strap carrying strap has been a really
big seller for us and a product that not only have fire
departments latched onto, but manufacturers have latched onto
as well. And it's funny because even like
you were talking about the ruralsetting for, and I get it, car
(14:04):
down a ravine or a ditch or whatever, you go in a couple 100
yards into the woods, yeah, man,that's, that's a freaking truck.
But like I know in our region now, since we became untethered
and went battery operated, we'reutilizing spreaders on the rear
of commercial structures. And we can set a three man team,
two guys setting gaps just big enough to get the spread in
(14:24):
there and start ripping these doors rapidly when we need to
provide extra means of egress onthese large commercial
buildings. So even in downtown
Philadelphia, just picking a random city, right, that would
be absolutely a great option to add to that mix.
You talked about the belt, yeah,the belt tool ring.
(14:45):
And that was something else thatlike me and the boys were like
kind of drooling over because italmost seems and I, I don't know
the answer almost seems like it's interchangeable.
So we saw where like it goes on your belt loop and then you can
basically click in your box light, you know, can that click
into like other parts of your your carrying devices?
Yeah. So the way the belt tool ring
does not have a seat belt buckleon it, we do have a yeah, we do
(15:08):
have another came out with a forcible entry tool called AT
one and they wanted a device to carry that.
There's nowhere to tether on it.So we do have a sling with the
belt tool ring on it, but it's not doesn't have the seat belt
buckle on it because that's not what they wanted.
But the rest of our tool complement, we have the sling
(15:29):
that has the female buckle on itand every other tool, every
other tool portion of our strapshas a male buckle on it.
So if you had that sling on, if you wanted to carry an
extrication tool, if you wanted to carry a flashlight, if you
know anything that we have that you put on the tool that has a
seat belt buckle on it, the maleportion is on the tools, the
(15:51):
female portions on the sling. So you can click it right into
our sling. It's it's interchangeable tick.
You know, there's a bunch of different things, but I do want
to go back real quick to you made a good point about our
extrication tool carrying strap.And one of the biggest benefits
and will actually probably the largest grossing department
that's bought them from us is a large city fire department that
(16:12):
uses these extrication tools forforceable entry and high rise
buildings. And when you're going up
multiple flights of stairs or you guys a ton of equipment to
carry up in a high rise fire andyou're looking to force multiple
doors in a real quick fashion, it, it was greatly beneficial to
them. Actually, the salesman came to
(16:33):
me and said, these guys are coming up with some ridiculous
ways to carry this thing and they are beating the crap out of
these tools. Can you please give me one of
these straps so I can show it tothem?
So I did and ultimately they ended up buying them for all the
tools for their high rise evolutions.
And then the other application, which kind of goes a little bit
outside the fire service, but I think it's worth mentioning is
(16:53):
they start, they started developing these tools for
forcible entry for law enforcement.
And with law enforcement, it's extremely important for them to
be hands free. So they have to have a way to
carry this tool and still have access to their weapon.
So we've kind of ventured off into the law enforcement aspect
with forcible entry tools and the sling because they really
need that that aspect of being hands free when they're carrying
(17:16):
the tools as well. So.
And that, that makes sense. That never would have ever
entered my brain, honestly, you know, But it might.
Be either until they asked for it.
I mean, that's freaking that's awesome.
And then helping, helping our brothers in blue.
So that's that's always, it's a good thing.
I'm gonna go on a quick tangent real fast.
What was the name of that Himacha rabbit tool Halligan T1?
All right. Do you guys have them in your
department? We do.
(17:39):
Honest opinion, what do you think about them?
So we had some issues with we had some issues.
I'll give you my issues. I'm curious on your issues.
Well, we had some issues with the previous tools that we had.
So we had the hydro Rams before and we were blowing seals on
those things all the time. So we tried out the T1, we had
mixed reviews with the T1. Some guys are set like it's,
it's heavy, it's the head is waytoo heavy, it's not balanced.
(18:00):
But ultimately in the end, when we looked at the application for
it, the removable forks on the end to be able to get a purchase
point, keep that purchase point.And then we never, I mean, we
beat the heck out of that thing when we trialled it and we were
never able, able to make it fail.
