Fire Engineering Podcast Network

Here's What Will Kill Your Relationship with the Fire Service

On this episode of Fire and Training, host Doug Cline challenges fire service leaders to stop coasting and rebuild vital relationships within their departments. He draws on his 46 years of frontline experience, identifying seven relationship killers: 
 
1. Unmet needs. 
2. Unfulfilled expectations. 
3. Underdeveloped self-esteem.
4. Unresolved conflicts.
5. Uncontrolled thoughts.
6. Unprotected lifestyles (negative influences).
7. Unreliable commitment.
 
Cline explains how each "killer" corrodes morale, teamwork, and public safety. He gives company officers and firefighters the steps they need to follow for a true reset. Cline also frames leadership as influence, not rank, and offers the philosophy: adapt to generational change, learn from everyone, own mistakes, and cultivate a healthy organizational culture.

Response Management and Tech: The January 2025 D.C. Plane Crash

On this episode of Fire Service Data and Tech Talk, host Eddie Buchanan welcomes Jeffrey Lenard, a firefighter/EMT for the District of Columbia Fire and EMS Department, and Mike Cox, director of fire and EMS Solutions for Esri. Lenard, who is also a master public safety diver, and Cox discuss the January 2025 crash of American Airlines Flight 5342. They cover the way the response was managed, the technology involved, and how they achieved a common operating picture under very difficult conditions.
 
This podcast is brought to you by Esri: https://www.esri.com/en-us/home

NERIS: What Do You Need to Know?

Want to learn more about NERIS? On this episode of Professional Volunteer Fire Department, Tom Merrill checks in with Tom Jenkins for a four-month status report on the National Emergency Response Information System. This system went live January 1st, replacing NFIRS. They cover who's on board, common onboarding snags, and practical steps departments should take now, such as verifying their organizational record, training users with short how-to videos, engaging dispatch centers, and standardizing entries. Jenkins explains dashboards and insights reporting and the help desk and regional outreach. They also discuss why accurate timestamps, dispatch data, and interagency tagging matter for funding, staffing, and community planning.
 
This episode is brought to you by The Fire Store: https://thefirestore.com/
 
This episode is brought to you by Fire Facilities: https://www.firefacilities.com/
 
Quick favor: take our 3-minute (anonymous) listener survey to help shape what we cover next: https://sprw.io/stt-9EB04

Eight Saves at 800 Casanova: Mastery of Command

Hosts Anthony Kastros and Brian Brush welcome Monterey (CA) Fire Department firefighters Lou Valdez, Patrick Moore, Greg Greenlee, and Matt Harris. On this episode of Command Show, the panel discusses responding to a nightmare scenario structure fire at the Casanova apartment complex. They detail this three-story, 90-unit building and how they were able to save residents from a smoke-filled hallway. What follows is a masterclass in modern incident command.
 
This podcast is brought to you by Tablet Command. www.tabletcommand.com/get-started-lp
 
Quick favor: take our 3-minute (anonymous) listener survey to help shape what we cover next: https://sprw.io/stt-9EB04

What Does the Future of the Fire Service Look Like?

On this episode of The Backstep Boys, hosts Ron Kanterman and Tom Aurnhammer welcome Anthony Avillo and Jim Duffy to reflect on careers, camaraderie, and the future of the fire service. The hosts discuss volunteer pride and why the firehouse remains a unique hub of both trust and service. They debate technology's role in the future of fire service, arguing that it should not be used in decision making on the fireground. They also highlight the value in human storytelling, fallen colleagues, and why hands-on coaching is so important. The panel warns against social media fame, online criticism, and the dangers of surface-level expertise.
 
This episode is brought to you by The Fire Store: https://thefirestore.com/
 
This episode is brought to you by Fire Facilities: https://www.firefacilities.com/
 
Quick favor: take our 3-minute (anonymous) listener survey to help shape what we cover next: https://sprw.io/stt-9EB04

The Truth About Teamwork

(This episode originally aired in March 2026.)Inside a firehouse, teamwork isn’t part of a slogan—it’s the difference between control and chaos. For this episode of Women in Fire, host Lisa Baker and guests Heather Mozdean, Paige Cowell, and Kim Phillips get candid about what teamwork actually looks like. They move past textbook definitions and into the reality: coordinating ventilation with interior crews, trusting the person next to you to read conditions the same way, and knowing one freelancer can unravel an entire operation in seconds.
 
