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B Shifter · March 12 · 56 min

Recruits and Command

Send us Fan Mail This episode, Josh Blum, Chris Stewart and John Vance connect recruit training to stronger incident command by showing how day-one decision making, radio discipline, and functional evolutions create safer firegrounds. Along the way we share first-arriver expectations, Mayday triggers, air management, and the myth of “just do work.” • day-one radio use and communication norms • building decision-making through functional evolutions • size-up, critical factors, and risk choices • priority traffic, Mayday structure, and channel discipline • problem solving under pressure • air management triggers and round-trip ticket planning • accountability at task, tactical, and strategic levels • aligning field training officers with academy standards • clarifying “alien abduction” and preventing freelancing Reach out if you want to host a Train-the-Trainer or Mayday Workshop. Our schedule is filling up fast. bshifter.com has all the dates Buy “Timeless Tactical Truths from Alan Brunacini” at bshifter.com in our store for only $10! This episode was recorded on March 10, 2026. For Waldorf University Blue Card credit and discounts: https://www.waldorf.edu/blue-card/ For free command and leadership support, check out bshifter.com Sign up for the B Shifter Buckslip, our free weekly newsletter here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/fmgs92N/Buckslip Shop B Shifter here: https://bshifter.myshopify.com All of our links here: https://linktr.ee/BShifter Thanks for listening - please subscribe and give us your support!

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show notes

Send us Fan Mail

This episode, Josh Blum, Chris Stewart and John Vance connect recruit training to stronger incident command by showing how day-one decision making, radio discipline, and functional evolutions create safer firegrounds. Along the way we share first-arriver expectations, Mayday triggers, air management, and the myth of “just do work.”

• day-one radio use and communication norms
• building decision-making through functional evolutions
• size-up, critical factors, and risk choices
• priority traffic, Mayday structure, and channel discipline
• problem solving under pressure
• air management triggers and round-trip ticket planning
• accountability at task, tactical, and strategic levels
• aligning field training officers with academy standards
• clarifying “alien abduction” and preventing freelancing

Reach out if you want to host a Train-the-Trainer or Mayday Workshop. Our schedule is filling up fast. bshifter.com has all the dates

Buy “Timeless Tactical Truths from Alan Brunacini” at bshifter.com in our store for only $10!

This episode was recorded on March 10, 2026.

For Waldorf University Blue Card credit and discounts: https://www.waldorf.edu/blue-card/

For free command and leadership support, check out bshifter.com

Sign up for the B Shifter Buckslip, our free weekly newsletter here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/fmgs92N/Buckslip

Shop B Shifter here: https://bshifter.myshopify.com

All of our links here: https://linktr.ee/BShifter

Thanks for listening - please subscribe and give us your support! 

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