Weekly Scrap #341 - Chris Watson, Transferring Knowledge!

Speaker 1: Front road gang never do complain They rock up front A merry bunch of cunts And we love them everyone After party roast always a Joke, no one brings it and that's okay because we love them all the Front row, front row, crack a beer, led your ear, it's that time for the scrap again Corley: I get asked all the time, what is a vigilante? What does it mean to be a vigilante? And so to explain that, I'm just gonna kind of explain where the vigilantes came from. When I started the group, I honestly thought there was gonna be like 10 or 20 people who really liked the scrap that would want to be part of the behind the scenes helping pick out the guests and make the questions and things and I never dreamed that the vigilantes would grow into what it has grown into. Over 700 like-minded souls If you're a vigilante, you are never alone. We have members from across the country. We have members from across the globe. And it's just amazing what it's become. If you're in there, then you get to be in the Discord, and the Discord is where we do all of our dis Discussions and people go live and they talk and they ask questions and we have a channel for bitching and moaning for presenting classes. It's just it's amazing the fellowship that is involved in being a vigilante. And it's not just that, there's so many other benefits You get access to the Vigilante only swag shop. You get the 15% discount on all merch from Firehouse Vigilance. You get the after parties. You get the Vigilante get togethers when we're all at the same place and we get together And we raise a glass and do a toast and have the vigilante creed. You get the vigilante coin when you hit your one-year anniversary with your number. The fireaways, the forums, the archives, all those quality projects that are coming that that you get to be a part of and get to be behind the scenes on, it's grown into something bigger than I ever imagined. And I want people to know about, I want people to be a part of. If you're not a vigilante, why not? I don't know. I don't know how how big it could be. I don't know. I mean the vigilantes are are where the work is at.

Corley: They're the ones who are getting stuff done. and it's phenomenal to be a part of it. I wanted to get on here and explain where it started, how it how it came to be, and ask you if you're not a vigilante, why not? It go to patreon. com slash the vigilantes. That's where you sign up. It is five dollars a month. I mean it's You can't even get a cup of coffee for that anymore. Five bucks a month, and you get to be a part of this unbelievable group. Go to patreon. com, sign up, become a vigilante, and I will see you on the Discord. Hopefully we can keep it on topic, on task. Corley Moore, Firehouse Vigilance. It is weekly scrap number 341. My guest tonight is Chris Watson. He brings 23 years of service, shaped by a calling that demands more than time. He believes it demands attention, accountability, and the courage to question and engage when answers are hard to find. His career has been forged through a constant belief of being a student to the profession that growth comes from honest reflection and the discipline to unlearn what no longer serves the mission. He is a cadre instructor for triad training in southern Indiana, as well as a state instructor for the Kentucky Fire Commission, and he wants it known that nothing he does would be possible without the unconditional support, patience, and sacrifice of his wife Christy and his daughter Camden. Who remain the foundation behind every lesson and every step forward. Battalion Chief Chris Watson, it is my absolute pleasure to have you on for episode number 341 of the Scrap. Welcome, my brother.

Chris Watson: Man, I can't thank you enough for this opportunity, sir. I don't know who that guy was you just described, but he sounds he sounds like he's ready to go. Corley: Sounds like a hell of a guy. Chris Watson: That's what I I tell you, no you talk about no pressure here. I you ever seen those bay leaves and spaghetti sauce? Right? You look down at it, you're like, I know it's there, but I don't know why. That's what I kind of feel like right now with the previous guests you've had on Corley: and what's coming up so i really appreciate this opportunity dude i'm looking forward to having you and and i'm looking forward to the conversation is there anything you want to add to the bay leaf in the spaghetti frost Introduction. Anything you want to add? Chris Watson: No, that that's me. I'm that I'm that guy, right? I'm that guy. I'll kind of I'll kind of blend it together and bring it together. Corley: Audience, get your questions primed and ready for Chris and myself. We're gonna have some fun with this one. So let's get to those beautiful sponsors. We'll get those sponsors acknowledged. Everything in the fire service gets tested. Training, instincts, equipment. That's why SnapTite designs and builds its fire hose to perform no matter the challenge. Durability, packability, kink resistance. Every single line is tested before it leaves the factory, so you know you can count on it Snaptight, American-made firefighter trusted. Visit SnapTighthose. com to learn more or find a distributor near you. Firefighter safety and accountability starts with being able to quickly find and identify Individual firefighters operating on the fire ground. Identifier safety combines the best in photoluminescent materials for durable firefighter identification. That can glow for up to 20 hours with no switches, no batteries, which means being able to rapidly identify firefighters by name, unit, or assignment, even under hot fire conditions. All specifically designed and tested for the rigors of the job. Be seen on scene. Identifiersafety. com And then coming up March, right at right to kick off March is Lyft, L-I-F-T, Louisiana Instructors Fire Training Conference. Less than a month, March 3rd, live on location, Todd Edwards, Basil Ibrahim, live audience as usual, live audience in person. See, that's it, and then afterwards, a live after party with a live vigilante meetup. So there's so much crap going on.

Corley: so I look forward to seeing you there. If you don't have tickets, get them and I'll see you there live And with that, of course, Flame Decon. You know I love them. Get the nasty stuff off yourself. Decon with Flame Soap. Wash your balls. And with all that, we are officially done and ready to scrap. So Chris, I'm going to lead off by kind of telling people the story of why you're on the scrap. Because your friend and mine, Josh Wheeler, was a guest on the scrap. Yes, sir. And had a great scrap. And then I always ask who's someone who should be on the scrap. I like to ask people that question. Who should who would you like to see come on the scrap? And he mentioned, you know, this guy, Chris Watson. You know. This guy. I didn't know who he was. But I it was in it it it got in the it got in my head and was rattling, you know, no big deal. Usually one one person saying a name is not enough. So but then I was teaching in your area And I got pulled to the side. Like before I was even teaching, I got pulled to the side. And someone was like, listen, man, I don't know how you do your guests and who gets to come on, but we have a guy here you need to, you need to talk to. His name is Chris Watson. And I was like, okay, yeah, thanks for saying that. And I did I hadn't put two and two together, but then like completely separate, and another person comes up to me and says, hey. You had Josh Wheeler on and he told you about a guy named Chris. And I was like, yeah, he goes, you need to have Chris Watson on. And I was like, okay. And then I'm telling you, this is it's like there was like five or six people, so many that I honestly start thinking. And this is like a conspiracy theory to get Chris Watson on the show.

Speaker 1: But I it was not. Corley: It was it was generally that big of an impact that you've had on the on all these different people. in your area. And so that's that's profound. And I and I knew by and of course you were also one of the few people that's been invited live in front of their peers to come on the scrap. So Chris Watson: So that was awesome. Yeah. Corley: That was a one a one-time deal. So I was teaching and actually stopped the class. It was after was it right after lunch where I did it? Or it was right after lunch. Chris Watson: Yeah, you come after lunch. Next thing you know, it's like da da da you know the music's playing and there go there it happens. All right. It's just Corley: the names that you couldn't say no at that point. Chris Watson: No, I was like, I looked at my chief, looked at my trustee, like, we good? They're like, heck yeah, we're good. So Yeah, you get the you get the thumbs up from both of them. Everything's good. Corley: Everything's good. No, but I want to talk to because it was a unique experience to have that many people suggesting someone for, you know, they not They're doing it as an honorarium and just they want you to they want your message to be spread. And so I want to talk to you about mentoring and investment and you know, how you've had that big of an impact on those many that many people and if you could describe your leadership style or or where where where that comes from.

Chris Watson: Man, it well it starts it started it started young. It started with the fact that I was mentored. You know, I've had I've had the fortunate chance of getting some great people to you know take the time out of their their day, their life to mentor me and started with my current fire chief right now. We were able to, you know, share that truck. I was the first shift first day. That's the first guy you meet run into. And that guy just dumped it all out. And he says, this is what I know, this is what we're going to do, and this is how we're going to get better. So I've had these chances to, from day one, to have someone to take that time and use it, use it wisely, use it as an investment to me. And again, the the return is, you know, it's that passive forward type of mentality, right? You would just want to make sure that, you know, whatever I'm gaining, I can pass it on to someone else. And the crazy part about this is you see it multiply quicker. Right, versus me just keeping it inside and saying, let's see what I can bring. As you pass on all this information, it becomes a force multiplier with it. So it I wouldn't say it's hard to do. It can be easy to do. You just got to be, you know, lose the ego. You know, make sure that you're bringing the next guy up on the rung. not not just with you, you know, be a step for them. If they blow past you, be alright with that, be okay with that. And I really think that just comes with that sense of that you know you're never going to do this job alone and get anywhere Right. You're gonna have to have people, you know, they're gonna they're gonna take you there. So that's that's the part I like so much about this. And with all those guys, you know, it And it's that networking outside your four walls of the fire department. You know, we've kind of found each other because we were all leaked out because we had our own issues, right? And the training wasn't maybe good enough, right? The attitude was a little toxic. Right. You know, the the mentality wasn't where we thought it would be or what you expected to be.

