Burning Questions

Do leaders need all the answers to lead well?

As a Senior Station Officer and Volunteer Chief Fire Officer, Jeremy Gibbon has learnt that leadership growth doesn't come from knowing everything—it comes from being intentional about learning, reflecting, and leaning into opportunities before you feel fully ready.

In this episode, we explore how curiosity, reflection, and drawing on the strengths of those around him have shaped his leadership journey across both career and volunteer firefighting. 

We discuss:

• Why it's okay not to know everything.
• How reflection helps us learn, grow, and make better decisions.
• Extending reflection beyond formal debriefs to learn from everyday experiences.
• Drawing on the knowledge, experience, and expertise within your team.
• How support networks make you stronger.
• How leaning in matters more than waiting till you feel ready.

Whether you're a Career or Volunteer leader, this episode is a reminder that leadership growth isn't a destination—it's a lifelong commitment to learning.

YOUR HOSTS:

Kerrigan - Volunteer Support Officer and Chief Fire Officer of Mangawhai Volunteer Fire Brigade

Michael Tovine - Senior Advisor Volunteer Resilience and Chief Fire Officer of Maungaturoto Volunteer Fire Brigade

All content has been reviewed and approved by Fire and Emergency NZ subject matter experts and our communications team.

You can also access Burning Questions episodes on the Fire and Emergency NZ internal portal site: Burning Questions | The Portal

Please remember to share your feedback via the QR code or link on the portal.

Ngā mihi nui!

What does it take to build a team that can perform confidently, whether you're there or not?

In this episode, we speak with Career Senior Station Officer and Volunteer Chief Fire Officer Jeremy Gibbons about the leadership philosophy that guides him across both career and volunteer environments - the idea that a leader's role is to grow capability, not create dependency.

We discuss:

• How delegation builds trust and helps people step into their strengths.
• Why knowing your people is key to building a high-performing crew.
• When leaders need to switch between collaborative and command-and-control approaches.
• Why consistency in your behaviour and standards matters before holding others accountable.
• How reflection supports continuous growth as a leader.
• The support available when the job becomes challenging.

Whether you're a Career or Volunteer leader, this episode offers practical insights into building capable teams, building trust, and creating an environment where people can succeed with confidence.

YOUR HOSTS:

Kerrigan - Volunteer Support Officer and Chief Fire Officer of Mangawhai Volunteer Fire Brigade

Michael Tovine - Senior Advisor Volunteer Resilience and Chief Fire Officer of Maungaturoto Volunteer Fire Brigade

All content has been reviewed and approved by Fire and Emergency NZ subject matter experts and our communications team.

You can also access Burning Questions episodes on the Fire and Emergency NZ internal portal site: Burning Questions | The Portal

Please remember to share your feedback via the QR code or link on the portal.

Ngā mihi nui!

Do you remember why you joined? Have you thought about what makes you stay? 

In this episode, Kerrigan is joined by two experienced Officers, Corey Matchett and Mark Wirihana, to reflect on the defining moments that have shaped their journeys in Fire and Emergency NZ. What started as an opportunity, and in some cases 'just a job', evolved into something much deeper: service, community, leadership, and belonging.

Together they explore how our motivations change over time and why being part of a brigade is about much more than responding to incidents.

Together they explore:

• How our reasons for joining and staying evolve throughout our journey
• Why being of service can build confidence, leadership, and a sense of purpose
• The role brigades play in creating connection, community, and whānau
• Why relationships and belonging matter at every stage of service
• How shared values contribute to strong teams and cultures
• The importance of saying yes to opportunities and challenging yourself

Whether you're non-operational, Career, or Volunteer, this conversation is an opportunity to reflect on your own why, reconnect with what matters most, and explore what it means to be part of something bigger than yourself.

All content has been reviewed and approved by Fire and Emergency NZ subject matter experts and our communications team.

You can also access Burning Questions episodes on the Fire and Emergency NZ internal portal site: Burning Questions | The Portal

Please remember to share your feedback via the QR code or link on the portal.

Ngā mihi nui!

When people think about wellbeing support, they often think about major incidents. But wellbeing is about more than responding after something difficult has happened.

In this episode, Host Kerrigan is joined by two subject matter experts, Jono Regan, Safety Health and Wellbeing Advisor for Northland and Carol Heke, Welfare Officer for Te Hiku Region, to explore how building and maintaining wellbeing helps us remain effective at work, at home, and within our teams. They also discuss the practical steps we can take to support ourselves and others, as well as the range of wellbeing support available to Fire and Emergency NZ personnel and their families.

We discuss:

• Why wellbeing is essential to healthy and effective teams.
• How to recognise when someone may be struggling
• Why reaching out can be as simple as having a coffee
• How K13 and Psychological Safe-at-Work entries support our people.
• The role of Peer Support.
• Understanding the MANERS model.
• The wellbeing support available to personnel and their families.
• Why wellbeing is about more than responding to major incidents.

