B Shifter
Fire command and leadership conversations for B Shifters and beyond (all shifts welcome)!
B Shifter
The Blue Card Rundown for April, 2025
This episode features Josh Blum and John Vance.
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Josh Blum, Blue Card Program Manager, delivers a comprehensive update on Blue Card's expanding universe of command training programs and system enhancements.
• Successful FDIC presence with over 1,000 meaningful visitor conversations, addressing misconceptions about Blue Card being "just a communication system"
• B Shifter website (bshifter.com) offers free weekly training resources, articles, podcasts, and downloadable SOGs
• New Train-the-Trainer classes announced in Central County (MO), Sterling Heights (MI), Volusia County (FL), and Bay County (FL)
• 2025 Blue Card Conference features pre-conference workshops including safety train-the-trainer, mayday, strategic decision-making, and incident expansion courses
• New Dispatcher 2.0 program launches with refreshed interface, updated content, and comprehensive e-book reference
• Aircraft Rescue Firefighting (ARFF) program debuts with first train-the-trainer in June, featuring modules for various aircraft emergencies
• New CE modules cover multifamily buildings, radio communications, strategy shifts, and upcoming Technical Rescue Team awareness-level training
• After Action Review module receiving enthusiastic adoption, helping departments target training to specific improvement areas
• Schedule filling rapidly through end of 2025; departments encouraged to book training slots soon
Visit bshifter.com to access free resources or contact Josh directly to schedule training for your department.
Hey, it's John Vance from the B Shifter Podcast here. Welcome to this special edition of the B Shifter Podcast. Today we are going to get Josh Bloom on the line here and go through the Blue Card rundown. All the events and happenings with Blue Card, whether it's new CE, new programs, some additional dates, the programs, some additional dates, the conference, everything. We're going to cover that right now with our own Josh Bloom. So now we say hi to Josh Bloom. How are you doing, josh?
Speaker 2:Doing great, john, how are you?
Speaker 1:Good. Good, it's been a little bit since we got on and did some news and just give everyone a state of what is happening with blue cards, so we thought that would be a good idea to do that today to go over some of the blue card news and some of the programs coming up and what we really have for the rest of 2025. We had a great FDIC visit. How many people, would you say, came by the booth and talked to us? I mean, it was incredible.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I was incredible, yeah, I would estimate. I mean, we were really set up since we were in that hallway, you know, tuesday through Saturday, and I would say a thousand plus people came by that actually wanted to actually talk blue card and talk command, and you know what we do and what we could do, what we do and what we could do. And then you know obviously all the other folks that came by looking for challenge coins or free handouts or pens or whatever but that's good too.
Speaker 1:That's good too.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was great having it was it was. It was a lot of fun having Nick there because, uh, seeing him engage, uh like he did, with so many people and you know talking to, you know current customers and you know future customers and maybe some could be customers. And then you know some of the folks that were able to connect back with him. You know from long ago, cause it's been quite a while since he's been there, and then, yeah, so that was really good. And then you know from long ago, cause it's been quite a while since he's been there, and then, uh, yeah, so that was really good. And then you know some of the networking and partnerships and the people stopping by. You know Shane Ray stopping by and getting to talk to. You know Cirillo stopping by just talking about the conference a little bit, and you know what he's going to be doing there and uh, yeah, I mean it was, it was excellent.
Speaker 2:And then I just like anytime that we're on the road, or I'm on the road, or you know we, we stop, just like being at the fire department If you're gone for a week playing catch up. So this week has been the week of catch up, and then you know following up on so many things from last week of fire departments that are getting started or wanting to engage or you know, so on. So we've uh booking classes, classes filling up, you know, trying to get people information on uh workshops, and uh, then we've been busy, you know, just with so many of the other things we're going to talk about that are, you know, new and coming out and that we've posted and getting ready to come out. So it's, it's all good. Yeah, it was a good week, super happy that the weather's breaking. It's gonna be 80 and sunny here in cincinnati tomorrow. So that's uh, that's nice because we've we, we got the beat down for an unusual winter for us and uh, so that'll, that'll be nice. Get, uh, a little sunshine every day.
Speaker 1:It always helps it's's 76 degrees tomorrow in Phoenix, believe it or not. It's pretty nice, though, here too, yeah, so thanks to everybody who came by FDIC. We really appreciate everyone visiting and we had a lot of great questions. As you said, you know some people would come by and kind of challenge what blue card is, and to be able to have Nick there talking about the origins of Blue Card and how it works. A lot of people are misinformed on what the system is really all about. They're existing on rumors, so to be able to actually talk to folks and tell them what the system is, how it works, why they should do it, was certainly helpful for us at FDIC this year.