Chris Watson: So stepping outside your four walls of the fire service. and meeting this group of people having the same issues, but having your same mindset that we can change this, right? We can, we can bring a difference to us just by trugging through. And You know, and you get these great guys that you know do something when a Corley Moore comes in and says, hey, put this guy on the scrap and share his message. Corley: No, that's awesome. So you talked about being invested in from first shift, day, day one, year one. And so you had a lot of mentors that that or was it just one? Like was it a was it a overall impact? Like what how old were you when you got into the job? Let's start there. Chris Watson: Yeah, started 23 years old, got in the job, wasn't the idea. I wasn't one of these guys that chased the fire trucks and thought this was a thing, kind of fell into it and said, you know, I wanted to do this, a couple things you know, personal happen in your life. So yeah, you first person, like I said, made it happen and then again found a group of people, but there were some rough times. I call those my anti-fragility behaviors right that were kind of created, you know, that there was people there that were trying to break you, right? You know, and trying to see if you quit and everything. And you just couldn't break. You had a bend. But those are the type of lessons that you learned and made you made you anti-fragile, right? So it made you one of the people that you may be robust in resiliency, but I'm not gonna break, right? I'm gonna be anti-fragile for it. this so that made me kind of strive on to make sure okay so i've gotten this information i see this people are being affected like this maybe in their same department so let's get together and the big step there was you know Getting uncomfortable in a you know getting comfortable in an uncomfortable world real quick, right? putting myself and out in people's other house firehouses. Yeah, and you talk about a tough job and I know you have a great experience with it and a lot of the guys that you have on the have on the scrap, but you know, getting outside your four walls and being an invited and then again trying to be a force multiplier for somebody that's in a fire house and going through the same struggles you are You know, trying to say you again, I think Chief Starne said of the best, a prophet has no land or home in his own country.

Chris Watson: So when you show up, it seems like some people get to hear something like, oh man, that sounds great. Well, you know the guy in the corner It's been saying the same thing for 10 years. Right. But he's just been kind of shut down about his own people. So having that opportunity to be that great of a mentor, you know, to those guys. And again, it it's it's back and forth. It's a highway, man. It's not a one-way street. You know, that as I give, I get as back in return as well. So, you know, the the same actions for me, for me as well to succeed. Corley: No, I love it. I love hearing that. One thing, some things I wanted I want to dig in on and chase down. Anti-fragility. I love the I love the term anti-fragility. And you said that you had the what you called your anti-fragility years. Yeah So obviously it was a toughening process, right? I mean they toughened you up. Do you think that was a do you take that as a net positive or How do you take it for yourself? That journey for yourself. Chris Watson: And I had this talk with several guys that you have to take it as a net positive, right? You can't look at the get you down or bend you down on these, right? I think it goes back to in these comfortable, uncomfortable departments. You know, the situation I'm in now, it's com it's just completely different. I have I have this group of people that are just, they're absolutely the best at the job. But I go back and look without the tough years, without the hard times, would I be the person I am today? And that's what I kind of coach up to people, right? Take these instances that, you know, it may be shit right now. Right. It's not what you like, right? It's not the days that you expected. It's not the job that you thought you got into. Take that and use that as your motivation, your fuel. Right to say, hey, look, I'm not going to break. I'll bend, but I'm not going to break. And again, work on those drills, work on those trainings. Get outside your four walls. Find a network of people, find people like the scrappers, right? They go out here, you know, and want to make a difference.

Chris Watson: Hell, there's a fire school pretty much in my area. There's a fire school 50 miles from everywhere. that you can go and the people that are there are the ones that actually have the same passion as you and the same mindset. So yeah, I I would never take away anything about what the how some of those years went where you're thinking about this job's not for me this isn't this isn't what I thought it was to to where I'm at right now 23 years in Corley: Now I know you can't speak for the entire fire service, obviously, but in your perception, as you teach in your area especially, do you feel like that the toughening up or the anti-fragility, do you think we're missing that with the with the in the in the modern fire service? Or have we gone have we swung the the the car too far? Or where where what's your what's your take on how it's going? Chris Watson: I think some guys just give up too quick for when I talk to them, especially the ones I get a conversation. You hear a guy that's thinking about leaving the job, right? And you're asking why. And it's usually the same references that I experience, I know guys have experienced. So you put them in contact with them like, hey man. it's gonna be okay. You know, we can work this out. Don't give up on your dream. Because again, I think we all as young boys and young girls, this was a dream at some point, right? And to be a firefighter. you know in your life to get in this thing. So yeah, I really think that, you know, pushing people to understand this is part of it. This is part of the growth plan. It's not going to be easy. And it's okay, it's okay, right, to be in those situations. And all honesty, I think it's going to make you a better fireman for it, for it, versus sometimes you keep coming to the thing that's just a rocking and going and you're not you're not reading right you're not picking up the manuals you're not picking up the FDTM magazine because again you're not pissed off you know you're not thinking you're figuring everything's smooth everything's great So what's the challenge?

Speaker 1: Right. Chris Watson: So having these lessons be learned, it's going to kind of hopefully push you and just heat you up, right, to kind of be better in this job and better in this career. Corley: No, and and it's not like Punishing you for punishment's sake. It is and and and no, I I it bears some exploration. I love Aaron Field's quote, comfort is the enemy of growth. You know, the more comfortable you are, the less it's And I and and I love saying that complacency is comforts like stepsisters, just right there, man. Just right there. And so The other thing that really makes me think of is Chris Williamson, one of my absolute favorite podcasters. One of his best guests is Alex Ramosy when he comes on there. And I don't know if you know anything about either one of them, but they talk about be careful what you ask for because If you if you asked to be a patient person, you're like, you know, hey God, make me a patient person. Or I want, I want to be tough. You know, the the ways you become patient are. . You have to wait for stuff for a long time, right? You don't get what you want. That's how you learn pace. And to get tough, guess what? To get tough, you got to get beat up a lot to become tough And that that's the path to get, so you got to be careful what you're wanting because there's only one way to get there.

Chris Watson: Absolutely. Corley: And if you want to be anti-fragile, then yeah. No, I love that point. So we got questions coming at you and a lot of them. So I'm gonna pivot and start throwing some at you. Are you ready? Chris Watson: I'm ready, sir. Corley: Greg White, right out the gate, says, what is one tradition? That you think is the most important to pass on to the next generation of firefighters? I like these questions because they're like gun to your head, only pick one. Chris Watson: Right. Just the one tradition. Corley: One tradition. You get any pass on. Chris Watson: Oh man. If I could do it right now, cooking that first meal, you know, being that new guy and just breaking bread, breaking bread with your crew, screwing the hell up, you know. Because they're gonna tell you this is the worst food you've ever eaten. You know, they're gonna dog you, you know, they're gonna like this is slop and they're gonna throw it, one guy's gonna get the table and throw it away. But that tradition that you always want a new person, your first day on a shift, you know, you break bread, you're cooking, and they're gonna give you like you're gonna fix like T-bone steak. I want my medium, medium rare, medium well. You're gonna get a crazy order, but that's kind of the traditions that I've always enjoyed because again, there's a lot of pressure, right, to feed your boys. Oh yeah. you know, and you want to make a make sure that you're making a good meal. So that that's one thing I like. You know, the firemanship stuff is is great, you know, the horsing around and everything, but I think that's always been been one of my favorite ones.

Corley: Well one of the things I love about your answer is is the say the the the sacredness of the firehouse kitchen table. And it's tied to that. You know what I'm saying? It really, it really drives that tradition really drives home it it's a unique dynamic that doesn't exist in another profession. It is. Chris Watson: All world's problems are fixed right there at a firehouse table, right? If Congress and them would just walk in, we it'd be done with, right? Everybody, everything would be easy. Just come to the firehouse table. Cup of bitter coffee and yeah no doubt about it. Especially when the rookie just made it and the coffee grounds are still in it because they didn't know how how many scoops you put in it. Corley: Yeah, overdid it. I remember my son when he was a rookie when he was in his probationary year and he got assigned to a station and he had to cook the first time and and the nerves you know he he might not like me sharing that but he wanted to he wanted to make he wanted to do so good you know what I'm saying I think we all have been there we've all been there

