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Aggressive firefighting: ‘We’ve corrupted the concept’

Chiefs John Tippett and John Oates debunk the idea that safety and aggression are mutually exclusive

The two smartest Johns in the fire service are digging into the hottest topic in the fire service. Chiefs John Oates and John Tippett unpack the What Firefighters Want in 2025 survey results, tackling the much-debated question of whether safety culture and aggressive tactics can coexist. Spoiler alert: They can! But it’s how they coexist that’s drives this nuanced discussion of training priorities and go/no-go decision-making.

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This episode of the Better Every Shift Podcast is sponsored by FirstNet, Built with AT&T, the nationwide dedicated communications platform built to support firefighters like you.

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Exploring what the survey data reveals about how fireground tactics are executed and how safety culture is perceived