B&T Extra: Comedian Dave Dyer

Summary

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The BOB & TOM Show Extra: Comedian Dave Dyer

Date: November 28, 2025
Guest: Dave Dyer, Comedian & Firefighter
Hosts: The BOB & TOM Show

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Episode Overview

This B&T Extra features comedian and professional firefighter Dave Dyer in a lively conversation mixing his dual careers, life experiences, and plenty of trademark Bob and Tom banter. The episode stands out for its blend of humor, behind-the-scenes anecdotes from firefighting, and lighthearted digs about family life, aging, and the realities of comedy road gigs. Listeners are treated to playful camaraderie, oddball hypotheticals, and the unique perspective Dave brings as a firefighter who moonlights in standup comedy.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Dave Dyer’s Comedy and Firefighting Life

• Road Gig Shout-Out

  • The hosts read a complimentary letter from a fan who saw Dave at Boot Jack Tavern, MI.
    • "You guys killed it. Great." – Letter from Jeffrey in Manitou Beach, MI (06:45)
  • Dave jokes about mingling with “the commoners” post-show.
    • "I like to mingle with the commoners for a little bit… take the temperature, the environment I’m in." – Dave Dyer (07:08)

• Firehouse Routine & Small-Town Reality

  • Dave explains his 24-hour shifts and small department structure.
    • "We are a very small department… You kind of have to be a jack of all trades. You have to do everything." – Dave (08:07–08:51)
  • On sharing driving and officer duties based on shift schedules.

• Excitement (or Lack Thereof) on the Job

  • He confesses to a quiet night and discusses the superstition of not “jinxing” things. (08:51–09:05)

2. Firefighter Challenges & Priorities

• When NOT to Fight the Fire

  • Dave lays out priorities: rescue first, then preventing other structures from igniting, not always rushing in.
    • "There are situations where it's simply too dangerous to send somebody in… At a certain point, something is a total loss..." – Dave (09:15–10:11)
  • Terms like "hit it hard from the yard," "surround and drown" mentioned.

• Holiday Fire Hazards

  • Halloween isn’t too bad, but Thanksgiving and turkey fryers are the big fire danger.
    • "What's a potential bigger day is Thanksgiving with all these people trying to deep fry their turkeys." – Dave (10:16–10:45)
  • Explains Detroit’s “Devil’s Night” tradition (October 30) and associated house fires, though less severe today.

3. Firefighting Logistics & Humor

• Fire Truck Maintenance

  • Jokes fly about getting the ladder truck serviced at Jiffy Lube. Dave details in-house and contracted maintenance.
    • "They won't fit in Jiffy Lube, first of all." – Dave (11:06)
    • Another company often comes onsite for repairs unless it’s a major job. (11:13)

• Firehouse Birthday & Age Limits

  • Dave just turned 57—not near mandatory retirement (which he jokes about, as do the hosts).
    • "I can still lift a sack of potatoes…" – Dave (12:22)
    • On being able to defend himself: "If an 80 year old guy takes a swing at me, I’m swinging back… let's test those reflexes, Albert." (13:12–13:41)

4. Family & The Perils of “Empty Nesting”

• Kids’ Stuff Lingers

  • Now an “empty nester,” but the house is anything but empty.
    • "We live in a storage garage with two less people. People come to our house; they’re like, you’re hoarders. None of this is our stuff." – Dave (14:38–14:49)
  • Jokes about the daughters’ abandoned belongings and the possibility of living in the garage after a sale.

• Marriage Gags

  • After 32 years, Dave quips that he sleeps "in the closet,” wife in the bed, technically still the same bedroom.
    • "We've been married 32 years. She doesn't ask a whole lot." – Dave (16:56–17:04)

5. Firefighting Gear & Traditions

• Fire Helmets Explained

  • Dave details rank by helmet color:
    • "Black helmets… are worn by the firefighters… Red for officers… White for chiefs. So… you can kind of tell the hierarchy." – Dave (15:36–16:08)
  • Lighter banter follows about yellow helmets, “chicken” firefighters, and helmet branding.