Chris Watson: Great question, Greg. Thanksgiving. Yeah, Greg, I appreciate the question. They made me cook Thanksgiving for the entire shift. As your opening meal? That was my opening meal. They're like, you've got Thanksgiving. I'm like What what are you talking about? Corley: Yeah. Chris Watson: Right. So yeah. Corley: We always tackle Thanksgiving and Christmas as as like if we're on duty, it's a group effort, you know, like that station's bringing turkey, that station's bringing ham. Chris Watson: Oh you it was a pile man it was a pile it was fun we ate we ate it wasn't great but we ate we ate someone scraped it off into the tent Corley: Lieutenant Stash is coming at you. When it comes to classes outside of your academy, what are the top conferences slash classes you would recommend? Chris Watson: Oh man, I've been to several. Again, I'm fortunate people. I'm in Indiana. So I think you and I talked about, you know, if I could take any class, any class in the world, I'm going up north, I'm going to FDTN. with Jim or Cormac, right? Knocking that one out, right? That is as good as get. Also what we have with FDIC. Man, what a great area again for me, for me especially, right? I'm blessed that I'm two and a half hours from both of them. Those would be the classes we want. I think what they're doing in Calamet right now is pretty special when they brought that tradition there. And then Kurt is knocking it out in Pensacola too. Right? You talking about getting around four to five hundred people with the same mindset, you know. And and he makes it live. He makes it where it's it's a fun time. It's just not always about the the certification or getting the yellow sheet, the golden rod to take back your training officer. So it makes that curtain and that whole cadre that he invites down every year is one of the most special places. And I I'm so happy that he keeps that going and he's keeping that going up for us because I would say everybody who's into the job, not on the job, but into the job needs to head down to Pensacola at some point. It doesn't matter what it is, and that's the thing. The high-rise class, the officer development program, the command officer boot camp, all those, those are all fantastic classes to take

Corley: No, dude, I cannot disagree. I'm trying to sit here and go, what's he leaving? But FDTN is like everybody said I've never been, but it's Disneyland for firefighters. It's Disney World for firefighters. Chris Watson: is all i've ever heard if you love being live fire and you love learning right i've had a lot of guys go up there do the truck company operations engine company operations again jimmy's guy jimmy again look at look at his his his cadre, right? You know, those are the names. Corley: Like Lomardo, Pressler, Clett, and you know, I'm just like I I don't know all of them. So I leave in people out without a doubt. Chris Watson: Just cross your arms and just that's the time when you talk about okay how many years of service you have, shut up And listen to every word. It could be a coffee story. Like we were drinking Folgers one day and that shit sucks. Listen, take that in, man. Have a good time with it. Right. And say, yeah, Folgers sucks. Maxwell's, you know, whatever it's going to be. Just have a good time with those. guys they've got it. Corley: and great, great answer. And of course Kurt and Pensacola and the impact it's had on the American Fire Service. I It's I don't know if they'll if you could ever quantify both both places you mentioned. And of course, the big show. You know. Holy crap. It's called the big show for a reason. Absolutely. So, all right, Hump Man coming at you. Jeremy Humphrey. Question. Given the reach of this podcast, if there's one message you could put in front of every firefighter tonight, what would it be and why? Ooh, I love that. That's like, yeah. We got we got the whole, you get to pick one thing, Chris. But I love them.

Chris Watson: All right, one thing. And this was Jeremy Humphrey, is that correct, sir? Corley: Yes. Chris Watson: Jeremy, great question. Corley: Yeah. Chris Watson: Jeremy, great question. Thank you for it. Man, I still I'm a think I've always appreciated being a the message is be a thinking fireman. You know, use thought As much as you possibly can, right? And one, you stop before you speak for one, especially if you're new on this job. And that can get you earmarked pretty quick, right? If you talk too much, you're talking on a line, you're talking on a turn. You know, you want to be that three-year firefighter, but you're already the company officer of the apparatus, right? Use some thought first before and let that stuff process. And again, I think we are missing the level of your own thoughts too. Right, there's a lot of information out here right now that we see. And it's a blessing. This error right now, the information that gets shared between the fire service and everything is an absolute blessing. But some of it is disinformation, right? And some of it's not going to work at your department, no matter how much you think or how cool it looks or what you want to do. So I would I would warn people, put a lot of thought in in what you're doing. Right. And especially when you're communicating with people. And that's going to make a big difference. versus just pying off and just going off and swinging for the home run and everything. So that would be my message for probably the thing I would like to see more talking to people is. Have your own thought. Have your own collective thoughts. Quit repeating people's other message to try to get your own. And it takes work, right? It's going to take work to You know, to get that knowledge, to look up that paper, to look up that white paper and actually read it all. Don't go for the quick copy of it, right?

Corley: Yeah. Chris Watson: And just, you know, don't look for the thing and read it all. And the other one, I think some messages, you got to give everybody the credit that does put in the work too. So don't own your own shit. Don't own that shit. Give everybody a chance. You know, if if you're going to quote something from Chief Storns, man, give that guy some credit for putting that work in, you know, for it as well. So I hope that answers your questions. Corley: It was a beautiful answer, man. It was a great little great little run. I didn't want to interrupt it or step on it anyway before. Great question, Hump. As always. We're making you think. They're already making you think. They're giving you one option. One option. Chris Watson: Yeah, what you got one. Do this. What is it now, right? Corley: Porsche let me get this right. Porsche Amcroby 3890. Okay, close enough. You get the idea. You know who you are. What are good ways for volunteers in small rural departments to gain experience and build networks? Conference sessions don't seem appropriate for volunteers with limited background or training. Thoughts? Chris Watson: Yeah, thoughts. I'm currently in a combination department. You know, and if if as a volunteer department, I wish if you're surrounded by any type of career department around there, I would really hope that they're reaching out. Right, as being part of that networking or part of that community for you. Now if you're in that rural rule aspect where it's a it's a network of just com you know just volunteer departments. I get that too. I have that same situation in Kentucky where we're at. But having those outside influences that you could possibly come in you know, and allowing them to come in. And that's that's the big one I would say. I've had the opportunity to go into volunteer houses, even though I'm a career firefighter you know, this and that, you know, I go into volunteer houses because the train is the same, right? As a volunteer or a career, it's still firefighting. It's still the same concepts. It's still a hose comes off the truck, comes this. So I would reach out. And again, if you're not getting it from your own apartment and you hear another apartment down the road is, open your door. Open your door for the meeting and make that meeting, make that conversation, make that again, you want to talk making a grab, make a grab for a great instructor.

Chris Watson: to walk through your door, right? To help you again, to be a multiplier for you, right? Versus the conferences are great. I know they cost money. A lot of people and they cost a weekend, especially to volunteer and you don't have because volunteering is just all the time you don't have. Right. We know that with our volunteers. And that's me with our combination department. And that's a great quote I've got from one of my volunteers here, here that I work with. But that's that's the thing Make your time useful as possible and try to get the people the right people through the door that can help you and help you succeed. It goes back to that networking and that mentoring that it may not be coming from your department, but it can come from somewhere else. I hope that answers Porsche's question. Man, these are these are some good ones, man. Corley: Porsche Am Crobie. I I one thing I have hated about YouTube is changing it from the names. to the at handles and the at handles suck sometimes. Not not that yours did, Porch. I'm not picking on you. In general, it's it's better when I knew the person. Because I'm sure I know who you are, but not the point. Chris W wants to know, not this Chris W, this Chris W wants to know who has made the biggest impact on you and your career

Chris Watson: Ooh, we man, those are great questions. biggest impact, right, on a you know As a man, you know, obviously I got to go with my dad, Rick. You know, I gotta give it to him. You know, I'm a I'm an adopted personnel person as well, so there's a backstory with me and this is the generosity demand that I don't share the same last name, but I get to call him dad. So to he caught he caught something that was falling, he was able to raise him up until where I'm him right now tonight. So I gotta give him on the person side. On the firefighting side, it goes back to the guy that, like I said, the mentor me first. That's my, and he's my current chief. He was my current chief of my previous department. He's my current chief here. that that's chief scott foreman. without him and his you talking about patience. I came in a little bit of rowdy. you know the image you you had up, that was me at some point in my life that you put up there for the scrap. I came a little rattly and he showed me how to calm it down, right? And how to how to focus this energy and bring it for something good. So I gotta go with Scott Foreman as being one of my biggest mentors

Corley: that's brought me to where we're at right now man rock solid rock solid not mason Great questions. No, dude, they're crushing it. They're still sending them. So I'm still going to keep coming at you and we'll get we'll pivot too. But also Not Mason wants to know, do you think it's important to emphasize the importance of the fire service to the next generation? I don't know. Chris Watson: What's this person's name? Asking questions. Corley: Not Mason. Not Mason. Chris Watson: Not Mason. Okay, not Mason. Not Mason, great question. Thank you for it. Yes, yes, yes, it is our next generation, man. I'm a 23-year-old old head, right? If I'm not bringing the next generation on, then who is? Right? Somebody else, and it may be the wrong person, right? It may be the person that's mentoring them wrong. It may be the person that you don't want to see to carry on, carry on the legacy for your department. So 100% it's gotta be the next one. It's it's the next room. And I'm not talking about the guy beside you. You've got to look down from yourself and you're one of these chief officers or these higher-ups or one of these guys that even got a platform. There's somebody down there that you can bring up with you pretty darn quick if you just try yours try. Right. And then just and it's reach down there and say, hey, come, come with me Right, let me show what this has got to have because again, some guys are drowning in this. Right? They don't have the same opportunity. So yeah, we've got to pass the buck, man. If not, we're gonna miss we're gonna miss out. Again, they've got the most resources to them to actually be better than probably when you and I started out. Yeah. Right. And it's there. And you've got you've got all these guys with some great platforms and that are giving it up. You know, they're not holding on to it. You go to these conferences, hell, you can take it back to your department and start making it happen if it's if it's good good enough for for your department. But yeah, you just got to bring the next people up with you as quick as possible, as as quick as they can go Beautiful.

