Firefighter Podcast

 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. 

Access all episodes, documents, GIVEAWAYS & debriefs HERE

Podcast Apparel, Hoodies, Flags, Mugs HERE

 Please check out our Partners supporting this episode are

William Wood Watches - Discount code FFPODCAST gives the user 10% off full range on website

PBI high-performance fabrics 

GORE-TEX Professional Clothing

MSA The Safety Company

JAFCO

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

***The views expressed in this episode are those of the individual speakers. Our partners are not responsible for the content of this episode and does not warrant its accuracy or completeness.***

Please support the podcast and its future by clicking HERE and joining our Patreon Crew

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. 

Access all episodes, documents, GIVEAWAYS & debriefs HERE

Podcast Apparel, Hoodies, Flags, Mugs HERE

 Please check out our Partners supporting this episode are

William Wood Watches - Discount code FFPODCAST gives the user 10% off full range on website

PBI high-performance fabrics 

GORE-TEX Professional Clothing

MSA The Safety Company

JAFCO

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/

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

***The views expressed in this episode are those of the individual speakers. Our partners are not responsible for the content of this episode and does not warrant its accuracy or completeness.***

Please support the podcast and its future by clicking HERE and joining our Patreon Crew

In this one-off episode I step away from our usual focus on trained emergency responders to explore what happens when ordinary people find themselves inside somebody else’s worst moment and choose to act. 

Through documented stories involving burning buildings, aircraft crashes, freezing water, terrorist attacks, wartime rescue networks and mass evacuations, I examine courage, initiative, sacrifice and the difficult line between bravery and recklessness. 

This is not an encouragement to take unnecessary risks, but a reminder that agency, leadership and meaningful action are not owned by rank, uniform or authority and that even the smallest decision to notice, speak up or step forward can change the direction of another person’s life. 

Access all episodes, documents, GIVEAWAYS & debriefs HERE

Podcast Apparel, Hoodies, Flags, Mugs HERE

 Please check out our Partners supporting this episode are

William Wood Watches - Discount code FFPODCAST gives the user 10% off full range on website

PBI high-performance fabrics 

GORE-TEX Professional Clothing

MSA The Safety Company

JAFCO

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

***The views expressed in this episode are those of the individual speakers. Our partners are not responsible for the content of this episode and does not warrant its accuracy or completeness.***

Please support the podcast and its future by clicking HERE and joining our Patreon Crew

Recorded in the appliance bays during our March 2026 visit to Atlanta, this episode offers a quick insight into Cobb County Fire and Emergency Services and one small part of the wider American fire service.

We discuss their specialist command and rescue capabilities, emergency medical provision, recruitment, training and personnel accountability.

The conversation also tackles some challenging operational questions. Would you enter without a hose line for a known life risk? How should firefighters balance immediate rescue against long-term health risks? Are accountability systems always proportionate to the resources available?

This was not a formal sit-down podcast. We were on a tight schedule preparing for the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb, so we captured the conversation while we had the opportunity.

A brief, honest look at the people, equipment and operational thinking inside Cobb County Fire.

Access all episodes, documents, GIVEAWAYS & debriefs HERE

Podcast Apparel, Hoodies, Flags, Mugs HERE

 Please check out our Partners supporting this episode are

William Wood Watches - Discount code FFPODCAST gives the user 10% off full range on website

PBI high-performance fabrics 

GORE-TEX Professional Clothing

MSA The Safety Company

JAFCO

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

***The views expressed in this episode are those of the individual speakers. Our partners are not responsible for the content of this episode and does not warrant its accuracy or completeness.***

Please support the podcast and its future by clicking HERE and joining our Patreon Crew

In this short solo episode, Im doing something a little different as one of the most common emails i get is about personal development tools - so here is one i think might be useful.

In this episode im going to revisit & explore Patrick Lencioni’s book The Ideal Team Player and its simple but powerful framework of being humble, hungry and smart. 

I look at how these three qualities can support your own personal and professional development, help you become a stronger and more valuable team player, and give leaders a practical way to develop healthier, more effective teams. 

I also examine what happens when one of these qualities is missing, why certain combinations can become damaging, and how the framework can be used as a mirror for self-reflection, a language for honest team conversations and a tool for building stronger organisations.

Access all episodes, documents, GIVEAWAYS & debriefs HERE

Podcast Apparel, Hoodies, Flags, Mugs HERE

 Please check out our Partners supporting this episode are

William Wood Watches - Discount code FFPODCAST gives the user 10% off full range on website

PBI high-performance fabrics 

GORE-TEX Professional Clothing

MSA The Safety Company

JAFCO

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

***The views expressed in this episode are those of the individual speakers. Our partners are not responsible for the content of this episode and does not warrant its accuracy or completeness.***

Please support the podcast and its future by clicking HERE and joining our Patreon Crew

In this episode, im joined by Chief Jason Caughey, a fire service leader with more than 30 years of experience and the Fire Chief of Laramie County Fire Authority in Wyoming, to explore the difference between simply training firefighters to complete tasks and genuinely developing people who can think, adapt, take ownership and act with confidence. 

Together, we examine high-agency leadership, measurable performance standards, psychological safety, servant leadership and the dangers of cultures that teach firefighters to wait for permission rather than solve problems. Jason also shares how his organisation recruits for humility, hunger and practical intelligence, why coaching should come before discipline, and how leaders can give people room to make mistakes without allowing standards to slip. It is a challenging conversation about creating firefighters and leaders who are confident enough to act, humble enough to listen and trusted enough to think.

