Josh Blum

🚨 The Third Edition of Fire Command will be available for pre-order this Tuesday! 🔥 Get $25 OFF with a promo code available next week only during FDIC. Don’t miss this limited-time launch offer. 📘 Shop here: bshifter.myshopify.com #FireCommand #FDIC #FireService #Leadership #Training #Firefighter

🚨 FDIC 2026 Stop by Booth 13011 (Hoosier Corridor) and get your copy of Fire Command, 3rd Edition—the foundation of the Blue Card program. 🔥 FDIC SHOW SPECIAL — SAVE BIG🔥 Come talk Command, meet the team, and take home the system that’s shaping modern hazard-zone management. 👉 Don’t wait—this deal is FDIC only. #FDIC2026 #FireCommand #BlueCard #IncidentCommand #FireServiceTraining #CommandTraining

Kicking off in Kansas City, Kansas with the Kansas City Kansas Fire Department for a Blue Card Train-the-Trainer this week. This is where it starts—training the trainers to bring a standardized, performance-based command system back to their departments. Building consistency, sharpening decision-making and creating safer firegrounds through a shared language and proven process.

NEW B SHIFTER PODCAST! This week we sit down with Worcester Fire Chief Martin Dyer to break down officer accountability and why the front seat demands full-time leadership. From command discipline and integrated training to culture, staffing, building risks and promotion standards—this episode delivers real-world insight for anyone serious about safer firegrounds and stronger service delivery. Listen HERE: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b-s… #BShifter #FireService #Leadership #IncidentCommand

Blue Card Tactical Takeaway The Incident Commander should operate from a stationary command post. A fixed position allows the IC to maintain situational awareness, control communications, track resources and stay ahead of the incident with proactive decision-making. When the IC is moving, they’re often pulled into tasks and is subject to distractions. When the IC is stationary, they can manage the Functions of Command. #BlueCard #TacticalTakeaway #IncidentCommand #FiregroundLeadership

Big thanks to everyone who participated in the Blue Card Mayday Management Workshop this week in Bowling Green, Ohio! This group put in the work—focusing on MAYDAY prevention, command-level decision making and managing high-risk, low-frequency events when they matter most. If your department is ready to take a deeper dive into MAYDAY management and command performance, find a workshop near you and get signed up: bluecardtraining.com/events.aspx #BlueCard #Mayday #IncidentCommand #FiregroundLeadership

Bowling Green, Ohio — full house today. We’re delivering a Blue Card Mayday Management Workshop to a packed group focused on getting better when it matters most. This training goes far beyond just calling a MAYDAY. Participants dig into MAYDAY prevention—understanding why they happen—then apply those lessons through command simulations that include active MAYDAY events. Find a workshop near you and get signed up: bluecardtraining.com/events.aspx #BlueCard #Mayday #FireServiceTraining #IncidentCommand #FirefighterSafety 🚒

JUST RELEASED: NIOSH Line-of-Duty Death Report F2025-09 GA: Career Firefighter Dies during Warehouse Fire at an Unpermitted Film Studio – Georgia A firefighter was lost after becoming disoriented while attempting to evacuate a large commercial structure. Incidents like this reinforce the risks we face in complex, high-hazard occupancies—and the critical importance of disciplined command, accountability, and crew integrity. Key takeaways from this report include: • Disorientation and egress challenges in large-area structures • The importance of maintaining orientation and a clear exit strategy • Strong command presence, resource tracking, and tactical discipline • Understanding building layout, occupancy type, and fire conditions • Reinforcing Mayday awareness and rapid intervention readiness These are not new problems—but they demand constant attention, training, and leadership. Take the time to review, discuss, and apply the lessons learned. Report: cdc.gov/niosh/firefigh… Slides: cdc.gov/niosh/firefigh… #NIOSH #LODD #FirefighterSafety #IncidentCommand #BlueCard

NEW B SHIFTER PODCAST 🎙️ We sit down with Worcester Fire Chief Martin Dyer to talk about what real officer accountability looks like—and why the front seat can’t be a part-time leadership role. This is a deep dive into disciplined command, integrated training, and the kind of culture change that makes firegrounds safer and service delivery sharper. In this episode, we cover: • Worcester’s history—and how tragedy drives learning • Department profile, staffing model, and command structure • Ending “ride up” coverage in officer seats • What accountability and supervision really mean at the company level • Tying Blue Card command training to civil service promotion • Integrated drills connecting strategy, tactics, and tasks • Lessons learned implementing—and sustaining—change • Communication tools, early adopters, and building credible internal trainers • Triple deckers, balloon frame hazards, and resource planning • Early alarm policies, command depth, and Level 1 staging • Advice for future company and chief officers • Fire dynamics, FSRI, and professionalism as customer service This is a must-listen for anyone serious about command, leadership, and raising the standard. 🎧 Listen now: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b-s… #BShifter #BlueCard #IncidentCommand #FireService #Leadership

This week, our lead instructors are conducting a Blue Card Train-the-Trainer / Instructor class in Moses Lake, Washington. We’re joined by members from: • Moses Lake (WA) • Missoula (MT) • Wenatchee Valley (WA) • Tumwater (WA) • Olympia (WA) Today is "Mayday Day" —preparing officers to bring the "why" of the Blue Card system back to their departments! #BlueCard #TrainTheTrainer #IncidentCommand #FireService #Leadership