• Gear & Spare Sets

  • Dave keeps a spare set of fire gear in his car for emergencies.
    • "When I’m not on duty… I will go to those things while I’m off duty if it’s a major incident… so I have a spare set of gear in my car with me." – Dave (17:08–17:31)

• Underwear & Protective Gear

  • Spiraling jokes about what one wears under turnout gear and Nomex undergarments.
    • "You wouldn’t want to wear just your underwear under those things. It’s very abrasive. You’d be a disaster." – Dave (17:48–18:10)
    • Followed by a riff on Nomex underwear and not wanting "a weenie roast." (18:10–18:33)

6. Notable Comedy Skit: "The Haunted Restaurant Line" (01:38–06:04)

• The cast performs a sketch lampooning the pain of long waits at popular restaurants, complete with Halloween-style dramatics (e.g., “Lucifer’s” as the restaurant name).
  • “The haunted restaurant line. Bon appetit, if you can get a seat!” (06:04)

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• "I like to mingle with the commoners for a little bit… take the temperature, the environment I’m in."
  – Dave Dyer (07:08)

• "We are a very small department… you have to be a jack of all trades. You have to do everything."
  – Dave (08:07)

• "There are situations where it’s simply too dangerous to send somebody in… At a certain point, something is a total loss..."
  – Dave (09:15–10:11)

• "What's a potential bigger day is Thanksgiving with all these people trying to deep fry their turkeys."
  – Dave (10:16)

• "If an 80 year old guy takes a swing at me, I'm swinging back… let's test those reflexes, Albert."
  – Dave (13:12–13:41)

• "We live in a storage garage with two less people… None of this is our stuff."
  – Dave (14:38–14:49)

• "Black helmets… are worn by the firefighters… red for officers… white for chiefs."
  – Dave (15:36–16:08)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [06:20] Dave Dyer joins the show
• [07:08] Discussing post-show fan interactions
• [08:07] Firehouse routines and small department life
• [09:15] Priorities at a fire scene (“Let it burn?”)
• [10:16] Holiday fire hazards (Thanksgiving vs. Halloween)
• [11:06] Fire truck maintenance logistics
• [12:10] Birthday jokes and retirement age
• [13:12] Aging, fighting back, and comedian philosophy
• [14:36] Problems with “empty-nesting”
• [15:06] Framed certificates and firefighter ranks
• [16:08] Helmet color meanings
• [17:08] Firefighting gear: spare sets, underwear, and Nomex debate

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Tone & Style

The conversation is friendly, irreverently funny, and peppered with insider anecdotes. The hosts riff off Dave’s every response in classic Bob and Tom style, never shying away from a (bad) pun or running gag about aging, marriage, and awkward personal questions.

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Conclusion

This B&T Extra delivers what fans love: an easygoing, witty chat that swings between Midwestern firehouse reality and stand-up comedy self-deprecation. Dave Dyer’s dual life provides unique fodder for both earnest questions and absurd hypothetical scenarios, all wrapped in Bob and Tom’s playful humor.

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Transcript

[A]

Extra value meals are back. That means 10 tender juicy McNuggets and medium fries and a drink are just.

[B]

$8 only at McDonald's for a limited time only.

[A]

Prices and participation may vary. Prices may be higher in Hawaii, Alaska and California.

[C]

And for delivery. This episode is brought to you by Netflix. Global superstar and comedy sensation Kevin Hart returns for his fifth Netflix special. Acting My Age I'm not the same man that I used to be.

[B]

I go down the stairs sideways. Go ahead.

[C]

You in a rush? Go around with a fresh perspective on life, family and getting older. Older you get, the less you can have. Is this sesame seeds on that bun? Get it out of here. Kevin's bringing his signature high energy humor and physical comedy in a true return to his standup origins. Watch Kevin Hart, Acting My Age now streaming only on Netflix.

[B]

Welcome back. It's another Bob and Tom extra.

[A]

This is Christopher. Not only is the Bob and Tom show live every weekday morning, but every afternoon.

[C]

We'll give you a little extra.

