The Firefighters Podcast is an award-winning show hosted by Pete Wakefield, a serving UK firefighter and instructor. It features wide-ranging conversations with individuals from the emergency services community and beyond. The podcast aims to develop, inspire, and connect current and future generations of firefighters and first responders. Each episode highlights personal stories, insights, and shared experiences from the fire sector.
Episodes
#523 Preparing Firefighters to Lead | Michael Elhihi
Preparing for promotion is one challenge. Preparing to take responsibility for a crew is another. How do we develop both?Michael Elhihi, California company officer and founder of Front Seat Academy, joins me for a conversation about firefighter promotion, leadership development and preparing for the responsibility of the front seat.Michael’s work brings together promotional preparation, communicat
#522 DEBRIEF: Fire Behind the Showroom | The Charleston Nine | Sofa Super Store, South Carolina, USA 18 June 2007
On 18 June 2007, nine firefighters lost their lives at the Sofa Super Store in Charleston, South Carolina. In this debrief, I follow the incident from the initial report through the developing fire, civilian rescue and attempts to reach trapped firefighters. Drawing on the NIOSH investigation, NIST fire modelling and Charleston’s incident review, I explore concealed fire development, ventilation,
#521 The Job Takes Enough Keep, Your Health | Alex Gapper | Former Firefighter & Pumps and Plates Coach
The job takes enough. What are you doing to protect your health?Former firefighter Alex Gapper, the coach behind Pumps and Plates Coaching, joins Pete Wakefield for an honest conversation about firefighter fitness, disrupted routines and building a life you have the health to enjoy.Busy tours, broken sleep, convenience food and missed workouts can knock anyone off course. Alex explains why trying
#520 DEBRIEF: FIVE MINUTES TO COLLAPSE | The Stricker Street Fire | Baltimore, Maryland 2022
Five minutes from first arrival to collapse.On 24 January 2022, Baltimore firefighters responded to a fire at 205 South Stricker Street. Lieutenant Paul Butrim, Kelsey Sadler and Kenneth “Kenny” Lacayo lost their lives. John McMaster was seriously injured.In this episode of The Firefighters Podcast, we examine the incident through the decisions facing crews and commanders: the information availabl
#519 HELP IS ALREADY NEARBY: GOODSAM | One Link | Live Video | Before the blue lights arrive - Mark Wilson
What happens between someone calling 999 and the emergency services arriving and how much more could we do in that time?Professor Mark Wilson OBE, consultant neurosurgeon, pre-hospital emergency medicine doctor and co-founder of GoodSAM, joins me to explore a system built around connecting people who need help with people capable of providing it.Mark explains how the original idea grew from trauma
#518 DEBRIEF: Six Firefighters Trapped | Mendocino Complex 2018
Six firefighters. A rapidly advancing wildfire. And an escape route that suddenly disappeared.On 19 August 2018, firefighters working on California's Mendocino Complex were conducting a tactical firing operation designed to stop the spread of a major wildfire.But as conditions deteriorated, a sudden wind shift and explosive fire development cut off their planned escape routes.We explore:The b
#517 Are We Making Firefighters Safer or Less Capable? | Chris Gott & Justin Brunner
Are We Training Firefighters Wrong? | Chris Gott & Justin BrunnerAre we genuinely developing better firefighters, or are we simply getting better at ticking boxes, completing assessments and documenting competence?In this episode of The Firefighters Podcast, I sit down with Chris Gott and Justin Brunner for a fascinating conversation about the future of firefighter training, operational compet
#516 Culture on Fire: We Know the Problem - So Why Is Change So Hard
Why does meaningful change remain so difficult when decades of research, inspections and cultural reviews have already identified so many of the problems? In this episode, Im joined by Janette Morris, former senior fire and rescue leader and HMICFRS inspector; Dave Baigent, former firefighter and long-standing researcher of firefighter culture; and Leanne Allen, operational firefighter and researc
#515 Beyond National Best Practice: Why Firefighting Needs Global Thinking with Dr Lori Moore-Merrell & Phil Garrigan
Recorded at the World Fire Congress 2026 in London, I sat down with Dr Lori Moore-Merrell, former US Fire Administrator and founding Chair of the World Fire Congress, and Phil Garrigan, Chair of the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), to explore some of the biggest challenges facing fire and rescue services around the world.We discuss the growing threats of wildfire, extreme weather, operational
#514 Lithium-Ion Battery Fires: What Every Firefighter Needs to Know | Dr Stephen Kerber