So it was, it was kind of a a replacement for our Hydra amp
(18:22):
tools that we had and and I got you.
All right, well, I'll go. I'll go on a quick rant.
So we got them at a win because it's one of those budgetary
things. Hey, there's a allotment of
money has to be spent yesterday.If not, it's gone in 1/2 a
second. We pulled the trigger on it.
They sounded like an amazing idea.
I was actually extremely like excited when they came in before
(18:45):
actually using. I love the detachable forks.
I think that's the best wedge onthe market.
I agree. I don't believe it's a well
balanced tool. Here's my biggest gripe, 2
biggest gripes, and if a Moucho is listening, come see me and
I'll show you. The first gripe is in.
It's impossible with the gloved hand to release that pressure.
That freaking little, tiny little valve, whatever that is
(19:06):
garbage. Dumbest thing I've ever seen.
The other part is the reason that we got them and we're very
excited to get them was for exactly what we just talked
about, those really tough commercial outward swinging
doors. And what we found through a
bunch of forcing is they bind the doors and their they, they
cannot force that door. It actually creates so much
(19:28):
pressure. It binds want to outward inward
Oh my God, it blasted all day long.
But like the reason we were thinking was commercial and
outward swinging really tough reinforced stores and it does
not perform my opinion so but. I laughed.
I laughed when you talked about the the release mechanism
because I went to our salesman and I'm like, hey, this is a
(19:50):
good tool. It's a great tool.
We want it, but like you got to do something about this release
mechanism. It's so small and it it sticks
and there's no way to release itwith a glove tan.
And he's like, they're working on it.
They're working on it. I said, OK, well, we'll buy them
once they once they work that out.
And he said, I'll make a deal with you, You buy them now when
they come out with it, I will replace your tools with the new
(20:12):
ones. I said, all right, deal.
So they are working on that release mechanism because that
was our number one gripe when wetested those tools.
Well, thank you for helping all of us across the United States
with that because not every single person, because we ran it
through the grinder and you know, it's like the feedback
that was always every single person, negative feedback on
(20:32):
that part of the tool. Yep.
And I'm like, how did they not know that prior to?
I'll, I'll get off that tangent before we transition to just
kind of your department and the great things you guys are doing.
Is there anything else you want to talk about with your company,
Sir? I think the biggest thing is you
had mentioned before, we are theone stop shop for fire fighting
straps. We're not quite there yet.
That's the ultimate goal to be the one stop shop for
(20:54):
firefighting straps. I think the way that we get
there, number 1 is great customer service.
So if you call, if you go on ourwebsite, you're going to see my
picture, you're going to see my e-mail address.
If you e-mail me, I'll get rightback to you.
And so on. My partners, we, we have great
customer service. We'll get back to you right
away. The other thing is that we're
more than willing to provide custom straps.
(21:16):
So one of the biggest selling custom products that we have as
of late is our hose bundle strapkits.
So people come to come to me andsay, hey, I want a hose bundle
strap kit for our high rise. And they'll say I got 100 feet
inch and three quarter and I'm like, all right, well, how's it
packaged? How's it bundled?
(21:37):
What do you want? Do you want a sling?
Do you want 3 straps tethered together?
What do you want? I'm more than willing to work
through that with people becauseI think hose bundle straps are
very important in that. Well, number one is I like
individual host straps better than I like hose bundle strap
kits. Fire chiefs like hose bundle
(21:57):
strap kits because they're tethered together and you don't
lose host straps all the time. What we found is that we have an
adjustable hose bundle strap kiton the website.
It works. It works fine for you.
I would prefer and I prefer the stationary hose bundle strap
kits where we make it to exactlywhat you need.
We put the right hose straps on it.
(22:19):
We make it the exact length thatyou want it, whether using the
Wichita load, the Denver load, whatever the case may be.
Let me know your host circumference, let me know the
length of your bundle. Let me know what you're looking
for. We'll make a custom hose bundle
strap kit for you. Our manufacturers are awesome.
