Everything Hollywood Gets Wrong About Firefighters | Fire Department Chronicles

We've had people escape from fires and then go back in to grab books and they perish in the fire. Yeah, books or or personal items. Yeah.

>> Oh, yeah. >> So, you're never running back in.

>> Don't run back in the house. No, once you're out >> So, what if your child's in there? >> Look, when we say touch the door, if you touch the door and it is scalding your hands, like it is so hot you can see flames coming out from underneath the door, when you open up that door, you're going to die. Like there's no way you're going to make it out to that hallway if flames are that bad.

>> Wet towels, putting them at the door jamb, covering yourself with them, all that's useless. >> No.

Smoke inhalation is that that big issue. When you go out there, those those fumes are extremely toxic. You're inhaling all the polyesters, all the whatever lithium stuff is on fire. >> I have two air purifiers in my room. Bad idea to turn them on? >> I mean >> Because they would suck air into the room, but they would also be cleaning the smoke. >> They would be.

>> They would. So, I don't know what is the strategy there.

>> You're going to die. >> >> That's >> Welcome back to the Checkup podcast, where today I'm speaking to Jason Patton, otherwise known as Fire Department Chronicles. He's the most followed firefighter in the world and for good reason. You probably know Jason's viral and hilarious videos recapping bizarre encounters he's had out in the field as a first responder or from his series on YouTube where he green screens himself into firefighter shows and calls them out for their BS face-to-face. He's easily one of the most charismatic people we've had on the show, but also rich in substance. He's not just some comedy influencer, he's an actual multi-year veteran of fighting fires and treating patients on the front lines with an incredible amount of insight into the profession. We touched on juicy topics like how much firefighters actually get paid, how to stay safe during a fire, controversial topics like private firefighters for celebrities, and even silly topics like the pain of sliding down the fire pole. Oh, and of course, the basics. Just to set the ground rules straight off the jump, if I catch on fire mid-episode, is it stop, drop, and roll or are there different strategies now? >> Stop, drop, and roll, but I mean, how long do you want me to let you stay on fire?

>> No, no, minimal cuz I don't have the fire suit on. So, yeah.

>> Oh, okay. Okay. I didn't know if this would end an epic video.

>> >> Dude, I still think about the training that I got when I was in middle school in Brooklyn of D.A.R.E. Stop, drop, and roll. Has any of these things been upgraded or is it still the same tried and true? Cuz I think about it from a chest compression CPR standpoint. Is there anything new that folks need to know about personal safety? >> No, but stop, drop, and roll is great cuz you're you're doing the basic things. You're you're rolling on top of the fire, so you're hopefully able to remove the oxygen from it.

It's funny because you're right, in the medical field things tend to change constantly. Every 4 years they're they're finding out something new.

Writing one extra compression in now. >> >> But, firefighting at a constant basis we're trying to make things as efficient as possible, save as many lives as possible. You look at old firefighting pieces or or at least when we were training, you know, we do forcible entry when we're moving into a structure, and there wasn't a huge emphasis on once you open up that front door with whatever you're using, make sure you close it as quickly as possible until you're ready to go in with the nozzle. It was just open the door, get in there, fight the fire, but we started to really dive into things called a flow path. So, you know, for Yeah, if we're opening up that front door to go inside of it and we just leave it wide open, if that fire happens to be starved of oxygen, then it's going to get a nice influx of oxygen, and then fire really loves O2, it loves oxygen, so it's going to start moving towards that as well. So, you create what's called a flow path. So, we know if there's a viable victim in that area, we got to make sure we're opening the door, closing it until they're they're ready to go in with the fire hose or the stretch a line in there, and then go there. >> Yeah, what does it take to become a firefighter? Cuz, you know, kids frequently say top three jobs, doctor, firefighter, police officer, maybe cowboy thrown in there or astronaut, but the those are the top ones. So, what does it take to become a >> First off, I've learned what it takes to be a cowboy and an astronaut. I'm pretty sure, bro. Yeah, I'm nowhere near smart enough to be an astronaut. No way, dude. >> I thought you just didn't like the zero gravity. >> No, I would love that. I always say if I could if I ever get that chance, if it ever becomes affordable and I'm not going to die in the process, or if I do, that would be an epic way to go out. >> >> You and Jeff Bezos. >> Just floating around hanging out, man.

It depends on where you're at. So, where I'm at, in order to become a firefighter, you need to be an EMT first.

The reason is is a lot of the calls that you're going to be run to, about 85% of them are going to be medically based. So, >> Really? >> Yeah.

>> So, this is breaking news. Firefighters, 85% of the time are not fighting fires. >> Surprisingly not. You know, you would think well, it's amazing with new building constructions, especially down in Florida, smoke detector, I'm sorry, sprinkler systems, people finding ways to be able to put out fires on their own, whether it's through extinguishers, but people have found a very good way to be able to prevent fires through proper construction.

So, and then obviously, in Florida for us, space heaters, we don't have anything like that. Most of your fires in Florida are going to be kitchen-based or cooking-based. So, for us, you're going to go to EMT school first, then you're going to go to fire school.

So, Florida, every place is a little bit different.

With Florida, you actually have to put yourself through fire school and EMT school, then apply for a fire department, and then you can be hired for most of the departments that are going to be there. Places like New York, you can be picked up just straight off the street. So, a citizen can apply, and then FDNY will put you through all of their processes or the the surrounding departments. >> Is that >> because it's more in demand here? >> No, it's it's just the way that they that they have different strategies. There's some ways to do it.

Every place is going to have their own way of doing it. And >> I'm curious because in medical school you go through medical school, you pay your way, so expensive, and then we have something that's known as the match where you rank certain programs and then they rank students that they like.

>> Yeah. >> And sometimes you don't match and that's heartbreaking cuz now you have nowhere to go and you spent all this money. Does that happen where you put yourself through the schools and then no one picks you up? >> Yes.

>> No way. Oh my god.

>> Yeah. So I get hired in 2008. It was it was during the hiring freeze. >> Okay.

>> My mom still talks about this today. So I get through fire I put myself through EMT, through paramedic school, then through fire school. I graduated fire school. At my closing ceremony the this incredible guy comes up he starts so it's a chief he starts giving this a speech. He's like ladies and gentlemen it's 2008. This many people this many firefighters have died in the line of duty over the last year and you are in the worst hiring freeze that we've ever heard of.

Good luck. >> >> Was this meant to be inspirational? >> know bro but like all of us are like >> Oh no, this is not good. >> That would have been a good orientation speech to weed out people who aren't serious maybe.

>> Yeah. Yeah. >> Oh so what are you what are you thinking in that moment? >> Crap. Is this So I my instructor great guy named Carey Weiss. He's our the day before graduation he says hey listen I work for a department or I'm retired from a department in Riviera Beach and they're opening up their applications. They're they're actually closing the day after we graduate. So if you want I would apply and at the time they were actually one of the lowest paid in South Florida and a lot of people were like I'm not going to go work for a place that was $37,000 a year to be a firefighter. Not going to pay a lot anyways. A 70% of firefighters are actually volunteers so most people are doing it for free.

So I was like you know what man I'm going to work anywhere and everywhere.

So I applied and I actually got picked up. No one else in my class got hired for another 5 years after that. >> Is it because you had the best grades, did the most push-ups? What what What are they grading you on?

>> All the above. Uh >> Really?

>> No. No. No.

>> Well, I don't know. That's what I thought medical school was.

>> Is that what medical school is? They're like >> >> By the way, the match thing, what is that I'm curious. Like what does that feel like if you're like I want to be a cardiologist or I want to be this and they're like, "No, you're you're going to be a podiatrist." >> Yeah, well, so you picked the two fields that don't necessarily participate in the match.

>> Okay. >> >> Yes, specifically the two cuz to be a cardiologist you first have to match into internal medicine. >> Okay.

>> And then once you finish your internal medicine residency, then you can do a fellowship in cardiology. And podiatry, they have their own medical school altogether. >> Oh, okay.

>> So you picked the two that don't participate. So any other ones like plastic surgery or surgery or uh Uh what's another simple example? OBGYN.

>> Okay. Okay. >> you want to go into those generally, you have some sort of sense when you're putting names into the match process of who you like, where you did your electives, so they know you, you know them. >> Okay.

>> There's kind of a understood boundary of we can't tell you that we ranked you, but we really like you. >> Okay.

>> And you already kind of know. If you're not well liked and you did a really bad job on your electives and people are like, "Oh my god, I don't want to work with you." You can get into a bad place.

So that's scary. >> Yeah.

>> Because then we have something known as God, is it called the scramble? I I forgot the name of it. Clearly I didn't participate. >> show is what it says.

>> Uh where you have to then try and find spots because just like students can get go unmatched, spots can go unmatched. So programs that perhaps pay less, less desirable specialties, sorry family medicine, will have openings and then you can try and scramble into those openings. So literally program directors are calling students who didn't match, students are calling program directors presenting themselves and hopefully finding a situation where they can get into a program. But, if they don't off year you have to go do some research, maybe take a long vacation and hope you match the following year. >> That's crazy.

>> Yeah. And imagine now you're like 300,000 in debt.

>> I was going to say. Holy crap. >> Yeah.

>> Uh with us like so that's a lot of the issues right now with with places where you have to put yourself through the schooling in order to get picked up. Because you know, EMT school is $5,000.

You know, depending on where you go to fire school. EMT school is somewhere between 3 to 6 months. It depends on if you're going full-time or part-time. I was 3 months. Uh fire school is somewhere between 3 months to 6 months.

Again, full-time or part-time. Um and then uh for medic school a lot of programs are going to be a year. You can do accelerated programs that are 9 months, but some people do 2-year long programs. So >> So, the whole length of it is about 2 years, plus minus. Yeah.

>> And the first part was 5,000. What's the total amount for those 2 years?

>> Uh I just I was So, when I went it was about $8,000 to go to medic school. I just happened to be looking at some of that stuff recently. Some places are $25,000 to go to medic school. $15,000 would be about your average, but >> earn $37,000? >> To like yeah, nothing. I think the starting pay here for a medic is $43,000 a year or $45,000 a year. I mean, that's nothing in the state of New York. It's not I mean, I when I became a medic I was making $12 an hour. So, there's >> How many years ago was that when you started? >> That was uh 19 years ago, 18 years ago.

>> Do you know any idea what that number is now?

>> It's it's still somewhere around like the $18 to $20 range. It's not a lot of money for >> Yeah, I mean, you think become a barista, it's similar pricing. >> Yes.

>> And you don't have to risk your life. >> Yes.

>> Wow. >> Yeah. It's >> Wow. And then okay, so I was saying it kind of jokingly, but is it serious that they grade you base like how do they decide who they're taking? What is the logic?

>> So, what's great is that the most of the processes are going to be relatively long. So, you're going to do an application process that's all your basic stuff, you know, your your name, date of birth, all that fun stuff, your certifications that you're going to have. We require something called a CPAT there to make sure that you're physically able to do the job itself.

>> those in my hospital, yeah. >> really? That's awesome. I didn't know that. >> Yeah, so Hold on, you mean like it's a physical? >> Yeah, yeah.

>> Yeah, yeah. So, I perform those physicals on firefighters.

>> It's a candidate physical ability test, so.

>> Well, no, no, no. That's different physical.

>> Okay. >> I do the physical where I listen to heart sounds and do the tests. >> yeah.

Yeah. >> Which actually kind of bothers me to some degree because a lot of it is a corporate contract with the city or town or fire department. And I end up doing tests that I would never do on a young person. >> Yeah.

>> Because it's a legality. Like I'm doing stress tests on young folks and I'm like, "Dude, you exercise. That isn't but you have to do it based on >> >> the rules."

>> Uh did you have to do any of that stuff? >> Oh, yeah. So, you'll do that you'll do the application, you'll make sure that you're that you're that you're your CPAT. Then when you put that in, what's new now is the social media piece of it.

Like they're cuz they're doing full background checks. They're >> Are they trying to see who has the most followers?

>> Yeah, yeah, I mean, yes. No, God, could you imagine? No, a lot of times they're like, "Mm, I don't know about that person."

>> Wow. >> No, they just want to make sure there's nothing ridiculous going on. I mean, if you are >> So, they request your social handles or they find them on their own?

>> No, they're going to request and tell us that they're There was a department, I won't name it, but a department that I applied for while I was waiting to hear back from my department. Uh it was the application.

Then I did the physical piece of it where or I'm sorry, a written test. In the written test I was surrounded by Mind you, this was the hiring freeze.

There was nobody around. So, I was surrounded by about 3,000 other applicants. It was absolutely insane.

>> many positions? >> About 20 20 positions.

>> Yeah. Oh. >> >> Yeah. >> It's worse than medical school.

>> Dude, it was It was one of those where you sit down and you're like, "Holy crap, this is this >> So, you're the best of the best. Like, you're the finest. You're the Navy Seal >> If you I wouldn't call me a Navy Seal.

>> >> Anyone watching this who's met me would be like, "Please don't call him a Navy Seal."

>> >> But so, you go through that process. And this is for again a a different department. But once you finish that piece, then you go through a physical test, which is It took you about 2 hours to get through the full physical piece of it. It's search and rescue, finding a victim, stretching a line, knocking down hoses, extending a ladder, like all these different things. Once you pass that, they they put you through a lie detector.

>> >> Yeah. The lie detector to make >> And what do they ask you? Are you afraid?

>> No. Like, "Have you ever smoked marijuana?"

Yeah. Yeah. The basic stuff. So, they'll they'll ask you that.

>> Which now they're probably not asking that question.

>> No, Florida's still Yeah, you can get your medical marijuana card, but they just >> New York it's crazy. Like, you every corner it seems like. >> I saw that. That was crazy.

>> It's still crazy for me. >> >> We'll talk about that but but once once you did that, you had to do another interview panel. Then you did another lie detector test to make sure that you didn't lie on anything in between there. Like, it's just huge. So, some places really want to make sure that they're hiring the best of the best, which is obviously great. My department was a an interview with an interview panel. They went through a bunch of questions. Then I had to do an interview with the chief, make sure that I was good for the job. And and then they signed me up. >> Wow, what a multi-step process. It's incredible. Did you worry about any of that application process through it?

>> Not really. I mean >> just like, "I am who I am."

>> Yeah. That That thankfully that's kind of the way I've lived most of my life is just I am who I am. I've tried to grow, I've tried to become a little more focused internally and make sure that I'm taking care of my own mental health and then as well as other people. My my wife is about to get her master's degree in family therapy, so it's very cool. >> Okay.

>> Yeah. >> Um what is the difference and this is my lack of knowledge, so I apologize on that basis.

Um paramedic, EMT people say don't you ever say ambulance driver, but then in some places they have someone dedicated to drive the ambulance.

>> Yes. Yes. >> What is the difference?

How does one understand the difference and >> Yeah. >> take me through that journey.

>> No, of course. So ambulance driver is just or they call it stretcher fetchers. That's my that's my favorite one.