Speaker 2:Well, yeah, it's funny when some of the people come by, some of the people that did come by and you know talking about it's just a communication system, right, and it's like you're missing it. And then you know 45 minutes later they were still standing there after you know, nick or Eric or Chris or you or me, whoever you know, spent time with them and showed them, you know, from A to Z, from the fire command book to showing them the online to you know, showing them, uh, the bshiftercom website. And then you know, eric, spending some time maybe with them on the after action report, and they're like, oh, this is, this is like a whole program to help you make better decisions and to actually help to run the fire ground and help us to have better outcomes. And it's like, yeah, and they were like, oh well, you know, we were always just told it was a communications program, it's just what you say.
Speaker 2:And it's like, no, that's because you listen to somebody out there who doesn't know what it is either. And they just, you know, try to define it as that, and I always throw it out there. And they just, you know, try to define it as that, and I always throw it out there. Communications is just one of the eight functions of command, and communications part is very important, but it's just really where we're acting out all those other command functions that we went through, you know, including the strategic decision-making model component. So, yeah, that was really good and that that those conversations engaged a lot of people to contact us and look at what they can do and to try to get started with the system.
Speaker 1:So you brought up B shiftercom. You know this. This uh, last few months we've been really pushing that. If you go to B shiftercom, that is where you can find our training. That is for free, I mean. Every week there's an article there, most weeks there's a podcast, most weeks we're adding something to the download center.
Speaker 1:So there's always something new at bshiftercom and we invite you, if you haven't spent some time tooling around that website, to get on and check it out, because there is something for your department there and I send out articles from it all the time. If somebody has a question on ARF or whatever, you can probably find it at bshiftercom. So every week we send out the B Shifter Buck Slip that comes to your email and if you have not signed up for the B Shifter Buck Slip and you're interested in doing that, you can get into the show notes and there'll be a link there to sign up for it. But that really just links you back to be shiftercom. So we're letting you know what is new that week and then you can get in there and just explore for hours on on free training content that you can use for your department.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that'd be shiftedcom. I send somebody to that every single day. The free downloads, the free SOG downloads. I get that at least once a day from somebody. Hey, we're revamping, we're working on our SOGs. I had two people today reach out to me. Hey, we have Lexapole and we want to put you know, we want to have blue card SOGs and Lexapole. Where do we get that? And it's like. So I walked them through it. I said are you at your computer? And they logged in, took them to the free downloads, said hey, just click on the last folder there, 10. I said and then, if you just go to 10987, those last four folders there's 13 or 14 SOGs in there, everything from fire command and managing the fire ground to division ops, to the air management and so on, and not to mention all the other stuff that's in there.
Speaker 1:We just added one. Today, the state of Illinois uh, put out a sample SOG for structural firefighting. What do you know about that? What? What was the epitaphs of that? Or is uh, and you said that it's about 80% blue card. So if somebody wanted to take a look at that and try to align it to their department, they can. If not, you can just get the rest of the SOGs from us and that's a. You know, we give you the free command SOG so you can get in there and get that. But that just an example of we've. We find some information. We're going to put it out for our users.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, I think it's three or four pages and it's a kind of a overview gloss over maybe of of a what a command SOG could look like. And then looks like they tried to pull out some 1700 you know stuff maybe and put some big box information, multi-family information and fires, and uh, balloon frame buildings and uh, there's some, there's some pieces in there about tilt, slab and roof reports and so on. And then, uh, I laugh because the sog uh has, it has an acronym in there and it's building occupancy height arrangement, all these things and it's like huh, that's, that's, uh, that's the critical fire ground factors right there, and and they've just called it something different. So, yeah, it's a decent document.
Speaker 2:It doesn't line up all with the blue card. It doesn't line up with even what the industry is really saying, with best practice when it comes to fires and sprinkler buildings. But some of it does, but it's a place to start, but some of it does, but it's a place to start and I would just you know, if you wanted to look at that, I'd look at that and then look at all the other blue card ones to figure out what works best for you and then look at the standard, of what is the standard and which really takes you to the best practice piece.
Speaker 1:Another thing we wanted to mention that's now on the blue card site. If you go to events, there's some new trainers that have been announced. Train the Trainer for Blue Card. Where are we going to next? What's been announced this week?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so we just this week well, within the last week or two, we added a trainer Central County, missouri. I think there's going to be a couple seats maybe open in that class, which that's that St Louis area, sterling Heights, michigan. There might be one or two seats that end up being available in that class. Volusia County, florida. New fire, new new county department in Florida that's coming online. Uh, they, they actually are going to fill 16 seats in that train and trainer, so it is full. But uh, we'll be headed there in August.
