Fire Engineering Podcast

On this episode of Humpday Hangouts, hosts Frank Ricci and P.J. Norwood sit down with filmmaker Tommy Jay Dwyer to examine his documentary Burning Down the House, which examines the severe structural and health hazards inside municipal firehouses. Dwyer covers how his deep family roots in the fire service and the loss of his uncle to job-related pulmonary disease inspired the film, which reveals alarming, unaddressed conditions like crumbling bay floors supported by temporary shoring, exposed asbestos, and severe diesel exhaust exposure.

The mission of Mayday Monday has always been simple: Learn from the past so every firefighter has the best chance of going home after every call. That mission never takes a summer break. Every month provides another opportunity to share lessons learned, reinforce firefighter survival skills, and encourage conversations that can make a difference on the fireground. In this replay of a 2021 episode of Mayday Monday, Tony Carroll and Mike Benedetto reflect on the tragic loss of firefighters Stephen Machcinski and James Dickman, killed while operating at a deliberately set structure fire on January 26, 2014.

On this episode of The Backstep Boys, hosts Ron Kanterman and Tom Aurnhammer sit down with Dr. Dan Madrzykowski, senior director at the Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI), to discuss how modern engineering is revolutionizing fireground tactics. Madrzykowski breaks down FSRI’s expanding research initiatives, including plans for a massive 200-acre campus in White Oak, Maryland, aimed at testing large-scale fire behavior. They detail crucial updates in fire dynamics, offering actionable insights on suppressing lithium-ion battery fires, navigating flow paths, and overcoming the hidden structural hazards of modern lightweight construction. Madrzykowski also highlights line-of-duty incident analyses, emphasizing the importance of understanding the "why" behind tactics.

On this episode of Generation Engine, host Anthony Rowett and guest Mickey Farrell discuss the skills that don't fit on a checklist but decide survival. They also get into low-level vs. high-level thinking, time management, using forcible entry as a bridge to position-based firefighting, and reading smoke. During their discussion, they cover academy training that builds stress inoculation and mental rehearsal and how to train probies to manage and retain situational awareness.

In this episode of Point of Origin, hosts Billy Hux and Bobby Drake speak with Steve Weissman, cancer survivor and Virginia state director of the Firefighter Cancer Support Network. They discuss occupational cancer risks for firefighters, with Weissman detailing how modern, synthetic materials create persistent carcinogens and volatile compounds that can linger for days after a fire, why investigators remain exposed even without turnout gear, and the importance of documentation for research and workers' compensation. They outline low-cost controls: a mandatory PPE program, on-scene documentation, swapping to clean gear, respiratory protection, and routine health screenings.

Firefighters absorb carcinogens on every call and even during training. In this episode of The Training Officer, host Dave McGlynn sits down with Tara Cornett, founder of FLAME Natural Decon, to explain the science behind effective skin decontamination, why regular soap often fails, and how a blended activated‑charcoal formula pulls contaminants from pores. Cornett walks through product development, lab verification, and practical adoption.

Battalion chiefs and company officers: station rounds aren’t optional. They’re mission critical. In this episode of The Command Post, hosts Rick Lasky and John Salka break down why chiefs must leave the office, visit firehouses, and engage crews. They cover real-time readiness checks, rumor control, rapid problem-solving, informal training, morale and accountability, targeted roll calls, and better operational decisions. Warning against micromanaging, they explain how to balance presence with trust.

In this episode of Two Vollies and a Guest, hosts Jerry Knapp and Tim Pillsworth get to the grit of fireground tactics with Brian Brush. The training chief of the Midwest City (OK) Fire Department and Fire Engineering board member shares critical insights. The discussion covers the realities of modern search operations, highlighting victim location patterns, and how pet behavior can guide searchers to trapped occupants. Brush's work proves that data, not just tradition, should drive department training.

In episode 100 of The Professional Volunteer Fire Department, host Tom Merrill speaks with Brandon Fletcher, chief of the Gilt Edge (TN) Fire Department, about building and sustaining a professional rural volunteer department. They discuss practical leadership, recruiting and retaining younger members, holding people accountable, and in-house and hybrid training. Fletcher shares how small departments can improve response times, develop training pathways, and ways to prioritize quality over roster size.

Capability is what the command team knows how to do. Capacity is whether the system has enough trained people, structure, trust, and communication discipline to actually do it under pressure. This episode of Command Show, hosted by Anthony Kastros and Brian Brush, reveals the reasons why fireground success requires both.
 
This podcast is brought to you by Tablet Command. www.tabletcommand.com/get-started-lp