We deal with it all the time. And that's really something I
think that kind of sets us apartbecause there really isn't a lot
of companies out there that willmake you a custom hose bundle
(22:41):
strap kits and you can keep coming back for more later.
But the other, the other point that I want to make is I started
this company with 7 holsters through the course again, not
the fire departments through thecourse of people calling me and
contacting me and saying, hey, do you have something for this?
Do you have something for this? Can you help me out with this?
Now we've got about 43 differentproducts and a lot of that
(23:03):
probably 50% me and 50% firefighters reaching out
because firefighters have great ideas, but they don't always
have the means to make it happen.
The other half of that is firefighters reaching out to me
and saying, hey, I need something for this.
Can you help me with that? And I love that because not only
am I hoping a fellow firefighter, but also it's
likely a product that another another firefighter is going to
(23:25):
need at some point because there's, you know, if there's a
need, other people are probably needing it as well.
So that I think that's the biggest thing, you know, and
wrapping up the whole business side of things is I'm more than
happy to make things, more than happy to modify things.
And I'm not going to say 100%, Ican always make what you need,
but I'll give him my best shot and we'll see what we can do so.
(23:47):
Dude, I love it. And again, that's I mean, you're
on this show, you're not on thisshow to promote and sell your
product. You're on this show because
first of all, you're a fireman. Second of all, you're trying to
make everything better for us, the American Fire Service.
And you said it multiple times and I always tell the kids this
too, like the recruits, I am here to train you to be
effective and efficient. And like you must have said,
(24:07):
efficient probably like 10 times.
And it's true because the more efficient we are, the more work
we can do in a timely manner, which makes us better at our
freaking job, which is every using one of us want to be a
stud when the tones drop. I don't care if you got a year
on the job or 35 years on the job when tones drop, you want to
be a stud. So you're out there making stuff
that makes us more likely to be a stud on seed.
(24:30):
So dude, kudos. Thank you for, I mean, I know it
kind of like fell on your lap and then it just took off.
But I mean, good things happen to good dudes for good reasons.
And, you know, just thank you for helping the American Fire
Service and, and like you said, making this more efficient.
You know, then. And I love the idea that guys
can reach out to you and say, bro, this is my problem because
(24:52):
that's that's how we learn. And we this show we talk about
all the time, you know, get outside your comfort zone.
This is exactly what we're talking about.
You know, he is outside the comfort zone saying call me and
challenge me and I'll try something.
You know, it might not work, butI'll try.
You know, I'll do my best. So yeah, I'll do my best.
No, brother. So I know you've been a
Battalion Chief for a couple years now, right?
About three years or so. But I'm putting you back in the
(25:14):
right front seat. I'm putting you on the wagon of
the ladder wherever you were. So we're running our 95% house
fire, our single story dwelling,your first in.
How does your system work for that first arriving house fire,
How many engines, how many ladders and kind of March out
how the call goes if you don't mind for the audience?
Yeah, absolutely. 4 engines, 2 trucks and two ambulances and a
(25:37):
battalion. That's that's our first in
depending on the amount of chiefs that are around, but at
least at least two chiefs. And that's our normal
compliment. We run three people on a fire
company and we're in the area that we're in Chicago suburbs.
We're we're aggressive interior attack now with flow path and
all the research that's come out, you know, we we've modified
(25:59):
that certainly. And we're not afraid to darken
something down and then go in and hit it.
But yeah, we're, we're pretty aggressive with interior attack.
We first engine in most the first four companies that arrive
on the scene, they've got their marching orders just out of our
Sogs and they're they're rollingwith it.
They're going right away. They're not waiting for orders,
(26:19):
they're moving. So first, first engine is a fire
attack, Second engine is water supply if, if we don't already
have one and second line trucks coming in, they're doing search
forcible entry if they need to get around to the back, starting
to throw ladders. 3rd engine, ifthere's an assignment for them,
if we need them, then we're going to we're going to put them
to work. But that's kind of a catch all
Third engine, 4th engine, secondtruck writ assignment unless
(26:43):
there's something that needs to get done.
And then we utilize our medics pretty heavily.
So our first medic unit to the scene teams up with our first
engine, helps to get that first hose line in place and then they
branch off and start a search onthe fire floor.