Speaker 2:And then just announced, uh, today, bay County, florida, so Panama city beach. Uh, train toiner July 28th through August 1st, so we're actually going to be in Florida two weeks in a row. So we'll be in Bay County that week, on the 28th, and then the following week we'll be in Volusia County. So, with that said, I think I got seven or eight departments and I'm just waiting and working on dates to try to get them classes scheduled and we're booking October, november, december. And when I say that we're not open in October, november and December, I think we have three trainers in October, three in November and I think two in December, and then we got like seven workshops scheduled in that same time frame. So our schedule's filling up uh through the end of the year. So if you're wanting to get something on the books, uh a trainer or workshops, reach out to me and we can at least look at some dates and get it on the radar of of uh, trying to get it in uh before before 2026, cause it's definitely filling up.
Speaker 1:Yeah, a few seats open in June in Phoenix. Then in the fall there's some seats open in Phoenix, but we don't generally do train the trainers in Phoenix in July or August, so you don't look for them. Then You're going to either want to book in the fall or book in that June train the trainer. If you are interested in attending courses at the Allen uh Alan V Brunicini command training center in Phoenix.
Speaker 2:And it comes up, so I'll just we'll put it out there. So, like, what's the requirement for a regional train to trainer? So we have to have a minimum of eight people for us to come on site. So eight students to come on site, um, and then, uh, we say a max, we'll go with a max of 16, as long as your facility can do that, and we'll just send four instructors if you have that many students. So we maintain that four to one instructor ratio for the train-the-trainer class. Otherwise there's no way you get through all the material. So if you're interested in hosting a regional train-the-trainer class, if you can come up with a minimum of eight students, um, we will come on site in your region and deliver that. So just something to keep on the radar. We get that, uh, we get that several times a week. What's the what's the requirement for that?
Speaker 1:awesome well, what's going on with the conference? I know we're uh a few months away. We're. We're continuing to get registrations. We've got some workshops that are uh pre-conference. Uh, what, what do we have going on there right now?
Speaker 2:Yeah. So the conference, uh, what are we? Five and a half, six months away, I guess we're about, yeah, six months away, I think, from the conference. So, uh, not, not, not too too far away. Um, we're getting lots of registrations for the pre-conference stuff because that's the. Those classes are limited to a certain seat count.
Speaker 2:So the pre-conference classes we're doing the safety train the trainer, so that is the classroom component, and you end up getting the curriculum package that goes with that size up fire extinguishment tactics. Uh, train the trainer, so it's two days and you'll, they'll burn the prop there and then you part of that deal is is you, you'll get the prop at a reduced price. So, uh, if we come on site at your organization and do it, it's $9,500 for that two day. Safety train a trainer, where you get the prop, the, you know the hallway, seven fuel packages, two instructors come on site and then you get the entire curriculum, PowerPoint, instructor guide, uh, the how to package, Um, so at the conference we're doing it for six, 50, where you get the curriculum. I think it's six, 50. Don't, don't quote me on that, Um, I might. Uh, I'm not sure why that number was coming to my mind, but it, it's a much reduced price. So you get the two day safety train, the trainer and that curriculum package and then you buy the prop at a much reduced price. So you get the two day safety train, the trainer and that curriculum package and then you buy the prop at a much reduced price because we're not traveling and sending instructors to to your organization. So we're offering that.
Speaker 2:We got the mayday workshop which last year was I don't know. We ended up with a hundred and something people in that mayday workshop. It's filling up again this year. We have it posted for 40 seats right now and if we had to we may expand it, but I don't know, We'll see how that goes. The much sought after strategic decision making model, critical thinking class that Chris Stewart and Eric Phillips deliver, that class is being delivered. Two-day workshop at the conference that's also filling up.
Speaker 2:A new class I shouldn't say new, I guess a re-envisioned class Tim Schaubel is working on putting together of really, from you pull up as the first new company officer on a fire truck and you expand it all the way to a type three incident working with uh, working with emergency management, maybe working with an eoc, and then like where does it go from there, which really takes you right to the type two or type one incident, because you know the boots on the ground person probably isn't talking to you, know the federal government, that that's going to happen through the EOC and all of that. So it's a how do you, how does blue card grow, uh, and evolve into one of those bigger incidents? And then we've got a cert lab posted. So last year we ended up with 20 people, I think, for the cert lab and it was a lot of organizations just getting started or somebody who, uh, when you maybe was getting ready to get promoted or whatever, that came to the CERT lab. So that's being taught by, you know, blue card lead instructors as well.