Just released: A new NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program (FFFIPP) report details a January 7, 2025 incident in Texas where a senior captain and two firefighters were burned during a primary search in a garden apartment fire. The report highlights critical contributing factors: • Fire behavior, dynamics and tactics • Department culture and risk management • PPE impact on perception of changing conditions • Delayed water application and scene safety • Communication of conditions • Delayed fire department notification These reports matter. We study them, discuss them and train on them because we learn from these events so that we do not have to live through them ourselves. Report: cdc.gov/niosh/firefigh… Slides: cdc.gov/niosh/firefigh… #FirefighterSafety #NIOSH #RiskManagement #Command #BlueCard

🚦 Blue Card Tactical Takeaway: Level 1 Staging Level 1 Staging is a quick, disciplined process that allows the IC to control the front end of the incident. Why it matters: • Positions companies at the best location • Aligns resources with incident priorities • Reduces freelancing and duplication of effort • Targets the incident’s critical factors early It’s fast. It’s simple. And it gives the IC the leverage to deploy companies with purpose—not guesswork. Learn more about how the Blue Card system strengthens command and fireground outcomes: 👉 bluecardtraining.com #BlueCard #TacticalTakeaway #IncidentCommand #FiregroundLeadership

🎯 Blue Card Tactical Takeaway On the fireground, we must perform optimally on all three levels—Strategic, Tactical and Task. One level cannot outperform to make up for defects in another. Strong task work won’t fix weak strategy. Great strategy won’t survive poor execution. It all has to align. That’s why disciplined training and consistent application on every level is paramount. When the system works together, outcomes improve. Want to learn more about the Blue Card command system? 👉 bluecardtraining.com #BlueCard #TacticalTakeaway #IncidentCommand #FiregroundLeadership

Today we wrap up our two-day Mayday Management Workshop in Cobb County, Georgia. Thank you to the officers and firefighters from: • Cobb County • Hall County • Bryan County • DeKalb County • Cherokee County • College Park Fire • Covington City • Thomasville These departments are leaving better prepared to manage task-level Maydays—and, just as important, to prevent them in the first place through strong command, communication and early decision-making. Next stops: Bowling Green, Ohio and Benton Harbor, Michigan. Join us at an upcoming workshop: 👉 bluecardtraining.com/events.aspx #BlueCard #MaydayManagement #FireService #IncidentCommand

🥶 A cold snap is blanketing much of the country — and with furnaces running nonstop, we’re seeing an increase in carbon monoxide and natural gas responses nationwide. Now’s the time to refresh your game plan. 🚨 In the B Shifter Download Center: Review the Blue Card CO Incident SOG and our Natural Gas Pipeline Response SOG to make sure your crews are operating with a clear, disciplined approach. While you’re at it, revisit the NIOSH report on the Maryland strip-mall natural gas explosion that injured nine firefighters — a powerful reminder that routine calls can escalate quickly. Timely reminders. Practical tools. All FREE. 👇 Download now: • NIOSH Report – 8 Firefighters Injured in NG Explosion: bshifter.com/wp-content/upl… • Sample SOG – Natural Gas Pipeline Response: bshifter.com/wp-content/upl… • Sample SOG – Carbon Monoxide Response: bshifter.com/wp-content/upl… Get them at BShifter.com and keep your crews sharp this winter. 🔥

Southwest Michigan this weekend 👊Nearly 40 ICs are in Blue Card’s Critical Thinking & Strategic Decision Making workshop—two days reinforcing the Functions of Command and training repeatable, risk-based decisions that connect strategy to fireground work.Clear process. Clean communication. Fewer surprises.#BlueCard #IncidentCommand

🚨 Line-of-Duty Death Report – New York 🚨 On March 1, 2023, a career firefighter died after becoming lost and trapped by debris during a fire in a three-story mixed-use structure in New York. Heavy fire and smoke conditions led to multiple overpressure events (OPEs) and rapid changes in fire behavior. This report underscores the importance of continuous size-up, understanding modern fire dynamics, disciplined command, and strong Mayday management when conditions shift without warning. Take time to review, discuss, and learn as a crew. 📄 Report: cdc.gov/niosh/firefigh… 📊 Slides: cdc.gov/niosh/firefigh… #LODD #FirefighterSafety #FiregroundCommand #Mayday #FireServiceTraining

Day 2 ✔️ | Blue Card Train-the-Trainer — Benton Harbor, MI We’re rolling into Day 2 of the first Blue Card Train-the-Trainer in Benton Harbor, Michigan, bringing together departments from across Southwest Michigan to unify command on the shores of Lake Michigan. This region faces real challenges—high risk, low staffing, multiple jurisdictions, and complex incidents. This week is about meeting those challenges head-on. These new instructors are being prepared not only to deliver the Blue Card Incident Command program, but to establish common language, shared decision-making, and standardized command across agencies—so when it matters most, everyone is operating from the same playbook.

#BradfordPA-#Fire at Walmart Distribution Ctr- #firesprinkler system contained fire to the 2nd and 3rd floor racking systems, and crews were able to quickly extinguish the blaze. wjactv.com/news/local/cre…

We’re proud to recognize the Newport, Mendota Heights, Hopkins, Rogers, Minnetonka, Burnsville, Maplewood, Maple Grove, Lake Johanna, and St. Paul Fire Departments (MN), who now have newly certified Blue Card Instructors. These instructors are prepared to deliver the most current Blue Card incident command curriculum—strengthening certification, reinforcing standards, and ensuring incident commanders maintain the skills needed to lead safely and effectively in today’s hazard zone. Train with us here: bluecardtraining.com/events.aspx