Code 3 - The Firefighters Podcast

A few years back, Frank Leeb put together a list of things probies need to know when they start work. Then he realized the items on the list are actually important for firefighters to keep in mind for their whole careers.

Today, I’m talking with Frank about some of the rules or virtues on the list and how he came up with them.

Frank was a 30+ year veteran of the FDNY when he retired in 2024. He served in several staff positions, including chief of the fire academy, chief of training, and chief of safety. He's currently a member of the East Farmingdale, NY, Volunteer Fire Department, where he's been since 1983.

There’s a campaign going on that aims to give volunteer fire departments some tools to help recruit new members.

It’s called “A Hustle Worth Having” and it’s aimed at Gen Z-aged community members. For those unfamiliar with the term, it's roughly defined as those born between 1997 and 2012, or 14 to 29 years old.

The International Association of Fire Chiefs is behind the campaign and has made all the campaign assets available at no cost to any fire department that wants to use them.

My guest is Jason Caughey, the Fire Chief of the Laramie County Fire Authority in Wyoming and an IAFC board member

How would you like to work the busiest volunteer firehouse in the nation?

This house answers an average of four to five thousand calls for service a year. That’s more than many career departments, and they do it out of one station.

Perhaps not surprisingly, the Kentland Volunteer Fire Department has no problem recruiting firefighters. They even staff a minimum of four people on overnights. And this is not a combination department. It’s all-volunteer.

Located in Prince George's County, Maryland, Kentland prides itself on high standards.

How do they do all this?

Here to answer that question is Alex Caldaro, the Truck 33 Sergeant. He’s a fifteen-year veteran of the fire service who also works at Wilson’s Mills Fire Department in Clayton, North Carolina, where he’s Captain of Ladder 5.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and United Airlines flight 93.

That means there’s now a whole generation that’s grown up since the attacks and views them as history.

There’s a new documentary out now that will help that generation understand what 9-11 means to this nation and why.

“The Heroism and Resiliency of 9-11” is the film. It features first-person accounts, actual footage of the attacks and dramatized re-enactments of events. It tells the story through the eyes of people who were there.

It’s narrated by well-known actor Gary Sinise. In 2011, he started the Gary Sinise Foundation to serve veterans, first responders, and their families.

And with me today is the film's executive producer, Dr. Chris Meek. Chris was there, at ground zero, on September 11th, 2001, working for Goldman Sachs.

He’s since become involved with several charities, notably SoldierStrong, which he co-founded to support VA Hospitals.

On this edition of Code 3, we're talking with a firefighter/paramedic who is using the internet to reach young people to tell them about a career as a firefighter.

RJ Clarke is working on a documentary photography project titled "The Color of Fire."

After 15 years in the fire service, RJ noticed that young kids in the communities he visited rarely considered firefighting as a career because they rarely saw representation of firefighters of color. Currently, about 8 percent of US firefighters are black.

In response, he set out to document black firefighters during the quieter, everyday moments between alarms, as well as at work on the fireground.

With over a million views online, the project highlights positive representation, community connection, and the true reality of the job. Today, he shares what inspired the project, the impact it’s having, and his plans to turn it into a traveling gallery for the next generation.

On today’s edition, we’re diving into a raw, unfiltered conversation about what happens when the turnout gear comes off and the cumulative weight of the job follows you home.

Joining me today is James Owen, a retired 30-year first responder and former Long Beach fire Captain. James is the author of the new book The Last Patient: A Memoir of Resilience and Recovery.

We talk about the hard realities of job stress, hitting rock bottom, dealing with trauma, and the work it takes to truly recover—not just for yourself, but for your family

adder work is one of the most basic parts of firefighting.

But basic does not always mean simple.

There is a lot of technique involved in throwing, carrying, and placing a ladder correctly.

And small decisions can have a big impact on how well that ladder works when it matters.

Today, we’re looking in-depth at best practices for using ladders,

We’ll talk about the mechanics behind a good ladder throw.

We’ll talk about storage and deployment on the rig.

And we’ll look at some of the common mistakes firefighters make.

My guest today is Sam Hittle. He’s a Captain with the Wichita, Kansas, Fire Department. He is an FDIC Instructor, a Traditions Training Instructor, a Wichita HOT Instructor, and an FDIC Lecturer. He has been published multiple times by Fire Engineering.

Today, we’re diving deep into fireground operations and functional strategy. Our focus is on how departments can adapt when dedicated truck companies are not available.

When you need an effective, efficient, and safe coordinated fire attack, truck company operations aren't optional—they are an absolute necessity. But what happens when your department doesn't have dedicated truck companies in the station?

To answer that question, we are joined by a veteran fire chief and co-author of the 2024 Fire Engineering book, The Non-Traditional Truck Company. Jim Silvernail is chief of the Kirkwood Fire Department of St. Louis County, Missouri. He’s a 25-year veteran of the fire service here to discuss how your department can build a "jack-of-all-trades" culture and how suburban and rural departments can master truck work using the rigs they already have.

Today, we are rethinking everything you know about fire ground size-up. Everyone has been taught standard acronyms like COAL WAS WEALTH. But that traditional method is often too complicated for a young firefighter or inexperienced officer with no background in building construction.

Our guest today is here to share what he calls a system for success. He breaks down the vital difference between an initial windshield report and a true size-up. And he warns that a worthwhile size-up absolutely does not take place from the cab of the apparatus.

Todd Edwards explains why identifying the occupancy is the most critical step. Hearing "working fire" over the radio is simply not enough for incoming units to make tactical decisions. They need to know exactly what they are dealing with before they ever step off the rig.

Todd Edwards served for over 30 years with Atlanta Fire Rescue. He is a second-generation firefighter and the creator of the presentation "Size-Up: A System for Success." During his career with Atlanta, he held a variety of positions, including Captain, Battalion Chief, and Assistant Fire Chief.

How many times have you pulled up to a location, seen fire blowing out of the second-story windows, and thought, "There is no way anyone is alive in there?" Today’s guest argues that firefighters have been making that call far too early. And it’s often based on outdated campaigns and fear rather than real-world data.

You took an oath to protect life. It is the driving force behind every decision you make when you pull up to a working fire. But that drive has to be balanced with reality.

The question isn't just "is the building searchable?" The harder question is: "Is it survivable?"

Joining me is Sean Duffy, a firefighter on a mission to redefine the boundary between searchable space and survivable space. Sean is a vocal advocate for the Firefighter Rescue Survey, using hard data to prove that victims can—and do—survive in structures with over 75% fire involvement.

Sean is a highly respected instructor and the voice behind the presentation "Searchable vs. Survivable: Educated Decision Making." He’s here to discuss how to move beyond guessing and start using data, fire behavior, and building construction to make the toughest call on the fireground.

He’s a firefighter for the City of Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he’s been for almost 20 years.

I last had him on the show talking about the reasons why 2-in/2-out is a concept whose time has passed.