Speaker 2:So the CERT lab will be Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, so September 29th, 30th and the 1st, and then the other workshops pre-conference workshops are the 30th and the 1st, and then the conference is the 2nd and the 3rd and we got, I think there's, 22 different breakouts that we're going to be doing at the conference this year. So our general session is Dan, again with FSRI, and he's got some new material that he's going to be pushing out with some of the stuff that they've been working on and some of the stuff that's going to happen actually between now and then. Shane Ray, so they're going to have the sprinkler trailer there again. They're going to do some of that. But he's got a lot of really good information from the last six months of sprinkler systems and technology and you know some of the new technology that's coming about with how fire departments can better understand and connect with what's going on with these giant buildings and the computers are sending out data and you can see how much water is flowing, and maybe even cameras and all kinds of stuff. So that'll be really good.
Speaker 2:And then John Cirillo from FDNY talking about what he's that subject matter expert on just one of the many things he's subject matter expert on, but wind-driven fires, and it doesn't have to be a high-rise fire, and what happens at the ground level, on just one of the many things he's, you know, social matter expert on, but, uh, when driven fires and it doesn't have to be a high rise fire and what happens at the ground level. And then, um, a bit on you know, just fire growth and like why, why are these conditions different and why are we seeing people uh get caught up uh much quicker inside of burning buildings now than we were in the past. And then again all the, all the breakout sessions and, as always with with all of our conferences, there'll be beverages within the within the conference registration beverages all day, snacks, all day lunch provided both days. Thursday night we're going to do that get-together again at the Third Eye Brewing, which is always good, Fire department's networking, new organizations coming online, talking to people who've been using the system for a while.
Speaker 2:So yeah, looking forward to it. We got great room rates again at the Preferred Hotel at the Hyatt and then across the street at that Delta Marriott. I think our room rate the highest room rate again, is like $169, but I think you can get a room for like $129. So, besides getting there, registration, getting there and maybe your dinner, all the rest of it's, you know, covered with your registration fee.
Speaker 1:And to clarify on the prices, it's $345 for all the workshops with the exception of the safety workshop, which is $750. So you're just a little bit off on that. Or you can bundle them all together with the exception of the safety, and that's $830 for the whole conference. So it's a great training deal. You know, when you, when you look at how much training, especially for the general conference with 23 unique sessions that you can go to, you really won't find anything like that especially that addresses fire command and leadership anywhere in the american fire service yeah, yeah, and the conference, just as we've done at every conference you know, when it was in South bend, when it was in Phoenix, uh, back to South bend, and then now in Cincinnati, uh, every single registration gets a free, transferable online account.
Speaker 2:So you're paying four 85 to come to the conference. You get a voucher basically that's worth $385 that you can put somebody in your organization through the online program. So I always tell people if you're looking to put people online, really you can come to the conference. Two-day conference registrations, really $100. So it's a really good deal.
Speaker 1:So go to bshiftercom. There's a tab there for the 2025 Blue Card Hazard Zone Conference. Click on that. All the info is there. You can also sign up through the B Shifter website. So enter your information and we'll get you hooked up.
Speaker 2:I was looking, it looked like we picked up probably, I think, a dozen or so registrations today, which is pretty typical. You know, we're like in that six-month window and then you know FDIC is over, so people are off to the next. You know the next thing? So yeah, the workshops will definitely fill up. So if you have any interest in that, you know, get on getting registered to attend those.
Speaker 1:Exciting day today. This is telecommunicators week, so we salute our dispatchers and to coincide with that, we've rolled out dispatcher 2.0. What is that all about and why did we go to 2.0? And what does that get us with the dispatcher program?
Speaker 2:Yeah. So the second version of the dispatch program really just says everything about B-Shifter and BlueCard that we're always in a state of fixing ourselves. So version one came out. It was really good, tons of good feedback. But with anything you always get some hey, what about this? Can we change that? All of that?
Speaker 2:So in the 2.0 program there's been some updates and modifications, you know to it and you know, meeting the current needs today compared to when the program was really developed. You know, even though it was just a few years ago, things change, you know, very rapidly. And then with our new system, everything is being built on a new platform. So it has a much refreshed look right on a new platform. So it has a much refreshed, uh, look right. So it's, uh, somewhat it just more appeasing to the eye. Maybe I guess you could say um, so, um, two reasons that it was that it was rebuilt one, uh, functionality and and what is what all is really in there, and making sure that we get the updates. And since it was being rebuilt, it was rebuilt in this new platform, which is just so much more user-friendly and looks better and keeps your attention a bit better.