Lithium-ion batteries are now embedded in almost every part of modern life, from mobile phones and power tools to electric vehicles, public transport and large-scale energy storage systems. But as this technology becomes more widespread, are fire and rescue services keeping pace with the risks?Recorded live at the World Fire Congress 2026 in London, this episode of The Firefighters Podcast feature
#513 Wildfire, AI & the Future of the UK Fire Service | London Fire Commissioner Jonathan Smith
Recorded at the 2026 World Fire Congress in Westminster, I sat down with London Fire Commissioner Jonathan Smith for a conversation about some of the biggest challenges facing the modern Fire and Rescue Service. We talk about what London learned after being caught out by the 2022 wildfires, how training and capability have changed since then, the need for greater national consistency and a future
#512 The Future of Firefighter Health & Wellbeing | Professor Rowena Hill | World Fire Congress 2026
Recorded at the 2026 World Fire Congress in Westminster, I caught up with my friend Professor Rowena Hill from Nottingham Trent University, who also chairs the NFCC Academic Collaboration, Evaluation and Research Board. In this conversation, we explore firefighter health and wellbeing through a much wider lens than physical fitness alone, looking at psychological and social health, resilience, mor
#511 Beyond the Incident Command Assessment | Katherine Lamb
This conversation with Katherine Lamb, founder of Effective Command, explores what effective incident command really looks like beyond simply following procedure. We discuss professional judgement, risk-based decision-making, command competence, behavioural assessment and the difference between being qualified to command and being genuinely capable of making decisions under pressure. Katherine als
#510 Beyond the Fire Kit: Innovation, Culture & Leadership | Simon Hunter
In this episode, I travelled to Northern Ireland to sit down with Simon Hunter and Chris Colgan with the team at Hunter Apparel Solutions for a wide-ranging conversation about the future of firefighter PPE, innovation, leadership and firefighter protection. We explore how modern fire kit is designed and developed, the growing understanding around contamination and decontamination, the responsibili
#509 Rebuilding UK Firefighting Tactics, Training & Doctrine with Dan Stephens
Dan Stephens returns to The Firefighters Podcast to explore the next evolution of tactical firefighting in the UK. We discuss the work underway with the NFCC to turn decades of fire dynamics research and operational learning into clear, evidence-based tactical techniques and practical micro-teaches for firefighters. From BE-SAHF, exterior and interior fire attack, flow rates, hose management and a
#508 Firefighter Cancer, Contaminants & What the Science Now Tells Us with Prof. Anna Stec
Professor Anna Stec is one of the leading voices in fire chemistry, toxicity and firefighter occupational health and in this episode we explore what the science is now telling us about the hidden health cost of firefighting. From her landmark UK firefighter contamination research and work with the Fire Brigades Union, to the Cancer and Disease Registry, firefighter health monitoring and internatio
#507 DEBRIEF When the Rescue Crew needs rescuing - Firefighter Fatality in DeKalb County Fire Rescue Georgia Sept 8th 2025
On 8 September 2025, DeKalb County Fire Rescue crews responded to a commercial warehouse fire in Georgia and quickly discovered that the building was not what it first appeared to be. Inside the 14,000-square-foot Type II-B warehouse was an unpermitted film studio made up of temporary rooms, props, furniture, plastics and foam materials, creating a complex internal maze and a very different risk p
#506 DEBRIEF: Running Out of Air - The Texas Fire That Injured Nine Firefighters
On 30 August 2025, firefighters responded to a large two-storey residential fire in Texas after an occupant reported a fire in the master bedroom and confirmed everyone was out. Crews committed to an interior attack, but multiple firefighters ended up operating on the second floor in zero visibility while the fire was actually located on the first floor. As crews struggled to locate the fire, air
#505 INTERSCHUTZ 2026 with PBI What 35 Years in the FDNY Taught Dan Melia About PPE
Recorded live at INTERSCHUTZ, this episode puts the spotlight on PBI and the people behind the protection firefighters rely on every day. I sit down with Dan Melia, a 35-year FDNY veteran, former Safety Chief and long-time firefighter PPE advocate, whose career has taken him from operational firefighting and FDNY Research & Development into NFPA PPE standards work and, more recently, his role
#504 High Rise Masterclass with Brent Brooks Ep 4 Hose Lines, Big Water & Lithium-Ion Fires