So ambulance driver is going to be a basic transport companies to where they there's no real medical knowledge needed. Maybe just a first responder certificate or something like that. They're just picking up patients and bringing them back to maybe a nursing facility or something like that. They have absolutely They're literally putting them in a wheelchair and putting them in. EMT three-month long course, very basic parts of I keep looking right at that camera, by the way. So >> >> So the audience knows. >> Um but you real basic knowledge. So like how to help someone administer oxygen or help them use an EpiPen, stuff like that. And then for paramedics, you are now We're always operating under some medical director, but we're now administering medications. We are innovating people. It's the advanced level. So basic level and advanced level. There's an intermediate EMT-I that's in between there. That's that's in some states. I'm not sure if New York is one of them, but Florida we don't recognize it. So with that you're still able to innovate, I believe and still have a basic host of like cardiac medications that you're allowed to give. But it just depends. Like we're able to crack people. We're able to Yeah. >> Wow.

>> Yeah. >> How many times have you cracked someone?

>> Uh, zero, and I'm good with that. >> Okay.

>> >> I was on a plane scenario where there was a medical emergency, and I was worried that if the EpiPen didn't work or the epinephrine didn't work, I would have to, and I didn't do one on a human yet, only on little models. So, I'm like, oh, I don't want to do this with a pen. >> >> No, dude. >> Cuz there's nothing to stab with a pen. >> My uh so, when you finish So, you go through paramedic school, then you get hired, and then you have to go through a preceptor program. The depending on what department you're working for, it could be a year long, but they send you run you through their own protocols. They make sure you understand their stuff, and then you have a preceptor that follows you the whole time. At the end, you talk to the medical director. He just asks you some basic questions, make sure you're good, and uh went through all mine, and then uh he says, "Hey, what's the hardest part about cracking somebody?" And I was like, like I started going through all the stuff.

He's like, "Just making the decision, bro. That's the hardest part." I was like, >> >> That's like the tricky medical school question of like, what's the biggest risk factor for a heart attack? >> Me.

>> Yeah, what do you think? >> I don't know. Uh I don't know. >> Having a past heart attack.

>> Oh, look at you. >> Yeah, well, that's what I It's always like some obvious answer. >> going to say like Look at the years that I have >> >> No, that's what we always say. We're like, smoking, diabetes, uh high cholesterol. Like, all those things are important, obviously, but >> Yeah. >> if you just had one.

>> Yeah. >> That really raises your risk for having another one. >> Have you seen that guy on TikTok? He's a He always starts off his TikTok. He's a double board certified cardiologist, and uh you would enjoy him. If I find him, I'll send it to you.

>> Mhm. >> This guy is hysterical to me because uh we were talking before we got on here. Like, people that like start talking, and you're I'm like, I don't know. I'm in the medical field. I have zero clue what you just said. But, when he talks, bro, he sounds like he has just been punched in the face by stupid people that don't don't listen >> Med life crisis? >> No, I what it's like Dr. Blitz or something like that, but he >> Wow.

>> He always starts off like I thought I knew every doctor on social media. You probably know he's like >> He's like, "Hey, what's going on? Double board certified cardiologist Dr. Blitz here." And like, he's just every time he's just like and he's always like, "All right, Jesus, I can't believe I got to say this again." Like, he's just >> I've seen the guy. >> >> I wish I knew what his position was. I think he's an exercise physiologist, maybe PhD, and he discusses topics surrounding exercise and fitness, but he says describing it as if I have CTE.

>> Okay. Okay. >> Have you seen that?

>> Yes. That dude is so funny. You need sodium?

No. >> >> Honestly, sometimes I watch I go, "Okay, yeah, yeah, this is how I learn, too."

>> >> It's true though, in order to understand complex topics, you have to break it down simply.

>> Yes. Yeah, 100% >> you can do it with a little humor, that adds on to that. >> I Dude, that's that's all I deal in is humor whenever I'm teaching people anything. I've been lucky enough to be able to make some good CPR videos and you and I got to talk about that Guinness Book of World Records you just took.

>> >> Was it yours?

>> No, dude. Oh god, could you imagine? No. No, that was very cool, man. So, I own a comedy CPR company. I >> No way. >> Yeah, I teach people how to do CPR, uh use use AEDs, basic first aid, all through comedy. So, it's all through stand-up comedy for an hour and a half, 2 hours, 3 hours, depending on how long the class is. >> Wow.

>> And it's so much fun. I started teaching a long time ago and uh I just watch these people like I was like, "So, you're going to push on someone's chest and uh you're going to feel a lot of crunching." And they're like, "What the No, like" So, you got just removing all the fears and everything. It's just such a good time to be able to teach people in the right way and it was very cool that I'm sure you made it a blast, man.

>> I would love to see how you do that because we did a live tour and part of our live tour is kind of an improv variety show.

>> Yeah. >> And one of the sequences was teaching people if they can keep 100 beats per minute on average for a 2-minute span. And then you bring up kids on stage and they all have their mannequin that counts and then we see who won and we give them an award. But, it's like people are so way off. They underestimate what 2 minutes is. So, I'm running around with the microphone while they're going, the music's playing. It's kind of a vibe. But, I'm curious how you do it. >> That's so funny.

>> Yeah. >> I uh I just try to interject as much humor as possible to be able to remove the the fear. Yeah, and all because I say So, 20 years I've I've been in the medical field. Last week we have a code. Um this guy uh I we believe he vagaled out and passed out on the toilets. We pulled him out.

Uh he's >> a code mean to you?

>> It's cardiac arrest. >> Wow, okay.

>> What do you What's a code to you? Well, cuz you guys cuz you're in the hospital you code blue, code red. Yeah, yeah. We sorry, we just called a code. Yeah, everything's good. We only have one code.

>> But, wait. So, he vaso vagaled? >> Uh-huh.

>> And then his heart stopped? >> We I we believe he he vagaled >> thought it was a cardiac arrest, so they called a code, but it turned out he just vagaled. >> No, no. He was I think he vagaled out, fell off the toilet, hit his head. Then yeah, um and he actually had a history just 3 weeks ago of being cardioverted going in and out of stable V tach. Yeah.

>> Oh, V tach. Okay. >> Yeah, so he um So, we get there, we pull him out, we start doing CPR, and I mean he doesn't have a pulse. But, he still has agonal breathing. He still has agonal respirations. And put him on the monitor, and he's he's in V fib. We have to defibrillate him. But, I can tell Dude, 20 years I've been doing this, man. And 20 years in, it is still uncomfortable for me to see somebody doing something that is normally a life sign. Um watching that and being like, "Well, we're just going to shock him." And we just welded him. Within 2 minutes he had a viable rhythm, and he was he was good to go. But, I mean Now, imagine teaching that to someone who has never done this in their life. Like, they've never pushed on someone's chest and heard ribs cracking and or dislocating from the sternum, however you want to look at it. And imagine like trying to remove that fear is so difficult. So, I did the basic stuff. Like, their heart's not beating and they're not breathing. What are they?

>> Yeah, BLS. >> Yeah, and everyone says like >> get a certification after? >> Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah.

>> Wow, that's so cool. Okay. >> It's a blast, man. I love it, dude. And then um the it's so funny you do the trying to keep people on beat cuz I always see the three biggest things people do wrong is is one, the trampoline effect. They like bounce off their chest.

>> Uh or the rabbit effect. It tends to be just men. They go way too fast not deep enough. Like Even when I teach that, there's still a guy that gets on there and he's like, "I got this, bro."

I'm like, "All right, stay on >> Slow down, bro.

>> Also, the guys love to do the tricep flex.

>> Yes. >> So, they're doing like the tricep extension. I'm like, "Bro, this is not >> >> a close grip. Like not what this is." Yeah, I would say those are frequently obviously if I was your uh chief >> Mhm. >> that was interviewing you, I would say the real mistake that people make is they don't do it.

>> Yes. >> Yes.

>> Yeah, you're so good, man. This guy's media trained, I'm telling you.

>> Um okay, so then uh EMT >> Mhm. >> well, transport EMT EMTP I paramedic. Is there anything above? >> Uh no, not for us. Not in our field, yeah. Once you become a paramedic, then that's >> And then you become a paramedic, how does the firefighter angle kick in?

>> So, in Florida, if you want to do first response, at least in my area, South Florida, you need to be a firefighter and a paramedic.

>> Okay. >> Um just because of the the response models, it's what's it's the only thing that's really going to make sense in that area so we can have that that dual response. And as a firefighter, we're not just I know I say it's only 15% and obviously depends on the day, but >> 15% >> Uh what I said, yeah, for fires and so on and so forth, but that 15% would be like active structure fires or car fires, but for that fire piece of it, we're also doing extrications. We're doing gas leaks, water leaks. We're we're doing pretty much anything that >> Do you ever have to bring like the jaws of life? >> Oh, yeah?

>> Oh, yeah. Yeah. >> Yeah, tell me about that.

>> >> Dude, I got to at some point in time, man, I can get you out to this place, but we'll we'll do extrications. We'll put you through a full firefighting stuff. We'll let you do it all, man.

>> Oh my >> god, I spend a day as a firefighter would be a great video. >> We'll do it. Yeah, I I can definitely do that. >> Comment down below if you want to see that. Okay, sorry. >> It's just going to be yes, yes, yes. But you You're the number one tag in most of my videos. They're like, "Dr. Mike, Dr.

Mike." I'm like, "This is about prostate issues. What is What are you tagging Dr.

Mike for?" >> >> Dr. Mike is going to come in. >> Uh so, anytime uh someone's in a motor vehicle accident, a lot of people don't know with modern vehicles, they have crumple zones. They want vehicles to compress. Yeah, we we want to uh limit the amount of inertia that's moving into the patient itself. So, um when we roll up there, we have to be able to So, a lot of people think we just start ripping open doors, but there's a huge process. We have to do a full 360 around the vehicle, make sure there's no gas or fuel leaking around it. If there is, we pull uh an inch and three-quarter line out or a fire hose.

Um then we're going to stabilize the vehicle. So, we put blocks of wood underneath the vehicle itself. >> on someone. I saw that happen here in New York not too long ago. >> that was on its side? Yes, that's a whole different This I'm just talking about basic >> >> Yeah, we're putting up struts and and different stuff for that. That I saw that video. That's That is crazy, man.

>> It really is. Well, for that, we'll we'll throw some wood down and pop the car up. >> was on this block?

>> Was it really? >> Mhm.

>> Holy crap. >> Yeah.

>> I think everyone survived that one, right?

>> >> Do you know which video I'm talking about, right? What No, no, no. It would not the building. It was a car flipped over and it was sitting on its side and then on falling on the firefighter.

Maybe you can Google it and see if you can find it.

>> Yeah, I I think I saw I think he was good.

That everything everything we do as firefighters and paramedics, there's always some inherent danger within it. And those situations are super, super dangerous. That's why when you see us pull up, people want us to move as fast as possible. They want us to get get in there, get the person out, but we need to make sure that they're safe. Yes.

>> Do you have any good taglines? Like I know in racing we do like uh uh uh Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.

>> That's exactly We say that in firefighting. A lot of people >> we say that, too. That like just please don't die. That's a good for anybody. >> Okay, so uh, you have to stabilize the scene, you have to do all this. But like what's the actual process like when you do cut someone out? Is it Does it feel good?

>> yeah. I mean, dude, you working with probably the biggest tools you're ever going to work with in your life. It's It's an incredible process. You create what's called a purchase point in in the uh, door itself. So, you can use Halligans or or whatever you would need at the time. You could even use the tips of the tools. Um, but we need to be able to open up that door enough to where we can get the spreaders inside of there and spread it open. Um, there's a bolt inside of there, uh, a bolt that's holding that door on and we can't just spread it off there without making sure that we're doing it properly cuz if we just catch the outside of the door itself >> Yes, exactly. You just mangle it worse. But we'll do what's called delamination.

You just start peeling the door off. It doesn't get the person out. We have a relatively short amount of time that we need to get that that victim out. Uh, 10 minutes is typically the the goal that we're trying to go for.

>> When you arrive at a scene like that, obviously you're evaluating the scene for safety, you're doing all these check uh, list uh, factors in in your mind.

Are you ever worried about your own life?

>> Not I mean, we're We always make sure, at least something we tell lay rescuers, like the most important on scene most important person on scene is you. Like we always want to make sure that we're safe as possible when we get there. Not because we value ourselves over other people because when you become a firefighter >> Well, you do.

>> Yeah, no.

>> should. >> We value ourselves uh, not getting injured or hurt because if we become a victim, we now have two victims there. And it distracts everybody from the scene. That's something we have to tell new probationary firefighters. Like dude, if like don't just kick a door open, introduce oxygen, do have a backdraft or, you know, you know, create a flashover environment, stuff like that.

Make sure that whatever we're doing, we stay safe so we don't have to divert people to make sure that you're okay now.

>> That's like the main reason why when the governor will come on and say there's a state of emergency, don't go on the roads because now you're putting first responders at risk if something happens to you, right? That's the same logic? >> Yeah.

>> It uh when you sign up to be a firefighter, none of us want to die. Like we're not suicidal.

>> Yeah. >> Uh but we have the understanding that if you have to make the ultimate sacrifice, make sure you're doing it in the way that makes sense. You didn't just do it because you made a stupid decision.

Oh, yeah. >> Wow.

>> Your job is to save lives. And you need to do it the most efficient way. Make sure that because like I said, if we're going into a structure that's on fire, there's an inherent risk. There's an inherent risk that that entire structure may flash over. Yeah, the the floor collapses, stuff like that. So, make sure you're making the proper decisions that you don't put yourself uh in a greater risk where you will get injured. But if you do have to go in there, you are putting yourself at risk, but just make sure you make the proper choices to go in there. >> What are the most common reasons or scenarios that a firefighter gets hurt? >> Um it depends on the situation. Uh it can be it can be lack of training or or poor decision in the moment. Um but there's a lot of times we just don't see something that's you know, something an object that's in the house that's on fire that we're not aware of, a chemical that's in there that we're not aware of. Um but it just really depends on the situation. As uh a uh fire deteriorates a lot faster than we thought it might have, so people get injured. But building collapse is a big one, roof collapses are a big one.

>> When you go into a burning building, what is the mindset and what is the equipment that you have to protect you in that moment?

>> So, obviously our bunker gear is going to be the number one thing that's going to stop us from getting hurt. >> the big jackets.

>> Yes, the big jackets, the everything that we're wearing to go in there. Then we have >> So, that's fireproof?

>> It's not fireproof. It's fire resistant is what we're going to call it. Yeah.

>> Anything can be set on fire if you try hard enough.

>> So there's a time that you can experience a fire and it's not going to burn your skin or >> Direct flame impingement is what we would really say. Um again, it depends on the environment, how hot it is, how fast it's moving, but um again, it depends on the situation. A flashover environment, that's when all combustibles in in the house have set on fire. A lot of people don't know this, but smoke is just unburned chemical or unburned combustibles. So uh flashover is when all of those those combustibles have now set on fire. So you go from we'll say an average of 500 to 800° inside of a structure to now it's upwards of 1,500 to 2,000 degrees.

So uh thermal layering is what happens in a fire. So the hottest uh environment's going to be at the top, and that's why we tell you people when we're escaping from a fire, stay as low as possible. You're going to stay away from the smoke. Most people that die in fires, they don't die from the flames or the heat. They die from smoke inhalation.