Second engine or second medic that comes in is going to be our
rehab medic. So that's in a nutshell bread
and butter house fire. That's how we operate and that's
(27:05):
pretty standard in our area withfor my department and for my
surrounding departments. All right.
So that fourth engine and 2nd ladder, they're automatically
obviously unless they're needed,they're automatically married as
a rapid intervention. Is that correct?
Both the companies? Unless they're.
Yeah. Unless there's, I mean quite
often there are assignments to be handled.
(27:26):
So we're putting them to work orat least one of those companies
to work. But as a standard in our Sogs,
that is what they're slated to do unless told otherwise.
OK. And that first engine, do they
go dry? And that second engine makes
their connections, do they lay in?
So typically, I mean, we're, we're pretty fortunate.
We've got water in about 90% of our area.
(27:48):
So that first in engineer is usually usually responsible for
getting their own water. I mean, we got, we got hydrants
pretty much everywhere. If not, that second engine comes
in, second engine drops their water to the first engine, and
then they lead out to the hydrant.
OK, copy. Yeah, I was just wondering
because some departments always lay in, they'll have two lines
come in eventually. Some never lay in, you know, in
(28:09):
that second or some will just lay a line dry and that second
engine will go ahead and make their connection.
So I'm always, I'm always curious on like what that
typical first aid engine will orwill not do depending.
Because then like in in the system I work in, it is you will
not lay in if it's a rescue profile.
So someone's on the horn. Hey, I'm trapped or whatever.
(28:31):
And then if not, it's the officers discretion if they lay
in or not. We just verbalize it on the
radio either way. That way, you know, either
second line needs to get picked up or, or it's fine.
So I was just curious on becauseyou guys are SOG driven, which
I, I love SOG driven because it probably cuts down on radio
traffic a lot, right? It does.
It does, yeah. And we, I mean, we typically do
(28:52):
not lay in, we typically we have750 gallons of water on our
engines. And so I mean we're get a line
off, protect the stairs, get up in a night time fire where
there's potential rescues to be made.
Let's get in there. Let's protect egress, let's make
rescues, let's get people out. I mean, ultimately we want to
save everything we can, but let's save lives first, get that
(29:15):
750 gallons of water to work andlet's worry about water supply
after that. So, and I don't say I say that,
but you know, that's in the forefront of our mind.
We've worked, like I said, we'revery fortunate having hydrants
in 90% of our district. So and our engineers are, are
pretty proficient and getting that water supply pretty quick.
And if not that second engines right on top of them and they're
they're helping them out with that so.
(29:37):
A copy. So what is, what's the reason
for the two battalions? Does 1-GO interior as a sector
officer or how do you guys run that?
Yeah, typically we so depending on the magnitude of the fire,
we've got a command and then operations.
So we'll have command that's in a controlled environment and
everybody does this different. Some people are standing
outside, you know what the at the tail of the bug tail end of
(29:59):
the buggy. Some people are standing in the
front yard is command for us. The way that we do it is command
is in the car. They're in a controlled
environment. You can roll the window up, you
can roll the window down. You can think clearly.
You don't have people barking atyou the whole time.
And and then we had we got operations up to the scene right
away. And then they're the, they're
the one that's handling the operations and reporting
(30:20):
back-to-back to command as far as what they need.
So that's how we typically handle a single family structure
fire. And then as we fill out our,
our, as further chiefs arrive, then we will get a, you know, if
we need a Division C, we'll get a Division C.
If we need a safety officer, youknow, safety officer Rich chief,
you know, stuff like that. We'll fill the compliment out as
as more chiefs arrive. I got you and I, I, I agree with
(30:43):
you because I've been in that situation, in that controlled
environment. It's nice when you can literally
lock the doors and roll the windows up and be like, yeah,
you know, I like, yeah, I'm on the radio right now.
But yeah, I agree. But you're you're right though.
I mean, I've talked to the battalion cheese that literally
will set up almost like a a yardsale table on the sidewalk.
And I'm like, you know, but theylove it.
