Good Shepherd Fire Training

10/16/2026

Great day of Irons and Saws with Magic City Truck Academy. Awesome students from Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee.

10/13/2026

The National Firefighters Training Foundation is accepting location requests for classes in 2027.

If you would like the National Firefighters Training Foundation to bring a drill night training event or a conference to your area, submit a request at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf470LX6R9zmydXMfBOLGUByX6aj-KbNqYbR3XbcIL9X4m4Zw/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=114923055226069350706

10/12/2026

Excited to partner with my own medical director, Dr. William Ferguson of University of Alabama at Birmingham Emergency Medicine and Birmingham Fire, to support his 4 hour workshop at FDIC International. We’ll cover search, removal, and treatment, the stuff it takes to increase their survival. Getting them out is just the beginning. Is your agency doing everything possible after that?

10/03/2026

🔥 MEET YOUR L.I.F.T. Conference 2027 INSTRUCTOR: CLAY MAGEE 🔥

Firefighter. Truckie. Instructor. Lifelong student of the craft. Clay Magee believes there’s a big difference between meeting the minimum standard and actually becoming good at the job.

Clay is the owner of Good Shepherd Fire Training, an instructor with Magic City Truck Academy, a Lieutenant with Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service, and a Driver with Chelsea Fire and Rescue in Alabama.

His fire service career began in 2004 with the East Oktibbeha Volunteer Fire Department, and since then, Clay has made education a huge part of his journey. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Mississippi State University, a master’s degree in Emergency Services Management from Columbia Southern University, and is a contributing author for Fire Engineering.

He’s taught hands-on programs across the country and presented at conferences including FDIC International, Metro Atlanta Fire Fighters Conference, and the Alabama Firefighters Training Foundation—all with a focus on preserving the craft and pushing firefighters to develop beyond minimum standards.

And at , Clay is bringing TWO classes to Baton Rouge:
🪜 Ground Ladders: Moving Beyond Minimum Standards
📅 March 3, 2027
⏰ 8:00 AM–10:00 AM
📍 L'Auberge Casino & Hotel Baton Rouge – Ballroom C
🎓 Lecture

🚪 The Ins and Outs of Forcible Entry
📅 March 3, 2027
⏰ 10:00 AM–12:00 PM
📍 L'Auberge Casino & Hotel Baton Rouge – Ballroom C
🎓 Lecture

Two hours on ladders. Two hours on forcible entry. Four hours dedicated to the fundamentals that still matter every single day on the fireground.

Because checking the box isn’t the goal. Knowing your tools, understanding the why, and being able to perform when someone needs you is.

Come ready to learn, challenge the way you train, and take something back to your crew.

🔥 Train. Connect. Make a Difference. Register here: https://tinyurl.com/LIFT2027

10/02/2026

Forcible Entry Friday

Proactive RIT

These photos are from a commercial job I had about a month ago. We were assigned RIT. As I began to soften the structure, I pulled the lock on this aluminum stile door and unlocked it with ease. I gave it a little tug to make sure it was unlocked and then moved on.

Later as our assignment changed, we attempted to enter through this door. Come to find out, it was chained shut from the inside. Due to the smoke conditions, I couldn’t see it when pulling the lock. Luckily, there was enough slack in the chain to pull the doors open and use a K-12 on the chain to gain access.

Lesson learned - Always pull the door open to make sure it actually opens. As you can see in the photos, the door is still unlocked but the owner chained it back up. Don’t take things at face value.

09/26/2026

09/16/2026

Check your SCBA with mask on….
I’ll be honest. When it comes to checking packs in the morning I’ve always heard put your face piece on. Some days I do. Some days I don’t. Culturally, our job doesn’t. We turn em on, check the bypass and pass.

The old Scott’s we could check the diaphragm by pushing in on the regulator but with the X3 you can’t.

Previous shift had had a fire and had placed this pack OOS so naturally before taking it to the air shop, I figured I’d trouble shoot.

With the face piece sealed and regulator in, I’m breathing air from the outside, not the bottle. It would be bad problem if you don’t catch it before entering the IDLH.

I’ve never seen this before and it’s a lesson learned. The why behind “put your mask on”

09/14/2026

Pick up a copy. A short, to the point, daily devotional.

09/13/2026

Sorry Chief……

09/12/2026

Finally….