>> Really? >> Mhm. And they tend to die >> Is that because they're spending a lot of time in that environment? They're trapped there? >> They're trapped or they're trying to get out. I mean, you're That's why smoke detectors are so important, man. Like early detection. You're sleeping in your bed, close before you doze, like the basic things. If you close your door before you go to sleep, especially with your children, you're if there is an environment where there's a fire, smoke has now spread throughout the house. They're saying uh fires now producing 200 times more smoke than they were 60 years ago because of polyesters, lithium batteries, so on and so forth. Um but if they do happen to wake up and there is uh smoke alarms going off, the door is closed, the room is not filled with smoke. So they can feel the door with the back of their hand. We always feel with the back. We don't want to feel the front of our hand. If we burn our palm, then it's going to be a bad situation for us. Uh so they they feel if it's if it's super hot, then they can shelter in place.

When they call 911, we'll do what's called a VES. We'll assume no matter what floor you're on, but we'll break the window, we'll go in, grab you, isolate the room, and then we'll get out. Um but uh in those situations, it's just making sure you stay as low as possible so you can avoid the smoke. But for us with firefighting, uh again, it the gear depends on how old it is or what's going on, but it's designed to keep the heat from hurting us, allowing us to get as deep as possible. And then there's some schools of thought that saying our gear is so good now, it lets us get too deep into pockets of fire.

>> Too deep. >> Mhm.

>> Wow. So, are you going in with an oxygen canister as well?

>> Mhm. >> And are you using that the whole time?

>> Yeah, that's an SCBA. It's it's uh self-contained breathing apparatus. Uh so, it has just regular uh a regular air and a 21% oxygen, all the fun stuff.

>> How long does it last? >> It depends. So, ours are uh 4,500 PSI bottles. So, they're roughly somewhere between 30 to 45 minutes if you're like an absolute stud during the greatest shape ever. Um >> Use less. >> You can use less, yeah. You'll you'll be within that range. Uh but some people will suck a bottle down like that, 15 minutes, it's gone. Yeah. >> Wow. Okay, I would definitely suck a bottle down. >> >> I you'll suck a bottle down. You're in shape.

>> No, no, no, I'm not. I'm oxygen hungry. >> >> This brain be using it. >> Uh but uh but yeah, you will we'll go in with that. So, there's typically two people that are showing up to fires. I mean, with uh with firefighters, we are There's multiple different types of roles that are showing up. Command officer, someone that's going to be there running the entire scene, giving people their tasks or their jobs that they need to perform, uh letting dispatch know what's going on, giving uh updates on how we're doing. Then um we have someone that's going to be forcing entry if the front door is locked, so that's where the halligans and the axes come in. We can bust doors open, that's exciting. We can let you do that if you be a firefighter for a day, you'll a blast. >> That'd be fun.

>> Yeah, it's fun. Uh and then uh people that are on the nozzle. Then you have people that are 360 in the building, going around.

>> as impossible to control as they make it seem in movies?

>> No, ev- everything in the movies is >> Everything?

>> Uh not everything, but yeah. >> >> So, it's it's controllable. >> Oh, very controllable.

>> You can one-hand the nozzle? >> So, what's great about this is the techniques that you learn learning how to advance hoses properly. We don't hold the You see where like the hoses have the little pistol grip on the bottom where they hold that? No no no one is holding that pistol grip.

>> Why? >> It's it's it's doesn't make any sense.

It's completely uncomfortable. And what it does is if you're trying to hold the the piece that is has the most pushback, the most pressure back on top of you, eventually as you're moving your way into a fire cuz you we need to advance that line in, it's going to start to force its way back. So, now this is this is very uncomfortable and it's not appropriate for me to be able to rotate and spray and do whatever I need to do. So, what we'll teach you is how to keep the nozzle out in front of you. you can just hold the base of the hose itself.

And that becomes very very very manageable. And then you can spin it or do whatever you need to do in the process.

>> Does the person who's in charge of the nozzle have their own?

>> Yes. >> Like, oh, this is mine. Don't use my nozzle. >> No, it's not their that would be freaking awesome. >> >> Mike, did you use Jim's nozzle? No, it's on the truck. So, most of our most of your engines are going to have what we call pre-connects. So, you'll have a front bumper line, then we have two pre-connects that come off the side and then larger diameter hoses that will go from there. But, yeah, the nozzle guy that goes in, he he is in charge of that nozzle. Typically have someone backing him up. The joke is that everyone wants to be on the nozzle cuz that's the most exciting part. >> Okay.

>> You're going to You'll You'll understand if you do it, man. Like, you're going in. You are When you become a firefighter, that's what we we want to break stuff, you know, appropriately to help help people.

>> >> But, we want to go in there and slay the dragon. We want to fight fire. Like, that's what we're here for. We're here to stop fire from spreading and save lives.

And with rookies or or new probationary firefighters, they'll get up there they have to put their mask on so they don't inhale any smoke and they'll put the nozzle down and that's a that's a big no-no. We're going to take that from you. So, or another guy will run up and take it and run.

>> >> So, okay, let's let's run a training scenario. I am on the second floor of my home.

>> Mhm. >> I smell fire. There's smoke everywhere.

Maybe not so bad cuz my door is closed. Dogs are loose.

>> Okay. >> I touch the handle, it's hot, back of my hand. Do I open a window and run out? And like fall? Take the take the >> You're on the second story? Uh you're going to call 911. >> Okay.

>> Do you have an escape ladder? That's what I'm going to ask. You don't have an escape >> No, but I can tuck and roll.

>> You can tuck and roll? >> No.

>> ever fallen from a second story?

>> No. >> Don't do that, dude.

Uh you're going to call 911. You're going to shelter in place. You're going to uh if the dogs are out, I I I have a I have a a dog, a Yorkie. I love him, man. He's such a cool dude. He wakes me up every morning. Like he's a stud. Uh I I actually think he expects me to rub him every morning. He's like, "Come on, let's go." Um and it would be very hard for me not to run out and try to find my dog if he wasn't in the room with us.

So, pets are really good, man. They they understand danger. They understand where they should and should not be. So, they will do their best to find a place where they can survive or at least be good enough until we can show up there. If the dog is scratching at the door, open up the door, get your dog inside, and then we'll go from there. But, if you don't know, don't go venturing off.

There's a good chance We've had people escape from fires and then go back in to grab books, and they perish in the fire. Yeah, books or or personal items. Yeah.

Oh, yeah. >> No way.

>> Yeah. And it's always it's super unfortunate, like >> And is that uh you were already on scene when that happens?

>> No, we arrived on scene, they had already self-extricated. And then we get there, they had gone back inside, and now we're going in to get them. Yeah. Uh so, second story >> you're never running back in.

>> Don't run back in the house. No, once you're out, >> So, what if your child's in there? >> Is your child in a room by themselves with with the uh room locked? Look, when we say touch the door, if you touch the door and it is scalding your hands, like it is so hot, you can see flames coming out from underneath the door, it doesn't matter how much you want to save your kid. When you open up that door, you're going to die. Like there's no way you're going to make it out to that hallway if flames are that bad. But if your child's door is closed, we've called 911, "Hey, my child's on the back side of my house, second story." We're going to immediately pull up. We're going to get ladders or if we can put an aerial out there, then we're going to try to get your child as quickly as possible. But you would Wetting towels, putting them at the door jam, covering yourself with them, all that's useless. No. You're again, you're not going to die You're not going to In that situ- If there's flames blowing out from the from the door, then yeah, it's going to be bad.

But smoke inhalation is that that big issue. When you go out there, those those fumes are extremely toxic. You're inhaling all the polyesters, all the whatever lithium stuff is on fire. I have two air purifiers in my room. Bad idea to turn them on? I mean because they would suck air into the room.

>> Yeah. But they would also be cleaning the smoke.

>> They would be. >> So I don't know what is the strategy there. >> Yeah, you're going to die.

>> >> So don't even think about that.

>> So here's what I'll tell you. Average response time for my area is 6 to 8 minutes. Sometimes we're even faster than that. Your average response time for most places, assuming you live in a city, is going to be somewhere between 6 to 10 minutes. Um fire spreads extremely quickly. If you're in a room by yourself or if you're in a room and you are safe, stay in that room. Do not try to get out of that room. Open up the window.

We're going to get ladders there. We'll get you out.

>> So opening up the window doesn't create that pulling in effect?

>> Once you Wait, obviously wait until we get there. I'm sorry. Yes.

>> >> But I mean to towels underneath the doors totally fine. Take your sheet your sheet on your bed, put it underneath there so no smoke's making it in there. Uh >> What if there is already so much smoke in the room, can you then open the window? >> I would open the window and if Do we have a balcony there? Is there something a roof I can go on? Like if you're starting to choke, then yes, let's get outside of that.

>> It's really hard to make like concrete >> many variables in this scenario.

>> it's like me saying, "My chest hurts." And you're like, "Well, what do you mean?" >> >> Do a telemedicine exam. >> Dude, there's I can't imagine being a physician during that telemedicine piece, man. That's >> It's really hard. And honestly, the private equity world that we live in, they're like, "Oh, we should just do telemedicine for all of it. Like, why do you even need hospitals?" Dude, try and evaluate someone's pain virtually. >> Yeah.

>> It's like, "Oh, touch this." >> Yeah.

>> Okay, that person has never touched 2,000 stomachs before, you know, or abdomens. So, it it's really difficult. >> when you say it like that.

>> Yeah, I'm trying to make it >> I've touched 2,000 stomachs.

>> Yes. >> >> I'm trying to think how many patients I've seen.

I think to graduate, you need something like 5,000 encounters outpatient.

>> Oh, wow. >> Yeah, the numbers are huge. Like, >> That's crazy. Yeah, you need a lot of them.

>> Well, I would want that. >> Maybe not 5,000.

>> I would want you to >> Yeah.

>> be very important. >> there's uh competency standards that uh these organizations set for us. But, it's thousands of patients. And I This is my 12th year, so it's a lot of patients.

>> are you? >> Yeah. 36.

>> You're 36? >> Yeah.

>> God, it must be nice to not look 36. >> Well, you don't think I look 36?

>> No, dude. No way. >> I I was going to say, I think I'm falling apart. >> >> Maybe I just feel 36. >> I'm >> How old are you? >> I'm 40 I just turned 43, yeah.

>> Oh, okay. So, same age. >> Yeah. I woke up on my 40th Swear to God, I had my 40th birthday. I wake up, and my ankle is killing me. Or my heels, my heel, my heel was killing me. And I was like, "I didn't do anything. I didn't like exercise excessively the day before, nothing." And >> Did you rest it on something hard?

>> No, I was just sleeping in a bed. >> Mhm. So, you went to bed, no pain, woke up, no pain. >> You see, he's he's he's trying to diagnose >> >> No, but I like making interesting diagnoses, because I'll sometimes develop weird stuff, and I'm like, "Oh, Oh, cuz I laid my heel on something plastic for an hour while playing a game.

>> Mhm. >> And then I go, "Never put my heel on something plastic." Cuz like bone on a hard surface doesn't like that.

>> What game you play? >> Overwatch.

>> Oh. >> it?

>> Yeah. >> Really? Wow, no one knows the game.

Every time I say it, they're like >> Yeah.

>> sim, race, and on the same the thing is really hard. So, if I'm lazy and I don't put on a shoe, oh boy, my feet hurt the next day.

These are old people problems. >> Yeah.

>> >> Uh >> Yeah. >> Okay, so uh we have this scenario for me. Luckily for me, my house has a sprinkler system.

>> So so my uh my townhouse does as well. >> Okay. So, look, does that mean like I'm good? I'm >> You should be good, bro. Sprinklers are incredible, right? That that's the purpose of them is to stop the fire from spreading into additional areas. So, if that pops off, then 100%.

>> And when a sprinkler system pops off, does it pop off everywhere?

>> No, that's a That that's Those are like deluge systems is what those are called.

Um you just don't see those anymore.

But, sprinklers uh no, they're just they're just uh There's just a bunch of different types of sprinklers, or at least the heat that they go off at.

There's a little glass vial inside of there. Once it reaches a certain temperature, it expands. There's a plug inside, it pops out.

>> Mhm. >> Um the fun part though is what's inside of that sprinkler system. >> What's water?

Is it gross, you mean? Is that what it >> It's every other one has gasoline. I'm just kidding, that's not true. >> >> No, it's water, but that water has a metric ton of sediment in it. So, like when it goes off, it's just straight black water coming out of there. Black and brown water. >> Because it's been sitting?

>> been sitting there, and stuff coming off the pipes. Which obviously in a fire, who cares? Everything's get like it needs to be put out, but uh I've had multiple people put their hangers. They'll go to hang their >> Oh, I see that in the hotels. They always have the sign.

>> Yes. And there's so many people. I mean, you're in this is >> Call call to action. Do not put a hanger on a sprinkler.

>> not put a hanger. You're talking depending on the sprinkler 6 to 12 gallons per minute coming out of this thing. Your house is destroyed. It is flooded everything. Yeah. Yeah. >> Are you tearing the house up after that?

>> We're not doing anything. We're >> saying like as a person >> Yeah, it depends. Yeah. You're >> >> If it's flooded through to this to the floor below, depending on what's going on, absolutely. >> Okay, so we talked about the trajectory to become a firefighter, a paramedic, EMT, EMTI.

You have a child I'm speaking in hypotheticals. You have a child or you are a child and you're watching this.

And they or you want to become a firefighter.

Are you going to try to say don't do it? >> No, do it, man. Greatest job on the face of the planet. I'm telling you it's I was a mechanic before I started doing this. My father was a mechanic. I told him I want to be be a mechanic.

He said please don't become a mechanic. >> >> Not for two reasons. One, he's like it's not as lucrative as it was when he was a mechanic and he managed to move his way up and he's like you don't have the attention span to be a mechanic which inevitably became true.

But when I went to EMT school after being a mechanic for two years, it was incredible. I'm sure it's the same way that you felt the first time you really started learning about human anatomy and the body and just the way it works and I was like this is incredible.

This is so cool. And then fire school is the same thing just on a different level. This like dude, I get to break things in half.

Like and I get to hang out with some of the greatest people I've ever met. I don't know how it is in the physician world but like you we show up on shift. We're there for 24 hours. There's a bunch of different schedules. 24 on 48 out. Some do 48 on 96 off that kind of thing but you get into this job to save lives and you stay for or you stay in it for the brotherhood and the sisterhood that you get. Like some of the greatest guys I've ever met. I get to sit around a table. They say all the world's problems have been solved around the firehouse table. Like it's it's amazing. Dude, it's was a good time. I would tell anybody at any point time you get to save lives, you get to interact with people, you get to find real human interaction. Sometimes the greatest medicine in the world is just holding somebody's hand and saying, "Hey man, what can I do to help you?" And that I I've I've loved every single second of it. It's been so cool.

>> Do you guys slide down the fire poles though?

>> I do. Yeah, we still have it. >> You have it?

>> We have We built two brand new stations. One of them has a >> of falling out of favor. >> Yeah, cuz it it hurts people.

>> >> You guys end up needing to have to give care to your own? What happens people >> Two twisted ankles. Like, yeah.