In the fourth and final instalment of the High Rise Masterclass, Toronto Fire Captain Brent Brooks brings the series firmly back to practical fireground application. Brent explores big-water tactics, 65 mm hose deployment, nozzle reaction, progressive hose stretches, extending lines when crews come up short, improvised standpipes and the use of specialist nozzles and rotor distributors to create m
#503 25 Years After 911, Terry Farrell & the Atlanta Stair Climb with Laurel Clonts Malcolm
As we prepare to head to Atlanta for the 25th anniversary of 9/11, I wanted to understand the meaning behind the trip and the people at the heart of it. I sat down with Laurel Clonts Malcolm from the Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund to talk about Terry Farrell, an FDNY firefighter killed on 9/11, the legacy carried forward in his name, and the incredible work the Fund continues to do for first resp
#502 UK Wildfire Season Debrief 2026
The UK’s 2026 wildfire season has pushed Fire and Rescue Services into unprecedented operational territory. In this episode, we look at the numbers behind more than a thousand significant wildfires, some of the largest and most resource-intensive incidents of the year, the impact on firefighters, appliances and national resilience, and how the UK’s wildfire capability has developed over time. We e
#501 Duarte Mendes Marine, Firefighter, World Champion
In this episode I sit down with Portuguese firefighter and world champion firefighter athlete Duarte Mendes to discover the man behind the medals. We talk about growing up in the small Portuguese town of Avis, the values and work ethic his family gave him, his four years serving in the Portuguese Marines, lifeguarding and the journey that eventually led him into a career with the Lisbon Fire Brig
#499 How to Buy PPE & Uniform Without Getting It Wrong with Natalie Wilson
In this episode I sit down with Natalie Wilson, Founder and Managing Director of Workwear Solutions International, to explore one of the most important but often underdeveloped areas in the fire sector: how we specify, procure, assess and ultimately trust the PPE and workwear we rely on every day. Natalie brings more than 20 years of experience across the supply chain, procurement, technical asses
#498 Ordinary People, Extraordinary Rescues: When Everyday People Choose to Act
In this one-off episode I step away from our usual focus on trained emergency responders to explore what happens when ordinary people find themselves inside somebody else’s worst moment and choose to act. Through documented stories involving burning buildings, aircraft crashes, freezing water, terrorist attacks, wartime rescue networks and mass evacuations, I examine courage, initiative, sacrifice
#497 In the Bays with Cobb County Fire Georgia USA
Recorded in the appliance bays during our March 2026 visit to Atlanta, this episode offers a quick insight into Cobb County Fire and Emergency Services and one small part of the wider American fire service.We discuss their specialist command and rescue capabilities, emergency medical provision, recruitment, training and personnel accountability.The conversation also tackles some challenging operat
#496 Humble, Hungry & Smart: How to become the teammate your crew can rely on
In this short solo episode, Im doing something a little different as one of the most common emails i get is about personal development tools - so here is one i think might be useful.In this episode im going to revisit & explore Patrick Lencioni’s book The Ideal Team Player and its simple but powerful framework of being humble, hungry and smart. I look at how these three qualities can support y
#495 Creating Thinking Firefighters with Chief Jason Caughey
In this episode, im joined by Chief Jason Caughey, a fire service leader with more than 30 years of experience and the Fire Chief of Laramie County Fire Authority in Wyoming, to explore the difference between simply training firefighters to complete tasks and genuinely developing people who can think, adapt, take ownership and act with confidence. Together, we examine high-agency leadership, measu
#494 DEBRIEF: 11 Minutes to Fireball - Boyd Street, Downtown LA, May 16th 2020
In this incident debrief, we examine the Boyd Street fire in Downtown Los Angeles, where what first appeared to be a routine commercial building fire rapidly escalated into a catastrophic fireball that injured 12 Los Angeles firefighters. We break down the building, the hidden hazards inside, the timeline of the response, the tactical decisions around entry and ventilation, the fire behaviour that
#493 On-Call & Volunteer Retention Systems: The Perennial Problem - Solving It for the 21st Century