[A]

In case you missed anything on the.

[B]

Big show today, comedian Dave DOD higher.

[A]

He's coming up in just a minute.

[D]

This episode is brought to you by State Farm. Listening to this podcast. Smart move being financially savvy. Smart move. Another smart move. Having State Farm help you create a competitive price when you choose to bundle home and auto bundling. Just another way to save with a personal price plan. Like a good neighbor. State Farm is there. Prices are based on rating plans that vary by state, coverage options by the customer, availability, amount of discounts, and savings and eligibility vary by state.

[C]

Oh, boy, I'm starving. Me too. Honey, there's a new restaurant out by the mall. Let's go there. I don't know. It's Saturday night. Those places all have long lines.

[B]

No.

[C]

All right, all right, let me call.

[E]

Good evening, Lucifers.

[C]

Yeah, hi. Can I get a reservation?

[E]

No, we don't take reservations.

[C]

Okay, well, is there a long wait?

[E]

No, not really. Not much of one. I mean, right now.

[C]

Okay, great. We'll get over there as soon as we can.

[E]

You better get here, like, real soon, though.

[C]

Okay, we'll hurry on over. Hello. Hello. That's weird. It's the most terrifying, ghastly, dreadful and scary experience of the season. It's the haunted restaurant line. Okay, well, honey, we're here. Oh, my God, look. The line. It's out the door. People are sitting on benches. The haunted restaurant line. Excuse me. Pardon me. Excuse me.

[E]

Hello. Welcome to Lucifer's.

[C]

How long a wait is it gonna be?

[E]

30, maybe 45 minutes.

[C]

Oh, geez.

[E]

I'm sorry, we just busy. Had a few big birthday parties come in some anniversaries.

[C]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[E]

And a big bus full of old people just pulled in.

[C]

Old people? Oh my God. The haunted restaurant line. Okay, fine, we'll. We'll. We'll just wait. Hey, wait there. There are no seats.

[E]

You can wait in the bar. There are plenty of seats in.

[C]

Okay, that'd be fine. Kids, come on. We're just gonna go wait in the bar.

[E]

Wait. Stop. You heathen.

[C]

What?

[E]

You can't go in the bar with those kids.

[C]

Look, we're not gonna order drinks for em, we're just gonna sit in there.

[E]

You can't stand over there.

[C]

There's no room over there.

[E]

Squeeze in. And one more thing. Don't go in the West Wing.

[C]

The haunted restaurant line.

[E]

Smoker, party of six. Richard, Smoker, your table is ready.

[C]

Hey, wait a minute. They came in after we did.

[E]

They called ahead.

[C]

I called ahead. You said no reservations.

[E]

They called in and put their name on a list. You can do that? Ain't you ever been out to eat before? Geez, what a rookie.

[C]

The haunted restaurant lined. Hey, hey.

[E]

What?

[C]

We've been here over two hours.

[E]

We're a little shorthanded tonight.

[C]

Look, a lot of people on that list have gone in before us.

[E]

Well, why not? That's the first available list. You're on the non smoking list. Can't you take a little smoke? What?

[C]

Just put me on that other list.

[E]

Alrighty. Right to the bottom of the list.

[C]

You got go the bottom the haunted restaurant line. Fine, that's it. We're leaving.

[E]

I really think it's starting to thin out.

[C]

Thin out?

[E]

No.

[C]

Goodbye.

[E]

Well, let's see who's next on the list. Bradley. Bradley. Paging Mr. Sean Bradley. Right this way, big guy. Hey, watch your head.

[C]

The haunted restaurant line. Bon appetit. If you can get a seat. The Bob and Tom show is still trying to wake up. In the meantime, more Bob and Tom. Extra.

[A]

There is a Mr. Mr. Clean. Oh no, it's. It's comedian Dave Dyer. That is a fleshy head.

[C]

Hi Dave.

[A]

Dave, I got a nice letter here. Ready?

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Dear Bob and Tom show. I work at Boot Jack Tavern in Manitou Beach, Michigan. That's the. Sound familiar?