Corley: No, absolutely. Great questions. You guys are joining it, Chris. Chris, I want to pivot now and talk about a couple of your topics because I want to touch on them because that's the topics you want to discuss. And it's I like the customer service a really really just riveting riveting topic of customer service but are we doing enough with customer service and i want i it piqued my interest because i wanted to hear you know but basically your thoughts on that Chris Watson: Yeah, no, it's great. And actually, this is kind of a new turn for me. Again, 23 years in the service, and my focus has really been on the operational side of the fire service, meaning Am I operation readily? Am I tackly driven? Are we are we in the mindset? Again, I love the word mindset. Am I on the mindset to have someone's care in their worst day, right? That all that preparation that goes into that But again, just looking looking at yourself and taking deep look at yourself, you know, you may only touch base with 10% of your population. Right. So if you're a 50 if you're 50,000 population, you make 5,000 calls, the numbers in the math tell you, hey man, it's 10%. So what'd you do for the other 45% other than give them hope and comfort while they're sleeping, right? And then again, I talk about this. This is where we actually, I believe, where we actually gain our social and political capital, right? Or the non-chaos time. Right, so when it goes to great customer service and the customer service side of this is again in every interview you've ever sit in before It's always asked by the HR person or somebody, explain customer service to me, right? Explain right. And you're like, oh, it's empathy, it's good integrity, it's doing the right thing. And it's all those words, but then being on our side, yeah. What are we doing? Right? What are we doing? If if it's not the chaos times, how far is your department pushing again? Because I think we have the again, goes back, we have the most knowledge about things that the public doesn't. And I I think I I kind of shared some examples right with that. you know i challenge i challenge people when i go out every now and then like tell me about your smoke detector right and give me and just a way for him to ask some questions about i mean and that's usually firemen what do you know about a smoke detector The public would generally want us to be the experts because if they call the station, you know, they're sitting at their Lowe's or Homie Depot and say I'm about a smoke detector, how many questions can you answer before you run out of the answer?

Chris Watson: Sure. Right. Is the second question is the why. Right. And if you're not able to answer that guy's questions about a stinking smoke detector, what do you think he's going to say when he hangs up the phone? Corley: This fire department don't know shit. Chris Watson: Man, they don't know shit, right? They're gonna know shit. I could have read the box or done something like that for them. So it goes back to are we investing, we've got the great information. This is not my topics I love to talk about. I love to talk about what Brian Brush has done. I love to talk about BES. I love to talk about search But also I gotta put some tools in my guys' hands when these when these our folks ask questions, not in the chaos moment, you've got to be ready, loaded up, and ready to answer them. Do it. Right. And that's to tell them there's a difference between a photoelectric and ionization smoke detector. Right. They're supposed to be different places, the homes. Right. They're going to react different in a case of a fire. I want those guys up and ready, right? Because that's what's going to get their actual capital from these people. Right. You have a good conversation with a customer on scene. You're having a good customer conversation with the customer. Just you're walking through lows. You got to pick up some nuts and bolts to fix the truck. You see somebody in smoke detector. Oh And you stop and you introduce yourself and tell them who you are. Hey, what are you looking at? What are you doing? And you're able to load those questions, man, that's going to help your capital big time. Yeah. Right. You want raises, you want new trucks, you want stations, you need this. You've got to have capital people that have never called 911 and don't even know what you do. And I always challenge people Find out what your public thinks about you because I think there's a gap between perception and reality from the public and what the fire service thinks they're really provided. And that's just asking, you know, next group comes into your firehouse, ask them, what do we do? What do you think your firefighters do? Right? What's a day look like for us? What's that? And see what their perception is of it.

Chris Watson: And a lot of times it does not match your reality, what you even do. So again, we're missing a big message, which is probably affecting our social and our political capital with our people. Again, you go to ask something for from the public, right? There's going to be some people that don't see it the same way you do. And it's probably because they're just, again, misinformed about what you actually do throughout your day or even what you know. So Making those strong connections by having this general knowledge that we that we possess that we just don't go have. Most of the time the public comes in, they don't want to hear about your force power of your spreaders, right? And know it has 236,000. PSI or pounds of force on it, but we could give them some better information. And again, not in a time of chaos. Corley: Well, and I love I love what you're saying too, because so many people look at The guys that ride the big red truck, which me we know they're just human beings. Like, you know, that's all they are. But they look at them like they know the answer. They know the answer to anything I'll ask. You know, I mean like we're the subject matter experts on everything and so if we can actually embrace that, like you like I I hope it comes across what I'm saying, that that role, that perception, if we can make that a reality.

Chris Watson: Yeah I would if I if I was a lay person and it said fire my house, you know, who the who's the first person I would ask? Hey, what do you what do you recommend? What do y'all see? Because again, these are the we are the people that can see the things that fell You know, and if that if I can tell them like, yeah, that that's not gonna work. That's gonna work like this because I have that information that's been it's been given to me. It's just maybe not practiced, right? It's not a practice. And our interaction skills maybe out in the public are not practiced as much It goes back to, you know, if the fire service is like the automobile industry, like a car salesman, and you based everything on like a commission. Right. Meaning that your your hard-earned work is how you make your living. Man, I would want to be loaded up with so much great information. Right. So I would want to be able to pass on the combustor so I build that relationship with them Right. And and that's what I kind of look for. And that's and that's again no one wants to read the no one wants to read the manual, right, to smoke to detector. No one wants to go read UL two seventeen or ul two sixty eight. Yeah. Right. And say, oh well, this is what it's gonna be. But again, that is great general knowledge for these people, right? So when you have that contact with them, you know, you're loaded and ready to go.

Corley: And one thing we we've heard it, you know, most of our adult lives, which is, you know, a A good interaction probably won't get you a positive review, but a bad interaction definitely will get you a bad review. And so you you have to you have to front load it as much as possible to to to get that net positive again, there comes that that that that concept. I love it, bro. That's absolutely beautiful to think about. And it's something something that I think Many firefighters don't think about it, especially the younger you are. It's just not that important. It's not as important as forcing doors and stretching lines and spraying water. Chris Watson: And it's not. And Chief Starnes has said it before. I've seen his description. He says the fire service right now, especially American fire service, we're stretched around the world four times. Yeah. Right. For things that we're supposed to be able to know and supposed to know how to do. Right. And if you don't have the budget to train us in the and and the the the backing, right, there's gonna be time again, it goes back to that anti-fragile, right? There you're gonna break at some point, right? With this reloading, but again, this is I I consider simple things, right? Simple things that we could work on to do a little bit better, tune ourselves in a little bit more, just like you would when you're forcing doors. You're tuning yourself in and get the right swing, the right angle, the right leverage and everything. The same thing with just basic general knowledge of the public need. Right.

Corley: Love everything you said except one thing which I will disagree with, which is I don't know who Brian Brush is. All we know here is Brian Crush. Excuse me. Yeah. No, that's all we know. Yeah. No, people are gonna think that's his real name at some point. Chris Watson: At some point. He's probably already changed his ID, hasn't he already? Corley: I think so. He has two IDs. Two two passports. no, okay, back to the questions because there are still a lot of them. Sure. Platypus 615. How do we stress training on our customer service versus training for our normal day-to-day operations? Ooh, good question. Really is. Chris Watson: Yeah, it's a great question. This is what's the name again? Stress? Platypus. Platypus. Platypus. Platypus, great name. Okay. Mammal or non-mammal, right? Platypus. Speaker 1: It is a mammal, isn't it? Chris Watson: It's a mammal, yeah. Okay, yeah, I I'm gonna pass the trivia. Yeah, pass the trivia. Does it lay eggs though, but it's a mammal? So we'll see Somebody's going to answer for that. Corley: And also if you want me to know your name, you can also type it next to your handle in the YouTube chat. And Sam will make sure I know who the actual name is So you can't if you care. If you care. Go ahead, Chris. Again. You know, it's it's a I don't think U tip did it because yeah, go ahead.

