The radio is arguably the most important piece of equipment that a firefighter carries and it is the least trained on piece of equipment we have. Additionally, the context of the modern mayday has changed, technology is present in communications and it has directly affected operations on the fire scene. Communicating the mayday is often a neglected skill after initial training, but it is one that a member may need on any given day. Many features, practices, and training evolutions can help to positively reinforce the necessary changes the fire service must make when it comes to communications. The presentation will address size-up, situational updates, and the actual mayday call as they relate to fire ground safety. The critical concepts of radio familiarization, training, and matching of capabilities to needs of individual departments will be addressed. This program will use actual fire ground audio and video to indicate the improvements that can be made to improve