FIND JASON HERE

Access all episodes, documents, GIVEAWAYS & debriefs HERE

Podcast Apparel, Hoodies, Flags, Mugs HERE

 Please check out our Partners supporting this episode are

William Wood Watches - Discount code FFPODCAST gives the user 10% off full range on website

PBI high-performance fabrics 

GORE-TEX Professional Clothing

MSA The Safety Company

JAFCO

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

***The views expressed in this episode are those of the individual speakers. Our partners are not responsible for the content of this episode and does not warrant its accuracy or completeness.***

Please support the podcast and its future by clicking HERE and joining our Patreon Crew

In this incident debrief, we examine the Boyd Street fire in Downtown Los Angeles, where what first appeared to be a routine commercial building fire rapidly escalated into a catastrophic fireball that injured 12 Los Angeles firefighters. We break down the building, the hidden hazards inside, the timeline of the response, the tactical decisions around entry and ventilation, the fire behaviour that led to the explosion, and the Mayday that followed. This episode explores the brutal consequences of unknown occupancy risk, ventilation-limited fire conditions, compressed gases, oxidisers, PPE limitations and the importance of listening when a building starts to tell you something is wrong. Boyd Street is not just an American incident; it is a global lesson for every firefighter, officer and fire service about pre-planning, situational awareness, command decision-making and the narrow margin between a routine job and a life-changing event. 

Access all episodes, documents, GIVEAWAYS & debriefs HERE

Podcast Apparel, Hoodies, Flags, Mugs HERE

 Please check out our Partners supporting this episode are

William Wood Watches - Discount code FFPODCAST gives the user 10% off full range on website

PBI high-performance fabrics 

GORE-TEX Professional Clothing

MSA The Safety Company

JAFCO

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

***The views expressed in this episode are those of the individual speakers. Our partners are not responsible for the content of this episode and does not warrant its accuracy or completeness.***

Please support the podcast and its future by clicking HERE and joining our Patreon Crew

 In this episode, we explore one of the fire service’s most persistent challenges: how we recruit, retain and properly support on-call and volunteer firefighters in a world that has changed faster than the systems designed to sustain them. Joined by Brittany Hollerbach, Emelie Lantz and Dr Steve Sadler, we look beyond the usual “people don’t want to volunteer anymore” narrative and ask whether the real issue is that the model itself no longer fits modern family life, employment pressures, rural communities, training demands and the wider risks of the job. From the unseen burden carried by families and primary employers, to smarter training, flexible roles, data-led workforce planning and the bravery needed from leaders to challenge outdated structures, this conversation digs into what it will actually take to build an on-call and volunteer fire service fit for the 21st century. 

Access all episodes, documents, GIVEAWAYS & debriefs HERE

Podcast Apparel, Hoodies, Flags, Mugs HERE

 Please check out our Partners supporting this episode are

William Wood Watches - Discount code FFPODCAST gives the user 10% off full range on website

PBI high-performance fabrics 

GORE-TEX Professional Clothing

MSA The Safety Company

JAFCO

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

***The views expressed in this episode are those of the individual speakers. Our partners are not responsible for the content of this episode and does not warrant its accuracy or completeness.***

Please support the podcast and its future by clicking HERE and joining our Patreon Crew

 In this incident debrief, we examine the two devastating fires at the Glasgow School of Art’s Mackintosh Building in 2014 and 2018, unpacking how heritage construction, hidden ventilation ducts, timber voids, compromised fire protection during restoration, delayed detection, and an unfinished water mist system combined to create one of the most painful fire safety lessons in modern UK firefighting. The episode explores the operational response, the difficult shift to defensive firefighting, the challenges of commanding a rapidly developing heritage building fire, and the uncomfortable gap between knowing a risk exists and actually implementing the solution before the next incident happens. 

Access all episodes, documents, GIVEAWAYS & debriefs HERE

Podcast Apparel, Hoodies, Flags, Mugs HERE

 Please check out our Partners supporting this episode are

William Wood Watches - Discount code FFPODCAST gives the user 10% off full range on website

PBI high-performance fabrics 

GORE-TEX Professional Clothing

MSA The Safety Company

JAFCO

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

***The views expressed in this episode are those of the individual speakers. Our partners are not responsible for the content of this episode and does not warrant its accuracy or completeness.***

Please support the podcast and its future by clicking HERE and joining our Patreon Crew

“Speak softly and carry a big stick” is more than Jared Vermeulen’s favourite quote it reflects the way he thinks about leadership, responsibility, and the modern fire officer. Born and raised in the blue-collar fishing town of Jupiter, Florida, Jared grew up around construction and was originally working towards a career in industrial design engineering before the fire service found him. 

After completing his technical training and emergency medical degree with PBCC, he was hired by the City of Boca Raton as a firefighter in 2007 and has never looked back. Now a fire officer with over a decade in the seat, multiple state certifications in technical rescue and hazardous materials mitigation, and the author of The Modern Fire Officer, Jared brings a grounded, practical, and deeply human perspective on what it means to communicate, motivate, and lead.

connect with Jared HERE

BUY HIS BOOKS HERE

Access all episodes, documents, GIVEAWAYS & debriefs HERE

Podcast Apparel, Hoodies, Flags, Mugs HERE

 Please check out our Partners supporting this episode are

William Wood Watches - Discount code FFPODCAST gives the user 10% off full range on website

PBI high-performance fabrics 

GORE-TEX Professional Clothing

MSA The Safety Company

JAFCO

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

***The views expressed in this episode are those of the individual speakers. Our partners are not responsible for the content of this episode and does not warrant its accuracy or completeness.***

Please support the podcast and its future by clicking HERE and joining our Patreon Crew