Chris Watson: No, the customer service training, look, just you gotta you gotta import it somehow, right? And look, it doesn't need to be a target solutions or some type of training like that, right? It just needs it really could just be a good talk. If you've got a community risk reduction person in your building, like inspector or fire marshal, and they're going to be on top of certain things, especially when it comes to code enforcement. on the commercial side, you know, kind of ask them some questions like, hey, what's what I gotta give to the residential, right? What I don't know this information. What can I have? And again, a lot of information you you just you know you can gain from having some knowledgeable people that are out there they're they're talking about that. You know, again, it's not the sexy thing in the fire service. I, trust me, I spend 90% of our time training. It is on the chaos moments. It's the things to prepare and to get better. But I have to digress just a little bit and pull back and say, hey, look, don't forget when we're going on a medical run right now, it's cold outside. Take your CO detector and go do a sweep real quick. And then explain to the people, hey, ask one question. Hey, where's CO at in your house? If you had if you knew, is it here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and see what they don't know and spend some time with them. And again, goes back to everybody eats. Right, do you want to have an interpersonal relationship with me? I will spy in your cart real quick and figure out what you're about to have for dinner and start a conversation with you. Right. I just is that it's that easy for me because I look down like man spay looks good. That's what we're gonna have again. You know, but again, starting those conversations with those folks.

Corley: And and I think one thing I don't want to interrupt you, but to the it's it's It's not even about stressing the training so much as just stressing the mindset. The mindset of look for the opportunities. Chris Watson: They're there. They're there. Yeah. And again, this is if you put it back, this is your bank and your capital. This is where a lot of your capital is going to come from with those type of interactions. It's not the 911. It's going to be a day-to-day interaction. You don't want to be invisible to your public. You want to be as visible as possible. Just driving around the truck and honking the horns or waving a people or that, that doesn't build a relationship with people, right? This this right here, what we're doing, this is what builds relationships with people people, you know, communicating with them as clear as possible. And again, this is this is the information is for them, right? It's for them and for the benefit of them. Corley: And that was Jim Platt. So I'm glad I knew his name because yeah, Jim's awesome. Thank you, Jim. Great question, man. Fireman Pibb, which I know that's Kyle Pivberall. How can we help change the mindset of those that think the capital is given as opposed to earn when it comes to those customers

Chris Watson: It's never given just you man, you gotta assume it's never given. All right. I go back to that commission car salesman, right? That's sitting there working his ass off on the on the lot, right, and making he's got to get that deal, right? And I have personal experience with this in my life growing up You go out there and you work for it and what's it gonna cost you, right? If you're out there and you're saying you're putting in the work and you're having these in these relationships with people, what's the cost to you? Right? A couple seconds, a couple minutes, you know, it's not the whole day's work. It's not the whole lifeline to it, but that's what's going to help you with your again I'm going to go back to it. That's what's going to gain your capital. We say all the time they expect a rocket surgeon every time they show up. Right. It's the fire department. I call 911. Right. But he's interchanged his gun. What's his name, Jim again? I'm sorry. This was Kyle. This was Kyle. I'm sorry, Kyle. I'm sorry, Kyle. Kyle, I'll give you I'll I give you one that I kinda use her Riesling A lot of the public right now is driving vehicles that don't even know have laminated glass in the side windows. Right. So I'll give you one idea, just as an example that you could possibly use going back to your place. Saw a lady walk in the room, right? She's got three little kids with her. Saw her vehicle, went politely, asked, I was in uniform. I didn't look like the creep I look like right now, right? I was in uniform and said, hey, I saw you pull up in your vehicle. Do you mind if I go look at something real quick that could possibly save your life later? What do you think her reaction was?

Speaker 1: Absolutely. Chris Watson: Yeah, yeah, sure. And come back. I went back and I looked on the bottom bottom of her window right now and it has a big L on it. Right, and says lamb is safe. So that tells me as a fireman, with the general knowledge we get because of extrication training, right? That's laminated glass. Laminated glass. It's laminated glass. So I go and speak to the lady with the three kids and say I'm going to play the this what-if game real quick and I'm sorry, but what if you left here right now you had it or you're in an accident and you need to save your kids and the door's jammed and you got to break the glass? What are you going to do? And again, she's like, my husband bought me this little tool that if I put against the glass, right, it's gonna break the glass. It's like, no, it's not. It's not gonna happen, right? It doesn't work with laminated glass the way that happened. happens, right? That was for tempered glass. And again, on that example, you should have seen her face. She had no clue. But again, here I am saturated with this knowledge that most of us I think that we already have, we just don't know it or don't share it that now it's a difference for this lady. It's like, so what would I do? And you said, well, you need to do this, this, and this, right? You may have to put your feet up here. You may need to get a different tool, you know, or something, but you're going to have to look at a different way to get your kids out versus just coming out your door And again, did I build a friend for life? I'm not for sure. Did I gain a little capital with her? Oh yeah. Yeah, yeah.

Corley: 100%. You're leaving her with that feeling that that guy Well a couple things about the story, which is so cool to me, is a the uniform. You asked her and she said, absolutely. If I don't care what you look like, without the uniform, and you say that, like nine times out of ten, she's gonna be like, get away from me. You know what I'm saying? Right. And so the uniform, that's the power of it. But the you just reinforced it. You know what I mean? You reinforced that that's what that uniform means by the actions taken. And so I love, love, love that example Chris Watson: How blessed are we that we still have so much high public trust right now that do we we get their sick, right? We get their people in the help. They still have that with us. And again, we can't we we've gotta always constantly work on that. We cannot just level off and say, it's there, let's not do anything else for it. Corley: And to Kyle's point, because he I'm sure that there's people that are just like, yeah, well, you know, we get that. We get that anyway. We get that. They Chicago Fire 911, just watch those shows and we get plenty of public, you know. Yeah, yeah. But and we do. That's the part. They're not wrong, but that's no reason to not actually earn it.

Chris Watson: Right. Corley: No. Chris Watson: And earn it yourself, man. Corley: Let's see. Mason Cogheel says, how and what can we implement that will better the relationship between the public? I feels like I just asked that one. Yeah, didn't we? If not. Do you have anything? Chris Watson: Mason, you got I know Mason Coggill. Mason's got great questions to ask. Mason, ask another one. Corley: Yeah, get it, yeah. this one's coming from Fireman Piv back to back. How do you channel unbridled passion into a palatable level? You gotta use smaller words for me, Kyle. Palatable level for those who are maybe less passionate or less motivated. Chris Watson: Oh man, I think this has been a been a big question on years before. No, it's a topic that comes up on records. Yeah. And I I think I'm I'm probably gonna be a general answer for it. You gotta have that guy had a passion at some point time, right? That's what got him in the job You know, if you got these guys that are recliner snipers or something, I think you just got to find something that they're they're comfortable with, right? And maybe it's not mentoring the new guy is maybe not be training as hard as you can, which, you know, that's a shame. Right. The part of that that always makes me upset is when did this start to happen and who let it happen and why didn't it get leveled back up and get that guy or gal point of direction where it needed to be. So again, especially new company officers who take on that role and you get that guy like, damn, how did I get this guy and what the hell happened? If I had a time machine, I'd go back and figure it out. But yeah, I think you just have to find find a niche for the person who's going to be and stress it. Look, if they don't like reading kids at the library then don't force her down her throat, right? Don't be that type of officer who says, it doesn't matter, we got to do it anyway. Get in there. Give a little leeway, give a little leash, right? And let that person find the role. I promise you, they didn't come to work to be a huge asshole or huge problem that day. They may push that line for you, but they didn't mean to do it.

Chris Watson: And they're gonna find they're gonna find that niche for them, depending on what it's gonna be. And if not, reward them No, find a reward system for them going outside their own. I hate to say it like you wave the treat at somebody, but find a way to reward the pokes that it maybe not be putting them. And if it costs a little coinary pocket or hey, I'm buying you dinner tonight, man. What what is that? You know, what is that? It's just a little compassion, compassion again for the for the end game. Corley: Dude, reward the behavior you want to see more of. Do it publicly. Do it publicly. All the time. And you'll see more of it. You will see more of it. And then I love the the question that comes up. And this is one thing I think I've told I think I've told Pivot all this before, which is I it's a it's a bastardization of a couple quotes, but it's basically Any passion, I don't care what you're passionate about it, but if someone's super passionate about something, passion without a relationship is always overbearing. Always And it is when you really start tearing, you think about someone who has a hobby. I don't care what the hobby is, it could be the most benign hobby in the world, building model railroad cities or or comic books. You get that person talking about their comic books or their model role and you don't and they don't have a relationship with you. You're just gonna be like okay enough because they will the it's what yeah the relationship is what makes it all matter the relationship brings home the passion yeah and let them have a little bit of a voice and a little bit of turn right Especially you get them bought into the if you get them bought into the hobby. Now we're really talking. I love it. Chris W. No, wait, where's it at? I lost one. I had from Mason. Mason Cogheal had another one for you, which is how can how can we teach department traditions better within the department?

