Today we are joined by John Gregory & Chris Trendowicz from the British Firefighter Challenge organizer team.

This episode is part of a "Mini-series" specifically committed to the British Firefighter Challenge competition. Over the next few months running up to their 2021 competition, we will be having a few episodes where different members of the BFC team including organizers, competitors and others involved come onto the podcast to help listeners and fans to learn more about the competition and to share in the excitement as they look to come back in 2021 with a BANG.

In this episode we discuss how it all started, how have the BFC team have kept going during the pandemic, whats training techniques can competitors adopt to be ready and also what's happening in the preparation as we look forward to the competition of BFC 2021.

We hope you enjoy listening

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Oliver is CEO of Venari group who are the number one UK manufacturer of ambulances and fire service vehicles.

In this episode, we go deep into his past and discover how he has developed his passionate approach to his work with bulletproof morales and an unwavering commitment to his team.

We also discuss marginal gains, mental resilience, pride in UK manufacturing, character building & so much more.

This was an incredible insight into how our vehicles get onto the front line for emergency responders and gives me immense pride as a firefighter based in the UK to see so much of this coming back to our soil.

Thankyou for listening & we hope you enjoy

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Episode #048 Stef Douglas Passion, The Fire Service & Work-Life Balance

Stef Douglas is a member of the UK fire and rescue service and in this episode we discuss......

- being proud, not arrogant
- mental health in his career when he has felt like he was floundering and needed support
- leadership and how it is a product of your environment
- our drive to be excellent in the fire service and how this can be coupled to an associated criticism
- his specialism as a hazardous materials adviser and what a hazmat officer's role includes

This is another jam-packed episode and we feel very grateful to have Stef share his passion with us on the podcast.

We hope you enjoy listening

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Kevin is a fantastic example of the incredibly diverse work done by firefighters all across the world.

In this episode he talks to us about.....................

- Training to be a firefighter diver
- The  hardcore3 day recruitment process in the forest with military trainers
- Practicing and being tested on swims and breath holds
- Attending incidents and performing time critical rescues

This is such a great insight into the wider fireservice and we really loved having Kevin on the podcast.

We hope you enjoy listening 

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Margaret is a volunteer firefighter based in Dorsey, Illinois USA where she serves her community.

She came from a previous career in the air force where she served for 15 years. In this episode we talk about her journey as a new recruit, learning from the team and developing her confidence as she balances her commitment to the fire service with a family, career and other hobbies.

We discuss the difference's in the role as a firefighter vs other firefighter roles across the world, the incidents she has attended as well as the first fatal incident she attended and how this affected her.

Margaret brings an amazing amount of honesty to this episode and is an inspiring firefighter and female for those looking to learn more about a career in the fire service. Speaking about her setbacks, her wins and how much she is discovering her passion for the job really comes accross during our chat.

Thankyou  for listening and a huge thankyou to Margaret for coming on the show.

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Returning to the podcast is John Macdonald as we discuss Breathing apparatus & Compartment Firefighting.

Fire behaviour refers to the manner in which materials break down, fuel ignites, flame develops and fire spreads.

Firefighters can enter into these environments as part of their day to day roles and on this episode we hear how their training and knowledge of this dangerous environment keeps them alive.

Thankyou for listening and we hope you enjoy the episode 

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Episode #045 Jessey Wooding - Following Your Passion

Jessey is an inspiring, driven & passionate member of his community and at the time of recording is applying to join the UK fire service at the age of 19.

His passion for the fire service started from a very young age living across the road from one of the busiest fire stations in his area. 

He saw first hand the amazing work carried out by the firefighters on a daily basis and began to get involved in a youth group ran by the fire service which has now become known as fire cadets.

Jessey bravely shares some of the setbacks he has overcome and challenges with his mental health and how his connection to the fire service has given him the self-confidence, support, and inspiration to keep pursuing his life-long goal of joining the fire service.

This is such a motivational episode for anyone who has a teenager struggling to find or follow their passion in life. 

Jessey demonstrates a self-awareness and approach to his personal development that I believe is rarely seen in people his age. I am confident Jessey will be a tremendous asset to any fire service that he is successful in joining in the coming years.

We hope you enjoy listening

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Kev Ruane has one of the most internationally far-reaching careers in the fire service I have ever heard of.

I had the pleasure of becoming friends with Kev a few years ago as part of his work with the British Firefighter Challenge team.

Fitness is just one of Kev's passions and today we discuss his competitive passions, his work transporting fire service vehicles and equipment to war-torn countries and his work as an international liaison in so many aspects of fire service life.

For anyone who is unaware of the endless opportunities available in the fire service for someone who is resourceful and passionate then this episode is a real eye-opener.

We hope you enjoy listening.

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In this episode Callum discusses some of the challenges his service has faced during the pandemic before going into detail about his commitment to bringing pride and positivity back to the Fire service.

Leicestershire Fire & Rescue are also currently recruiting at time of producing this episode and Callum talks of their potential plans to recruit for perhaps the next 5 years so we talk about some of the essential attributes needed to become one of the community-minded firefighters they are looking to bring into the service.

With a huge focus back on leadership and development within his service Callum speaks of how the firefighters they recruit today could very likely be the future Chief fire officers of tomorrow.

This is a great episode for anyone looking to apply for the fire service and we hope this inspires and helps you in your journey.

For information about Leicestershire Fire & Rescue service's current recruitment head over to their website - https://leics-fire.gov.uk/

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Alex Johnson is Chief fire officer of South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue and also one of the true ambassadors for women in the fire service.

In this podcast we discuss her career journey to CFO and also challenges faced by fire services in the UK.

Alex speaks passionately about her love for the fire service, her leadership style, how she supports her team and some of the ways she has navigated her career aswell as the people, organizations and experiences that have supported and shaped her along the way.

We really thank Alex for coming on the podcast to inspire those looking to follow in her footsteps and we thank you for listening. 

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