Speaker 1:What is the e-book that the participants get?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so the e-book that's connected to it. So when you register, there's an e-book. That's really's really the reference book, no different than so blue people who are familiar with blue card. Um, second edition of fire command is the reference book. So you get the ebook for fire command and command safety. Well, with the dispatch program, uh, the developers of the program put together a reference book, so it's it's a disease, uh, literally a book for dispatchers that the program is written around. So it's really the reference guide. So you have access to that as long as you have an active account as a dispatcher.
Speaker 1:What does that look like? If somebody wants to put a dispatcher through, what kind of time commitment is it and what are the steps for them to become a certified blue card dispatcher?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so there's online cognitive learning. So step one would be sign them up for the online cognitive learning piece. So that's a, you know, self-paced, for the most part program. It's about 20 to 25 hours, you know, and that's kind of how long do they sit there and how engaged are they with it, and you know. So 20 to 25 hours for them to get through that cognitive learning component piece and then, once they go through that, they actually attend. We suggest that they attend the first two days of a simulation lab One. During that first day, during the classroom, they uh, they pick up a whole lot of other things and they're networking with the people who they're talking to on the other end. So it's, I think it's really important to have and build that relationship and that we understand what they do and they understand a little bit more about what we do, and then that just helps, it helps us, help them and, more importantly, it helps them help us.
Speaker 2:Because for most of my career, we we stuck them in the basement of a building or, uh, on the first floor of a building with a zero windows for security, and then, uh, nobody talked to them, like it was, like they were, they were just there and it's like the, the, these voices just come from that place and we didn't give them the attention that they need and deserve. And then the fire service gets mad when the dispatchers maybe don't do what we want them to do and it's like, well, the only thing you told them is answer 911 calls and push the button and send us, and it's like there's so many other things that they can do. So that's, this dispatch program goes through all of that, right? So on the worst day, when you have a mayday, what can they do to help you? And then everything leading up to that. If they're engaged with us all the time, then they can help us with with other things. Right, they can kind of listen to the traffic in here. This isn't going. Oh, am I still on?
Speaker 1:Yeah, there you go. Maybe we should pull up is where you cut off.
Speaker 2:So are you ready.
Speaker 1:Yeah, go ahead.
Speaker 2:So when, when the dispatchers are listening to what's going on and maybe it's not going so well, maybe they can pull up the next alarm assignment or they can give us some information. So oftentimes they can look at maps and with all the technology that's coming around, they can look at cameras, they can reach out to people. There's so many things that they can do. So the program kind of goes through some of those parts and pieces of what they can do. So they're in the classroom, they're some of those parts and pieces of what they can do. So they're in the classroom, they're hearing all those parts and pieces and then they actually play the role of dispatcher for two scenarios that don't have emergency traffic and then they play the dispatcher for two scenarios that have emergency traffic. So in the simulation lab that would be the strategic shift scenarios. But you could also get through those a little bit potentially, depending on how many people you're trying to do with using sets and reps, the sets from A to Z, from you know dispatch to listening to all the traffic that's going on. You know, maybe tracking what's going on, communicating with the initial IC, communicating with IC2 when they establish their command position and it's transferred, and announce what they're doing and then when they make that, you know, strategic shift or if they're calling for a second alarm or whatever it may be. So the in-person part is really like eight to 10 hours initially. So you know, when you put it all together it's 30 hours of training where they're getting the cognitive part and then they're getting that in-person component piece with the people who they're talking to on the other end of the radio, which is fantastic.
Speaker 2:And the people who we've worked with and talked to that went through version one of this have already had excellent results because we actually told them what we wanted them to do and gave them some information and in some cases they they hear things because they are they are active listeners, right, they're most often in a controlled atmosphere in a quiet space wearing a headset and they may hear something that the IC, for whatever reason, should have heard but didn't hear, and then they could engage that. That you hear engine sevens, priority traffic or whatever it is, and then they could engage that Did you hear engine sevens, priority traffic or whatever it is? And then you know we've, we've heard plenty of transmissions over over the years of the dispatcher here in a Mayday that command didn't hear, or the dispatcher hearing other very pertinent traffic of uh, did you hear that they're? You hear that they're burning up in the basement and they need their hand line charged and it's like, well, if we don't engage with them and tell them that we want to hear this and we treat them like you, just dispatch us and then just shut up.