In this episode, we explore one of the fire service’s most persistent challenges: how we recruit, retain and properly support on-call and volunteer firefighters in a world that has changed faster than the systems designed to sustain them. Joined by Brittany Hollerbach, Emelie Lantz and Dr Steve Sadler, we look beyond the usual “people don’t want to volunteer anymore” narrative and ask whether the
#492 DEBRIEF: Glasgow School of Art Fire, Failure and the Hidden Highway
In this incident debrief, we examine the two devastating fires at the Glasgow School of Art’s Mackintosh Building in 2014 and 2018, unpacking how heritage construction, hidden ventilation ducts, timber voids, compromised fire protection during restoration, delayed detection, and an unfinished water mist system combined to create one of the most painful fire safety lessons in modern UK firefightin
#491 Modern Fire officer with Jared Vermeulen
“Speak softly and carry a big stick” is more than Jared Vermeulen’s favourite quote it reflects the way he thinks about leadership, responsibility, and the modern fire officer. Born and raised in the blue-collar fishing town of Jupiter, Florida, Jared grew up around construction and was originally working towards a career in industrial design engineering before the fire service found him. After co
#490 High Rise Masterclass with Brent Brooks Ep 3 High Rise Search, Flow Path & Survivability
In this special High Rise Masterclass miniseries, The Firefighters Podcast brings you live recordings direct from the International Tall Buildings Conference and specialist high rise firefighting masterclass held in London in May 2026. Across this series, internationally respected high rise firefighting instructor Brent Brooks shares decades of operational experience, command insight and research
#489 More Than Coffee: Rescue 1 & the Mission of Fire Department Coffee with Randy James
Today’s episode is with Randy James from Fire Department Coffee. Randy is a career firefighter and paramedic from Rockford, Illinois, serving since April 2000. His journey took him to Ladder 5, working alongside Fire Department Coffee founder Luke Schneider, before becoming Director of Brand Relations and playing a major role in the Fire Department Coffee Charitable Foundation and the Rescue One p
#488 Firefighters with Parkinson’s: The Diagnosis No One Sees Coming
Today is about what happens when the job we love meets a diagnosis that can change everything.I am joined by Dawn Harding, a retired Chief Fire Officer, alongside Steve Norman, former Deputy Assistant Commissioner with London Fire Brigade and now working with the National Fire Chiefs Council, and David Little, a former MOD firefighter and on call Watch Manager.Together, they are part of the Firefi
#487 Mr Honest Work aka Jaguar Wattley
Jag, better known to many online as Mr Honest has absolutely exploded across Instagram and TikTok over the last year and has become one of the most recognisable firefighter voices on social media, not just here in the UK, but across the wider fire service community internationally. What makes Jag stand out is that he is not just creating content from the sidelines. He is a serving firefighter with
#486 Why Persistence Matters: Firefighter, Gladiator & Competitive Optimist | Millie Margetts
Millie Margetts is a firefighter with Humberside Fire and Rescue Service, a coach, athlete, Gladiators semi finalist, and someone who embodies the power of persistence. In this episode, we explore her journey into the fire service after years of setbacks, the challenges and opportunities that came with appearing on one of the UK's biggest television shows, and the mindset required to keep mov
#485 Leather, Legacy & the shield with Justin Fitzwater of Fitzwater Leather
CLICK HERE JOIN ME AT BLUE LIGHT SHOW | LONDON | JULY 2026My guest today is Justin Fitzwater, firefighter with the Kansas City Fire Department and founder of Fitzwater Leather, a company renowned throughout the American fire service for creating some of the most stunning custom helmet fronts and leatherwork you'll ever see.Fitzwater Leather INSTAGRAMFitzwater Leather WEBSITEPlease support the
#484 You Can't Put It Out - Thermal Runaway, EV Fires & the Health Crisis Hiding in Plain Sight with Martin Brown
CLICK HERE JOIN ME AT BLUE LIGHT SHOW | LONDON | JULY 2026In this episode I sit down with Martin Brown, Chartered Engineer and Improvement Consultant at HORIBA MIRA, and one of the world's leading experts on the safety of new energy vehicles. With nearly three decades of experience designing and testing electric, hydrogen, hybrid and cryogenic vehicles, Martin brings a level of operational an
#483 Debrief - Doorway to Hell | 2 Forest Laneway, North York, Toronto, Canada | January 6th 1995
CLICK HERE JOIN ME AT BLUE LIGHT SHOW | LONDON | JULY 2026On the 6th of January 1995, at five in the morning, a man discovered his sofa was on fire in apartment 509 of a thirty-storey residential block in North York, Toronto. He tried to put it out, failed, and ran leaving his apartment door wide open behind him. That single decision set off a chain of events that killed six people, all of them fo