(31:06):
They prefer because they feel like they're closer and they're
more in tune with the guys. So I mean, all have their
benefits, but I, I do I, I prefer your guys's method for
short when it comes about command.
The last question about command is your initial arriving
officer, I'm assuming will assume command and then how does
that come over to the battalion?Is that a face to face or is
(31:27):
that something that's just transferred over the radio?
How do you guys do the transfer?So we do it a little different.
We do not our first driving officers do not establish
command. So we're yeah.
So that's the kind of the the blue card system and we kind of
take a little bit of that blue card system.
But our first driving officers do not establish command.
(31:47):
Like I said, we're so G driven pretty heavily.
So our first in chief is usuallyon the scene within a minute or
two of that first in fire company.
Now if the chief is not there that first in engine company
officer, truck company officer is going to designate what they
need to needs to be done, but they don't officially take
(32:07):
command. The first in Battalion Chief
takes command and then they willradio the 1st in officer and get
a can report from them and then roll from there.
OK, a copy. So they give a on scene report
and they go to work basically. And then once the chief gets on
scene he gets a CAN report and then starts rolling his Rolodex
from there. Absolutely.
(32:29):
Yep. OK, cool.
Hey, I like it. Actually.
I like it a lot. That's one.
All right, so we know like I love what you're doing for the
American Fire Service right now.Like your department sounds like
you guys are rocking and rolling.
You've been there for for quite some time.
Is there anything you want to leave the audience with?
And before we get into kind of the questions of the season.
I think we've covered a lot. The only thing from the business
(32:52):
perspective, the only thing I want to leave the audience with
is through the month of July, we've got a discount code copper
on our website. Put in the discount code copper.
You get 10% off for anything on our website.
So go to our website, favoritefighterstraps.com, check
it out. Put in the code copper at
checkout. You get 10% off any of our
stuff. There you go.
Awesome. Yeah, Code copper get 10% off.
(33:12):
Freaking amazing, amazing tool supporting a brother owned
company. What can you?
What else can you ask for? All right, so let's get into the
the questions of the season, right?
This is my favorite part. So let's start with the why.
We asked the why in the Americanfire service a lot.
We asked the why when you're trying to get hired.
We asked the why when you're promoting.
Should we even ask the why when you're trying to do other
positions within your job? But why?
(33:33):
Why did Luke become a fireman? Did you get bit by the bug?
Was it something you always wanted to do?
Just tell the audience why you ended up with the American Fire
Service, brother. Yeah, it was, it was actually
pretty interesting. So I was grew up in a small,
somewhat rural community, very small volunteer POC fire
department. And I happen to go to the
Community College in that town. When I got out of high school,
(33:56):
my brother was on the fire department and he's he's like,
hey, man, we're super short staffed during the day.
You're going to be in town, you're going to the Community
College right here in town. He said you should get on the
fire department. All right, I'll get on the fire
department. Why not?
I was going to be I was good with numbers.
I was going to be an accountant or I don't know what.
I was going to be something thatI would have been miserable in
for my whole life. And I got on the fire
(34:16):
department. That was it.
I had no, I had no desire as a kid.
I wasn't growing up as a kid being like, I want to be a
firefighter. I want to be a firefighter.
Really never thought about it. And my dad was on the same
Volunteer Fire Department for for a number of years before my
brother got on. My brother got on and he's, he's
like, you gotta get on. He was kind of a role model of
me for me as as I was growing up, boys kind of following in
(34:38):
his footsteps. And I said, yeah, I'll get on.
And you either love it or you hate it.
And I got on the fire department.
It's either for you or it's not.And it was 100% for me.
And I immediately just took a right turn and said change my
major. I know what I'm doing.
And from that day forward, it was let's get my EMT, let's get
my. Well, at the time it was
Firefighter 2, but let's get this done and let's get rolling
(34:59):
cuz this is the job for me. I love it.
Yeah, it was kind of the spur ofthe moment.
I had no idea as a kid what I wanted to do.
And once I got a taste of it, that was it.
You know, it's funny because there's a good portion of really
good dudes on the job that got into it by freaking accident.
It was like it just came across and you're like, but then when
they did, they're like, Oh my God, this is my calling.
