#123 Use It or Lose It: Auto Extrication, EMS Chaos & Firehouse Training

This week’s episode is packed full of real firehouse talk—from wild call stories to mental health, continuing education, and the one universal truth in the fire service:
👉 If you don’t use it, you lose it.

🔥 Episode Highlights:

• 🚑 Calls Gone Sideways – From patients claiming they’ll swallow their tongue to an actual arm amputation call, the crew breaks down how dispatch info doesn't always match the scene.

• 💥 Training Talk – Why there are strict EMS training requirements, but not enough fireground certification standards.

• 🧠 Mental Health in the Fire Service – Matt and the crew respond to a listener's message about handling "the messy stuff" (blood, vomit, trauma).

• 🪓 Auto Extrication & Rope Drills – Real training setups with junk cars, ladders, rope bags, and more.

• ✉️ Snail Mail Returns! – Shoutout to Morrow CP and other listeners who chimed in with thoughtful questions and firehouse love.

• 🐶 Meet Millie – Doug introduces us to his dog Millie (who has no front teeth and a crooked tongue, and is adorable).

💬 Key Moments:

• "Don't criticize a fire you weren’t on." – A deep dive into armchair quarterbacking and post-call debriefs.

• “Smells like sepsis.” – The entire crew bonds over the unmistakable smell of nursing homes.

• “Get creative with your training.” – Matt shares how a strip of duct tape turned a middle school wall into a rescue drill site.

• "Always look for another way." – Unkie challenges listeners to go beyond “we’ve always done it this way.”

🎧 Also in This Episode:

• Burn Box shoutouts

• Unkie’s Cajun Chicken & Rice recipe

• Jokes about Doug’s “glizzy microphone”

• CPR stories, training standards, and big-city EMS setups

• The OODA Loop explained (and roasted)

📬 Snail Mail Is OPEN!
Got a question, comment, or funny firehouse story? Drop it on Spotify, Instagram, or email—we might read it next week.

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📲 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share with your crew.