Chris Watson: Oh man, go back and grab those old heads, right? The guys that left the department. Maybe they're not affiliated with it anymore. Go back and grab them. Invite them for a breakfast, invite them for coffee, invite you know still let them play a role they may have left on bad terms hell they may have left because they just aged out or didn't have the time anymore but go find them and again start those conversations i call those are just like the book crucial conversations to have and understand what your tradition was from your department, right? There was somebody that actually started that tradition and try to find that story, right? And pass on. And again Celebrate it, right? This is this is this is Mrs. Smith's favorite thing that we used to do. She made blueberry. Celebrate that, right? And celebrate those moments that you have them so that way everybody in the next generation coming up sees, hey, this is just kind of what we do, right? This is this is how we're going to keep rolling. And again, and all of this, it does take work, right? It takes work. You can sit there at the table, like, I think we should do this Don't be a damn problem person. I think we should be the solution. Hey, I want to work on this. I'm going to take on, take this lead on. That's going to help everybody out.

Corley: You know, that's at least you're, if you're passionate about it, get involved in it then. Boom. And most important thing you said in there was work. It takes work. And do the work, do the work, and it will matter. This might be the most important. I don't know if it's a question. The most important comment so far in the chat, which comes from at Camden with five N's. Camden says, hi dad. Chris Watson: Yep, that's it. She's been gone. My girl's been gone at a cheerleader expo in Florida. So I haven't got to see her in about a week. So I'm happy that she's listening. Corley: Right on. Right on. McGinn wants to know, and it's written extremely legibly. I don't know if he used AI to help him write this question or not. But what lesson did you learn from a mentor that you are passing down? Chris Watson: Oh man, again, listen. I can't explain enough that just listening. Right, not being ready to answer the problem as soon as the person calls, right? Or not being hear that person out. Right. And here what they have again. I think sometimes we miss the communication part with people where when someone talks, we already have an answer for them I mean some active listening that you're doing with those folks, right? And I was taught that because the patients, again, my former mentors, they listened. Right. They didn't judge. They listened first and then we worked out the issues. We we they listened and then they helped me. They listened and got me back down to a level like I think you're overthinking this. I think you're doing this. Right, they weren't just ready to spread, well, this is what I would do. Right. That a lot of times I think we got, well, this is what I would do. The people are calling you a lot of times or the people that you're mentoring, right? Have an idea. Well let them kind of run with a little bit of that idea and just kind of over just kind of correct it. Right. It doesn't have to be a reflection of your way, right? If they're making those pathways and that mindset, you know I I think we forget everything we're doing is started with a single a single thought, right? And now we're trying to connect to this.

Chris Watson: So they're trying to online and they've already got an idea. Well, if anything, if I'm going to mentor somebody right now I'm going to listen to see what their idea was all the way through. Right. And say, you know, it sounds great. You know, be positive enforcement. All right. Or it sounds great. And just ask the question, hey, did you think of this? Not not stop there and like, well, that's not what I would do. Right, that whole response, you know, that you're gonna have that back and forth that person is all about how you respond when they when they're when they're finally done talking or finally done showing you his trick or finding showing the skill of working on something just active listening and actually listen Corley: Beautiful. Chris Watson: I hope that answered his questions, but that's the that's my one of my favorite passions. Corley: Phenomenal answer. Phenomenal answer. Jordan Thomas wants to know, if you could pick one lieutenant for your shift, who would you pick? And why is it Jordan Thomas? Chris Watson: Well, obviously it's your vigilante. What is he, number three, number four on the vigilante list? He's right there by the way. He is I think he's yeah, but go ahead. you're talking about a passion of the job. These are one of these guys that we didn't work at the same department. I am fortunate enough that he is we have joined forces now And we get to see each other in passing. So again, we s we started that networking because of the scrap, right? I'm gonna give you a little humility, but it was a scrap. We would get on there, hey, did you see listen to this as you listen to this listen to this and that's how our network you know kind of built and and became what it is today so yeah I'll I'll give him the points right kind of like you do Corey I'm sorry but I'll give him it's it's 100% him right

Corley: Right on. I'm looking up right now to see what number I see if I can pull it. Jordan Thomas is number four. Yeah. Chris Watson: So you got to take the fourth of vigilante, right? Corley: It's automatic. No doubt about it. I'm trying to think who's I know Jeremiah King's number two. I was gonna go look and see who number three was. I was going to look right at the end. It's McGinn, the guy that there you go. The guy asking the great questions this evening. No doubt. Chris Watson: Yeah Corley: Oh I did not even realize I really I just realized McGinn was number three. I did not realize that. I didn't know he he never flexes that Okay, where was I at pulling up the questions? Getting back to my discombobulation. Alright, closing that window, closing, pulling up the notes. Back to it. We got that covered. We got that covered. If you what I like this one from Josh Medler. I'm looking to see if there's anything else I want to cover real quick. But he says if you had a hazmat speech, what would it be? And I'm throwing that one up there just because of your topic on the hazmat. So I'm giving this his question from Josh Medler, throwing that at you kind of to segue into your hazmat.

Chris Watson: Yeah. Yeah, we have a lot of compassion as structors right now. So this is where you'll you may actually see some jittery passion come out because I'm I'm kind of passionate about hazmat and i'm not talking about hazmat technician stuff at all i'm talking about just the basic awareness because you're talking about a a disconnect you know i think from the fire service and and what hazmat instants are right now in American fire service, we we've need to take a hard look at ourselves. And again, that takes some failures on my part to actually get to the point I I'm I'm feel a little comfortable with, but it's just typically awareness only. And the hazmat speech is You know, most of your answers are hazmat related. Ocupational cancers right now are mostly hazmat related, the insidry going on, right? The absorption, ingestion, and jet and inhalation factors that we're dealing with, right, are hazmat related. So My speech would always turn out to are you equipped with enough knowledge, right, to go out there and make a real decision? Right. I ask a lot of people that do you have enough knowledge on a hazmat scene or even on an incident, right? And I I think I kind of lined this out in there. We're given these meters and monitors, right? They're handed to you like it's passed down like a chalice. Like here you go, it's yours. This is how you turn it on. And this auto kind of seems from like a what Chief Starns seem talked about thermal imagers. That we just don't know, right? We go back through three years. We're unaware a lot of times of the inform the information, even how those things work. My big speech would be learn everything you can about the hazards you know and can confirm. Right, meaning that if you've got H2S, learn everything about H2S. If you've got C O, learn everything about C O. If you've got LEL, my God, when it says 50%, you're not too rich. You're 50% of the LEL, right? You're getting close and explosive I can't tell me times I go into apartments. I ask people that, what's your LEL? And somebody, you know, pipes up, well, hell, it's 50%. It's too rich, it won't burn. I'm like, oh, well, I think you've missed out. on a lesson here.

Chris Watson: Let's let's get through this, right? Let's figure this out, right? And understand that is your detective on all these incidents. and feel comfortable with it, right? Again, every person, every new kid, every new firefighter, anybody that takes a hazmat class, what are you always told how your department, what are they going to say about it? Yep. This kind of sucks. Right. It's going to be a board. I hope you get it. So on the instructor side of it, we need people that are enthusiastic, right? That are in the face on this, right? So we can prevent some of this incidents that keep taking place. We keep on firefighters getting caught in between a natural gas release and a natural gas explosion for some reason. All right, it's 2026. That comes with you got to have compassion people that are willing to head this on. So when you get a chance to go take, hey, I'm gonna take a teacher four-hour hazmat class. Be excited about it, right? If you go in there and bend Stein and PowerPoint and read the bottom corner that this is PowerPoint 63, you're losing a big portion of your class immediately, right? This body language and this moving around, that's still how we get communication. And anytime I've had an instructor that's been excited about something, I get excited about learning that issue. So we've got to have compassionate and passionate instructors first when it comes to hazmat to hazmat incidents. and and how and how they're gonna work and how they're gonna happen.

Corley: So do you think it's because I I'm with you like most of the hazmat tech classes they were university sponsored with, you know, fire service training of some sort. and they were, the instructors saw the PowerPoint the same time we did. you know, clicking through it, read what's next? oh yeah, okay. So and then maybe they had a tour story to share. But is it just I I really like how you just tied it into the basics of the four gas monitor to Andy Starn's approach to the thermal imager almost of hey Because that's the training we got was here's a four-gas monitor, go. Chris Watson: Right. That's everybody that's the American Fire Service. Here's how to turn it on Yeah, and again, so I don't who do you blame, right? You can't you can't do the scarecrow and point fingers every direction, right? There's got to be someone that's gonna sit there and say, hey man, you know, and again, get I want to swing a halligan, right? I want to get a hose in my hand. I want to spray water. Man, I want to work on what Aaron Fields taught us in novels before. I want to work on that. But again, it goes back to we can't be so disconnected from the other parts of the job. Customer service, hazmat, right? If you told me right now if I sign up in a class and put hazmat with customer service, how many people are going to sign up for Right, everyone because as soon as somebody looks at it like oh that class gonna suck but if you can put somebody's name behind it says dude that guy's that guy's fun he's gonna give it to you and he's gonna dumb it down One, he's not going to talk over your head. He's not going to make it where it's so disinterested. He's going to make it where it's relative to you and to your department. We've got to have those people, right? We've got to have those people that have that energy that want to pour in to subjects like hazmat, right? Who wants to talk about the nine classifications? Who wants to talk again not to kill you with this stuff, but right the vapor density, you know how Again, you ask a person like, where's gas at? Natural gas right now, high, low.