>> Wow. >> >> So, the first pole I ever got to a fire pole I got to go down was in uh Shreveport, Louisiana. >> Okay.

>> And I want to say theirs is 30 ft up. I want to say it's three stories or something like that. >> Dude, I looked I looked at them like, "You want to slide down?" I'm like, "Sure, bro." They open it up. I'm like, >> Are you gloved up when you do it? >> No, you just Yeah, you just slide down.

Yeah. >> Yeah, so I'm like I'm not a huge fan of heights. Um I have And when you're when you're in fire school, uh and when I got hired to fire department, that we have a 75-ft aerial ladder and they they put it up at a proper climbing climbing angle, roughly 70%, and or 70°, and you have to climb straight up it. >> With no like safety hook attached?

>> You'll You'll have it. You'll have it, but when you get to the top you hook in.

Yeah. >> Got it. So, if you fall prematurely >> It's been fun. >> Wow, okay. So, you you're going down this 30-ft pole, what happens? >> So, I'm going down through the It was I It was one of those like and I got like 12 guys watching me. It's a huge fire station. And they're like, >> So, they're like, "I can't trick him out." >> Yeah, oh my god. I locked it in. It was I was just You're supposed to be somewhat relaxed and I just like >> >> all the way down to the ground.

>> Blisters in your hands though. Oh, no. >> So terrifying, man.

>> Okay, so lots of injuries from the fire pole?

>> Mhm. We still do it. Uh it's much faster than going down the stairs. And >> How much faster?

>> Um >> Like we should This takes 10 seconds.

>> Yeah, something >> like that. Yeah.

>> But it's probably also real estate-wise a good choice cuz stairs require a lot of >> There's Some people do in fire slides.

So, instead of the pole, they'll just put a slide in and you just slide down.

>> That sounds more fun. >> Oh my god, dude.

>> More safe. >> >> I would be asking for calls. >> Jump in. And how many calls on a shift do you normally get? >> It depends.

I've had calls where we call them goose eggs, where we never single call the entire shift. And then I've had calls where we've run 26 calls in a 24-hour period. >> Wow.

>> Yeah. >> So, because a lot of these are not fire, what are the calls? >> EMS-based calls. So, chest pain, shortness of breath, seizures, cardiac arrest, all the fun stuff.

And then car accidents. Like I said, the no fire species just structure fires are diminishing, at least in South Florida because of the or in a lot of areas, but again, when you move into the winter periods or you go into places that, you know, are wood-frame structures, a buddy of mine works or a couple of friends of mine work for a city called Rockford. They'll have three or four structure fires in a day. So, yeah, it just it just depends on the area. But for us, it's going to be mainly those EMS-based calls.

>> And I'm sure we have a lot of manufacturing facilities.

>> Mhm. >> Those probably are very high risk and huge probably when they happen. >> So, the area that I work in is everything. Million-dollar structures, low-income housing, highways.

I told you before we got on here, we'll go with the Coast Guard every once in a while on a 3-mile trip out to a cruise ship, which is a blast every single time. Those guys are nuts, bro.

>> Really? >> Oh my god. Cuz they're so they're just so comfortable on There's They're good. They're very good at their job. And they're so comfortable on these on these boats. And it's always 3:00 a.m.

whenever this happens. We get toned out. We're half asleep. We get on there.

They're like, "All right, guys, you ready?" We're like, "Yeah, sure, but 6-ft waves. We're just jumping over this stuff." And they're like, we're good.

The for a very long time we would uh um we would get the boats, the Coast Guard boat right next to the cruise ship and we would have to time the waves and we would jump on to the cruise ship and uh >> Wait, so you're doing fire rescues on a cruise ship? >> Not fire rescue, we're going out for medical patients. Yeah, they'll call us and cuz we have to bring them in cuz they can't come in. So, they'll they'll treat the patient, then we'll get them and then we'll bring them in and bring them to a local hospital.

>> So, currently we're in the midst of a hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship.

What were you called to a cruise ship for?

>> Uh if a couple cardiac arrests I've had. Um a lot of uh a lot of you know, either broken bones or minor injury, stuff that they can't treat. Something major enough to where they can't treat it or stay on the ship. So, we just need to bring them to a a local hospital to be able to get checked out.

>> there's a fire on a cruise ship? >> They have dude, their all their entire crews are trained to fight fire. >> Wow.

>> Yeah. Yeah. >> So, they have fire extinguishers, hoses, the works. >> They and I would imagine there's levels of it, but they have they have rescue teams on there that that is what they do. Let me tell you why I don't want to fight a fire on a cruise ship or on a boat. >> How come?

>> Those are horrendous. Think about it. Every >> There's water all around you. >> Yeah, yeah, yeah, but once it gets in the boat, that's a big problem.

>> >> It's uh you're surrounded by metal, you're there's nowhere for that heat to go. It's a big hot box and then depending on where the fire is. So, like I said, the the thermal layering heat always at the top. If I have to go into we don't have basements in Florida, but a lot of guys around these areas they fight basement fires. They're walking through the water. Um I lived in a townhouse that had a basement. They just built it really above grade. Called it a like a little basement. I'm like, I'm on a hill. This is not a basement.

This is the first floor. Um but uh yeah, they'll uh they have to go through all three layers of the heat before you can get to the fire itself.

So, it's super hot. So, same thing on on boats. Those are those are super dangerous and yeah. >> So, you mentioned earlier that a lot of what you see on TV is wrong, especially when it comes to the nozzle. What do we know about firefighters that is not accurate?

>> Oh my god. That's a great question, Mike. I'll have to circle back to that.

>> >> You're like, "Cuz I know everything, so I I don't need to deal with that." >> I don't know. So, I I'll say this and I don't know cuz I you you review a lot of the medical shows and stuff.

There is There is that line where it is a show. They need to dramatize it. They need to create They need to explain what they're looking at and dealing with, even if it's really outside of the way that a normal paramedic or two doctors would talk to each other. Um so, the viewer can understand what's happening and they need to dramatize stuff like fires or whatever it is. The only time that I'm like, "What is What like what are you doing?" is when they get the information just completely wrong. Like or they use the absolute wrong word for something. Like they're like, "Look at his knee. It's really bad." Like, "Jesus, guys. Come on."

>> >> is dislocated.

>> So, I think or the my absolute favorite lava in California or wherever it was, there's a volcano that explodes or something like that. A piece of magma shoots out and lands on this guy's chest.

>> Oh. >> And it's melting through his chest. I'm not sure if you saw this one, but it's melting through his chest. She grabs the McGill forceps and tries to grab the lava and it melts. It melts the metal.

And I forget how they solved the problem.

Oh, she used the laryngoscope blade because laryngoscope blades have a, you know, >> Different metal.

>> 50,000 degree melting point. It's melting on this guy's chest.

I'm like, "This dude is dead. His heart is literally cooking. He's got a hot pocket for a heart right now." Like, but I I It's those things where I'm like, "God, this is so it's absolutely insane.

>> Which uh fire medical drama is the most and least accurate?

>> Uh Tacoma FD was it was a comedy that came out from the guys from Super Troopers. Uh perfect, bro. Like the perfect Yeah, just really good in-station humor. Uh and and let me tell you, it's really hard to get in-station humor to be acceptable. That was the only thing that kind of allowed me to gain any kind of popularity within the fire and EMS service was I didn't take what we say in the station. Like cuz I know you when you're on your your physician buddies, like you say stuff that if you ever said on this podcast, they'd be like >> Nursing humor is some of the darkest humor ever. Like you walk into a nursing station and you're like, "What the hell am I hearing in here?" But it's how you deal with dark moments and stress all the time. >> Dude, I'm telling you you don't uh you get in this field and the one thing that we've I think we're doing so much better in the fire and EMS um systems and I think just as humans is we are putting mental health on the forefront. We're we're talking about it enough to where it's normal for I had a probie we go to a call, it's it's a deceased person. He walks in and he sees and the guy's been deceased for a few days. It's something that's most people should never see. And back in the day when I started, if you saw that and someone was like, "You all right, bro?" I'm like, "Dude, that was really weird." They're like, "Buck up, buddy." Like if you don't know how to handle this, screw you. Like Jesus, dude. So for us to be able to say, "Hey, man." to be vulnerable with someone and say like, "Hey, it's it's okay." Like that's no most people will never see a dead person in their life, let alone that type of dead person. So putting that at the forefront, we now have a class when it comes to to talking about mental health and just talking about the things that you feel and hear. It's being really well received, which I think is is very cool in the fire and EMS service.

>> What was it like the first time you lost someone in the field?

>> Uh I think so my my first call was a woman who was in a car accident.

She got hit on a highway and uh her she had like bilateral femur fractures. Like Like you want to talk about like green, dude. I ran up and grabbed the door. She It was She was crushed. She needed to be extricated. I grabbed the door and started pulling on it. And one of the guys I didn't have a coat on. Like I was just like, "Let's go. We're saving lives." And one of the guys was like, "What are you doing, bro?" I was like, "I'm so sorry, bro. I'm just excited." So we we ended up extricating her, but she ended up bleeding to death. I think her pelvis was fractured as well. I think that was my first like real experience with Holy crap, we can't save everybody. Like Like that's weird. Like that's what we We're we we believe If we're there in time, if they're still breathing when we get there, we should be able to save them and and get them to the hospital. Um but that was an interesting experience. And then I had two kids who flipped over in a car and ended up in a lake. And um we had to swim down and grab these kids, which I learned that day >> Wow. >> I can hold my breath for 8 seconds.

Uh that's not enough. Not enough, dude.

>> Do you have that self-contained airway breathing kit?

>> No, you're just swimming down. >> scubaing.

>> No, you're not scubaing. No. Uh no, you're swimming down trying to break windows and get people out. And we got We got them both out. Swam them to the shore. And we got back to the station. One of the guys I work with, he's like He started crying, man. He's like, "Both those kids were They were my teenagers' age." It was the Like that's what he saw. He immediately identified with these kids. And um you know, we I talked. So we took her pants off. It was a great day for both of us. But I'm just kidding. We didn't take her pants off.

>> You need a little male bonding. I get it.

>> Sauna session. >> It's one of the worst when he doesn't laugh. >> >> It just makes me look like a weirdo. Thanks, Mike. Appreciate that.

>> >> No, I I get what you're saying. It's uh every time you experience loss in the healthcare space, it reminds you how vulnerable human life is. But then at the same time, because you're seeing sick people all the time, or injured people all the time, you're realizing, "Wow, the body does bounce back. It has an an immense capacity for healing." So, it kind of puts you on these two extremes where you're like, "Everyone's dying and no one's dying." >> Dude, 100%.

That guy that we shocked the other day who's in V-fib, and then he went right back into a viable rhythm. I was like, "That is crazy." Cuz we talk about that, we teach people that, we tell people that as lay rescuers, like, "If you you know, if you use an AED, they have a really high chance, which they do, of surviving." But you see so many cardiac arrests that don't end that way, and you're like, "Man, I like I need a win here." And you're and uh you're right, dude. It's It is that fine balance between everybody's dying at all points in times and people can actually come back from this.

>> Yeah, cuz it's like you're 1 in from death and a thousand miles away from death at the same time. >> Yes. Because the human body is just like to me, I get so excited talking and thinking about the human body when it's like, there are Everyone says, "Oh, we're so fragile." And they lose someone and >> And I get why they're saying that because they just lost someone that was healthy a few days ago. But if you look at it, the amount of threats we face on a given day from bacteria and things that would kill us, you know, just a hundred years ago, that now it's like, "Oh, my throat hurts and I'm annoyed. I have to take Advil today." So, it's it's interesting how far we've come in handling acute disease and acute threats to our life. And now we're dealing with the flip side of it because we're helping people survive these acute deaths moments, they're chronic health patients. Everyone's like, "Why is everyone chronically unhealthy?" Well, because we've prevented them from dying. So, now they're chronic health patients. >> That's so funny.

>> It It's We see that a lot in our current health sphere where people say that, "Why is America so unhealthy?"

Part of it is a problem of success. Another problem of it is like a societal issue and prevention issue and lifestyle issue. So, it's it's a lot of things all all bounce together in one.

>> That's uh easier access to things that they would need to be able to extend their lives is is big and that's kind of the same thing cheaper products for uh fires. That's why they're spreading so fast, man. It's because back in the day it was just, you know, cotton, there was, you know, your your basic combustibles that are in some of these things, woods. Now everything is polyester, everything is plastic, everything lights up so fast.

>> up faster? But then you also were saying some of the building materials are slower. >> So building building construction has gotten better. >> the actual things in the home >> Yeah, actually the things in the home are worse.

>> And then you But then also less people smoke.

>> Less people do smoke. >> That's probably playing a role, right?

Cuz the drop >> >> Right? I don't know. That's what I learned that like you never smoke while sleeping. >> No, well, never smoke while sleeping, but then the other risks that are now coming uh more things have lithium-ion batteries and then people are using Yeah, charging banks, they're not using the right charging cables. They're like they got their their one from their laptop, they're plugging it into the Yeah, that kind of thing. Uh charging allowing their cell phones or other things to charge while under blankets, they're overheating and causing fires. Uh space heaters are a big one. Extension cords, man. Extension they have uh a plug >> Is that the deadliest thing in a home?

>> No, no, the the >> What is the deadliest item in the home?

>> Humans. Uh >> Second deadliest?

>> Yeah, got him. >> >> Um >> That was a good cheat answer.

>> The the biggest cause of fires is going to be cooking. That's going to be your your number one thing. >> cook.

>> Uh I mean if you Look, if you can afford it, man.

>> >> Uh cook just cook safely. Don't leave cooking unattended. Uh if you're cooking with uh grease, make sure that you're not overheating the grease so it so it can bust. Um if you do have a grease fire, do you do you know what to never put on a grease fire?

>> Water. >> My man. Look at that. Yeah, good.

>> >> Yeah, water, dude. Everyone uh they obviously the first thing you want to throw on a fire is water. Um but when you throw it on there, uh it spreads it. >> You got to think uh >> The grease moves around basically. >> Well, not cuz it sits on the top of the water. >> Not only that, that's good.

>> This guy is good as a doctor. >> Uh >> >> also, it immediately converts to steam.

So, >> And that can >> Well, it essentially explodes. You're you're you're throwing it on there, it's converting to steam. Now, we're throwing fire.

>> throw a really dense droplet because the nozzle Sorry, go ahead.

>> That you're going to be a billionaire if you can invent that.

>> >> The one droplet.

Oh, it's so funny. >> Wait, so okay, you throw it, there's steam, and then it explodes. >> So, steam converts, and now now we have flames everywhere, and you've also gotten burned in the process. But, covering Oh, oh, you got to do you just cover it. Just If you have a lid, put it on top. Fire blankets work really well. ABC extinguishers are good. That's um >> What is What is that mean? Is that a type?

>> Uh ABCs are just different types of um your extinguishers. So, >> even know there were different types. >> Yes. Uh so, >> So, if I'm buying one, which one should I buy?

>> You buy ABC. So, ABC will say that it's going to it's going to combat normal combustion. >> airway, breathing, >> circulation. >> You spray it in their mouth, and then they come back. It's good. >> That is not how you want to use >> Dr. Mike has killed 43 people with this extinguisher.

