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© 2025 Firefighters Podcast
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The Firefighters Podcast is a global podcast seeking to develop, inspire, connect, motivate, represent & celebrate the world of our emergency services operators through a series of wide-ranging conversations celebrating those within our emergency services family and encouraging the support of this incredible group of people.
Operational UK firefighter Pete Wakefield speaks with individuals from all walks of life who share a connection with, can add value to, or can develop those who choose this life path.
Our driving purpose is to create a legacy resource for the current and future generations of firefighters & first responders
405 Episodes
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In this episode I sit down with Dr. Johnny Torgeson, a US Army veteran, fire officer, educator and author of Forging Your Team: Demystifying Team Development for First Responders. Johnny brings an incredible mix of military precision, academic insight and real-world fire service experience, and together we dig into what it truly means to build teams that can handle pressure, conflict and change. We talk about his forging model of leadership, exploring how to heat, shape, cool and polish a tea...
In this episode I sit down with Darren Dovey KFSM, former Chief Fire Officer of Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service, to explore how emotional intelligence can transform leadership in the fire sector. Darren’s 35-year career saw him lead through political upheaval, the transition to PFCC governance, and national crises like COVID and extreme weather. But beyond the operational challenges, Darren shares an honest and reflective look at his own journey—from a bright but rebellious firefight...
On November 8th, 2025, FDNY Firefighter Patrick Brady lost his life while battling a five-alarm fire in Brooklyn, New York. In this episode, we reflect on Patrick’s story as a firefighter from a proud line of service and the realities of the work he loved. We look at the demands of roof operations and vertical ventilation, not to question tactics, but to understand the environments and pressures that firefighters face when everything is on the line. This episode explores the physical and phys...
In this episode, Pete sits down once again with Watch Manager Mike “Stacko” Stachowicz GIFIRE a UK firefighter, international fire behaviour instructor, and long-time friend of the podcast to unpack his experiences from IFIW (International Fire Instructor’s Workshop) 2025. From live burns and tactical experiments in Colorado to conversations with global leaders like Andy Starnes, James Mendoza, John McDonough, and Keith Stakes from UL FSRI, Mike brings a firsthand look at the science, st...
In this second part of our conversation with Jim McParland, we move from the technical to the deeply personal. Jim opens up about the emotional weight of a career spent on the front lines of disaster — the moments that stay with you long after the noise fades, and the quiet burden carried by those who’ve seen the very worst of human tragedy. From the aftermath of catastrophic earthquakes to the heartbreak of lives lost despite every effort, Jim shares what it truly means to live with the memo...
Jim McParland’s career reads like a blueprint for courage, discipline, and service. After joining West Midlands Fire Service in 1995, he quickly became part of the UK International Search and Rescue Team, deploying to some of the world’s most severe disaster zones. From the wreckage of the Christchurch earthquake to the chaos of the 2023 Turkey earthquake and the flooding in Malawi, Jim has been at the sharp end of international disaster response. His decades in the field, leading teams throu...
In May 1979, a fire tore through the Woolworths department store in Manchester’s Piccadilly Gardens. A blaze that would change British fire safety forever. What began as a small ignition behind a furniture display grew into a full-floor inferno within minutes, fuelled by polyurethane foam and toxic smoke that trapped shoppers and staff on the upper floors. This episode revisits the incident through modern eyes, unpacking the science, the tactics, and the courage of those who faced the unimagi...
This episode dives into one of the most important and often misunderstood parts of the UK Fire & Rescue Service. How we attract, develop, and promote the leaders of tomorrow. Joined by Hannah Vallance, Chartered Occupational Psychologist and Director at VCA Ltd, we explore what it really takes to build a workforce and leadership culture that reflects the values and future needs of the modern fire service. From values-based recruitment to feedback culture and succession planning, thi...
In Part Two of our National Breathing Apparatus Challenge collaboration, we step behind the smoke to hear from the people who design, assess, and drive one of the UK fire service’s most respected events. After following ten operational crews through their thirty minute, two fire, three casualty scenario in Part One, this episode turns the focus to the organisers and assessors — the experts who build the realism, set the pressure, and define what good looks like on the fireground. They share h...
In this episode, we head straight to the heart of the 2025 National Breathing Apparatus Challenge where teams of operational UK firefighters went head-to-head in a simulated high-pressure incident: smoke issuing from a rented property, three persons unaccounted for, and two seats of fire to tackle within thirty minutes. Armed with one fire truck & five firefighters each crew faced the same scenario but delivered different results. I sat down with the crews for some for raw, unfiltered hot...