Chris Watson: And you get looks in the right in a room like, I got a clue. Right. And for me, that scares me because again, that person does not have the correct information to go execute a delivery and you talk about losing trust to people, have an incident take place. Right? Have a house blow up and you've been on the scene or have an incident take place. And then again, if it affects that circle of trust that you've tried to establish with your customers again So I am a little passionate. I know Lieutenant or Division Chief Medler there. he knows I'm passionate about hasnet, so I appreciate you appreciate that. Corley: He was giving you the soft toss to get it there Chris Watson: Yeah, yeah, he knows I he knows I'm right there. He's probably gonna ask a part per million speech here in a minute minute. Corley: This one's coming at you from speaking of we talked about it earlier, Kichief Candice Ashby. Yes. She wants to know what is on the horizon for Ohio Township. Chris Watson: Man, Ohio Township. again, she knows the guy that we have leading the way, right? She knows everybody here. We're fortunate enough to be great friends with Dr. Ashby. And her having her leadership come in here and just, you know, embrace us, right? The the way she way she does, her special way. And if you don't know Candy, you know she'll she can embrace you specially. I I see big things. you know, this is a special department with special people that started up from the foundation. You know, for a lot of people don't understand Ohio Township in southern Indiana, right outside Evansville This was a fully volunteered department with some leadership changes. And now it's become a combination department. And I came from just a career side department. I am a volunteer. We call that a two-hatter down here. So I was on the career side and a volunteer side at the same time at my job, but to come here in this combination department is remarkable. You talking about screaming passion Right. And having people that are loving the job and into the job and not on the job. Right. It's this people that want to serve this community not getting paid.

Speaker 1: Right. Chris Watson: It's the people that dump in and say, hey, look, I got two hours a day. How how can you feed me Right. And how can we and I'm telling you as an instructor and someone that's passionate about the job as much as I am, right? This is man, this just makes me, I feel like I can work another 20 years. You know, and that's the thing. We've got such a growth and such an understanding that this is this is big. It's big for everybody that's been part of it. I I don't know. With Chief Foreman at the helm and with our trustee with the board and the guys and guys that helped put this together and assembled it in the first time. man, I think we can take it as far as it can be allowed. You know, I'd like to put a firehouse on every corner. You know, honestly, if possible, it's not. But you know, whatever we can do and present, we have a great model that we got from Chief Viscuso. I'm not here for me. I'm here for we. We are here for them. That's what we use here. And that's 100% where we are here right now.

Corley: Love it. Absolutely love it. Dr. Ashley, great question. I appreciate all your help. I love it when Dr. Chief Candace. I have to get it right. What do I say? Dr. Chief Candace Ashby. We talked about it on so me and Thompson were were you came up on the solo number three, Candace. But Dr. Chief Candace Ashby chimes in and she's teaching a class With speaking of numbered coins, number five, Rob Fisher, the man, Rob Effen Fisher. I'm sorry, I mispronounced Rob Effisher. They're teaching a class here shortly, I think this weekend So teaching a class is a greatness. So yeah, I think it's in Michigan. I think it's in Michigan. You guys can correct me in chat. Okay, with that being said, it moves me to one of my favorite questions I asked. which is book or books, man. Book or books that you think firefighters should be reading. I'm always looking for new books. My list that I is my pile of books is now getting my pile of unread books. I just started Once an Eagle too. Like I think was that suggested when I was up there? I don't remember where it was suggested, but I just got a copy of Once an Eagle and I'm I'm plowing through it right now. I'm gonna read it on the plane tomorrow

Chris Watson: So go ahead. No, Booker Books, man, I still love history. I have a fortune enough to work with one of my battalion chiefs, history buff, and he brings in old literature. And I think Kyle has said this before everywhere. We're just regurgitating a lot of the old things the old guys are doing. Right now, have we cleaned it up a little bit? Have we changed some things? 100%. Right, but I would go back and grab an old Fire Chiefs handbook from somebody. If you can get your hands on the manual freed, if you get anything, anything that's from the older the older years, the pre-1900 century, and you read and see what knowledge those guys had. And then you look in in 100 years, we've lost a lot of that general knowledge, right? It got weeded out, right? These guys knew more about hydraulics. and about internal diameters of pipes and hoses way before to now I feel like we're playing a little bit of catch up and these guys were walking around like, oh yeah, this is this and this. This is how you figure out a smooth board. This is how you figure out this Right. They knew all that information back then. And again, if you really look at it, they hand drew everything inside those books. So you gotta have a little appreciation for the time and effort that these guys put into you know, getting these books published, you know, way back in the day. So anything old, just find something and reflect on what the history was. Now Good book. I had a great relationship at one time with again, one of my guys, and I'll end up, I'll give you one up later, but Gordon Graham gave me a book called Going Pro by Tony Kern And I think you I think it's probably been on here before. Yeah.

Corley: I just got this one from Amazon today and I was like, is it the same, but it was turning. I just did a double take because I literally opened the Amazon package. Chris Watson: this one so going pro going pro by tony current excellent book again a time it talked about the mindset and breakdown right of how well you know it takes to actually get to this profession you want to consider your professional man it takes a ton of work to actually lab yourself as a professional through there so that one kyle samsing mind on fire Yes. I heard a lot of articles. Yeah. What a great. That was an excellent read. And I would pass it on again. I pass these collections on to all the guys here. And again I know you're gonna be you're too humble for this. Right. That was done by a lot better people than me. I was just part of the collaboration with everybody that you're able to get inside there and get that information in one book in one spot And again, it's not a long read. Corley: And he had I gotta I gotta remember to say this. He held up the book of search just for the people listening.

Chris Watson: Yeah, they don't see it when they listen, so I had to say it. The book of search. ever with everybody that put their snippets and put their put their their brand on it. Corley: Yes. Chris Watson: Again, you talking about a true mentor book. You know, go in there and read that book and get some mentorship you know, happen for all those guys and that that do it a little bit different or a lot of the same across the country. So yeah that's a firehouse staple. That that's that beats most of red books that are out there right right now that you know that is the or anybody else is put putting out there. Corley: I'm biased. I happen to agree with you. So I think it's fantastic. But no I was I was very proud to be a part of that happening And the the the authors, 44 authors, 46 articles that that they just crushed it. Absolutely crushed it. Not to mention all the behind the scenes work and the rewrites and the edits from the vigilantes and the everybody side So there were so many people involved in that. So I always have to say that when it becomes up. But no, absolutely killer. Get something old, Going Pro by Kern. Is it Tony Kern? Yes, sorry. Kern. And then the Book of Search. Okay. Beautiful, beautiful set of books. All right, and the good part is is I I have going pro in my pile, so I didn't I didn't have to add to it. Scrolling, I'm scrolling. Man, we didn't even we didn't even get to all the audience questions. We did not even get to all the audience questions There's some good ones. So that means you'll have to come back at some point in the future. That's the good part.

Chris Watson: I'm game. Corley: If you're willing. Chris Watson: Absolutely, man. This is great. Corley: We do a thing called the Five Questions for Firefighters. It is there's no right answers to the questions, just your opinions, and the points are arbitrary, passed out by me with the help of the audience. So, Chris Watson, are you ready for the five questions for firefighters? Chris Watson: Let's do it, man. Corley: You can do anything in the world except be a firefighter. What do you choose to be? Chris Watson: Man, you you talk yeah you send this question and you talk about tough and this is the thing it took me back to something I read by Waldo himself, right? So again, it's first to me because it goes back to thought. So I I think Waldo said, you know, a thought can become words Words can become action, right? Action can become habits. Habits can become character, and character ultimately becomes this, right? This this where you're at right now Corolla, I'm gonna give you the lame answer on that because I've thought about this. It's this. It's I did I did several other things. I had the opportunity to do this. This was not the dream job Right. This wasn't the little kid that grew up and said I was really a firefighter like I know so many biz. This was this is what came up after putting all the work in You know, and going through all I had, this is what I'd want to do. Hands down every single day. I'm not changing it.