>> This video gets taken down by YouTube. I lose my doctor certification on the bottom. >> Don't don't please don't spray it in people's mouths. Um, so, uh A is going to be for your your normal combustibles.

So, wood, uh paper, that kind of thing. Uh your flammable liquids are going to be for B, um and then C is electrical fires. Your average person, you want They want one within 10 ft. One on every floor, and then one within 10 ft of 8 to 10 ft of a cooking surface.

Um, but if you're doing that, just remember PASS: pull, aim, squeeze, sweep. So, you're going to pull the the pin. You're going to step back. Make sure you're again far enough away to where you can spread it properly. You're not going to spray anything on yourself. Um, then you're going to spray, and you're going to sweep back and forth. >> And you're aiming at the base.

>> Aim at the base of the fire, very good. >> There are different types of fires.

Grease electrical and Grease is going to >> Wait, is it just based off the ABCs?

>> It's not the ABCs, but it's it's it's just the type of combustible that >> So solid liquids and electrical. >> No, that's solid man. We're going to get deep in there. >> >> Pyrolysis, all this fun stuff. But it's just the type of combust. The A is like again like your normal things. This wood >> is an electrical fire different than a grease fire?

>> It has electricity involved with it. The grease fire is going to be the actual liquid that is on fire itself. The electrical fire is going to be it's an electrical source that is setting something else combustible on fire.

>> Oh, so even if you put out the fire if you don't stop the electrical source >> Correct. Correct. But it's safe to spray it on that thing that is around that that electrical issue. So you're But we will obviously want to shut the electricity off. If you can't shut the electricity off because it's you know, coming in from another source then just get out of your house and we'll we'll help from there.

>> Another dumb guy question. Have you ever been burned?

>> Yes. >> How?

>> >> The firefighter fire burned. >> I can >> Badly? >> I've only been burned on a fire once.

And that was we were fighting a fire with a shed fire.

And we get there. It's a big shed. What's on fire in there is a like bunch of crazy stuff. It's you know, lawn mowers, a bunch of different fuels, diesels, gas like big things of gas.

>> When fire touches a gas tank, does it explode like it does in the movies?

It doesn't? >> >> God damn it. >> So you got to think in order for something to actually light on fire, it needs to be converted to a gas. It's through like something called pyrolysis. So once it's converted to a gas, that is the state of matter that can actually be lit on fire. So when you put gas That's why when people like pour a ton of gas and then they talk to their friend for a second and then they come back and they're still pouring. That's just off-gassing all of that and then that's where you see explosions happen.

>> Okay, got it. >> Yeah.

>> So, car accidents don't explode.

>> No. >> God, I feel like every movie I've watched has been a lie. >> >> Like Man on Fire, I'm thinking of Denzel Washington walking away from the car. Oh, actually he had C4, so I guess that's >> Yeah. >> >> That was a great movie, by the way. >> That's my favorite movie of all time.

Yeah. >> Dude, I Denzel is one of those guys where I'm I'm positive he's he's a little bit like that in real life. Yeah.

Joe Pesci is supposedly just like that. >> Really?

>> Yeah, supposedly >> I could see that, too. Just being angry.

>> >> What's your favorite Joe Pesci movie? I mean, I know him from the Goodfellas vibes.

>> I think Goodfellas is really I dude, I I love Home Alone, man. I just I love that version of him. Like it's it's really really funny.

>> Home Alone is kind of how I view the United States still.

>> Yeah. >> Because when I came to America, that's like one of the first things that was out at the time and I was like, "Wow, this is America." >> >> Like strange people come into your house, but you could beat the out of them. >> In the Florida, yeah.

>> >> He was standing his ground.

>> How long did you move to United States? >> I was six in '95. '95, so >> Do you still actively speak Russian? That's cool.

>> I with my father, it's our primary way of communication.

>> I learned Polish at one point in time. >> No way.

>> Yeah, I >> Who learns Polish casually and then forgets it? >> >> Yeah, that was a long story. Uh I was married before and I learned Polish to speak to her family and uh I became conversationally fluent. I went to Poland twice for 3 months for each time and >> Kocham cię. >> Yeah, oh.

>> >> Got got >> Do you know what kocham cię means? Do you love me? Okay. >> >> Well, I figured cuz you said it was for your loved ones, I thought you would know that one. >> >> Yeah, Dr. Michael loves me. So >> Got a little pew in there. I got a LITTLE PEW IN THERE. >> >> LET'S GO. UM I LOVED speaking it, but it made me have such an incredible respect for anybody that learns another language.

Not only just learns another language to be able to be conversationally fluent with other people, but then learns like a whole new like medical terminology or like >> yeah.

>> It's insane. >> Like they should have a name like a sub language like music should be another language. Like if you play music you you speak another language. You are a lawyer, you speak another language.

You're a doctor, engineer, whatever you speak a different language. So I think that's definitely true. How did you learn?

>> I started with Rosetta Stone. >> And it worked?

>> It worked enough. >> It worked enough.

>> You have to be in the environment, right?

>> You have to, man. What I learned was because uh Polish, I'm imagining Russian is very similar. Like everything is so dense or like so complex. Like you can say the word two like 22 different ways because it's got changed male, newer, neuter, female, that kind of thing. But uh what I learned was that I went through Rosetta Stone, learned enough, then then I eventually got like a private tutor which was fun. And I went back and read my notes from Rosetta Stone. Dude, none of it made sense. Like I I understood nothing >> >> that I was saying, dude. Uh but it was such a cool experience, man. I met a guy who was from the Ukraine, the Uber driver that brought me here. And the guy's been here 4 years and we're just talking. I'm like, "That's crazy, man."

>> Wait, he was talking to you in Polish? >> No, in English.

>> Ah. >> Yeah, yeah, that'd be cool, too.

>> I thought the Ukrainian guy was speaking Polish.

>> I was like, "Hey, I learned Polish." He's like, "Good job."

>> >> I speak English.

Yeah, I I I would not be able to learn Russian had I started now. There's no way. It's too complicated. It would take too much time. Spanish I picked up from the medical world and also past relationships. So I can understand what that's like. >> You speak Spanish, too?

>> Uh not well, but enough to get by. Especially medically.

>> Yeah. the population that I take care of being in a community health center is so grateful that you even tried.

>> Oh, yeah. >> So, like to them it's the effort that you're putting in that is >> Yeah. >> a blessing to them, which I love putting in that effort cuz I want to be a better communicator. Right? That's like part of the biggest part of your job that requires success, right? Connecting to another human. >> That and I think I think a lot of people lose that. And don't get me wrong, man. At 3:00 in the morning for a toe pain, I'm I'm like, what am I doing? >> Yeah, so.

>> Um >> But >> Buck up. >> >> But I'm one of the biggest things I've learned is looking somebody in the eye and then giving some kind of human touch to them.

>> Right. >> Especially if they're freaking out. They don't know what's going on. A buddy of mine said to me a long time ago, he goes, "What's an emer- I was probably 5 years in. I was starting to like get that that burnout feeling. Um and he's like, "Just remember, bro. What's an emergency to you is not or or what's not an emergency to you is definitely an emergency to them, man. Like this is the first time they've ever seen this.

They've never had to call 911. They've never dealt with this before. And I think the best phrase I can ever I ever say to people that seems to work really well is it's it's going to be okay. Like we're going to do our best to help you. And for 80% of the time, man, that that's at least enough for them to say, "All right, cool. I can take a breath. It's going to be okay." So.

>> Wow. And in connecting with all these folks, are there any encounters that stick out in your mind as well, that was an interesting one or I can't believe we got through that?

>> God. I've I've had >> Cuz I know a big part of your channel is creating these stories of there were these patients or these cases. >> Uh when when when Flakka was around for a bit, that was insane. >> What's that?

>> Oh, you never You guys didn't have Flakka up here?

>> Flakka? No. >> Flakka what?

>> three no's. >> >> You should try >> I Is this the gentleman known as Waka? >> Flakka Flakka Yeah, he just ran through my area every once in a while. We're like, "Oh, Flakka." Um no, he was a it was a street pharmaceutical that that people were consuming. They were smoking it. Um, and >> like bath salts? >> It's not as um didn't seem to be as violent. It was just very They were all naked uh every time. Um, but they like were no longer attached to our reality. The weirdest thing, dude, the weirdest thing is everyone every time I ran on someone that was on there um, they said that they were being chased by wolves. Every one of them. I was like, are they actually going to another reality? Like, what's happening here?

>> You don't have wolves in Florida. >> No, no wolves in God, that would be a whole whole new fun. >> That's in Minnesota.

>> >> But uh a few of those and you get there and they're legitimately they they're looking through you. They're no longer I think that's the scariest patient you ever deal with is someone I don't know if you've ever had that, but >> I mean, of course to some degree, especially someone sun downing in the nursing home. We spend time in the nursing homes. Those people forget about it. Like >> Dude. >> Yeah.

>> Yeah, but >> They're so sweet otherwise, which is why seeing that flip is woah. >> Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Uh but I but they're they're looking through you. They don't know what's happening.

They're scared because whatever they smoked is is detached them from reality.

Um, and those are the moments where you're like, crap, cuz if if this could go south really fast. They could hurt themselves. So, we give them um some sedatives and I've had a couple of them we give them some sedatives and boom, they're right back and they're like, hey, what's going on, bro? I'm like, >> heard of this drug called Krokodil. This is years ago. Uh >> Are you seeing more substance abuse cases now? >> No, it's actually decreased a lot in Florida. >> Really?

>> to call us the the Narcan Crew. >> Uh the pill the Narcan Crew. Dude, that was bad. >> What Wait, what you had a time with >> Oh my god. During uh the peak of they called it the pill highway. There were so many physicians uh pain clinics down there that were prescribing medication or opioids to to people. They were coming down from from other states getting going to multiple doctors called doctor shopping going to multiple doctors and then driving back up. But we had a point where I don't know what type of opioid it was. Um, but this, uh, we would show up on overdoses. There'd be two of them, two people at one time, which we had never really seen in our area. And uh, they're right next to each other. We were giving them eight 10 mg of Narcan. And I mean, >> I mean, it had to be fentanyl. >> It it it dude, I've never seen anything like this. I've never seen You normally give >> touch them. >> You normally give somebody 0.5.

>> wake up screaming. >> Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Or you like just slowly titrate them. I actually, uh, I don't wake people up anymore. I just get their respiratory drive, uh, back to normal. Yeah, comfortable. >> you bring them to a safe place.

>> Yeah, cuz I dude, you You watch people slam 2 mg of that stuff and you're like, this is not good for anybody. They have now vomited all over all of us and they're they're they're not happy. So, uh, but yeah, that was 2 mg, 2 mg, 2 mg.

Nobody's waking up. Supposedly, I don't know if it's true or not, but um, I teach CPR. A lot of my, uh, clients are, uh, treatment facilities. Uh, they do CPR so much that they need some difference than someone coming in.

>> Yeah, compressing the chest. >> So, uh, supposedly there was a someone who got busted in my the Miami area and after that, that's where that cuz all it was like overnight. It was overnight it stopped.

>> Wow. >> Whether that's true or not, who knows, but >> That's so scary, the amount of differentials you have when you go to a case. Like, what do you know >> >> when you go to a call? Like, for me, before I walk into an exam room in an outpatient setting, I'll know the name of the patient, the age of the patient, the reason for the encounter, and my nurse will grab a or CMA will grab a brief history along with the vitals and present that to me. Now I can go in with knowledge of what's going on. What do you know? >> So, we get the basics. We'll get the address, whatever the type of the call is, if it's chest pain short or chest pain respiratory. >> Do you call it a chief complaint?

>> You call it a chief complaint, yeah. Yeah.

>> Which I don't really love cuz it's like your heart stopped, you're not complaining. >> >> Well, we don't walk in and go, "Whose chief complaint is cardiac arrest, guys?"

Um yeah, we'll get the just the basics of what's going on, but it's funny, bro, because you take that with a grain of salt.

Um at least for you, you've they've gotten a set of vitals and kind of an update dated stuff. For us, like you said, especially telemedicine, you know, for you, they're describing something. They may not understand how to describe it properly. Um or if you don't ask that one right question, like is it radiating or anything like that, you don't know that their aorta is currently tearing in half. Um so, how would you get vital signs if you needed? Would you just >> Yeah, if there's a dissection of the >> No, no, I'm saying like it during your telemedicine piece, if like if you >> Oh, you don't. There is no vitals for a telemedicine piece. There are now companies creating devices where if people want to they they sell them the device and a membership to this telemedicine service where they can put on the devices and the doctor can use those vitals.

And some of those devices actually allow you to like look in their throat and ears and things like that. Not widely adoptable, but they were being sold at Best Buy at one point. >> So, that's a well.

Yeah, I love them. I have my own little blood pressure machine at home.

>> Omron? >> Uh yeah, it's a great machine, dude.

Like I gone through two or three of them and some of them were just wildly inaccurate.

>> Was it the size of the cuff that was issue cuz you have big arms?

>> Yeah. >> Got you.

>> >> Um I think it was or it might have been or I tried different placements of it. Um and then I learned something that I never knew, dude. I didn't know that your blood pressure is the highest when you wake up in the morning. I didn't >> Well, is it the highest?

>> It's supposedly higher than normal, I would say. It's probably a better way to say it. >> spike of just waking up.

>> Yes. >> Yeah, I wouldn't ever say like wake up and check. >> Yeah, well that's what I was doing Dr.

Mike. I was waking up and I was like Jesus, why is my blood pressure so high? But yeah, that was fun just being able to I I developed high blood pressure out of nowhere. Just like like personally I would I started getting headaches at the base of my head and I worked with this company called Detect Together. They're cancer prevention for firefighters and they have a a two-week rule. If you have any symptoms for longer than a two-week period, you should get it checked out.

So for two weeks I was having Yeah, it was great great great messaging.

I had just pressure headaches at the base of my skull all the time. So I was like, I think I have a tumor. That was my first thought.

>> Well, you went on WebMD symptom checker.

>> >> Um but I started I was like, let me just check my blood pressure and it was like 155, 160 and then my diastolic was closer to 100. I was like, I work out every day. My pulse is naturally in the low 50s. I was like, this is not normal. I was eating these pre-made healthy meals. >> Sodium rich?

>> They were so sodium rich, man. And I I don't eat any sodium. So I ended up going on a low sodium diet. Ended up working itself out and it's good now. So yeah. >> And were the headaches related to that?

>> That's what they was, yeah. >> Cuz it's very unusual to have a headache from blood pressure unless it's really high. I mean 100 diastolic, now you're getting into that number. But I had a patient the other day came in for bilateral leg swelling. And obviously whenever you have leg swelling, especially in someone who's older, you're worried about a clot.

She's not moving around much. But it wasn't the type of swelling that you'd have from a clot. It felt like pedal edema from congestive heart failure. And her heart had some issues, but not to the degree where I would say, "Oh, we need to implement diuretics." And she her echo did not show congestive heart failure to that degree. I said, "Look, look, this doesn't make sense. Are you eating anything really salty out of nowhere?" She goes, "No.