#482 AFOA 2026 Conference Live - Developing the All-Hazard Leader with Peter Critchell and Craig Rayner
In this episode of our AFOA 2026 Conference Live mini-series, you are going to hear a presentation from Peter Critchell and Craig Rayner exploring the development of the all-hazard leader within aviation fire and rescue. Drawing on experience from across the UK fire and rescue sector, the session examines how organisations can move beyond simple compliance to develop truly competent, confident and
#481 Rescue, Transform, Donate: Sustainable Luxury with Kresse Wesling of Elvis & Kresse
In this episode, I speak with Kresse Wesling CBE, co-founder of Elvis & Kresse, about how decommissioned fire hose once destined for landfill became the foundation of a sustainable luxury brand built on three pillars: rescue, transform and donate. Kresse shares the origin story behind discovering London Fire Brigade hose, the journey from handmade belts to globally recognised products, and why
#480 High Rise Masterclass with Brent Brooks Episode 2
In this special High Rise Masterclass miniseries, The Firefighters Podcast brings you live recordings direct from the International Tall Buildings Conference and specialist high rise firefighting masterclass held in London in May 2026. Across this series, internationally respected high rise firefighting instructor Brent Brooks shares decades of operational experience, command insight and research
#479 The Evolution of Structural Firefighting PPE: Reigniting a New Era with Bill Lawson and Helmut Zepf from PBI
I sit down with Helmut Zepf, Managing Director of the PPE Division at PBI, and Bill Lawson, President of PBI, to explore what is really protecting firefighters inside their PPE.As The Firefighters Podcast begins its partnership with PBI ahead of INTERSCHUTZ 2026, this episode looks beyond the badge on the kit and into the science, history, and real-world performance behind high-performance protect
#478 Firefighter Jack Goodwin on Elite Performance, Mental Health & Finding Meaning Beyond Success
In this episode of The Firefighters Podcast, I sit down with Jack Goodwin for a powerful conversation exploring resilience, trauma, identity, and the psychology of high performance. A Great Britain international athlete with personal bests of 13:35 for 5,000 metres, 29:16 for 10,000 metres, and a 61:05 HYROX time, Jack shares lessons learned from years competing at an elite level and how those exp
#477 High Rise Masterclass with Brent Brooks Mini-series Episode 1
In this special High Rise Masterclass miniseries, The Firefighters Podcast brings you live recordings direct from the International Tall Buildings Conference and specialist high rise firefighting masterclass held in London in May 2026. Across this series, internationally respected high rise firefighting instructor Brent Brooks shares decades of operational experience, command insight and research
#476 AFOA 2026 Conference Live RFFS Industry Update with Neil Gray
In Episode 3 of our AFOA 2026 Conference Live mini-series, Principal Aerodrome Inspector Neil Gray from the UK Civil Aviation Authority provides a comprehensive industry update covering key developments affecting aviation fire and rescue services. Topics include terminal safety, the importance of Safety Management Systems, risk mitigation and maintaining operational focus within complex aviation e
#475 Electric Vehicle Fires Explained with Mike Maybin from IRRTC
In this episode I sit down with Mike Maybin from IRRTC to explore how rapidly evolving vehicle technology is reshaping the fireground. From electric vehicles and lithium-ion batteries to hydrogen systems and heavy goods vehicles, Mike explains the hazards firefighters are increasingly likely to encounter and why many of our legacy tactics, training packages and assumptions are struggling to keep p
#474 AFOA 2026 Conference Live: Resilience After Trauma with Matt Bourner
Welcome to Episode 2 of our special mini-series recorded at the Airport Fire Officers Association (AFOA) Conference 2026, where we are sharing some of the most powerful presentations and conversations from across the aviation fire and rescue sector. In this episode, I sit down with Matt Bourner from Manchester Airport Fire Service to hear an extraordinary story of resilience after trauma. Followi
#473 AFOA 2026 Conference Live: Operational Learning from the Southend Airport Crash with Justin Nicolson
Welcome to Episode 1 of our special mini-series recorded at the Airport Fire Officers Association (AFOA) Conference 2026, where we are bringing you some of the most valuable presentations and conversations from across the aviation fire and rescue sector. We begin with a powerful operational debrief from Justin Nicolson, who draws on more than 30 years of experience in airport fire and rescue and a