(35:20):
I just had no idea prior to. Is your brother still on the job
or no? He is, he is.
Yep, he's in a in. The same department.
No, he's in a another Chicago suburban department as a deputy
chief. OK, cool.
Any other family on the job? OK, well, that's cool, man.
I like a freaking brother on thejob.
That's that's freaking amazing. So we know the why, right?
(35:43):
So let's talk about traditions. So everyone's got different
traditions, but wholeheartedly we're trying to hold on to them
desperately. I'd like to say because of
society in general, they're trying to, they look at a lot of
things we do as hazy and whatever the case might be, but
we have so many good traditions in the American fire service.
What is your favorite American fire service tradition?
But more importantly, why? Why is it your favorite
(36:04):
tradition? You know, I, you might, you
asked me this before kind of kicking this around, but to me,
and this is something we talked about in my department a lot, is
it's coffee table really. I mean, there is so much at the
coffee table that goes on. And one of the things that we've
talked about, you know, I've talked about with my officers
and like, man, we got all these new guys that get hired and
(36:28):
they're, they're awesome. They're doing what they should
be doing. They get here, they get to to
shift at 6:00, we start at 7, they get to shift at 6:00,
They're out checking their vehicle.
They're doing good stuff. And I'm like, they're missing
the coffee table. That's yeah, there's a lot of
banter that goes on. There's a lot of nonsense and
everything, but there's also a lot of good handoff that happens
there. There's a lot of good, you know,
it's the calls from the day before, the issues that you ran
(36:49):
into. It's the whatever you know is
going on with your vehicle. There's a lot of that stuff that
ties into that too. And whether it's the coffee
table in the morning, whether it's the coffee table after
dinner. I mean, I think that tradition
of sitting down, oh, this is ourhome away from home.
This is our family away from family.
And you learned so much about everybody at your mealtimes
(37:09):
sitting down before shift. You really get a good hand off
at that coffee table in the morning.
And so we're trying to draw our,our new hires into that where I
know they don't want to sit down.
I know they don't, you know, they feel like I got to be doing
something. I got, I should get the laundry
going, I should get the bathrooms clean, I should get my
rig checked on. But that is really important for
them to be a part of that. I, I feel anyways.
(37:31):
And I think that like the coffeetable's a great tradition at the
Firehouse. I love it.
It's funny, a couple months ago I had a Battalion Chief Chris
Slayer on and his answer to thatquestion was same as yours.
He calls it the kitchen table, right?
But he he goes bro, he and literally this is his words.
He goes, bro, we shouldn't be getting a freaking flame tat or
multis tattoo. Cool Dragon Tattoo.
(37:51):
He's like, we should be getting coffee or got a coffee table
kitchen table tattoos. He's like, because that's where
the fucking magic of the fire service is.
And it's, you're absolutely right.
And it, you know, I never reallythought of it until you just
said that you're right, because we tell these new kids like,
listen, go to work when you get there, get there early, right?
And you work from when you get in there to when your captain
(38:12):
tells you to rack out and you learn as much as you can.
But we forget to tell them or make sure that they understand
that there's, there's certain periods that are important for
them to sit and listen. And that's exactly right.
I mean, the, the best thing in the world is when you come in
because either you saw somethingon Instagram, right, or you just
smell the Firehouse and you're like, oh, the boys had a job and
(38:34):
you're just waiting for them to wake up.
I'm like, tell me everything, right?
Tell me how good it was. Tell me what went wrong.
Tell me what you guys screwed up.
Tell me what the hell. I mean, tell me I want to hear
right or whatever the case mightbe.
But you're right. And we're missing so much and
it's, it's our therapy, it's our, it's our training table.
It's everything. To us, so absolutely.
Yep. Dude, perfect.
Well, let's go completely opposite of that now, right?
(38:56):
So if you can snap your fingers right and instant gratification
1, something is changed in the American Fire Service.
So that was inserting, deleting,whatever you want to do happens
right away. No sweat equity.
What would it be? But why?
Why would you change insert, delete whatever this this thing
is? Annual fitness standard.
(39:17):
Holy shit, talk more my brother.We do AC pad.