Speaker 2:They might not say a word, but they can make a difference. They can make our job so much easier. But they can make a difference. They can make our job so much easier. It's just another component to the whole command system, just like the strategic IC having that support officer in the car with them.
Speaker 1:The dispatcher can provide so much support also, so they can sign up for this online. They can just go to our website and, under the registration, go to the registration section and that'll be one of the options to sign up for the dispatcher program. Here's what I like about it is it really orients that new dispatcher. And I came from a system that originally we had a lot of firefighters that also worked in dispatch part-time, so that helped a lot. But then going into another system where they were police dispatchers that had no orientation to the fire service at all. So this even starts off with hey, this is what an engine does, this is what a truck does If we're calling for tankers or tenders, this is why, if we're charging a hose line, this is what it looks like. So there's some very basic firefighting stuff in there that orients your new dispatcher to what we're doing out in the field yeah, and the terminology, terminology a big deal, right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, if they hear priority traffic, it's like oh, that's important, right, and it's a common sense thing. But really maybe it's not a common sense thing gotta train them, yeah, just just yeah what's going on ARF?
Speaker 1:We've got the ARF program, the first inaugural train, the trainer, coming to Phoenix in June. Are we getting a lot of interest in that?
Speaker 2:Yeah. So we opened that up for 24 seats for that first one and I think a half or a little over half of those seats are full and spoken for. We've posted that up in a few other places. We got lots of interest in it. I think at FDIC we talked to I don't know 50 or so airports alone and then many, many military installations that deal with you know airplanes, helicopters, you know some sort of an ARF component. So that first one will be just like Blue Card when Blue Card rolled out, you know, officially with the first trainer in 2009.
Speaker 2:We think we have a solid program. It's got the group that put it together pretty diverse when it comes to their background and experience. So you know chiefs that worked at you know very, very busy international airports, chiefs that worked at military installations. Some input from you know the smaller municipal you smaller municipal airport piece. And then we've had many people already complete the online component and give a little bit of feedback about what they deal with at their basically regional airport and how can we fix that.
Speaker 2:And then already looking at, does this module fit or can we build a module for every municipal fire department that any given day an airplane is going to fall down or could fall down in their community. And then, what does that look like and how do you manage it? And obviously it wouldn't be. It'd be more like our first responder module, but for ARF. So we're looking at that. So, like, what does that really look like? Because they're not going to have an ARF truck necessarily pulling up. But where do you get that? How long is it going to take them to get there? What can you do, or what should you do, what should you avoid, when that Learjet or Cessna or prop plane or whatever still successfully know, still successfully lands on, you know, your interstate or roadway or in a field? But but you need to engage, uh, because it's on fire, fuel leak, people trapped, whatever it is.
Speaker 2:So, um, yeah, we're super excited about it. It's been, uh, it's been in the works for a while. Um, the, the online launched a while ago and we've got quite a few people going through that. The train-the-trainer is coming up here in June. That's the first one of those and then there'll be many, many more. We've had organizations reaching out that are we ready to deliver the train-the-trainer on the road and we want to get one or two of these initial train-the-trainer classes. You know get through those first and, like we always talk about, utilize command function seven a little bit on it and hear the input and feedback and what do we need to change and update and what needs to be addressed with the program before we, you know, start delivering it in the field.
Speaker 2:But it will be available you know regionally as well to be. You know to go to any installation anywhere. Be available. You know regionally as well. You know to go to any installation anywhere or any you know fixed facility or airport anywhere, so super excited about it. So that program has the initial online and then the CERT lab component piece probably ends up being one and a half or two days for an actual cert lab and it depends on whether you're already doing BlueCard or not. So if you're an organization, if you're a level in Colorado, already doing BlueCard and they decide they're going to do ARF, they could probably run a cert lab for 10 or 12 people in like a day and a half because they're already familiar with the system and terminology and all of that. And if you're going to the ARF module certification program and you don't already do Blue Card, it's probably a two, maybe three day. You know, cert Lab to get to it because of getting everybody acquainted a little bit more with those command functions and the process.
Speaker 2:With those command functions and the process, so with that there'll be multiple simulations for multiple different types of risk.
Speaker 2:So all the different alert levels of a plane coming in, from a major emergency-like type incident to a hot break incident maybe, or a potential of maybe they maybe smelled something or or or whatever. And then what does it look like when the plane is, you know, into a building, because that's a whole, whole, nother component. So you have an ARF piece but you also got a building component part of it. So there's simulations, sets and reps and tactical templates for multiple different aircraft types and it's a certification. So there's going to be a three-year cycle for that. So, building out all of the CE that's going to go along with it, and then the refresher module and then that the testing component piece. So, yeah, we're super excited about it. We've talked to, like I said, tons of, tons of people about it. A lot of people are a lot of people are engaging with it already. So we're looking forward to that rolling out in June and, uh, making a difference at a, at another, another place and another part of uh all hazards incident management.