#472 The Art of Decision Making: Incident command, Cognition & Chaos on the Fireground
In this episode of The Firefighters Podcast, we explore incident command, cognition and the art of decision making on the fireground. This is not just a conversation for commanders. It is for every firefighter, because every person on the incident ground is making decisions that shape outcomes. From situational awareness and recognition primed decision making to THINCS, decision controls, stress,
#471 Why Good Ideas Fail in the Fire Service with Peter Younes of PROJECT COMMAND
In this episode I sit down with Peter Younes, host of Project Command, to explore one of the biggest hidden gaps in the modern fire service: our ability to turn good ideas into finished, effective change.We talk about why firefighters are often brilliant at delivering under pressure on the fireground but far less prepared for the complex world of projects, planning, implementation, stakeholder man
#470 Cuts, Cancer, Crewing & What’s Really Happening to the UK Fire Service with Ben Selby Assistant General Secretary of Fire Brigades Union
This episode with Ben Selby from the Fire Brigades Union takes a clear and honest look at the pressures facing the UK fire and rescue service, from funding cuts and the loss of around 12,000 firefighters since 2010 to the real-world impact seen in places like Oxfordshire and Dorset and Wiltshire. We explore the strain on on-call systems, the need for national standards and how workforce changes, d
#469 Domestic Violence in The Fire Service: When the Person who wears the Uniform Needs Protecting with Rhiain Akin
Me & Rhiain Akin of London Fire Brigade explore the reality of domestic violence within the fire service and why it must be recognised as a workplace issue, not just something that happens behind closed doors. Drawing on her own experience as a victim survivor and her work leading the Phoenix support network, Rhiain breaks down the many forms domestic abuse can take, from coercive control and
#468 YOUR UNIFORM IS FAILING....and you know it - Claire Wilford from First Tactical
How much attention do you actually pay to the uniform you wear every day?The trousers that don’t fit right.The seams that go.The fabric that fades.In this episode, im chatting with Claire Wilford, Head of European Sales at First Tactical to unpack a question most of us have never really asked:What does good uniform actually look like?Because across the UK alone, hundreds of millions are being spen
#467 Artificial Intelligence & Large Language Models for First Responders with Jurga Zilinskiene MBE
Recorded in collaboration with the Blue Light Show, London’s leading emergency services conference and expo, this episode explores what Artificial Intelligence and Large Language Models actually mean for first responders, beyond the noise, hype and fear. Sitting down with Jurga Zilinskiene, founder of Guildhawk and a leader in ethical AI and language technology, the conversation digs into communic
#466 Mental Health, Purpose & Why So Many Suffer in Silence with Warren Shepherd & Lee Ralph from Freedom in The Fire
In this episode, I sit down with Warren Shepherd and Lee Ralph, the firefighters behind Freedom In The Fire, a movement built around one simple idea - creating space for real conversations about mental health. From sitting in full fire kit in the middle of Bath inviting strangers to talk, to carrying a log through the mountains as a symbol of the weight people carry every day, their work is raw, h
#465 IFIW Australia Ep05 Steve De Blauwe - Hose Management & Building a System for Interior Firefighting
In this episode of the International Fire Instructors Workshop Australia mini series, Steve De Blauwe, Station Officer and CFBT instructor from Belgium takes you inside the reality of interior firefighting and why so much of what we’ve been taught simply doesn’t hold up when it matters. This is a raw, honest look at broken training systems, the gap between the academy and the fireground and how th
#464 Brad Dicks Redefining High Performance without Burnout
In this episode I sit down with Brad Dicks, FireFit world record holder and Firefighter Challenge World Champion to explore what it really takes to perform at the highest level.On paper Brad is operating at the top of the game. But this conversation goes far beyond medals and titles. We get into the reality behind elite performance including setbacks, pressure, and the moments that don’t go to pla
#463 Dr Mark Spencer on Forensic Botany Hidden Evidence & Solving Crime Through Nature
This episode takes you into a side of investigation most people never even realise exists. I sat down with forensic botanist Dr Mark Spencer who has spent over a decade supporting police forces and forensic teams by using plants, pollen, soil and environmental evidence to interpret crime scenes, locate missing persons and uncover what has happened in complex cases. From disturbed vegetation to mic
