Fire Engineering Podcast Network

Marc Aloan joins Doug Cline to get back to realism on the fireground for this episode of Fire and Training. They discuss why classroom time is only one component of preparedness and why company officers—not compliance checklists—own most daily training. The two also share the importance of learning practical guidance on training, having structured feedback after drills and incidents, and prudent use of live burns.

Retired chief Scott Thompson joins Larry Conley to cut through buzzwords and show how culture, defined as "how things get done," directly affects safety, trust, recruitment, and daily performance in the fire service. Learn why the company officer role is the tightrope between administration and the crew, why roll call and mentoring matter, and how a deliberate 18-to-36-month program including vision, aligned policies, trained mentors, role modeling and maintenance, creates a self‑correcting, high‑performance house. 

Hosts David Polikoff and Sam Villani have an in-depth discussion about tactics on this episode of Talking Tactics. They cover outside-in fires, disciplined company assignments, and decisive engine work to darken the C side before committing to interior crews. They also break down building challenges and high-rise issues like failed self-closing doors and hallway smoke travel. Throughout the discussion, Polikoff and Villani emphasize training, preplans, shelter-in-place messaging, and realistic water/manpower decisions.

Hosts Jim Silvernail and Jason Hoevelmann welcome Rick Barron and Steve Olswanger to Tactical Impact. The panel discusses a high-stakes residential rescue. They break down a challenging fire in an old, 100-year-old balloon-frame home that was converted into a multifamily dwelling. At this fire, heavy fire was venting from the first floor, where an elderly man was trapped. Barron and Olswanger describe finding the victim within minutes only to realize the front door was impassable. The panel discusses five-minute rescues, emphasizing the importance of thinking on your feet, company training, and leadership development. 

In this episode of Hooks & Hoses, host Eric Dreiman breaks down the ways stress and tunnel vision degrade situational awareness on the fireground and at all emergency scenes. He shares the three-step situational awareness model—perception, comprehension, projection—and practical signs that improve size‑up and prediction. Dreiman explains common failures: task fixation, auditory exclusion, poor radio reports, and experience‑driven complacency. He also offers immediately usable fixes including short mental pauses, concise radio updates, cross‑checks between crew members, and training methods that build stress inoculation.

Host Christopher Naum wraps up his Fireground Blueprint series with a focused, practical analysis of building predictability, habitability, and size-up for modern structural firefighting. Naum reviews the five building domains—anatomy/era, occupancy risk, collapse/compromise, methods/materials, and fire dynamics. He critiques prescriptive SOPs and stresses adaptive, multilayered incident planning, continuous building intel collection, and the need for advanced construction training for company and command officer.
 
Link to the FDIC recorded/third installment of the series episode: https://youtu.be/tM3IPTOraBA?si=zp4rTvrNvY23Bzhv

Latosha Clemons, chief of Forest Park (GA) Fire and Emergency Services, joins Lisa Baker, Women in Fire's Southwest Trustee, to share a look back at Clemons's 30-year career for this episode of Women in Fire. Clemons details her personal journey from probationary firefighter to battalion chief, deputy, and now chief. They discuss staffing, line-of-duty death response, mental health, and why mentorship and professional development matter. Clemons acknowledges the value of national searches, the realities of municipal budgeting, and how employee recognition goes a long way. She also shares practical advice for promoting and developing leaders and empowering young women.

Want to learn how to close the generational gap in the fire service? In this week's Humpday Hangout, the panel welcomes Creston Ludlow to unpack the hidden curriculum in the fire service. They detail how unspoken expectations, traditions, and communication styles often leave new firefighters confused and create generational fiction. The panel offers advice on how to have honest conversations, appoint humble leadership, and build trust faster than trial-by-fire criticism. They emphasize the importance of closing the gap between generations while keeping firefighters safe, competent, and committed.

In this episode of Two Vollies and a Guest, hosts Jerry Knapp and Tim Pillsworth welcome veteran firefighter Jeff Shupe to discuss the importance of "senior man." They explore how experienced firefighters preserve departmental knowledge, enforce the chain of command, and mentor younger crew members. They cover practical culture-building steps: story time on drill night, after-action reviews, standardized SOGs, engine and hoseline fundamentals, and tapping trade expert volunteers. 

For this episode of The Backstep Boys, hosts Ron Kanterman and Tom Aurnhammer welcome fire service veterans Doug Cline and Stephen Shaw. Together they assess a troubling trend: healthy, capable captains and chiefs retiring after just 20 years. While many blame the younger generation, they argue that the real culprits are administrative fatigue, shifting community politics, and the relentless mental load of hypervigilance. The panel highlights a widespread lack of transition planning for life outside of the station.