Speaker 1:And what's going on with our continuing education? I know there's uh we? We continue to add new modules. That's been our commitment to our folks that are doing Blue Card. What do we have new on the CE menu?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so this first quarter we put out two CEs, so both of them around multifamily buildings, but initial radio reports and follow-up reports. We put that CE out in January and then in February, march, we put out the CE on assigning units. And then we have some Silverback leadership. You know modules that have come out and then on the horizon here in the near future we have another Silverback leadership module that's going to launch and then another CE that's going to launch which is going to be a communications piece of really a focus on the four tickets to get on the radio. So priority traffic status change, roof report, mayday. And then talking about CAN reports, so IC-driven communications, when you give somebody an assignment, when you get there, give me a CAN report because the ticket to get on the radio is the IC told you that was part of your assignment. Give me a CAN report when you get to that location. So we've got a CE coming with that and then behind that one will be strategic CE, talking about strategic shifts, transfers of command and then assigning division bosses. So that's all stuff on the horizon, all stuff that's in the works.
Speaker 2:I've reviewed now the long talked about and maybe long awaited uh, eight functions of command for TRT. So it is. It's built, uh, we're we're refining it. We got, uh, some SMEs going through it, you know, giving us feedback. Um, kind of like when we built the hazmat eight functions of command for hazmat. It's like we it's easy to get into the weeds and start talking too much task and tactical stuff, and with TRT we want to really stay away from that.
Speaker 2:It's going to be more about don't get yourself into trouble and really some, I guess, trt awareness, if you will, for multiple different, you know rescue type incidents, with a bit of a focus on if there's no rescue to be made, then it's not a rescue, right. So you know, the trench incident where the guy's buried in liquid sloth it's not a rescue anymore, right? Or the liquid sloth it's not a rescue anymore, right? Or the person's been missing for three hours in the flat water and they call you for a water incident. It's like, no, this is going to be a recovery. So a lot of focus on, you know, don't would-be rescuers don't become victims. So I spent quite a bit of time going through that.
Speaker 2:Chris Stewart and Grant light you know they vast experience in that arena of rescue incidents that you know, chris, working at both of them, working at Metro fire departments, being very engaged in you know what they do in their own organization, and then both of them have an engagement with you know federal, at the federal level, deploying to you know very large scale incidents and then, uh so, really talking about keeping yourself out of trouble, and what do you do when you get there? What can you do when you get there? Who do you call? So if you've been through the eight functions of command for hazmat, uh, this is going to look much like it. The difference is this is not going to be a certification, so there will not be a certification piece, but it likely will meet the requirements for awareness level for multiple different disciplines, that's good, yeah and needed.
Speaker 1:I mean, I know in my organization we could use that, so that's great. I'd be remiss if we didn't talk about. You know, we spent the first four months of 2025 going through our after action review module that has been launched. You guys continue to add to that. We just finished up the series of webinars four parts. You can go back on YouTube and watch all four parts if you'd like to and get a good education on how to utilize the After Action Review module and how to enter information onto it. There's a lot of tutorials, but anything you want to say about wrapping that whole process up and where do we go from here with the AARs?
Speaker 2:Yeah. So the biggest thing I want to say is if you have a current instructor license, blue card instructor license, then you have access to the after action reporting system. So it's not an add-on piece, it's not something else you have to activate. If you are an active instructor, it is already in your profile on the left side. You can go there, drop down to the bottom left and you'll see where the after action reporting program is. And, like John said, there's a four part series webinar series where it goes through. You know one and two go through the system.
Speaker 2:How do I build the after action report? What is it all about? Why did we build it? What's it aligned to? What is it all about? Why did we build it? What's it aligned to? Where did the standard? You know pieces of it come from and then you know the webinar that we just wrapped up this last week was now. I know the data, I know where we, I know where we're doing good and I know where we may have some areas that we need to improve upon. So how do I do that and what training can I do and what tools are available through Blue Card, you know, to help do better in specific areas, that after action thing.