#462 DEBRIEF London Luton Airport’s Terminal Car Park 2 fire October 10th 2023
A fire involving a single vehicle at Luton Airport’s multi storey car park rapidly escalated and spread through closely parked cars leading to the full structural collapse of a large section of the building. In this episode we walk through the timeline of events from initial ignition to rapid fire spread highlighting the role of modern vehicle construction fuel load and fire behaviour in open car
#461 Why Silence Is Killing Our Culture with Graham Goulden
This conversation cuts straight to one of the most uncomfortable truths in emergency services: the biggest risk to our people is not always the job, it is what we tolerate around each other. Graham Goulden is a former police officer with Police Scotland who has stepped away from frontline service to focus on something bigger by helping organisations rethink culture, behaviour and responsibility. N
#460 Fire Spyder: A New Answer to High-Rise Firefighting with Thomas Jonkers
High-rise firefighting has a problem we don’t talk about enough… getting water onto the fire floor fast enough when it really matters.From delayed internal attacks to compromised stairwells and unreliable rising mains, crews are often fighting to catch up with a fire that’s already developing ahead of them. And when the building height starts working against you, that gap only gets bigger.In this
#459 Are we at risk of losing our sense of humour - A conversation about Humour, Trauma & the Psychology of Leadership with Sonia Pawson
Humour has always been part of emergency service culture. It builds connection, relieves pressure, and helps people process some of the most difficult situations imaginable. But in a modern environment shaped by increased scrutiny, policy, and public visibility, that same humour is now being questioned. Where is the line between coping and causing harm? And what do we risk losing if we get it wron
#458 DEBRIEF: When Smoke Took the Building - Twin Parks High Rise, Bronx, New York, January 2022
In this incident debrief, we break down the 2022 Twin Parks high-rise fire in the Bronx, where a single apartment fire escalated into a mass casualty event that claimed 17 lives, all due to smoke inhalation. This episode explores how the failure of compartmentation, open doors, and an unprotected stairwell allowed smoke to spread rapidly throughout the building, turning a place of safety into a h
#457 The Care Gap, Ten second Triage & Why We’re Not Getting to Patients Fast Enough with Dr Phil Cowburn
Phil is a Consultant in Emergency Medicine and Pre-Hospital Care, with over two decades of experience and a background that spans ambulance services, air ambulance, and national-level major incident response. He’s currently a Medical Director at South Western Ambulance Service and has provided expert evidence to major public inquiries including Manchester Arena and Bondi Junction.This episode is b
#456 We Need You: Firefighter Cognition Under Heat
If you’re a firefighter and you’ve experienced a challenging incident, particularly involving search and rescue, you can take part by contacting Dr Catherine Thompson directly via email at thompsc1@hope.ac.ukThe only requirement for participation is that a firefighter can remember the incident they choose to describe and that they were working as an operational firefighter during the incident. We
#455 Have we been alerting firefighters the wrong way ? - Blake Richardson from EASE ALERT
In this episode I sit down with Blake Richardson, CEO of EaseAlert and the son of a 22 year firefighter to explore what may be one of the next frontiers in firefighter health and safety: how we alert crews to calls. For generations the fire service has relied on loud bells, tones and lights to mobilise stations. It works, but it was designed to wake an entire building rather than the specific fire
#454 IFIW Australia Ep04 Chief Jason Caughey - Commanding the Balance Between Aggression & Safety
In this episode of the International Fire Instructors Workshop (IFIW) Australia mini series, Fire Chief Jason Caughey of the Laramie County Fire Authority explores one of the most debated topics in the modern fire service: the relationship between aggressive firefighting and firefighter safety. With more than 30 years in emergency services and over two decades serving as a Fire Chief, Jason brings
#453 Tradition & Reform: Navigating Change in the Fire Service with Beci Newton
Beci Newton is a Station Manager in the UK Fire and Rescue Service and an experienced fire behaviour instructor as well as other disciplines joins me for a conversation about our past, our present and our future, and how we are evolving the identity of our profession.This episode is about more than neutral planes &compartment behaviour. It is about identity & about who we are as a professi
