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 anti-ventilation through to operational assurance, doctrine and incident command, Dan explains the ambition to create a more consistent national approach to what good looks like on the fireground — and how the same model could ultimately extend into wildfire, road traffic collision, extrication and wider operational practice.

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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 internationally significant research following the Grenfell Tower fire, Anna explains what we now understand about occupational exposure, cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory disease, contamination through inhalation, skin and ingestion, and why simply reducing exposure is only part of the answer. We also discuss the major gaps that still exist in UK firefighter health data, why recording occupation and exposure matters, the need for consistent national health monitoring, and why the UK remains behind countries that already formally recognise occupational cancers in firefighters. This is essential listening for firefighters, fire-service leaders, retired personnel and anyone who cares about somebody working within the fire and rescue profession.

Connect with Professor Stec Here

 FBU DECON: Fire Contaminants — main research, guidance and Registry hub

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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 profile from the exterior. As crews operated inside, they were also dealing with an unreliable water supply, multiple garage doors being opened, worsening fire conditions and an eventual transition from offensive to defensive operations. During the withdrawal, one firefighter became disorientated and a Mayday was called. Firefighters went back in to locate him, but during that rescue effort Master Firefighter Preston Fant became separated from his crew and called a second Mayday. He was later found approximately 20 feet inside the building and ultimately died from inhalation of smoke and products of combustion. In this debrief, we work through the incident chronologically and examine building intelligence, fire behaviour, ventilation, water supply, command, crew integrity, Mayday operations, task saturation and psychological safety. 

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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 supplies fell, low-air alarms began sounding and one firefighter became disorientated after being knocked away from the hoseline. A Mayday followed, with two firefighters ultimately suffering significant smoke inhalation and seven others also transported for evaluation. In this debrief, we break down the incident chronologically and explore size-up, fire location, interior supervision, communication, air management, Mayday response and psychological safety with the aim of identifying the warning signs that could help prevent a similar injury in the future. 

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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 with PBI. We get into the evolution of bunker gear, what firefighters really need to understand about the kit protecting them, lessons learned from decades inside FDNY, and why PBI continues to invest so heavily in firefighter safety, education and the wider fire-service community. It’s a proper fire-nerd conversation about PPE, protection, performance and making better-informed decisions about the gear between firefighters and the fire.

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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 multiple tactical options from the same hose package. The conversation also tackles the growing challenge of lithium-ion battery fires in high-rise and underground environments, using real incidents and lessons learned to examine water application, firefighter exposure and the importance of adapting tactics when conventional approaches aren't working. A fitting conclusion to a four-part masterclass focused on making firefighters think differently about high-rise operations.

The Firefighters Podcast brought these to you live direct from the International Tall Buildings Conference and specialist high rise firefighting masterclass held in London in May 2026. 

contact Brent Brooks HERE 

Additional Presentation Material from Brent Brooks HERE

International Tall Buildings Conference HERE

Brent Brooks LinkedIn HERE

Brent Brooks Website HERE

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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 responders and their families. We also talk about remembrance, the lasting impact of 9/11, and what it means for the UK firefighter group to stand alongside our US brothers and sisters.

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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 explore specialist teams, training, vehicles, aerial firefighting and international best practice, before taking a deeper look at one of the most important issues facing firefighters on the fireline: PPE, heat stress, smoke exposure and the reality of undertaking prolonged wildfire operations in structural firefighting kit that was never designed for that environment. 

This is a firefighter-focused debrief of what 2026 has exposed, what the sector is already improving, and what needs to change before the next major wildfire season.

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 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 Brigade. Duarte gives us a fascinating insight into professional firefighting in Portugal, including 24-hour shifts, specialist diving operations and the demands of serving one of Europe’s historic capital cities, before we get into nearly a decade of firefighter competition, becoming a world champion, winning internationally, how his training and recovery have evolved and the sacrifice required to compete at the highest level while remaining an operational firefighter. 

But perhaps most importantly, we talk about family, purpose, the possibility of eventually stepping away from competition and why becoming a good person matters far more to Duarte than any medal he could ever win. 

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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 assessment and standards development, including leading work on the world’s first inclusive PPE standard, and this conversation gets into the gap between something simply being compliant and it actually being fit for purpose, fit for the wearer and fit for the operational environment. 

We talk about the loss of experienced PPE knowledge as people retire, the importance of succession planning, wearer trials, standards, fit, inclusion, station wear, supplier engagement and how better questions can lead to better kit and safer outcomes. For anyone involved in firefighting, PPE, procurement, training, health and safety or leadership, I genuinely see this as essential CPD because understanding what we wear, why we wear it and how those decisions are made is fundamental to doing the job properly. 

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USEFUL LINKS MENTIONED:

www.wsiltd.co.uk

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliewilson01/

Inclusive PPE Standard & Companion Guide links from BSI:

https://knowledge.bsigroup.com/products/provision-of-inclusive-personal-protective-equipment-ppe-guide

https://www.bsigroup.com/en-GB/insights-and-media/insights/brochures/how-to-turn-bs30417-into-action-companion-guide/

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