I don't know what you guys do where you're at.
By us, AC pad test is a standard.
You got to pass the CPAT, you got to have your cute little
card when you come in to get hired to say I'm physically fit
to be a firefighter. After that day, that's it.
You're done. It's terrible.
Something I've been battling fora while.
(39:38):
I told you I'm the fitness coordinator, coordinator at my
department. It's frustrating.
It is frustrating. I think, you know, I, the talks
that I have with our new hires is, hey, this is a lifestyle
change for you. You're a firefighter now.
So you're a firefighter whether you're at work or firefighter,
whether you're at home, if something happens outside of
here, the headlines not going toread.
Luke Peterson got arrested for whatever.
(39:58):
It's going to read firefighter got arrested for whatever.
But the flip side of that is people know what you do for a
living. And people, you know, how many
times you have a station tour where people walk through and
then they they kind of look at you and, you know, you got
somebody on on your shift and they're like, wait, he's a
firefighter. And you're like, yeah.
And. The unfortunate part is that
(40:20):
it's not only a detriment to therest of the people you work
with, but I mean, to that individual themselves and to the
public. And that's the problem, is that
we have a standard when people get hired and we don't have a
standard we have to uphold throughout the rest of your
career. I would love to see an annual
fitness test where you have to pass it.
And if you don't pass it, you'reoffline.
(40:41):
You know, that's something we don't have locally.
I know like Indianapolis Fire Department, phenomenal at it.
They've got, but they also have the resources.
They have a facility, they have on duty physicians, they have
physical therapists, they have personal trainers.
They have the ability to do that.
You know, unless you're in some set type of cooperation with or,
(41:03):
or some set a type of County Fire department where you have
10 different districts that cometogether and you have the
resources to do that, it's very difficult.
But I think we owe it to ourselves ultimately.
And I tell these guys when they get hired, I'm like, hey, what's
our goal in this job? Obviously, like aside from all
the the real work stuff, like the ultimate goal of this job is
(41:24):
to work a successful career and suck as much money out of the
pension fund as you can when youretire, right?
I mean. Along the way to help.
People, we're going to do the best we can.
We're going to be all in. We're going to work our butts
off. Like all that stuff, but we work
a very difficult job. It's trying on our families,
it's trying on us. Work on yourself, keep yourself
(41:44):
in shape so that when you retireat 50 or 55 or 60, you can suck
as much money out of that pension fund because you deserve
it. But if you don't take care of
yourself throughout your career,you're a detriment to your
residents, you're detriment to your coworkers and you're
detriment to yourself. So really that like ultimately
the one thing, if I can snap my fingers right now and say this
(42:07):
is what I want right now, I wantto fit for duty standard
annually that everybody has to pass.
And if you don't pass it, you got to figure out how to pass it
before you come back to. That that is exactly how it
should be across the nation. I I was a fireman back east
prior to moving here out West and that was a constant joke in
no shade. I love that fire department, but
(42:28):
it was all the best shape of my life was the day I graduated the
Academy. It's like, dude, shame on you if
that's the case. My biggest culture shock when I
moved out West here was the opposite.
These motherfuckers are doing skillies like every day and I'm
looking I'm like, he's 10 or 15 years older than me and he's
freaking smoking me. I was embarrassed and I'm like,
(42:49):
holy cow. But our whole area, everyone
kind of does the same thing. You have to pass an annual
physical and there are metrics and VO2 Max numbers you must
meet. And if you don't, you can't be
on a truck. But but they give you a year and
resources to get you back there.Because exactly what you said,
the public looks at us as whatever city, whatever County
(43:12):
Fire department, period, the end.
Or whatever city, whatever county fireman, right, period,
the end. It's not my God, that fire
department's awesome. But Luke Peterson, he's a fat
slob, you know, or Steve or C, he's like freaking load, right?
Yeah, it's the name on the back of our shirts is huge for a
reason, you know, So it sucks that that's not across the
(43:32):
nation. And it's funny because when I
talk to guys out here, it's justbeen a norm for them.
So they're like, what do you mean?
They don't have annual physicals?