Today we’re back with someone whose name carries serious weight in UK tactical firefighting. Dave Berry, Tactical Firefighting Training Lead at Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service. With over 25 years on the front line, Dave has trained operational crews across Lancashire, Manchester, Macedonia and Montenegro. He’s a fire behaviour specialist, an educator’s educator, and a lifelong student of the craft learning shoulder to shoulder with many of the experts you’ve already heard on this...
In this special Emergency services show Collaboration 2025 episode, we explore how human factors shape the way emergency services deliver care under pressure. Im Joined by Andy Youngson, Advanced Paramedic in Pre-Hospital Care with East Midlands Ambulance Service, and Simon Nevitt, Market Access Manager at Galen Pharma, we unpack the realities of high-stakes decision-making, communication breakdowns, and the cultural shifts needed to strengthen collaboration across healthcare and emerge...
Today we’re digging into the roots of firefighter fitness. How we got from local “beep test and vibes” to nationally validated standards built from actual job tasks and science. Joining me is Dr. Phil Turner one of the key architects behind the NFCC FireFit framework. Phil’s spent the last two decades co-designing the drill ground assessments and publishing the data that define what fit for duty really means in the UK fire service. We’ll unpack where those numbers came from, the VO₂ cutoffs, ...
In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Daniel Higuera a human performance coach, researcher, and Associate Professor at Santa Ana College. Dan’s worked with over two thousand firefighters across the U.S., studying how call volume, sleep loss, and stress reshape our bodies, readiness, and mental health. He’s one of the few people turning hard data into real-world change for the fire service. We dive into the truth about performance, recovery, and longevity in this job. From VO₂ max and heart rat...
The History of the Fire Service - From the bucket brigades of ancient Rome and the Great Fire of London to the rise of professional brigades and modern scientific firefighting, this story traces how courage, community, and innovation shaped the fire service we know today. Packed with real events, legends, and lessons from centuries of evolution, it’s a deep dive into the roots of our traditions and the people who turned fire suppression from survival into a profession built on knowledge,...
Welcome back to our Emergency Service Show 2025 collaboration series. In this episode, we shine a light on Women in the Fire Service and not as a separate chapter, but as a vital force shaping the fire service of today and tomorrow. I’m joined by two brilliant guests. Siobhan, better known as Shiv, or The Fire Mum—a London Fire Brigade firefighter who’s been blazing a trail with honesty, advocacy, and a whole lot of passion for leaving breadcrumbs for the next generation. Alongside her is Ell...
In this Denrief episode, we step back to October 1871 and relive the night Chicago became a city on fire. What began as a small barn blaze on DeKoven Street turned into a chain of wind-driven infernos that destroyed over 17,000 buildings, left a third of the city homeless, and claimed hundreds of lives. We break down the fire’s mysterious origins, the tactical failures that let it spiral out of control, and the human cost of one of history’s most infamous urban disasters. But this story isn’t...
Over the next week we’ll be rolling out a special mini-series recorded live at the Emergency Services Show a collaboration with Catherine and the ESS team. The show is one of Europe’s leading gathering for the blue light community: over 16,000+ professionals from fire, police, ambulance, search & rescue and support sectors. ESS showcases 500+ leading exhibitors, thousands of response innovations, live demonstrations, immersive training zones, and CPD-accredited content. Emerge...
In this episode in joined by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman. Retired U.S. Army Ranger, paratrooper, former West Point psychology professor and author of On Killing and On Combat walks us through how we unpack the psychology of stress, trauma, and resilience. Grossman has spent decades training military, law enforcement, and first responders on what actually happens to the mind and body under extreme pressure, from tunnel vision and time distortion to the adrenaline crash that follows a major i...
In this episode, I sit down with Ann Millington to dig into what leadership really looks like in the fire and rescue services today. We talk about psychological safety, building no-blame cultures, and navigating the messy reality of budget cuts and complex organizational structures. Ann shares why inclusion and well-being aren’t optional extras but the foundation of effective teams, and we get into how emotional resilience and strong communication can change the way leaders show up. What real...
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Brilliant podcast for anyone in (or looking to join) the emergency services. I've loved every episode and learnt a lot from both Pete and the guests - thanks so much for all the work you've put into producing it! 😁🙏