This episode of the Blazing Banter podcast brings you a story, a story of how we are all interconnected… maybe even more than we realize. We bring back a guest from Episode 2 that unfortunately was involved in a life changing event here very recently. On September 17th, John was involved in a serious motor vehicle collision in which he was airlifted to an Edmonton hospital due to the extent of his injuries. We discuss the event from what he remembers and the days and weeks following the crash. Now this event was very unique in how many of us that developed connections via online platforms, were connected through this crash. We sit down with not only John but his girlfriend Olivia and another first responder Brayden. I got to work with Brayden this summer on a wildfire deployment, but he was also on the scene of John’s crash and how my Fire Pickle brought everything full circle. You definitely want to get comfy and listen to this story of survival, recovery, and how we are all connected more than we know.

On this week’s episode of Blazing Banter we celebrate hitting episode 10 and double digits with the beautiful Emma Stoned. As a long time friend both on and off of social media, I couldn’t think of a better person to sit down and chat with. The banter absolutely banters in this episode as we talk about all sorts of things. We talk all the way from life as a content creator, and the issues and blessings that come along with it, all the way to talking about relationships in 2024. We also talk thrift shopping and touch on life as a “Spicy” content creator (Yes gentlemen…. And ladies, there is a Link in Bio 😉). So sit down, grab a jar of pickles or your favorite snack and listen to some more Blazing Banter.

*Also quick note on the new posting schedule. As mentioned at the start of the podcast I will now be just recording and posting podcasts without a defined posting schedule. So to stay up to date, please turn on notifications and you will be the first to know when a new episode launches. Much appreciated 😊.

On this episode of Blazing Banter we sit down with another fellow firefighter from southern Alberta, Justin Slingerland. We chat about life while being a part of a small town fire department. Some of the good things, the bad things… and just things about it in general. We also, in typical Blazing Banter fashion, banter on about other things from life in general. We talk about camping, family, and how we developed a friendship over social media. If you are part of the Fire Department family or just someone who has in interest in fire fighting related things in general this is absolutely an episode you won’t want to miss.

Well it may not be Thursday but this Tuesday we’re doing the throwback. On this week’s episode of Blazing Banter we sit down with a long time friend of Fire Steve. The one, the only, Super Sower Punch. We chat about growing up in a small town (and some of the outright shenanigans that happened back then). We also talk about growing a platform on the Twitch and some of the benefits and challenges of live streaming in 2024. Tune in for some fun chats and good banter.

On this week’s episode of Blazing Banter we sit down with Devlin of N.A. Response photography. We banter about the effectiveness and underutilization of social media in today’s emergency services. Because whether you like it, or don’t, the internet and ultimately social media is here to stay. Especially in today’s age where access to information is so rapid, we discuss the importance of having effective communication from within the service to alleviate some of the negative attention and rumours that can start when official information is lacking. We also banter about social media, photography, and ultimately go off on a couple side quests as we usually do on this podcast. Definitely a must listen if you are passionate about emergency services and the flow of information.

On this week’s episode (which is a week and a couple days late due to being busy with fire stuff). We don’t get to banter so much as we get to reflect on experiences from the past. The recent events that have happened in the town of Jasper, Alberta has made me reflect on being part of a major wildfire incident that has impinged a town. I tell the story of how I came to end up in Paddle Prairie back in May of 2019 during the Chuckegg Wildfire as part of a Wildland Urban Interaface (WUI) team. I talk about the effects of a situation like that on a responders mental health, trying to save as much as possible but still suffering loss and how the feelings of failure can stick with you for some time. I hope this episode can make it to responders who were in Jasper to let them know they are not alone in their feelings. This story may also be beneficial to other first responders as well who were in Slave Lake, Fort Mcmurray, Lytton, and any other communities that suffered loss due to a wildfire. Hope you all enjoy the story time with Fire Steve.

Welcome back to some more Blazing Banter with your host Fire Steve. On this week’s episode we sit down with Zack Moss Music​⁠ and banter away in typical BB fashion. We talk about how the content creation process looks as creators that have multiple platforms. What works and what doesn’t. As well as some of the pro’s and con’s of putting yourself out online. We talk about life in general and some of the struggles on mental health that people face out there in the real world, and ultimately where online connections can help with that. The banter goes back and forth reminiscing about how we initially met and some of the many people that we’ve come to know through the online space. It was an amazing conversation full of laughs, good chats, and deep dives that we look forward to you being a part of and listening in on.

On this week’s episode we bring on a very special guest. The one, the only, Mini Fire Steve aka Brooke. I sit down with my oldest daughter, which up to this point many have only known her to be Mini Fire Steve. We talk about what life is like having a dad that is active on social media and what kind of impact that has had on her life (both good and bad). We also discuss from the kids perspective what it is like having a parent that works away doing shift work in the oilfield and responding to fire calls as well. We also wrap up the episode by trying a super spicy jellybean challenge which you definitely won’t want to miss. Tune in and check out this in person interview which is full of good chats and fun entertainment.

Welcome back to listen to some more Blazing Banter with Fire Steve. On this week’s episode we chat with a long time mutual and friend of mine Safety Girl Tanya. We actually had the pleasure of meeting up in Morinville, AB in the middle of June when I competed in the Firefighter Combat Challenge. This gave us the perfect entry point to discuss meeting people via social media (The good and the bad). We also dive into the topics of safety in the blue collar industry and why it is important from not only a business perspective, but also why it is important to the worker as well. We also touch on how social media has impacted the job search, getting hired, and also the overall impact on the industry with a forward view. So tune in and listen as we banter back and forth on these topics and few others complete with some laughs along the way.

Welcome back to hear some more Blazing Banter with Fire Steve. On this week’s episode we chat with a good buddy of mine John Degroot aka Firefighter John. We dive into some of the negatives and ultimately some of the positives of social media and the impact on our lives. We continue the conversation about First Responder and Men’s Mental Health and the extreme importance of these conversations. We also go on many, MANY, side quests bantering about some random stuff as well.