It's like, well, they do, but it's for like heavy metals and
things like that. It's not actually.
You don't get and do a stress test and on an exercise bike and
they're like, you don't, right? It's like, no.
And I'm like, oh, that's weird, right?
It's it's just funny because, yeah, what do you think the
(43:54):
biggest push back in your regionis about those physical or is
there a push back at all? I mean, the biggest thing is the
process. So like you said, you get a year
to get yourself into the shape you need to get into to be able
to pass that test. And I think the the biggest
problem is lack of resources to make it come to fruition for us
(44:18):
as far as what do we do when somebody fails it?
How long do we give them? Where do we send them?
How do we rehab them? Who are the professionals who's
guiding this thing? It's a big undertaking and I
think the, I think the biggest hurdle right now is having the
resources to be able to implement something like that or
the union's going to be heavily involved in something like that
(44:39):
to say, hey, wait, wait, you can't take somebody off the job
right now. And I and I get that.
Oh, you got to be able to, you got to be able to give them some
time to rehab. You got to give them fair
warning, give them an opportunity, which is fair.
I think that, yeah, in our region we have a lot of medium
sized fire departments that don't necessarily have the
resources as if we brought everybody together to do it, you
(44:59):
know, collectively, which is very difficult to do.
You know, at my department, one of the things, one of the great
things we do is probably our Fire Chief is super pro fitness.
And probably 2/10/12 years ago we ran a study on our, our high
call volume times. When do we actually have time to
work out? And what we found was O 700-0900
was our downtime. That was the time where our call
(45:21):
volume was the lowest. He said, all right, here's what
we're going to do 700 rig checks.
You get done with your rig checks, you're in your workout
clothes, you workout, shower up.We're not scheduling any drills
till O 900. That's your workout time.
Now. We're not covered for calls, but
that's your time. We're not putting anything on
the schedule till O 900. Get your egg checks done.
Go work out. That's what we do, which is
(45:42):
good, but we don't have an official fit for duty test
annually. Got you No, and like I said,
that's a that's a great, you know, snap your fingers because
like you, like you had said, thegoal is to drain the pension
system across the nation. We make it 7 years from when we
retire nationally, right? So we retire and seven years
(46:03):
later, we're fucking dead. Like, that sucks.
After doing 35 years serving thepublic, you, you deserve a lot
longer. And it's up to us, You know,
it's up to us to make that a very acceptable and normal part
of our daily routine at the house.
You know, and it's, you know, especially as company officers
and chief officers, you know, the best thing to do is you just
(46:23):
doing it right. And they're like, crap.
The chief's in the gym. We'll go see what.
The chief's doing right in there, yeah.
I better or I better get in there.
Shit, he's in there, right? So I mean, yeah, just doing it
like anything we say, like when we start talking about ladder
work or whatever. Hey, you want to get better
single man 20 fours, guess what?Go throw single man 20 fours
against the station over and over again and you'll be by
yourself for a couple weeks and eventually a guy.
I'll join you. And before you know it, the
(46:44):
whole shifts out there and you're learning new ways to do
stuff. The fitness is no different.
You know, it's it's part of our trade.
But dude, I love it. So again, chief, thank you so
much for taking time out your busy day.
I apologize. This was we tried to schedule
this a couple times. So I'm so happy we're able to
sit down and get this going. But again, please, everyone
reach out to Chief Peterson firefighter strap stock.
(47:07):
His link for his company will bein the bio.
You can find him on Instagram and everything else you've heard
him. He's one of the brothers, right?
And he's here to make our lives better, make us more efficient
and make us freaking studs on the fire ground.
So with that, Chief, you got anything to leave the audience
with? No, I appreciate your time,
Steve. Thanks for having me on.
All right. Thank you, my brother.
We'll see you guys in another two weeks.
(47:27):
Have a good one. You too.
Thanks for listening. We'll be back in another two
weeks. Remember to like, share, review
if you can. Helps drive traffic to our
podcast. Remember, let's leave our ego
out of the fire service. It's amazing what we can
accomplish when no one's lookingfor credit.
Much love. Let's stop eating our own and
(47:48):
become better firemen. Catch you next time.
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