#452 IFIW Australia – Ep03 James Mendoza Large Volume Gas Cooling & The Home Depot Fire
In this episode of the IFIW Australia mini-series, James Mendoza, Captain and Training Officer with the San Jose Fire Department, takes us inside a major large volume fire at a Home Depot in 2022. With a background in education and microbiology, and experience contributing to UL’s Coordinated Fire Attack study, James blends science and street-level decision making as he unpacks the realities of op
#451 Challenge Season: Legends, Disruptors & the Rise of the British Firefighter Series with John Gregory
In this episode I sit down with my good friend John Gregory, one of the original trailblazers of the British Firefighter Challenge as we head into a challenge season that is bigger and more competitive than ever before. John and I have shared the arena many times over the years, from Toughest Firefighter competitions to international search and rescue arduous conditions courses and HYROX events an
#450 IFIW Australia – Ep02 Ed Hartin Fireground Sensemaking & Decision Making for Station Officers
In this episode recorded live at the International Fire Instructors Workshop 2026 in Australia, you’ll hear from Edward Hartin as he explores fireground sensemaking and decision making for the station officer. Drawing on more than fifty years in the fire service and decades at chief officer level, Ed takes us inside the cognitive process that underpins command. How initial cues shape your frame of
#449 London Fire Brigade - A UK Fire Brigade on a Global Scale with LFB Commissioner Jonathan Smith
London Fire Brigade protects one of the most complex urban environments on the planet. The resident population of London sits at around 9 million people, but that number is misleading. On a typical weekday, when commuters, tourists, and transient populations are added in, the number of people moving through the city regularly swells to 11 to 12 million, sometimes more during major events or peak t
#448 IFIW Australia - Ep01 Karel Lambert Air Consumption During Tunnel Firefighting with IFE
This mini series opens a door into the International Fire Instructors Workshop 2026 in Australia, a gathering that for nearly two decades has been built on closed room conversations, honest challenge and the exchange of experience between some of the most respected fire instructors in the world. With the full support of the organisers and attendees, these recordings bring that environment into the
#447 Hard Things, Endurance & Bum Butter - an Adventure with Scott Butler
In this episode, I sit down with Scott Butler, a serving UK firefighter who has quietly built a life around choosing difficult things on purpose. Scott shares the pivotal moment in 2006 when joining the fire service forced him to grow fast, take responsibility, and stop making excuses. That turning point shaped not just his career, but his identity, and set him on a path where challenge became a w
#446 Debrief: Bethnal Green, London, July 20th 2004
This short debrief episode examines the Bethnal Green Road fire of 20 July 2004, a commercial premises fire in East London that resulted in the deaths of two London firefighters, Billy Faust and Adam Meere. Crews attended what initially presented as a working shop fire and committed under Breathing Apparatus into a basement environment characterised by heavy textile fuel loading, restricted access
#445 Managers Enforce Rules, Leaders Enforce Values with Chris Case
I sit down with Chris Case, a firefighter who spent 25 years in Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service before making the leap to Canada and becoming Fire Chief of Chatham-Kent in Ontario.This is not a career-timeline conversation. It is a deep exploration of leadership, identity, and the personal cost of doing complex work in complex systems.We talk about moving beyond the cookie-cutter career, the cu
#444 Debrief: Old Albert Mill, Whitworth, Lancashire, May 15th 2009
On this episode of we take a slow, deliberate look at the Old Albert Mill incident in Whitworth, Lancashire, from 15 May 2009. This is a structured incident debrief built directly from the original accident investigation report, with large sections read verbatim to preserve timings, context, and operational reality. The focus is not on blame or judgement, but on understanding how breathing apparat
#443 FireSport UK Festival of Fire Sport with Chief Fire Officer Chris Kirby
In this episode, I’m joined by Chris Kirby, Chief Fire Officer of South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service and Chair of FireSport UK, to talk about why bringing sport back matters right now. We focus on the Festival of Fire Sport and how FireSport UK is using sport to reconnect firefighters through teamwork, competition, and shared experience, not just fitness for fitness’ sake.We explore how sport
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