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Episode Notes Join host Christian Tubbs, Brent VanKeulen, and San Bernardino County Fire Chief Dan Munsey for a conversation about the future of emergency communications. Explore how land mobile radio, broadband, FirstNet, and satellite connectivity can work together to strengthen interoperability, resilience, and firefighter safety—and what fire chiefs should consider before making their next major communications investment.  White Paper: https://thepsbta.org/whitepaper-broadband-first-a-strategic-investment-framework-for-public-safety-communications/

Episode 37 - Frictionless Procurement: Using Cooperative Contracts To Get What You Want, When You Want it. Discover a simpler way to approach your purchasing process that saves time, creates choice, and delivers better value for your department. This discussion with Crosby Grindle will highlight why understanding your procurement options matters and walk you through the benefits of cooperative purchasing as a key tool for smarter procurement.

Episode 36 - A Better Way to Bundle Benefits In a conversation with Ryan Donovan, Senior Director at Sourcewell, explore how cooperative purchasing helps California fire and EMS agencies access high-quality insurance and employee benefits options. By leveraging competitively awarded contracts and trusted vendor partnerships, Sourcewell offers a streamlined path to evaluate alternatives to traditional insurance and employee benefit models while improving cost efficiency and administrative ease.

Episode 31 - Leading with Character In this episode, Chief Chris Tubbs sits down with leadership expert Dave Anderson to explore what it truly means to lead with character. Together they discuss the habits, values, and daily decisions that define authentic leadership—especially when the pressure is high and the stakes are real. Listeners will gain practical insights on integrity, accountability, and how character-driven leadership builds trust, strengthens teams, and shapes lasting impact both on and off the job.

Episode 30 - Strategic Advantage & Public Value In this episode of the CalChiefs / FDAC podcast, host Chris Tubbs is joined by leadership expert and author Steve Kent of The Results Group, Ltd. The discussion explores the essential relationship between strategic planning and organizational culture within public safety agencies. Drawing from decades of experience and his influential book Strategic Planning and Organizational Culture for Public Safety Agencies, Steve shares candid insights on the importance of vision, the dangers of short-term thinking, and the need to align strategy with values and community expectations. He challenges conventional leadership paradigms, emphasizes the need for grown-up accountability, and offers practical tools for building resilient, forward-looking organizations. The episode is a rich dialogue filled with wisdom, humor, and a call to action for public safety leaders to lead with purpose and foresight. Steve's Book: https://www.amazon.com/Strategic-Planning-Organizational-Culture-Agencies/dp/B09L9QT57W/ The Results Group, Ltd. = https://theresultsgroupltd.com Mind Your 4 Peas (personal and team coaching site): https://coachsteve.org It's About The Future (Substack blog site): https://stephenlkent.substack.com/

Episode 29 - Psychosocial Hazards are Real! In this episode, we explore Psychosocial Hazards are Real! by Dr. I. David Daniels—a powerful and timely examination of the often-overlooked mental, emotional, and social challenges faced in today’s workplaces, especially in high-stress professions like public safety. Drawing on personal experience and professional insight, Dr. Daniels exposes the systemic risks that harm psychological well-being and offers a path forward toward healthier, more accountable, and human-centered work environments. Whether you’re a leader, peer, or policy maker, this book is a must-read.

Episode 28 - Fighting Fire with Funding The California Fire Service is facing a critical funding shortfall that jeopardizes the safety and preparedness of communities statewide. Fire protection districts and fire departments, which cover 125,782 square miles and serve over 39 million people, have seen service demand grow significantly over the last 50 years. Despite this, funding mechanisms have not kept pace, leaving fire agencies struggling to maintain staffing, equipment, and infrastructure.

Episode 27 - FirstNet and the 4.9 GHz Spectrum. This episode dives into the critical evolution of public safety communications, focusing on the recent FCC decision to establish a nationwide Band Manager framework for the 4.9 GHz spectrum, and discuss the evolution and deployment of the FirstNet System. Host Chris Tubbs interviews Chief Jeff Johnson, a leader in public safety technology and the development of FirstNet. Together, they explore the history, governance, and transformative potential of FirstNet and the 4.9 GHz spectrum in enhancing public safety operations with emerging technologies like AI, 5G, and augmented reality. The discussion emphasizes the importance of protecting and optimizing public safety spectrum, the lessons learned from past advocacy efforts, and a call to action for public safety leaders to remain engaged in ensuring the spectrum’s effective use and governance.

Episode 25 - Quantifying the Negative In this episode in an interview with Chief Eric Saylors (El-Cerrito Fire), Chief Saylors discusses his Naval Post Graduate School Thesis, Quantifying the Negative. In this episode Chief Saylors shares how his thesis led to the creation of a method to quantify the value a fire agency brings to a community and how this aids I the fire service telling its story to the community and elected officials.

Episode 26 - The Fire Prevention & CalChiefs Reorg President Heine and Past President Tubbs discuss why the Fire Prevention Section decided to leave Cal Chiefs after the Cal Chiefs Reorg and where is Cal Chiefs is going next as it relates to a new Fire Marshall's Section.

Episode 24 - Riverside vs Symons Ambulance On this episode, your host Chris Tubbs interviews Fire Chief & CalChiefs President Mark Heine, and CalChiefs Attorney Andrew Schouten, ESQ of Wright L’Estrange & Ergastolo (WLE).  We will be discussing the recent publication of the Riverside vs Symons case; the history of the litigation and various court decisions, and ultimately the publication of the Appellate Court’s Ruling and what that means.