Whether you're a Career or Volunteer, this conversation is a reminder that what we experience on an incident isn’t normal and that seeking support, supporting others, and prioritising wellbeing are all part of staying healthy and effective.

Find more information on wellbeing here: Wellbeing support | The Portal, or click on the links within the chapter markers.  

All content has been reviewed and approved by Fire and Emergency NZ subject matter experts and our communications team.

You can also access Burning Questions episodes on the Fire and Emergency NZ internal portal site: Burning Questions | The Portal

Please remember to share your feedback via the QR code or link on the portal.

Ngā mihi nui!

Why do some taskings hit the mark while other times crews seem to go freelance? What helps an officer stay calm, adapt when things aren't working, and get the best from their crew?

In this episode, Kerrigan is joined by two experienced Officers, Corey Matchett and Mark Wirihana, to unpack what effective leadership looks like on the incident ground. Drawing on years of operational experience, they share lessons learned from incidents, mistakes made, and the practices that help officers create clarity for their crews under pressure.

Together they explore:

• Why honesty and owning mistakes are essential for growth as an officer.
• Communication and its role in effective tasking.
• How knowing your people helps you tailor your leadership and communication approach.
• Using Incident Management Processes to create structure and maintain calm under pressure.
• Why information gathering and situational awareness underpin sound decision-making.
• Staying ahead of the incident and planning for what-ifs.
• Bringing crews back into line when things drift from the plan.
• Having the courage to recognise when a strategy or tactics aren’t working and adjusting.
• The off-incident foundations for success, including training, communication, and relationships.
• Using the tuakana-teina approach to build capability and shared leadership within crews.
• Recognising successes during debriefs to strengthen learning and confidence.

Whether you're a Career or Volunteer Officer, or working towards becoming one, this conversation is a reminder that effective incident leadership isn't about being perfect. It's about communicating clearly, knowing your people, trusting your processes, and continuing to learn from every incident.

All content has been reviewed and approved by Fire and Emergency NZ subject matter experts and our communications team.

You can also access Burning Questions episodes on the Fire and Emergency NZ internal portal site: Burning Questions | The Portal

Please remember to share your feedback via the QR code or link on the portal.

Ngā mihi nui!

What does leadership look like when people come first?

In this episode, Host Kerrigan converses with Te Tai Tokerau Group Manager Corey Matchett and former Career Senior Station Officer (now a leadership consultant and mentor) Mark Wirihana on the challenges of leadership both on- and off-incident.

Having progressed through the firefighter ranks, they share a practical view of leadership. They explore how leadership means having your people's backs and building trust through relationships, hope, compassion, and certainty so people can perform on- and off-incident with confidence. 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why leadership starts with caring for people
• The role of hope, compassion, and certainty 
• Consistency builds trust
• How identity and reputation shape leadership effectiveness
• Why culture matters more than strategy
• Adapting your leadership style to suit different situations
• Creating routines that protect the people around you from the weight of difficult days

Whether you're a Career or Volunteer leader, this conversation is a reminder that leadership is less about authority and more about the relationships and behaviours that help people thrive.

All content has been reviewed and approved by Fire and Emergency NZ subject matter experts and our communications team.

You can also access Burning Questions episodes on the Fire and Emergency NZ internal portal site: Burning Questions | The Portal

Please remember to share your feedback via the QR code or link on the portal.

Ngā mihi nui!

What happens when the pressure is on, and everyone is looking to you for direction?

In this episode, Host Kerrigan speaks with Te Tai Tokerau Group Manager Corey Matchett and former Career Senior Station Officer (now a leadership consultant and mentor) Mark Wirihana about the foundations of effective command and control.

Together, they explore how incident management processes provide the structure needed to operate in complex environments, and why managing yourself is as important as managing the incident.

In this episode, we discuss how one of the biggest leadership jumps is moving from doing the work to leading others and dive into:

• Real-world examples of implementing situational awareness, strategy, tactics, and tasking on incidents. 
• RECEO in action.
• The role Safety Officers play in supporting safe operations.
• Hardwiring questioning and tasking processes to improve decision-making.
• How trusted processes help leaders stay calm under pressure.
• Strategies for staying calm and giving your crews confidence.

Whether you're an experienced firefighter, aspiring officer, or a Station Officer, this episode offers practical insights into staying calm, thinking clearly, and making sound decisions to impact crew safety and incident outcomes. 

All content has been reviewed and approved by Fire and Emergency NZ subject matter experts and our communications team.

You can also access Burning Questions episodes on the Fire and Emergency NZ internal portal site: Burning Questions | The Portal

Please remember to share your feedback via the QR code or link on the portal.

Ngā mihi nui!