Communicating with your local, state, and federal representatives is more important than ever in today’s political environment. Fortunately for the fire service, the Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI) works to educate members of Congress on the needs and challenges facing our nation’s fire and emergency services, helping them understand how federal support impacts local first responders.

In this Knox & Friends podcast episode, Michaela Campbell, the new Executive Director of CFSI, shares her insights on how first responders can make their voices heard, the keys to successful advocacy in the nation’s capital, and much more.

Mike Morgan is very involved in the fire industry. From being on the board of the National Association of State Fire Marshals to being heavily engaged with the volunteer firefighting community, Mike still makes time to lead the fire service programs in his home state of Colorado. One thing that currently has him concerned is the attack on model codes and standards. Hear from Mike on this issue, as well as the importance of grooming new leaders, attracting and retaining volunteers, the growth of wildfires, and more in this podcast.    

Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell recently concluded her tenure as the U.S. Fire Administrator. Over the past four years, she used her position to drive change and advocate fiercely for firefighters. She joins Knox & Friends to discuss how she got into the fire service, where her passion comes from, why NERIS is so important, who she looks up to, what’s next for her, and much more.

In this podcast, Kelly Ransdell discusses her plans as NFPA’s new Director of Public Education and where her passion for public education comes from. One of her priorities includes the continuing development of the Steps for Safety program, which pairs fire and EMS professionals with community partners to educate older adults about home fire and fall safety through group presentations and home visits.

What turned out to be a false alarm at a school got local agencies in Columbus (Georgia) talking about delayed access. That led to discussions among various departments, including the fire department, Homeland Security department, police and sheriff departments, and school district. The result was the initiation of a Knox eLock Program throughout Columbus. What could have been a complicated, time-consuming endeavor to get off the ground instead went smoothly. Learn how the program became a partnership and a “no-brainer” in this Knox & Friends podcast.

Kyle Green, fire marshal with the University of Alaska Fairbanks, has spent his entire fire service career in Alaska—and he wouldn’t change a thing. In this podcast, Kyle discusses the unique challenges of fighting fires in Alaska and how the university he works at is facing today’s fire and life safety issues head-on. Kyle also shares his tips on visiting Alaska and what he loves most about the state. 

Chief Ron Siarnicki recently retired as the Executive Director of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF). The reins of the NFFF have been passed to Victor Stagnaro, who joined Knox & Friends to discuss his past involvement with the NFFF, how he plans to fill the "big shoes" left by Ron, the significant role of the NFFF in the fire service industry, the NFFF's launch of the "Expand Your Legacy: Become a Living Kidney Donor" campaign, and much more.

The latest electronic advancements from Knox have opened up new opportunities for Knox to expand beyond fire departments. In fact, an increasing number of commercial businesses are realizing that the Knox eLock System can provide significant benefits within their safety and security framework. In this episode, Jeramie Morris of Dow discusses the challenges and issues facing today’s fire and life safety professionals in the private sector. 

After a critical injury while preparing for a training drill, FDNY firefighter William (Billy) Moon succumbed to his injuries and passed away at the age of forty-seven. His wife, Kristina, carried out Billy’s wishes to donate his organs to help others. In this podcast, Kristina discusses Billy’s legacy and the transformative gift of being an organ donor. Her story increases awareness and education about the need for organ donors among first responders. The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and the Knox Company collaborated in the development of Expand Your Legacy – Become a Living Kidney Donor, a campaign that includes a powerful four-part video series with a segment featuring Kristina Moon. The video series firehero.org/2023/08/16/living-kidney-donors/ includes stories of two firefighters that received a kidney from a live donor within their fire department family, along with the story of Knox CEO Joni Trempala, and her journey as she waits for a kidney donor.

NASFMs new “Bridging the Gap – Preparing Your Jurisdiction for Civil Unrest”  guide and training course focuses on educating and preparing fire marshals, inspectors, and code officials on proactively mitigating firefighter safety issues and fire damage before civil unrest incidents occur. An important takeaway from the podcast is the importance of jurisdictions requiring the installation of Knox FDC Locks™ , Knox Standpipe Locks®, and Knox Storz Locks® to protect fire protection systems and hydrants during protests and demonstrations.