Behind the Bay Doors

04/06/2026

Sorry for the pause. We are back. Episodes dropping soon!

03/13/2026

COMING SOON!

🔥 Behind the Bay Doors – Bringing Tradition Back Home 🚒

When the tones drop, firefighters answer the call without hesitation. We run toward the danger, into the smoke, into the moments when our communities need us the most. But when the sirens fade, and the trucks return to the station, that’s where another story begins.

Behind the bay doors is more than a firehouse. It’s where traditions live on. It’s where firefighters sit around the kitchen table after a long call, share lessons learned, and look out for one another like family. It’s where the next generation learns what it truly means to wear the badge.

This podcast is about the conversations that don’t always get talked about—the brotherhood, the struggles, the strength, and the mental resilience it takes to serve in the fire service.

We’re bringing those stories forward.
We’re bringing tradition back home.

🎙️ Welcome to Behind the Bay Doors.
Because behind every turnout coat is a human being, and behind every bay door is a family.

🔥 Together, we are stronger. 💙

02/25/2026

Welcome, everyone! 🚒❤️

We’re honored to have you here and truly grateful for your support. Thank you for following our page!

This community is dedicated to supporting firefighters, raising awareness, and promoting wellness — especially when it comes to firefighter mental health. The work firefighters do is incredibly demanding, and we believe mental health matters just as much as physical health.

Here, we’ll share encouragement, resources, conversations, and content focused on:

Mental health awareness

Resilience and wellness

Peer support and connection

Education and advocacy for the fire service

Whether you’re a firefighter, family member, friend, or supporter, you are welcome here. Together, we can help break the stigma, support one another, and strengthen the fire service community.

Welcome to the family — we’re glad you’re here! 🔥💙

02/23/2026

Drill 2: RIT Pack Hookup — Worst Position

Goal:
Build speed and confidence connecting a downed firefighter to a RIT air supply in bad conditions.

Setup

Place a firefighter (or mannequin) in a bad position, not a perfect one:

face down
wedged in a doorway
tangled in hose/webbing/wires (training prop)
against a wall
low-clearance space if available

Conditions to add (optional but recommended):

gloves on
blacked-out mask/lights off
PASS device sounding
radio traffic noise
time limit

Task

RIT member(s) must:

1. Make contact and control the firefighter.
2. Assess position/entanglement.
3. Access the facepiece/air connection point.
4. Connect the RIT pack air supply.
5. Confirm air is flowing.
6. Communicate status (“Air established”).
7. Prep for movement (without rushing and losing the connection).

What to Emphasize:

Slow is smooth, smooth gets fast.
Protect the facepiece.
Don’t fight the body position—reposition enough to work.
Communicate what you’re doing.
Keep track of hose/strap routing so you don’t create a new entanglement.

Common Failure Points (the stuff you actually want to catch).

Can’t find the connection under stress.
Poor body position by the rescuer (burns energy fast).
Disconnects while trying to move.
Tunnel vision on air, no communication.
Too many people are grabbing at once/
No one is assigned to disentanglement.

Role Assignments (recommended)

Member 1: Air hookup.
Member 2: Control/disentangle.
Member 3: Tools/access (if needed).
Member 4: Movement prep/communications.

Adjust based on staffing.

Performance Standard: simple

Air connected and confirmed flowing within X seconds/minutes (set your department benchmark).
Clear verbal update to the command/instructor.
Connection stays intact during initial movement.

Reset / Debrief (1 minute)

Ask:

What slowed us down?
What worked?
Do you know if we communicated assignments clearly?
Did we keep the air connection secure during movement?

02/21/2026

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0DCeYjwZHUbvDWX8kAfnEi?si=aE-QRM73RZyI3SdYo0g8eA

02/03/2026

The words that should not be in the fire service.... staffing shortages. Stop by my podcast and listen in on what the fire service is heading towards. Leave a comment if your department is short and give some logical options to increase these dreaded words.

Behind the Bay Doors · Episode

01/28/2026

https://youtu.be/R5SLdBGPkwE?si=XecVwEmJ0qsWcX1B
Special guest Joe Bonnano, retired FDNY firefighter, personal trainer, and renowned chef. Go like and follow his YouTube page.

If any departments would like to host Joe to deal with su***de and PTSD. Please reach out. He is open to discussing his life story about losing his brother, ground zero. The good part is that he will cook for you after the seminar.

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

01/27/2026

When the dust settles and you're back in the house, what conversations take place, and what conversations should be started?

01/25/2026

I got over 500 reactions on my posts last week! Thanks everyone for your support! 🎉

01/25/2026

Episode 10 is out. Looking for feedback.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0O0n12Sxi22HqhwRt1AU7B?si=zAgiUEbnS7mfHhlO70_ibQ