Speaker 2:It's proven that it's been long awaited and that it's needed because organizations are using it. Once they start using it, they're using it all the time, they're using it like crazy. So we got quite a few organizations that have come online over this last several months and, because they're brand new to the system, they're doing an after action report and just doing the initial radio report on every single fire incident that they go to and they're using it as a tool to show you know where are we at and what do we need to continue to refine and work on. And then we've got organizations, like you know, lincoln, nebraska, that have been with Blue Card for a while, but I don't know. They got a couple dozen, I think, maybe, after action reports in there now one of uh multi-alarm fire that we did the podcast on, you know, a few weeks ago, and it's just a really good, good tool that you can evaluate where, how did this incident go and um, what, where, where are we doing good and where can we improve upon and then focus our training there and, like Eric Phillips always says, the days of having the same training calendar every single year, that we do the same thing over and over again. You know it's kind of bullshit. It really just needs to go away. I mean, I get it, we need to do, we need to check some boxes that are minimum requirements for driver's training and some of those things that we, you know, absolutely have to do. But don't bring me down to do blue card training on initial radio reports and follow-up reports if we're getting 100% but we never preface our radio traffic for a CAN report. So then let's focus on that. Let's talk about priority traffic and status changes, or we're not doing good.
Speaker 2:Declaring strategy, which we've, we recognize, is there's a shortfall there and I think a lot of it has to do with people's belief that well, I said I was stretching a hand line through the alpha side for primary search fire control. You should assume I'm offensive and it's like the strategy. Declaring a strategy is a decision and if there's a process that you went through to get there, saying you're stretching through the front door might just be, yeah, you're the fire department and you believe that's just what you should do. So we're going to be doing a podcast on that subject coming up here pretty soon on strategy and why it's so important and what it means, because that's another one of those things we hear a lot like blue cars, just a communications program. Well, why do I have to say strategy? Because I said I was going inside and it's like, yeah, well, it's a, it's a mindset. Strategy actually means something, and why we say it and why we say it three times. So, um, yeah, the after action reporting system is, uh, we're super happy with it. We do continue to refine it. We, when we get input from end users, we, uh, it's, it's built in a way that is very current and that we can continue to refine it.
Speaker 2:So, um, like so many things, like when you call the office and talk to Jen and she oftentimes can fix whatever you're doing right at this very moment Same thing with this. I mean, just last week, a fire chief called Eric said hey, uh, there's this basement, the whole basement thing. I think you need to change a little piece of it because, uh, my guys aren't scoring very well, but you know they couldn't identify a basement and there's really not a way to say that. And five minutes later it was fixed. And Eric called the chief back and was like that's been fixed. And they're like you're kidding me.
Speaker 2:And it's like well, no, because I'm back at it Command function seven. That's where we live, like we, we are okay. We know we don't have all the answers, but with us having the ability to build systems in our SMEs and then our customer base that's growing closer and closer every day to, I'm going to say it, 100,000. We're not there yet, but our customer base is growing every day and getting closer and closer to 100,000. And feedback from all of those people. We have a system that no one else has and that we know it makes a difference every single day. So the After Action Reporting program is absolutely fantastic and I think once people start using it, they they can't get away from it.
Speaker 1:Well, thanks for bringing us up to date on the blue card rundown everything that we're doing. Is there anything else you'd like to add that we may have overlooked?
Speaker 2:If you want to, you want to think I'll circle back around on, if you want to, the only thing I'll circle back around on, if you want to book something for 2025, I mean, you can look at our schedule, our schedule, yourself, uh, what's going on and see that, uh, now through December, there's not a ton of space.
Speaker 2:Um, I mean, we, we can do plenty of work and we can, we can double up weeks here and there, but, uh, there, but if you want to book a train to trainer or your workshop or you're looking for, you know, just an update, you need to get it on the schedule, you know, sooner than later, Cause, like I said, I got seven fire departments that I'm just waiting on dates for to book trainers and that's just going to fill up that much more space. So reach out to me, josh, at B shifter or, you know, call me anytime. All my information is at the bottom of my email, so if I'm not standing in front of a group or doing a webinar or talking to somebody else, I'll answer. No matter what, I'll get back to you that same day, without question.
Speaker 1:Josh is on the phone all day, so he'll take your call. We'll put that information in the show notes too. Your call. We'll put that information in the show notes too. Thanks, josh Bloom, program manager for Blue Card, for giving us all the new information that we have in the Blue Card program. We'll come back and keep people updated on this as we get more information, and we appreciate you being here today. Thanks, josh.
Speaker 2:Thanks, john, we'll talk to you soon.
Speaker 1:Thanks for joining us on this special edition of the B Shifter podcast for the Blue Card Rundown. For all the information, again go to bshiftercom or check the show notes. We'll talk to you soon. Thanks for being here.