USA vs. Australia: What each fire service does better

Australia has been using door control and flow path for roughly a decade longer than we have — and it's still wrestling with the same recruitment, burnout and mental health problems you are. After separate trips there, Zam and Fire Chief Jason Caughey compare what they saw: state-level purchasing that puts the same PPE and apparatus in downtown Sydney and rural towns, decon taught from the first day of the academy, and turnout gear swapped out after every fire. They’re just as candid about what doesn't work, from academies that don’t fail anyone to focusing more on performance-based training. Caughey and Zam come back with practical ideas worth borrowing, whether you run a rural department or a busy urban company.

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