They also take a look at station life, where unresolved tension, uneven effort, and poor communication quietly erode performance long before a call comes in. This discussion presents an honest conversation about training gaps, ego, leadership responsibility, and the difficulty of building cohesion across personalities and ranks.
 
This episode features:
Lisa Baker, Southwest Trustee, Women in Fire (host).
Paige Colwell, battalion chief, Forsyth County (GA) Fire Department.
Heather Mozdean, deputy chief, Fremont (CA) Fire Department.
Kim Phillips, district chief, Houston (TX) Fire Department.
 
This episode is brought to you by The Fire Store: https://thefirestore.com/
 
This episode is brought to you by Fire Facilities: https://www.firefacilities.com/
 
Quick favor: take our 3-minute (anonymous) listener survey to help shape what we cover next: https://sprw.io/stt-9EB04

Taking Back the Firehouse: Stop Waiting to Be Saved

This week on the Humpday Hangout, Brian Zaitz, P.J. Norwood, and Candace Ashby discuss FDIC, problematic employees, leadership, and management. Ashby challenges firefighters to stop waiting for administration to save them and star saving themselves. They discuss a leadership crisis in the fire service and how negative people spread through the ranks while the majority stay silent. The panel argues that company officers are more powerful than any chief, yet many have traded real command for endless consensus building. She breaks down six core issues plaguing modern departments in this raw, unapologetic look at why the "brotherhood" is fraying now more than ever and how they can reclaim their stations.
 
This episode is brought to you by The Fire Store: https://thefirestore.com/
 
This episode is brought to you by Fire Facilities:  https://www.firefacilities.com/
 
Quick favor: take our 3-minute (anonymous) listener survey to help shape what we cover next: https://sprw.io/stt-9EB04

A Pre-FDIC Chat: Ladder Tactics, Constructive Criticism, and Leadership

Hosts Rick Lasky and John Salka break down high-stakes decisions on the fireground, planning ahead of FDIC, and window rescues on this episode of The Command Post. They discuss consoling a terrified, conscious victim, removal options, the importance of ladder selection and placement, using tower buckets, and when to radio for more resources. The hosts also call out "keyboard cowards" who attack firefighters online, and urge constructive critique, mentorship, and humility as way to learn more. 
 
This episode is brought to you by The Fire Store: https://thefirestore.com/
 
This episode is brought to you by Fire Facilities: https://www.firefacilities.com/
 
Quick favor: take our 3-minute (anonymous) listener survey to help shape what we cover next: https://sprw.io/stt-9EB04

High-Rise Mayday: One Fire Chief's Account

In this episode of Mayday Monday, host Tony Carroll speaks with Chief Wells Wilson of the Alexandria (VA) Fire Department about a March 2024 working high‑rise fire that involved a Mayday.
 
A routine alarm escalated when elevators and water supply complications slowed access, smoke rapidly charged a stairwell, and firefighters who were low on air called a Mayday. Wilson—with 19 years on the job, having been recently promoted to chief—recounts operational decisions, crew coordination, the value of a dedicated driver and captain, and how training, command checklists, and clear radio language shortened response time. He candidly describes his own physiological reaction under stress and the department’s immediate medical and after‑action support. Key lessons include establishing incident routines and command tools ahead of time; empowering company officers to solve problems; front‑loading resources early; and rehearsing realistic simulations that highlight warning phrases and failure points. This conversation features useful and practical takeaways for anyone involved in high‑rise firefighting or incident command operations.

FDIC 2026 Preview: Classes, Symposiums, and the Anniversary of 9/11

In this episode of Fireground Strategies, hosts Anthony Avillo and Jim Duffy speak with Jack Murphy about their upcoming FDIC classes, classroom offerings, and the 25th anniversary of 9/11. They break down what's new for FDIC, the ins-and-outs of opening ceremonies, hands-on evolutions, and commemorations of 9/11. They also explore responding to high-rise "superblocks," practical preincident building intelligence, and street-level recon. They preview FDIC classes, symposiums, and encourage attendees to honor responders and exchange knowledge.
 
Quick favor: take our 3-minute (anonymous) listener survey to help shape what we cover next: https://sprw.io/stt-9EB04
 
This episode is brought to you by The Fire Store: https://thefirestore.com/
This episode is brought to you by Fire Facilities: https://www.firefacilities.com/