Like I add no salt. I don't do this. I'm like, do me a favor. Keep a journal.

We'll do an ultrasound to rule out clots cuz like you want to be thorough.

There's no radiation, low-risk test. But, I keep this journal. She goes, there's nothing obviously on the ultrasound.

Messages me on the messaging portal and goes, So, the prosciutto I started implementing in my diet actually is very rich in sodium.

>> >> I'm like, wow. I thought that was pretty common knowledge. >> Oh my god, it is not, dude. That's so funny. Uh I worked for a physician's office for 6 months before I became a medic. Uh I was actually I think I was just an EMT at the moment. I was getting ready to go to medic school. And uh I was doing what your nurses do. Uh I was the patients would come in. I would do uh my basic stuff with them. Uh check their vitals, all the stuff and wait for the physicians to come in. So, um I had this patient come in and they had CHF and they were like, "Yeah, I just feel really dehydrated." And I was like, "Just drink more water. Just Just like you got to drink a lot more water if you don't want to feel dehydrated."

>> Uh-oh. They can't breathe.

>> The doctor comes out. He goes, "Hey, you tell that patient to drink more water."

I go, "Yeah." He goes, "Jesus, bro." >> >> It's like, "YOU GUYS ARE exactly what we're Stop giving people advice." I was like, "I'm sorry."

>> That happens a lot uh from well-intentioned advice, you know.

>> Yeah. Yeah. >> Uh I've even seen this with residents where uh this is a hyper-specific case, but if someone has um a thyroid cancer that's been treated, uh sometimes they would give additional thyroid hormone where to really make sure that your levels are super low of TSH so that you don't regrow this cancer tumor. >> Mhm.

>> And because of that, if you check just a TSH, you'd say, "Oh my god, we're giving them way too much thyroid hormone." But, it's being done purposefully so that we don't regenerate this cancerous tumor. And then the resident will start adjusting and I'm like, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, you're going to regrow their tumor.

Please don't do that." >> god.

>> And sometimes in healthcare you learn very quickly that why it's so humbling.

Just because something makes sense, it might not be the right move or just because you have the right intention, it might not be the right move and very, very tricky to figure that out. >> That That's what I love about like physicians and and people that are just truly good at what they do. Like I was saying before when we I watch like certain Tik Toks or whatever and you just listen to so that that double board certified guy. Like I listen to it and I'm like, "Dude, this guy is incredible." >> Well, that there's a new genre. It's It's called competency porn. >> Mhm.

>> Where you just watch people who know what they're doing. Well, it's why the pit I think is so successful. Do you watch that?

>> Yeah, I don't watch it, but I've heard nothing but incredible things about it.

>> Cuz it's just like watching people who are really good at the thing that they do because we kind of live in this era where on social media there's a lot of people who claim they know what to do. When push comes to shove, they don't know I know >> Yes.

>> Are there people spreading misinformation about fire safety and >> Not really, man. Most people are pretty good about it. Thank god.

>> No one's selling like a miracle rescue kit or something?

>> No, but dude, and again, this is still some of the stuff is still preliminary and coming out, but like you talk about like the guy that's wants to adjust something that's really going to screw something up. By the way, I saw I had a lady go into a third degree heart block because uh her cardiologist gave her uh calcium channel blocker and someone else gave her a beta blocker and uh they did they must have not communicated or she didn't tell them and like really messed up. Uh so lithium ion batteries for a long time they were uh the stuff is still coming out about this, but uh taking fire blankets putting them over the cars when they're on fire and it ex- extinguishes the fire, then allows it to cool down. It doesn't keep going into the the um uh thermal runaway is what it's called. Well, what they found, again, still stuff coming out about it, was that you're trapping all those very dangerous explosive gases underneath that's such a tent but under that blanket and it could make an explosive environment. So and like you dance if you do dance if you don't like what's the best way to approach these things so >> Now that we have more EVs and charging stations are there fires related to those? >> Yes no the I don't know about the charging stations themselves but you're going to yeah you're going to see more more fires that with EVs it's it's inevitable.

>> I forgot if this was secretary Pete Buttigieg or someone was mentioning to me how because these EVs are heavier on the highways for example the barriers that prevent people from sliding off are now not strong enough because these cars are heavier. >> That's crazy.

>> That now roads have to be adapted etc. for the electric car environment. Is there anything you guys are doing differently when you come to a car accident scene when it's an EV versus combustion engine?

>> Our biggest thing is we don't want fires to happen at any point time and it's so rare that you see a combustion you know regular gas fueled fire starting or on a automotive vehicle starting. These EVs it's the hardest part is we just don't know what to do yet. We don't know how to fight them. I mean if it goes into thermal runaway if it's just it catches on fire and it's just the components around the batteries on fire it's not a big deal you know we're just water is going to be totally fine. But if it goes into thermal runaway which is one battery overheating then catching the next one the next one the next one and then and if it's inside of that actual compartment or inside of the pack itself we can't access it. So we can spray water on it all day long but it's not getting in there to cool it down. So we can cool the battery pack hopefully if it's just that and hopefully cooled enough to where we can prevent the thermal runaway but the big issue they're having is when they they cool it down then you have a tow truck show up when it moves it can set back on fire again. So they're taking them they're putting him inside of dunk tanks. >> Wow, it's like a bomb squad is coming out. Jesus.

>> It's not as common as as people make it out to be.

And it's Anything new is terrifying. And that's So, they're coming out with different things where you can take a nozzle, put it underneath there. It's specifically made to just drench it and hopefully cool down the thermal runaway. But then they're having piercing ones where they'll go in, they'll pierce the battery pack, and then put it out. But our big thing is just try to cut off the electricity and then kind of go from there. >> the safety there. Like in my race car, I have a fire extinguisher, but it's not a handheld manual one. I have a giant red button that I have to press, and I think it just explodes in the car.

>> Yeah. I don't know if it explodes.

>> I think No, no, I think it Right? Isn't that what you said?

>> that would be We haven't had to use it. Dude, thank god I haven't had to use it. But it I think You know what's funny? So, I crashed my car in Indiana. Great Great job, Mike. And smoke billowed inside the the car.

I don't know how I knew because I shouldn't have known, but the smoke was coming from I hit the rear tire against the wall, and then the tire kind of got jammed. So, as the car was rolling to a stop, the brake and everything created a bunch of smoke. It wasn't actual fire smoke.

It could have easily been a fire smoke. And there should have been a world where I considered pushing the button, but I didn't at all. So, if I press that button and something They said it explodes.

There's no >> I Maybe it Hey, listen, I'm not an expert on all things extinguisher. I can tell you back in the day they used to have little hand grenade ones where you threw it in there and it exploded.

Yeah. >> you ever use one of those?

>> No, dude. We're talking years and years >> >> Years before. >> I could see you guys in the firehouse just messing with each other. Just like, "Yo."

>> No, but there is a story about that. A guy We get there, the guy had pulled the pin and thrown a modern extinguisher into the fire and it it didn't put the fire out. It's not going >> Wait, he threw the actual >> Yeah, the whole extinguisher. It just doesn't do anything. Yeah. >> Does it ever explode?

>> I mean, it might if it sits there for a long enough period of time, but I can't imagine it would that would end up happening.

>> Uh so, for yours, I'm not sure. It may explode or it may it may just be that it is charged with whatever that chemical is that agent that's going to put out the the fire. Cuz I assume it's spraying in your gas tank area as well as is also going in the engine compartment. >> I think it's exploding everywhere.

>> Everywhere? Yeah. >> Well, and I don't know if exploding is the right term, but it it's clearly not it's it's bolted down. It's not like a point and shoot thing that I pick up and shoot.

>> And you just punch that baby and it goes >> a bush there's a button.

And it reminded me, this is such a random thing to bring up, but it reminded me of the button that I flew in an F-16 with Air Force Thunderbirds. And they were like, "Hey, just so you know, this is the button and this is the seat thing in between your seat. Do not touch this.

Unless like you're ready to jump out." And I'm like, "Wait, why are you saying do not touch it if I What if I need to jump out?" And they said that this is a a bilateral switch. So, if I pull it, the pilot also gets thrown out as well.

And this thing's worth like 15, 20 million dollars. They're like, "Do not do this." >> Oh my god.

>> The level of trust >> Yeah.

>> to just send in a YouTube dude and be like, "Yeah, just don't pull that.

That's 15 million dollars." >> You better have been the right YouTube guy cuz there would have been people that would push that.

>> What's crazy is it's not like you have a parachute on.

Your seat is the parachute. So, your seat gets What? >> Dude. Again, respect for people that created that. Like someone was like, "All right, >> Respect who uses that comfortably. >> >> No, I'm telling you those Coast Guard guys when we go out to those ships, I told you this before the like literally he's like he's putting and I've never been on I'm not comfortable on boats period. My biggest fear in life is being 12 miles out, and boat goes down, and I got to just sit there and burn in the sun cuz I'm a ginger.

Um but he >> Hey, ginger.

>> >> Please.

Um literally putting that on me and and he's like, you know, just if if if you go in the water I'm like, "Hold on, bro. Aren't you the Coast Guard? What do you mean if I'm if I'm in the water?" He's like, "Things happen. It should inflate." Oh my god. And then I'm like, "Then what happens?" He goes, "They should send a helicopter." I'm like, "Dude, what is happening >> >> right now?" Like I'm terrible.

>> They should. I love that it's always should.

>> Yeah, I'm positive this guy was like, "I'm going to mess with this firefighter." >> >> But they're like, "Dude, just 6-ft waves." Just go >> You know what what's interesting given the era in which we live where the majority of the country is either overweight or obese, are you going into scenarios into people's homes where someone is extremely obese, morbidly obese, and you need to get them out? Like what do you what do you How do you handle that?

>> Well, thankfully we've been able to adapt and if there's if it's really bad >> I'm saying 400-lb person. >> Yeah, 400-lb Anyone over a certain weight I couldn't give you that exact weight. We can call um we can call a unit that is specifically for that. >> Really?

>> Um I've only had one patient in my 18 years of being in the fire service where I had to call another unit to transport them just for their own safety cuz they have OBU units or not OBU obese units. Thank you.

obese units where they can bariatric units uh where they'll show up and it's a a wider stretcher with a bigger vehicle.

>> Well, that I get, but actually moving them. How how >> Well, we'll we'll figure it out, man. What we >> So, if they're down on the stairs or like what do you >> We're going to grab feet. >> Straps.

>> Yeah, straps. We're going to grab feet. We're going to grab what we call them carryalls. Uh we're going to put it underneath them. We're going to move them as best as we possibly can. >> And that's scary in the midst of an emergency. Like health emergency is one thing, but when all of your lives are at risk. >> Yeah.

Yeah, it it's uh like I said, it's we're going to figure it out, man. That's that that's that's our job here.

>> you're calling audibles basically you're saying.

>> we need to get some >> creative.

>> So, we're lucky, man, because like I said, we're we're fire-based EMS service. So, uh we have a minimum of four people showing up on a call. Uh sometimes, depending on if it's cardiac arrest, we're going to have, you know, six to 10 people showing up. You go to some of these private private ambulance companies, they don't like they got two people showing up.

They got two people showing up. That's it. They're going to call some more people. They're going to call the fire A lot of times the local fires stations will show up. They're just not tied together. Um so, they'll get lift assist, that kind of thing. But, there's just some people that >> Wow. >> they're showing up and response times are bad. EMS is probably at its lowest it's been in a very long time.

>> check for their area what the response time is?

>> I'm sure they can look it up or they can call their local fire department. They can find out. Pull the stats. Yeah, that kind of stuff. Like I said, we're four to six minutes. Um if you're in a more rural area, then it's probably going to be a little bit longer, just depending on what's going on. >> Are you often times, again, this is my knowledge from movies. God, I feel like I learned everything from television.

>> I did. Me, too. >> Um are you rescuing cats from a branch?

No, no, no. Come on. >> Oh, yeah, dude.

>> That always felt like if there was misinformation, it had >> No, that's that's 100% accurate. >> You're really?

>> Oh, you know what? I'm going to The biggest thing that's inaccurate about firefighters they used to say that we sleep all the time. They say that's all we did. We play video games and sleep. >> Okay. Do you not play video games?

>> Uh I don't play video games. I have seen it, but we're not going to point that out. >> >> I have played a video game a couple times.

But, um the sleeping part is sleep does happen. It is possible, but >> Yeah. >> Yeah.

It's going to happen at some point, especially when we're on our 24 hours.

You wouldn't want guys staying up for 24 hours straight. It's it's it's horrendous. Um but, you know, the truck I'm on right now, we we average four or five calls after midnight. So, we're we're we're up all night, that kind of thing. Um yes, cats all the time. Uh cats in a tree.

Yeah. >> a month, how many cat calls do you get?

How that that could mean two things. >> Yeah.

>> >> 16 to 18 per month. I'm kidding, dude.

>> I was about to say you >> are now no longer the firefighter. >> We are cat savers.

>> Cat savers. >> Uh I would say probably two to three a year, three or four a year. Yeah, we're not like we're not like going out there all the time, but I I just pulled one out of a um So, we get on we get on scene. Someone's There's a cat in the drain. And we're like, "There's no cat in the drain, man." >> Oh, I Wait, there isn't? >> No, I was like said I was like, "Is there really a cat in the drain there?" >> You're like, "This is the Waka Flocka."

>> >> They're like, "I'm telling you it's down there." So, we're sitting there and we're like, "Meow."

Like, "No way there's a cat in the drain." So, pop open the the sewage cover, look down in there. It's it's a huge waterway. Like, I can stand in this thing. And look down there, yeah, there's a cat. So, I crawl down there.

Uh we have a a four gas meter, so we bring it down there to make sure there's nothing toxic down there. We go down there and run over, grab him, bring him back up. >> Oh, wow. So, you are rescuing cats. So, you're a cat hero. >> Yeah, we're cat heroes. Yeah.

But, people call us all the time, man. They're like, >> Is there any time people call you and you go, "Why the hell did you call?

There's nothing here." >> That's a really I think it's probably the same lane that you kind of go in where it's like, "There's nothing wrong here." You know, they they called They People will call like They'll ask us to blow candles out or uh >> No.

Bro, come on. >> I called 3:00 in the morning said he was having a heart attack. He's like, "I'm having a heart attack. My chest is killing me." We're like, "Holy cow." >> Yeah, okay. So, we we sent and went We send our units there. Everybody shows up. We're walking up to this and he sticks his head out He opens up the window and he goes, "Hey, man. Uh I was lying, bro. I'm not having a heart attack." We're like, "Oh, well, what's going on?" Like, maybe it's just a miscommunication. He goes, "He's got a refrigerator plugged in in his uh uh what do you call it? His uh front yard." He's like, "Can you just grab me a bottle of water out of there, man?" I guess.

>> No. >> >> Come on. >> I swear, dude.

>> Do you Do you Is that a crime? It should be.

>> It should be. Dude, I we we've had people call us uh We had a we call them frequent flyers. I know it's not nice, but it's someone that calls all the Uh we had someone call us four times a day.

Four times a day for months. We had it like it's a huge deal to get people We want people to call 911. Like if you're thinking 911, we want you to call 911.