[B]

Sure does.

[A]

We hosted Dave Dyer and you and your. Is this your friend Jason Filing Mares?

[B]

Yes. Yeah, he. He opened for me. Yes.

[A]

You guys killed it. Great.

[B]

Well, thank you, thank you.

[A]

So they even met you after the show? He says. From Jeffrey in Manitou Beach, Michigan.

[B]

Well, thanks, Jeffrey. You know, after the shows Guys, I like to mingle with the commoners for a little bit. Sort of, you know, see how things are going, take the temperature, the environment I'm in. And I just, I just met the guy.

[A]

Well, he wrote a nice letter. That's good.

[B]

Yes, that's very nice of him. Very kind.

[A]

So now we should explain to people you are a, do you go with Michigander or Michiganian?

[B]

We go Michigander.

[A]

Okay, okay. And you are, you are a professional fireman.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

As well as a comedian. Are you, you're not at the fire, are you at the firehouse?

[B]

No, I'm not. I, I worked until 7 this morning. We do 24s down we go 7a to 7a and then I've been home since so.

[A]

Because it would be really funny if we were doing this, all of a sudden the siren goes off and you had to get up and leave.

[B]

Well, do you want to take a 10 minute break and I'll shoot over.

[C]

There.

[B]

If that's what's going to make this segment better.

[A]

Now, do you get to drive the truck?

[B]

Sure I do. Yeah. Listen, we are a very small department. You know big city departments have people who are very much designated in certain positions. You've got a person who drives the truck, they're called an equipment operator. You got an officer in the passenger seat and everybody's got their role. Who's in the truck? Ourselves being a very small, what's called the combination department, meaning we have a combination of full time folks and paid on call folks. You kind of have to be a jack of all trades. You have to do everything like I may I drive the truck in the day when the chief is there because he rides in the officer's seat and then he goes home to his Lovely family at 4:30pm and then I'm in the officer seat and one of our paid on calls comes and works with me overnight. Did you probably more description you were looking for.

[A]

Did you have anything exciting last evening?

[B]

No, we didn't. It was, it was a pretty quiet thing and that's one of those things yet superstition. You don't want to say that because now the guy who's gonna get something big. But oh well, I'm off today.

[C]

Dave, do you ever get to a place where the fire is going and you go, you know what, it's safer and better if we just let this place burn to the ground.

[B]

Well let me tell you something Joshi. This is. You may want to write this down for when you enter the fire service.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Yuri? Well, your first Your first priority when you get on scene, Josh, is rescue. You want to make sure if there's any. Any danger to human life, that's the first priority. Your second priority, rather than the actual place that's on fire, is making sure you set up a situation so other stuff doesn't catch on fire.

[C]

Ah.

[B]

And that's called nevermind. I'm not going to get too deep in. And it's called exposures. But so, yes, there are situations where it's simply too dangerous to send somebody in. And you kind of, you know, they call it hit it hard from the yard, surround and drown. There's all sorts of very technical terms, but you basically just, you know, at a certain point, something is a total loss and you just kind of. You don't let it burn. You try to put it out, but, you know, you're not sending anybody in.

[A]

Is Halloween a big night for fires?

[B]

No, not really. Ironically, you know, what is. What's a potential bigger day is Thanksgiving with all these people trying to deep fry their turkeys like that. So that's a much bigger. That's a much bigger holiday to worry about. Now, the people of Detroit may have a different. Have a different answer than me because, you know, traditionally on October 30th, that's what's called Devil's Night. They've had. I don't think it's nearly as bad as it used to be, but they've had a lot of situations where they've had a lot of house fires on that night.

[A]

I see. I see. Dave Dyer is our guest. Now, we haven't talked about your. Hey, Dave, your. Your personal life lately.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Oh, real quick, I have. May I ask one more fire question?

[B]

Bring it on, Jeff.

[C]

Let's say it's Tuesday afternoon. You got the ladder truck, you're changing the oil. Are you doing that in house? Are you taking that down to Jiffy Lube?

[B]

Well, no, they won't fit in Jiffy Lube, first of all.

