Cody sits down with Tanner Behrends for a candid conversation about fire service culture, staffing, and what it means to work busy jobs. Tanner shares his path from Amboy’s cadet program to the Rockford Fire Department, and gets into the realities of station life, EMS assignment structure, and why training matters when you do not get constant real-world reps.
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Topics Covered:
Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
15:42 - Why firefighters judge each other for moving to slower jobs
21:23 - Ladder and ambulance staffing differences in Rockford
23:42 - Amboy’s culture and why it felt so professional
35:54 - How ladder and ambulance assignments work by seniority
50:04 - Why progression through engine, truck, and rescue can matter
51:36 - You are still just a pair of boots to the department
56:31 - Teaching through IFSI and the Cherry Valley regional site
57:58 - Aggressive fire ground Survival and teaching around the country
61:10 - Meeting Ash and the Capital City Industries crew
64:39 - Why Tanner stays involved despite not going to fires every day
74:06 - How budget pressure makes departments reactive instead of proactive
76:23 - The excuses that keep people from drilling
82:41 - Closing thoughts, mutual appreciation, and final sign-off
Guest: Tanner Behrends
Host: Cody Hill
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