Because someone might be like, "Ah, I just smell a little bit of smoke.

There's probably nothing going on." Like there's a fire behind their wall or something like that. And if you're thinking 911, let us show up. And I've had both sides of it where we show up we're like, "Dude, this is insane. Like you really called for this?" Um and we've also had where it's like, "You should have called a month ago, man. What are you doing? Like let's take you to the hospital." So >> That's so scary. You know, I remember the first time I called 911. >> Mhm.

>> I was on a bus uh when I was in eighth grade, I moved from Brooklyn to Staten Island. So I would take the bus from Staten Island to Brooklyn. And while I was on the Verrazano Bridge, which is one of the longest suspension bridges, I think it's the second longest in the US. Golden Gate, I think is first.

And in the middle of it, bus starts slowing down, smoke fills the whole bus. Everyone kind of goes off. And I don't know why, maybe from the movies, I was certain it was going to explode and the bridge is going to collapse. >> >> Dude, you know how many people would be dead if every car accident they blow up?

Jesus, we've had four dead people this month. Everyone's car keeps exploding. >> I was That was all that was in my head.

So everyone neatly disembarked the bus. I ran off.

And everyone's just standing and they're like, "All right, we'll wait for the police to come or fire department to come." Like this.

>> Yeah. >> I don't want this thing to explode and then I'm left standing here. So I just started walking down the highway. >> It's not Look, like getting away from that is not a bad idea. And there are some I I've just see I've seen a video recently where I think it was a natural gas uh bus, I'm not sure, uh, but it exploded. Look at that.

>> I was ahead of the game at age 12.

>> You know, oh, you were 12. I missed that part of the story. Where did you go? You just >> So, I started walking and, uh, the bridge itself, I believe, is 2 miles. I was halfway, so I had a mile walk. And as I'm walking, I called 911 to let them know what just happened, as if they weren't going to show up anyway. And what's scary is I was on the There's two levels to the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, upper or lower. On the lower level, there's a kind of a little pathway. It's not meant for walking, but there's a little bit of a pathway. And in between the pathway and the road, you could see the water. And I have a death fear of heights. So, I'm walking this thing, and I'm trying to look what's happening on the bus, but I don't want to turn my head cuz I had this fear that, God forbid, I'm going to walk off the bridge. Like, I'm going to just jump off, or the wind would blow too hard. Cuz it also sways a little. It's a suspension bridge.

Oh, boy, that was a scare. And then as I'm 100 ft away from the exit to my school, uh, a police officer pulls up to me and you're not allowed to just walk here. And I'm like, I know, but my thing was on fire. They're like, another bus is going to come pick you up to walk you off the exit. So, I had to get on for like >> Oh, wow. >> 100 ft, and then they let me off.

>> I'm proud of you for still going to school. That's where you and I separate.

I would have went the other way. >> had to go tell everyone the story. I'm a survivor, baby.

>> I would have went >> exploded. The story became 10 >> bus exploded. >> The story became way more dramatic than >> Oh, man. I would have went home and be like, Mom, I can't go to school. The bus there was on fire. >> You know why? It's cuz you did not have a Soviet father. >> >> My father would be like, You didn't go to school cuz THERE WAS A FIRE?

I'M GOING TO LIGHT YOU ON FIRE. >> >> NO, that's It's true. Like, you you couldn't stay home for anything.

>> See, I would rather people overreact to things like >> Well, be careful saying that. >> Well, to a point. Like, I would rather you, uh, I would rather if you're not sure if it's fires, yes. Yeah, like if it's going to be like, "Oh god, I don't know." Like Like get away from it. If you're not I stand by this. I tell people when I teach CPR, if you're thinking 911, call 911. Like let us show up, man. Like number one, we don't charge where I'm at. We don't charge just for showing up.

We only If it's a fire service, it's another thing. But for EMS, we don't charge when we show We only charge when we transport. So, if you're not sure just let us come there. The Most people are not going to call, but if you're not sure, dude, that's what we're here for. >> Hold on, is there Like let's say I call the fire department and a fire, they put out the fire. Do I have to pay for that?

>> Uh it depends. I'm not like super up in the billing piece of it, but >> thought about it. Do you know? Dan, do you know?

>> No, I was wondering, actually. >> Yeah.

>> We'll have to We'll have to look that up. Let's put a disclaimer up on your thing. >> obviously you're very familiar with the wildfires that happen on the West Coast. Um people rich people hired private firefighters. Do you hate that? >> No, dude. I don't Yeah, dude.

>> Oh, okay. >> Cuz they take away the resources from >> >> I don't Like it's so hard for me to be mad at somebody for doing something like that. I don't know if they they were short on resources. I'm not sure I'm not I wasn't really well versed in that side of it. >> they were angry? Sam is well versed on this. >> People are upset about it because firefighters who could help other people will stand at X celebrities' house and and not help the surrounding area because they're responsible for what they're doing to protect >> Okay, yeah. I could see people being upset about that. That That would be especially if The dude, the thing with wildfires, so I I'm a structural firefighter. There are just wildland firefighters, and then there's the combination of both. So, like out there in California, those guys are going to be doing wildland fire fighting and structural fire fighting. That stuff's insane. So, wildland fire fighting is by far one of the most the craziest things that I've ever seen. >> Why?

>> Because with structural firefighting, what we're fighting is typically contained in a structure, right? If it gets out, then we can do exposure protection, that kind of thing. That is not, and then it can dictate its own wind patterns. Like it can spread incredibly fast, faster than we could ever fight it. And then it can change directions at any point in time. You hear that all the time. Um so for those guys, and then the other thing with those guys is it's called mandatory. So my department is short-staffed right now. So I'm supposed to only work 24 hours, but literally uh I was supposed to be mandatory'd uh a couple weeks ago. >> I'll give you a doctor's note, don't worry. >> >> Thanks, brother. Al- almost every other shift, like guys on my crew are getting mandatory'd. So we're Do you want to go home? No, you're here for another 24 hours. Those guys can be sent out for 21 days. So hey man, we need you out uh you got to do some wildland stuff. So you're gone for 21 days. And then depending on where they work, they could be brought back for 1 day and then sent back out for another 21. So like it it's crazy. Should uh I don't know that's a difficult uh question to answer. I I don't um I don't know what the end result of those other things were. Was that fire coming through no matter what? Um it's you're going to be really good to stop a wildland firefighter from a fire from destroying your house. I have seen these new things where they put Billy pumps uh portable pumps inside of their pools and then they just they have their own fire hose to house, yeah.

I saw that recently. >> thought about that. That's good. So then uh the trajectory of your life, mechanic, EMT firefighter, now YouTuber extraordinaire.

>> I'm I'm >> How did that happen?

>> Lose on the extraordinaire part. Uh >> Once you get into the seven figures, baby, you're extraordinaire. >> Just messing around, man. I I don't I don't know how it worked out for you, but we were messing around the station.

Uh the original name was National Geographic's Fire Department Edition.

>> Okay. >> Uh we were we would hunt for different uh positions and uh the battalion chief uh the bigger their belly was, the more gnarly they were, that kind of thing. Uh but just messing around and like people were like, "Hey man, I can relate to that." I would say that none of my calls that I talk about are unique. Like everybody across the world has run something similar to the exact same call. So just slowly started growing it over time. So more and more people enjoyed it. Green screening is what really it just like set it into the the stratosphere. That was insane.

That I enjoyed so much being able to do because I never make fun of the actors or what they're doing cuz it's like they're just doing their job. Yeah, they're given like this is who you are. Okay, cool.

Uh and even the writers. The writers have to write fun interesting stuff.

It's just like get just get the terminology right.

Like they ran over a hose in one of them. They run over a hose and the hose burst and they're like, "That's it. We don't have any more water. It's gone."

They're like, "There's a thousand gallons in that truck right now. You got more than enough to put out the fire, guys." Um so just start green screening, that's where my YouTube started at. That's where it kind of set me over a million. Um and then the real things I've seen in shorts that was I never 2024 I I had I think it was 1.5 billion views on YouTube. Like it was insane. Like it never made sense the amount of views that that I was getting on there. And it was just so cool because all the comments are positive. They're fun. Like I'll take somebody off every once in a while, but I think it's just fun to not only make fun of myself cuz there's a couple of them where I accidentally injected myself with an EpiPen and >> >> crapped myself in the back of a rescue. But just the stuff that we see every day kind of create some sort of place for everyone to talk, you know.

>> Sure. And how did your life change in uh >> That just I'm sure the same with you, like people recognize me, man. Like it's I have a 10-year-old daughter and I'll I'll I'll go to her school and like it's the only place that makes me uncomfortable. Like I walk in there, they're like, "That's the guy." And my daughter is like, "Dad, come on." It's such a I offered to buy her a pizza party, right? Like if once a year I'll just buy pizza for her class, and she's like She's like, "Dad, don't buy that anymore." I'm like, "Why?" She goes, "Everyone says you're rich and you're you're famous and you buy pizza."

I'm like, "IT'S LIKE $20, DUDE." >> >> YOU'RE NOT GIVING THEM lobster surf and turf dinners.

>> I have a butler coming there. >> >> Dude, let me spread my wealth a little bit.

>> Um it the firefighting community is so like firefighting and EMS community they're so um like tight-knitted. It's it gave me an ability to be able to create an open line of communication with people. So I get to talk to to brothers and sisters from all around the world. I mean guys FDIC the uh fire department or fire department instructors conference was last week in Indianapolis. It's 40,000 first responders come together.

It's insane, dude. It's absolute blast. But there's guys from uh Mexico, uh Guatemala, China, Japan. These guys speak a handful of English and they come up they'll take a picture of me they'll be like, "Dude, we watch your videos every day." I'm like, "That's insane." It's so cool, man. So I think it made my my world smaller in a really fun exciting way. And then I'm able to share like you do uh just pieces of medical information in a fun comedic way to people that hopefully learn something and they're able to utilize it in their personal lives. >> Yeah, when uh you made the choice to do the green screening of yourself into the show, I'm curious given the fact that the reaction world was so popular at the time, why did you choose to do the green screen approach as opposed to just a standard reaction video? >> So I did two or three regular reaction videos. Um and I love and I thought it was fun. And then one day So uh it's going to shock you, man, but I have ADD uh like severely.

>> >> So and my brain is always like, "Well, what's the next thing I can do? How can I uh make myself just slightly different to me the person that's on it before me?

Um and I was I had a green screen, bought it for the house. I was like let me give this a shot, man. Okay. Um and I did it and I mean I probably average views 50,000 views at the time. I put that first one out, dude. It had like 4 million views in the first like >> Wow. >> in the first like week or something like that, which is crazy for me at the time. Um and that was a go okay, this is it. And I can have more fun cuz then I can physically interact with the person. I can really show what the scene is looking like and um it makes me sad cuz I love Rob Lowe and I don't like Oh no, God, what's what's the lady the police officer in 911? Oh my God, she's an amazing actress.

>> I don't know. >> Uh Yes. >> Oh. Look at that.

>> Angela Bassett is my bi She's my favorite actress on the face of the planet and every time I'm in a video with her, I'm like oh God, I love you, Angela. Anyways, this is all wrong. >> >> So wait, that we never actually answered the question. Tacoma FD was your most accurate. What was the least accurate? >> Uh Station 19 was >> Is that the spin-off of Grey's Anatomy? >> The one that was in Seattle.

>> Oh. >> They just like at no point in time did any of that make sense. Like never. And then brother, if we were sleeping with each other in the station as much as they were, we'd all be fired. >> >> Wait, are you not allowed to date other firefighters?

>> date other firefighters, but if you're actively having sex in the like yeah, they're like they would come out of the battalion chief's office like woo, that was a fun one. One of the guys is like great job. Like Jesus, dude. That'd be a >> Okay. >> Uh and then they again, the verbiage. Uh there's my favorite one ever was they're fighting a structure fire. The fire is in the house, but it's a security house. So like everything is like well fortified. Um and they are like, "We can't fight this fire. We can't get in there to fight the fire." And then the girl's like, uh the captain's like, "Well, you want to baste the turkey?" And he's like, "Yeah, let's baste the turkey." I'm like, "What?"

That was a That was a firefighting term that they just made up. We're like, "What's the baste a turkey?" Like, "We close everything in the house. We close all the windows, all the doors. We let it stay inside and then we spray it from the outside and that cools it down." I was like, "No. No. Baste the turkey." >> >> This is someone's interpretation of what they think firefighting should be.

>> Dude, I was like, this is it's just again, fun firefighting cuz now the shows have got a little more accurate.

>> Um Really? Cuz one of the shows that I was considering reacting to, firefighters went into space. >> I >> >> So, I don't know. So, this is where I'm like, "Oh." Like, we would never do that in a million years. >> No, but you go out with the Coast Guard.

>> That's I'll tell you right now, if NASA calls me and they're like, "Jason, we need you to go to space to fight fire." I'm like, uh I'm going. We're all going to die, >> They're they're putting on the suit. Like, this should auto-inflate.

>> Should auto-inflate. You should have oxygen.

Yeah, I The The actually the one that's that is quickly catching up to the worst is the newest one, Nashville 911. That one is just again, no. I don't They're cutting out people's faces. >> going to reach out to you to write or have you thought about writing? >> I would love to write. I would. So, I do all the writing and editing for for my videos in Fire Department Coffee as well. And I love the writing process. It's it's it's very cool. And I would do it. It's just one of those like >> Even as a consultant, they should bring you on.

>> Dude, I would I would love to. I don't think I don't know if they want me on there. that.

>> after >> >> and now. >> Uh not sure if this is true or not, but somebody told me on that movie Ambulance uh that there was a scene and supposedly the what the consultant there had seen my green screens and went to again, I don't know if this is true or not, but went to Michael Bay and was like, "Hey, you see this? If you shoot that scene, this is going to happen." Supposedly we wrote it. I'm not sure if that's true or not. If it was, I'm going to just stick with that. But >> Wow. Um, you know what came into my head that I should have asked you earlier and you mentioned volunteer firefighters. Why in the world does a volunteer firefighter exist? >> Uh, lack of funding.

>> Uh, there's So like what So like area just has no firefighters and then a couple of people go, "We got this." >> So firefighting was born from volunteering. The The first firefighters ever were all volunteers. They all got into this for free and did it for a long time a long time ago. >> 1900s, 1800s?

>> Yes. Uh, I want to say 1800s, maybe 1700s. I want to say 1700s. >> Yeah.

>> Um, whoever knows that fact right now is commenting.

>> I don't think so. >> to green screen him in this this interview sitting next to you. >> Look at this piece of That'd be amazing. People are like, "I'm going to green screen myself into your videos."

I'm like, "Please, do it. It would be amazing." That'd be so good.

Um, but it it it was born from that and then slowly made it to where uh the first paid firefighters began. Um, but if you have an area where they just don't have the tax base to be able to support a full-time firefighting department, then volunteers will come in. So I love the fact that people do that. They're literally working 9:00 to 5:00, then they're getting up at 2:00 a.m. to go grab a fire truck and drive all the way out to wherever to fight a fire to hopefully save somebody's house.