[C]

So I'm thinking that's your house. You get the run. What are you doing?

[B]

It is in house. And actually what we have is there's an organization, well, business, I should say, that actually services a lot of the fire departments in our area. They come on scene. Unless it's like a major fix on the. On the engines and trucks and stuff like that. They come and do most repairs, most maintenance and stuff like that right on scene.

[C]

So you aren't changing the oil yourself?

[B]

No, no, no, no. We will do very basic little stuff. But if the major Stuff? No.

[A]

Okay, so the guy's changing the oil. The siren goes off. Does that mean he's not going to come up and show you the air filter and try to sell you a new one?

[B]

No. Yeah, the. The UCV valve or whatever. No, it's very coordinated so that, like, we'll get another one of our engines. That'll be our frontline engine. A lot of coconut shells going.

[A]

Okay, now I'm looking at my. I was just handed this note. Be sure to wish Dave a happy birthday. Today your birthday?

[B]

Not today. About a week and a half ago, I turned 57.

[C]

Oh, nice, dude.

[A]

So wait a second.

[B]

Celebrating?

[A]

Aren't you going to get kicked off the fire of the fire squad now? If you're. What's the mandatory retirement age?

[B]

Well, it's not 57. Yeah, there's the FBI on it. I can still lift a sack of potatoes down.

[E]

Come on.

[A]

Okay. Just asking. No, you leave the potatoes so you.

[C]

Can have French fries.

[B]

Right? Yes, exactly. Thank you.

[C]

You're welcome.

[B]

Always appreciate. I always appreciate Chick being on my side and Sharp shooting in to let me know he's.

[A]

Is there. I. I'm. Is there a calendar with you posing in like a leopard skin Tight.

[B]

Not a popular one. No.

[C]

You mean like the firefighter calendar?

[A]

Yeah, the fight. The firefighters of Grand Rapids, Michigan. And there's Dave Dyer with a leopard skin Speedo with a full throat. Oh, with his hoses.

[B]

I could show you a picture of our department with everybody clothed. And you go, yeah.

[A]

Not a lot of moisture production. Well, Happy.

[B]

Not a lot of physiques. Yeah. I just turned 57. You know what I love? I don't mind at all getting older. In fact, I love this kind of. This next level that I'm entering. I have realized that at this age, I can finally say with confidence that if an 80 year old guy takes a swing at me, I'm swinging back. I'm swinging back. If we're both eligible to live in an assisted facility, let's test those reflexes, Albert.

[A]

Fair enough. Well, it's good to know.

[B]

It is good to know. Yeah.

[A]

Okay. Now, how's the rest of your family?

[B]

Everybody's good. The girls.

[A]

Why?

[B]

I got one daughter in Philadelphia. I got another daughter in the Detroit area. Janice and I were hanging in there, tolerating each other.

[A]

So your wife is still living in Michigan?

[B]

She's still in Michigan.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

Yep.

[C]

Although.

[A]

And in your house.

[B]

In my house. Yep. Yep. She's in. We're still in the same bedroom. I know that's a very common Thing is, people have been married for a long time. We're still in the same bedroom. Yep. I sleep in the closet, she's in the bed. But we're still technically in the same bedroom. So we are empty nesters. And we've been empty nesters for a little while now. But the problem with that is that they need to find a different name than empty nesters because both of our girls left a lot of stuff behind. There was nothing empty about our situation.

[C]

I agree.

[B]

Janice and I live in a storage garage with two less people. People come to our house, they're like, you're hoarders. No parents. None of this is our stuff.

[A]

I think it's time for a garage sale.

[B]

Yes. I may live in the garage.

[A]

Now, do you.

[B]

Are your.

[A]

I can see in the background you have a variety of what look like formal documents framed. I assume those are all fraudulent.

[B]

They are, yeah. They're all this little bananas on them and everything. No, a lot of those are my certifications for my fire stuff and my EMT certification and all sorts of stuff like that.

[A]

Really?

[B]

So.

[A]

Oh, very, very nice. Ironically, there's my old.