Corley: Not changing it? You're saying fire, it could be anything but firefighter, you're choosing firefighter. Chris Watson: I'm not changing it, man. Corley: All right. I like what they said in the in the cloud in the in the chat. They said if you want max points, you gotta put the mask on. Yes. Mask required, mask, mask. And they're saying mask points. Mask points. Chris Watson: The gift with a gift. Corley: I was it was a joke, but there you go. Mask points. I'll give you mask points. There we go. Jeremy Humphrey said, no mask, no points. He is built different, ladies and gentlemen. Speaker 1: That's it. Corley: Number two, mass points. Number two, it's job town, it's time. You're in route and responding. The scene from backdraft, slapping that tape into that cassette deck. What song are you playing while in route? Chris Watson: Man, this was a tough one too because look, there's that tape deck if you remember correctly. We have an A side and B side Right. I'm trying to do it. So depending on how you put it in the in the tape, right? So in there. So the A side for me, if I had to right now, just to give him, you know, he just passed away, but I was an Osman. Right. So if you give me war pigs Cranking it up and on the truck, I'm gonna I'm gonna get every time. Right. And on the backside, you know, the parental visor, we're that age where you know you're sneaking tapes in that had the parental visor on there. And man, I remember Onyx Slam, right? Getting that song, get going. So I that would be my A and B side if I had to pick one

Corley: All right, war pigs. Has war pigs been on there, Sam? I didn't think so. I know we've had some Sabbath. I know we've had some Aussie. I don't think we've had War Pigs. So Beautiful, beautiful. Go into number three. Cold weekend at the station. Rig checks are done. Training is done. PT is done. Food is cooking and simmering. What is the movie while you're clicking through in the day room? You're just kind of clicking through and you stop. No matter where the movie's at, what's that movie for you? You stop and finish that entire movie. Chris Watson: Oh man, it's a it's a fire service movie. it's Fury. it's about the tank crew I love it, man. Dude, that is, I'm telling you, you put that on there and you see your crew. Oh, best job I ever had. Dude, man, it's the best job I ever had, right? It's got the best line and you see yourself if you've gone to those ranks. You were Norman, right? You were the great engineer where you're on the sticks, right? The captain's telling you what to do. You were that. You were probably the dog or you got a dog in your in your stuff. You got the other guy that's just like the senior fireman and the war daddy himself And I tie that movie into so much how that's related to the fire service and that we should really look at that and from that perspective that this is a great, a great movie.

Corley: Dude, love that. A I love the movie. It's a movie that I'll finish almost every time. Absolutely. But love the movie. Love the breaking it down to the crew analogy. I I think that's been sitting there in my head, but you just articulated it so well that that's the company officer, that's the engineer, that's the rookie, that's the senior man. Oh, it's beautiful. Best job I ever had. Chris Watson: Best and then at the very end, right? Corley: At the end of our end of it, it's the best job I ever had, man. Yeah. No doubt about it, brother. Fury, max points. Easy max points on that one. Number four, on the clock. You get one minute to answer. One minute to answer. If you go over, then you get no points. If you talk about it after, then you get no points. So you get four people to stick on your Mount Rushmore of the Fire Service and go Chris Watson: Yeah, I got to take the, I got to think of the people that brought me here, right? So I got to think, again, my first mentor, Chief Scott Foreman, again, my leader here at Ohala Township. the second one of that, and he doesn't get a lot of credit, but he's who's helped me shape my career after that, would be my division chief, Jeremy Baxter. man, the guy has been a workhorse of just getting my mind ready, you know, for what the fire ground was and what leadership was going to be and everything. He spent hours and hours outside his time to help me do that. Number three, a guy got passionate about the fire service would be Gordon Graham. Again, the risk, right? High risk, low frequency.

Corley: Low frequency. Chris Watson: Dude, I walked in there as a guy with like two years, three years on the job. My goodness. You know, that got me fired up for the job. And again, the guy who all your tapes and all the books I've read, Vinny Dunn. Vinny Dunn hits my fourth Corley: Beautiful. There you go. Nine seconds left on the clock. The four. Foreman, Baxter, Graham, and Dunn. Beautiful, beautiful. Mount Rushmore, along with the reasons why. That's the best part. All under a minute. Beautifully done. Max points on number four. Final question. It never changes. There is heavy fire. There is searchable space. Would you rather be assigned to the nozzle or first in on VES? Chris Watson: Man, why are we here? Right? Why are we here? We're the only ones that can do it, right? So it's got to be VES and Corley. We got We've got to start using crushes words, right? It's VS, it's not Ven and Research. It's Victims Expect Search. Ooh, love it. Love it. Man, that's what it is, right? The top of the chapter should be Victims Expect Search Right. And don't and don't say anything else. Right. Get rid of all the other acronyms for work. We don't know where it came from anyway. So are you talking about changing something? Man, victims expect search all day. Beautiful.

Corley: Beautiful, man. People are gonna like see this clip and say, what the hell is going on with the steam ass? But you had to get your max points. You had to get your max points there it is officially 341 scraps in the books. Chris Watson, first of all, thank you for spending your evening with us. that it's it thank you for fielding so many great questions but if someone wants to reach out to you someone wants to get more information someone got their interest peaked or whatever what's the best way to reach out to you Chris Watson: Yeah, I'm on I'm on Facebook, so I still use that. I'm that age, so I still use that a lot. So it's Chris Watson on Facebook. you can reach me there I'll give you my phone number. It's 812-449-5188. I'm up for text. Text me first. If not, I'm probably going to sell you a car warranty when I answer the call if I don't know you. So that's just what I do. Or you can again reach me on my email at CK Watson. That's C K W A T S O N E and the number one at Gmail.

Corley: Love it. Absolutely love it. Mason, yeah, they said amazing scrap, awesome job, great scrap, Watson. Great job. And the best one from Camden said, yes, dad, you ate. So I'm not up on the the lingo, but I'm pretty sure that means you did a good job. Chris Watson: Yeah, sure. Corley: All right A guest you would like to suggest to be on the scrap. Who would you suggest? Like that and I and this this actually means more because Wheeler's suggestion is how you ended up here. That was the germ of it. So give me who you think should be on the scrap. Chris Watson: Yeah. Man, you can pick anybody. Look, I'm I'm blessed. You can pick anybody here in my department, but again I'm going to pick on him. I'm going to say his message, and that's Chief Foreman again. To hear his side, this guy came up as a cadet, and now he's a chief, and now he's a chief in a very progressive combination department here in the state of Indiana. So I I think he's got a great story to tell every single person. And you can pick anybody from a department. They're all they're all worded opportunity, but you know, yeah, he's got a very special story about this place. if I had one. Another one I have some person really good relationships with. And he's another chief because I I think hearing it from a chief's perspective, you know, you know what it takes. And that's Chief Justin Brooks down in Bowling Green, Kentucky. He'd be another great one to have. And then close friend.

Corley: He might have been suggested before. I'm not sure, but go ahead and I think he has. Chris Watson: I think somebody has talked about him. He's man, he's a Baptist preacher. Pretty much mean he'll come in there, he'll convert you right there. If you got sin in your heart, man, it's gone, right? As soon as he starts talking. So I love you know the guy, the guy's great. and I think you great recommendation from Chief Rhodes of the day. I think he had a young lady that's only got a couple years on the job. Corley: Yeah, the negative. Chris Watson: Right, that's gonna be a fireman. I mean, I think that is a great perspective to seeing somebody with just Corley: a couple years well she wrote a book too on her she wrote a book yeah yeah Nicole yeah I think her name is Nicole she's engineering so far the youngest person ever published by fire engineering Chris Watson: If I'm not mistaken. Corley: Should be able to rattle off her name, Nicole. Someone in chat, let me know who it is. Chris Watson: We'll get it. but I've got a guy that, you know, I've been mentoring, he's been mentored to me, just made a new battalion chief young. That's gonna be James Eggbert. He's over there at the Henderson Fire Department. So great perspective. And again, you're talking about a young, new officer that's going to go through the same hardships you did. I have, you know, in a career. Yeah. And, you know, he's fired up for the job. He's fired up for the passion of the fire service. So no, and I'm always out of entry perspective from that. From that.

Corley: And I have a lot of old people on. Nothing against my people my age and and up, but I do have a lot of old people on because they have more life experience, obviously. But it I am always looking for younger people in the fire service So that's that's a good absolutely excellent. All right, housekeeping. Go to patreon. com slash the vigilantes The Discord is up and running. It's phenomenal. It's very active. If you are looking for a place to connect with like-minded souls, people a place to go and get your batteries recharged, go become a vigilante. One of the cool parts about being a vigilante is the after pay to have it where we go and roast Chris on how well he did or how well he didn't do. And Sam will be posting the link for the after party as I speak. Next week, on the scrap. It has been too long. One of my biggest influences, the big four, Mr. Fully Involved himself, Mark Von Oppen is coming back on the scrap. For another dose of leadership and mentoring. Following that on February 24th, it is episode number 343. It is going to be a mega scrap. It is going to be focused on the FDNY, Frank Lieb, Tom Richardson, Joe Jarden. It is going to be a very special episode, so I hope you will tune in for that one on February 24th. And that officially makes it enough jabbering for me. Chris Watson, let's get to the after party. You were an amazing guest. Thank you once again for sharing your evening with us and being such a phenomenal guest.

Chris Watson: Thank you. Corley: Thank you. Audience, you make the scrap magical each and every week. Without you, it would not exist. You ask the best questions. So many good ones, we can't even get to them all. So remember, must don't scrap. I hope the tone stays silent unless it is burning. This job is not safe, so stay smart out there.