>> stay at the firehouse. They're kind of at home and they get a page and then they go out. >> Or those big sirens.

>> Yeah, I I have them near my house, so. >> You You will have places where people will stay at the station itself. And then some places have uh figured out a budget to at least have one person on shift to where they're staying at the station, they can grab the fire truck, everyone else knows the address to show up to, and then they show up there, and then they can fight the fire.

>> Got it. I can't believe that exists. That also exists for EMS as well, right?

>> Yeah. EMS, a large portion of EMS personnel are also volunteers.

>> And to be a EMS volunteer, you get nothing? Like there's no >> Nothing. But if you're a If you're truly 100% a volunteer, you get nothing. You just show up. Some of them will be paid per call, but you're talking 15 minutes.

Yeah. Or $15, sorry. You're talking No, you're not getting You're not getting a ton of money for doing that kind of stuff. 20 bucks, something like that. >> person should tip.

Are you allowed to accept tips?

>> No. >> No. Really? It's a It's in the handbook?

>> Yeah, it's uh ethically uh not allowed. >> So like uh in my ethical handbook, uh patients are allowed to gift you things that are of nominal value, like something below $30, whatever. Are you allowed to do that?

>> Yeah. People will show up with like baked goods. So, they'll show up with like sealed baked goods or something like that. It's great. I tell people, unless you have a good rapport with a fire station, don't show up with like homemade baked goods. Um we're just >> Oh, cuz you don't know what you're >> don't know, you know? Somebody just put you know, made us pot brownies or something like that. >> Yeah, that'd be a big problem.

>> Yeah. We'd have to work that whole shift, you know? Just >> Now, do your coworkers treat you differently?

>> No, they treat me worse. They uh >> Same.

>> Yeah. God forbid anybody recognize me and take a picture. Oh my god, they're so mad. >> I got to ask this question a lot. I'm curious if you've been asked it, and I'm going to ask it right now.

Why do you still continue to be a firefighter?

>> I love it, man. >> Mhm.

>> What brought me into this field is firefighting.

Um Dude, I'm telling you, man, there's You You sit around a station, you run calls, like you get to save lives. You get to do the stuff, the reason that we went to school. Um I love creating social media videos. It really is It's It's It's really fun.

>> It's a good outlet. >> Yes, it's great outlet and especially because I get to write it and and film it and edit it. And I get to see something come from whatever this small piece of thought was to an actual product that's funny and and people laugh. So that is fun, but I don't think anything will ever take place of the reason why I got into this.

I'll I'll keep doing it. I'm eligible to retire in 2 years. We'll We'll see what happens then, but >> Mhm.

>> Um and also the other thing I say, a lot of people have quit their 9-5 or quit the reason why they got into this. A, you lose purpose in the reason you were doing in the first place. And B, the social media world is not nice. >> Mhm.

>> Like they will wake up tomorrow and Facebook or Meta or whoever will be like, "We're not going to monetize your videos anymore.

>> >> Thanks for playing."

>> Now you have no business. So is that why you launched the coffee company? >> So Fire Department Coffee was founded just before We actually found at the same time kind of.

>> Okay. >> Fire Department Chronicles, Fire Department Coffee. Luke Schneider reaches out to me. He's like, "Hey man, uh just launched this coffee company. Love to work with you." So we started growing it from there and um I was lucky enough to be able to grow both social media channels, which has been very cool. Um and we're in 10,000 retailers, Walmarts, Sam's Club, like all this kind of stuff. Yeah, man.

>> sent you guys a bunch of it. I don't know if Sam brought it back to his house or not, but >> Oh, Sam did not give me >> >> So why are you hiding it from me?

>> >> Did Oh, did you not get it? Oh, man.

>> No, Sam drank it all. >> Yeah.

>> >> Are there different variations? Light roast >> Yeah, we have light roast, dark roast.

We just launched um instant espressos and instant coffees, which are incredible. Like if you want a good hot or cold espresso, you just throw this in there, it mixes instantly with it. >> Wow, really cool.

>> So you and I share something. Uh I don't know if you know, but both of us have had medical emergencies on planes. >> Oh, tell me about yours.

>> Both of them were coming to New York, by the way.

>> Not on this trip. >> No, not on this trip, no.

Um Um, first one was just a basic like diabetic emergency, um, got up there, he was we checked his sugar, he was fine. I think we gave him a little oral glucose and he was good to go. Uh, but the other one I was I was sitting, uh, I was sitting in my seat and the page comes over, you know, is there any doctors or or, um, paramedics. By the way, no doctors ever jump up whenever they say that you might be the only one. >> All the PhDs are like literature.

>> Yeah, literature. But, uh, I I get up, I go, "Hey, what's going on?" Uh, this lady's like, "My grandpa or my dad is still in the bathroom. I'm not sure what's going on." So, they open up the door. He he had he went into cardiac arrest in there. So, pull him out, we start working him.

>> Wow. >> And where are you on the I'm in the back of the plane. >> saying is the plane close to landing?

>> Oh, no, no, we're like >> Mid-flight.

>> Yeah, we're probably I think we were still an hour out or something like that. So, we start we start working him.

Do they have a whole host of medications on there? AED, all that stuff. I was so impressed by that. Um, I managed to get a line on him, give him epi while we're fine. And I was going based off of >> Asystole, I must assume.

>> So, I was going based off of what the AED was telling me cuz if if it's saying no shock advised, he's most likely in asystole if he doesn't have a pulse.

>> And so, you gave him epi because, uh, he was in asystole?

>> so we gave him I gave him an epi gave him an epi, um, and then every once in a while he would go back into a shockable rhythm. Um, and we I think we shocked him four times on on the way there. But, the funniest part is is I'm going back and forth with the with the flight attendant. We're doing CPR.

And, uh, she keep she's like, "We have we have to give him breaths every time." And I was like, "We can do hands-only CPR. Like, that's fully acceptable." And she's like, "No, we we have to do" I was like, "I teach this stuff, man. Like, we're good, dude." We ended we ended up they ended up having an OPA. I was able to drop an OPA and we were able to start doing that as well. So, um, but it was absolutely incredible experience. We landed and the pilot was like, "Hey, man, I'm pretty sure I broke like 20 FAA laws getting this here as quickly as possible yeah Uh, but they they carted him off and I didn't get Ross gone there but I don't know what the end result was so >> I'm assuming you didn't land in 2 minutes.

>> No no not in 2 minutes no we we did CPR I rotated back and forth with them it was incredible those flight attendants man were absolute rockstars they knew exactly what to do the second I was like hey this guy is in cardiac arrest we we got to keep we got to start doing CPR and we started rotating back and forth so fast so >> 20 minutes >> I think we landed I want to say it was 30 or 35 minutes of us doing CPR yeah >> yeah yeah brain without oxygen >> that's going to be a problem >> did they what airline was it >> I want to say it was Delta >> and did they give you some coupon code >> they gave me $250 off my next flight >> 100 >> >> I got 100 so clearly they're not they're struggling over there maybe now that Spirit is out and they're collecting all their business >> >> I find American man they've they've been great dude they've been really good >> honestly like I used to pick favorites and then like in 2 months it would change because like some company shifted their business policies and you see okay I'm like I they all suck >> but they get this here safety safely >> that's dude that's all I care about but flying is >> are you scared of flying >> adventure no it's just an adventure just always a flight >> oh yeah there's always something >> no I'm I'm slightly afraid of going boats for long periods of time >> like cruise ships >> and that like cruise ship I'm not going on a cruise ship my wife is like let's go on a cruise ship I'm like nope I'm good >> >> no survivors people pooping and vomiting out of both ends but I ended up doing American just because I got their little credit card and I can upgrade whenever I want I can't sit in the back dude like in between two people anymore >> oh that's tough >> that is tough I wonder yeah I get really scared on planes it's it's a weird fright of mine yeah like honestly planes and perches. Do you get what I mean by perches?

So, anytime you're higher up than the safety mechanism to prevent you from falling off. I don't know why. I was just in Shanghai last week and they have that pool that overlooks Shanghai and it's an infinity pool, but it's on the roof. And obviously like if you look past it like low, there is something else there. So, you're not going to fall off if you jump off. And you're 5 ft deep into the pool. So, you're not There is a 5-ft railing. But when you're walking next to the pool, you're above the pool, which means you're above the ledge. So, you see like openness. Oh my god, the anxiety from that perch feeling.

It feels like there's a wind that's about to blow and carry me off.

>> But you have You You don't like heights in general, right? >> Yes, but let's say later we did like a little tour thing around the gardens and they had a really high up uh like bridge that would walk you around and everyone was really scared. I wasn't cuz the things were really high.

>> Yeah. I mean, I have 16. >> Yeah.

>> I'm like strapped in. I'm good. >> Yeah.

>> But perch, forget about it. >> >> Like if I'm not strapped into something, I'm afraid.

>> That's so See, me with planes, it's I don't have a fear simply because like there's If this thing goes down, there's nothing I'm going to do about it. I just accept my fate and >> Yeah, but that's scary.

>> send a text message out before I die. >> Although Pete Buttigieg shared a crazy statistic. While he was Secretary of Transportation, which I believe was four-year term, 4 billion people took flights or 4 billion flights, >> 4 billion passengers.

>> 4 billion passengers were carried, zero fatalities.

>> That's crazy. >> Bro, what else can we do 4 billion times and then not have a fatality? >> Yeah.

>> Like crossing the street. I mean, 4 billion times you're >> I First time I came up to New York, I was with somebody and Uh, they just walked in front of They just walked in front of a car and I was like, "Hey, what are you doing, man? Like, you need to stop." And they're like, "Dude, they'll stop." And I go, "What happens if they don't?"

You die. >> Okay, this is terrible thing that I have to say right now. When I was a kid, you know Magneto?

>> Uh-huh. >> We would play Magneto.

Where you would be like, "I can cross the street anytime I'm Magneto."

>> Mhm. >> And the cars would stop.

>> That's >> that was really bad that I did that.

>> >> But I was really young. Like 11 years old. >> Okay.

>> Where like puberty's happening, 12 years old, and you're like, "Oh, yeah, I feel that testosterone. Watch me stop these cars."

>> Oh, Jesus. He's getting blasted by a car.

>> Do not play that game. >> No, please don't play that game.

>> >> This might not end up in the final cut, but Look, you do dumb stuff when you're a kid. Some people climb trees. >> Dude, I fell off of walking on the side of a wall. Did thorn bushes on both sides of me. Yeah.

>> Ooh. >> I fell right into one of those thorn bushes. So >> God damn it.

>> My bro I have two brothers. Both of them uh Uh, we're one four years from one and then eight years from another one and just we just did constant and stupid stuff. Uh, my I threw a dart one day.

My brother got in this box and we were throwing darts at it. Before he got in the box we were throwing darts at it and he got in the box and I was like, threw it. It went through the dart it went through the box. Went right in his head. >> >> Pops out. It was fine. It was just surface. But he gets out he's like, "Oh my god." I'm like, "Don't tell mom." >> on camera that would go viral.

>> Yeah. Oh, yeah. That would have been super viral.

>> >> YouTube bans you.

>> That's difficult not getting banned at all times, man. Like especially with the stories kind of like you >> Yeah, if you're saying words, cancer, depression, anxiety, whatever. So I'm saying them all right now.

>> >> Um, so where's the future for you? Where are you where are you going to be in 10 years since you're retiring in two?

>> I want to do anything, bro. I want to wake up in the morning. Like what bathroom >> do interesting stuff.

>> Yeah, what bathroom am I pooping in today? Like that that's going to be my big conversation. I think because I still am full-time at the fire department, I have the the CPR business, my daughter, the >> >> coffee business, I'm constantly traveling and doing stuff for that as well, and then whatever else comes up in the middle.

Like I love it, dude. It's it's an incredible thing. It gives me purpose.

It gives me the the stuff that I want to do, but it's it's definitely >> picture, big ticket items? Uh book, show, any >> I want to do a book at some point in time. I just don't know. So, I don't do a ton of speeches cuz whenever I do a speech, I want to make sure I'm bringing value to whatever it's whatever it is. >> Um so, the same thing with the book.

>> don't think you do that? I don't know. >> I do to a point, but I want to make sure that like I'm not one of those people that everyone's like, what what was that? He told five jokes up there. Like that was it. So, I know I can bring value to stuff. Um but I do book would be amazing.

Um I want to set the Guinness World Rec- World Record for CPR.

>> >> Excuse me.

>> I'm a professional fighter. >> Um but I'd love to at some point in time either be in a film or produce a film. But that's uh >> Do you act? >> Yeah.

Not >> Where historically?

>> Uh I've in my I was in my first film uh that just came out um I think 2 months ago.

>> Oh. >> Yeah, I have 6 seconds in it. It's amazing. It's very good. It's got Eric Roberts is in it. It's yeah, it's it's very it's good. >> your role?

>> Uh I'm a firefighter. >> >> So, this guy flies me out to Seattle. Flies me out to Seattle.

Uh he's like, "Hey, I love your videos, man." He's like you like he's a director. This director. He's like, "I love your videos. Uh if you um if you would you mind Would you like to be in a part?"

I'm like, "Sure, what's the part, dude?" He said, "It's a >> Firefighter 17. >> It's fi- Yeah, I it's a completely serious part. It's like, "The house burnt down. It was really tragic." And like that that's pretty much it.

Um but it was a cool experience, man. And so you want to grow that. Yeah, I want to grow that.

I just did a big thing with the American Red Cross fire prevention, which was very cool. That was three videos all about the same kind of stuff that we talked about. >> I would love for us to partner up on your comedic show.

Rent out Madison Square Garden and we reset the Guinness World Record.

Cuz I don't think we trained enough people. I want to train more people. I think we could do it, man. And I think it could be like a show.

Like obviously we've never sold out Madison Square Garden, but we did sell out one of the local theaters here at City Winery, which obviously is drastically different numbers, but when you combine forces >> Yes. Yeah. A plan in place. When I would do my live tour, it's like buy a ticket, you don't know what you're going to get.

And that's a tough proposition for people. Like we got to travel somewhere and we don't even know what the show is. Do I bring my children? Do I not bring my children? So if we flesh it out, I think it could be really fun. I think it'd be amazing to do it.

>> If you have interest, leave us a comment down below.

>> Yes, please. And where would you like people to follow along your journey?

>> So Fire Department Chronicles, you can do it on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok. And then if you want to see my newest game show, that's we're on season two. It's called Shot or Shock. General knowledge questions. It's on the Reveal Network. Imagine general knowledge questions. If you get the question right, you get points. If you get it wrong or your opponent gets it before you, we shock you with a dog collar that's either on your arm or on your thigh. And then >> That sounds awful.

>> It's it's one of the funniest things I've ever been a part of. It's like one of these ecstatic shock. It's not a taser. No, yeah, yeah. But we we hit you, man. It is an absolute blast. We're we're laughing really hard. So yeah. >> Okay, cool. We'll check it out.

Appreciate it, man. Hope you had fun.

>> Thank you, man. Had a blast. Remember the scene from 911 Lone Star Jason mentioned where volcanic rock melts through a guy's chest? Yeah, I actually reacted to that and so much more. Click here to check out that video. And as always, stay happy and healthy.