[B]

My old fire acid. Yeah, probably is. It's my old firefighter helmet. Now, here's another bit of interesting fire service information if you're ever checking. Look at a fire stain. Boy, Christie did not sound at all interested in that.

[C]

Oh, no, Go ahead, roll it.

[B]

The black helmets. If you look at a fire scene, the black helmets are worn by the firefighters. Those are the people who are doing a lot of the work, because firefighters. Not just a job name. It's an actual rank within the hierarchy of the fire service.

[C]

Oh, oh.

[B]

The next level up. In most cases. Some departments are different, but like in ours, it's a red helmet for the officers. I happen to have a red helmet, and I'm a brag but helmet. And then the white helmets are the chiefs. So when you. When you look at a fire scene, you can kind of tell the hierarchy of who's who.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

Who cares?

[C]

No, no, I like it.

[B]

Thanks.

[C]

Josh does a white helmet guy. Supervised. Doesn't go into the fire.

[B]

He sends everybody else in. Well, how. How deep do you want to get into this? Christy? Be careful about the questions you ask.

[A]

And the yellow helmets.

[C]

Are there yellow helmets for the chickens?

[A]

Yeah, yeah.

[C]

The coward.

[B]

Yes, there are actually out West Los Angeles and stuff like that. You'll see a lot of yellow helmets. I don't know what rank those guys. Those guys or gals are, but yes, you see a lot of yellow and.

[C]

Those helmets say Carl's Jr. Whereas your helmets say Hardee's. Really?

[B]

Always. Wherever you can advertise. Wherever you can advertise.

[C]

Has your wife ever asked you to wear any fire equipment in the.

[A]

In the aforementioned boudoir? You know, a little sucky sucky. You know, I like just the boots.

[B]

We've been. We've been married 32 years. She doesn't ask a whole lot. I see. 32 years.

[A]

But you have to leave all the gear at the firehouse, right? You don't have, like.

[B]

I have two sets. I have one set that stays at the firehouse when I'm on shift, and I also have a spare set in my car because when I'm not on duty, if we get a major incident, like somebody's unresponsive or a vehicle extrication or structure fire, I will go to those things while I'm off duty if it's a major incident. So I have a spare set of gear in my car with me.

[A]

All right? Okay.

[B]

Always ready?

[A]

Yeah. Okay, good to know. Do you. Do you wear ordinary underwear or something?

[E]

What? No.

[A]

A little more exotic, because you arrive in the scene, you got to switch. The stuff's in your car. You got to change. Can you change in your car?

[B]

Well, they're big enough. It's big enough to. I don't know why I'm charging at the camera. Like, I'm. You know, you're in trouble. But it. The pants and everything are big enough so that you wear them, like, over your regular pants and everything. Because at the station. Yeah, at the station. Yeah. You wouldn't want to wear just your underwear under those things. It's very abrasive. You'd be a disaster.

[A]

You do wear nomex underwear, right?

[B]

No. We have no Max items under. I'm not going to wear no Max under. You ever. You ever put Nomex against your skin?

[A]

I'd rather have nomex underwear than have a. Have a toasted weenie. Thank you, Christy. The better word. I don't want to have a. I don't want to have a weenie roast. Well, he survived the fire, but that's a good point.

[B]

I'll look into it.

[C]

Good answer, Dave.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

That's it for another Bob and Tom show. Extra.

[C]

Catch us on itunes, Google Play, and stitcher.

[A]

For Bob and Tom Extra, this is Christopher. Take care, everybody.

[B]

Michael Rosenbaum and Tom Welling take you.

[C]

Behind the scenes of one of the greatest shows of all time, their ultimate Rewatch Podcast. We're in the midst of season seven and hold on. Obviously we had a very successful television show for 10 years that was Superman based. But we had to make everyone believe.

[B]

That you were Clark.

[C]

I gotta be honest, I was surprised at the end of this episode that I wasn't. I was too. Talkville, the Smallville Rewatch podcast. Not sure I knew what I was filming it that I was not me. Follow and listen on your favorite platform.