This week on The Cool Fireman Podcast, the crew tackles one of the biggest challenges firefighters face—and it has nothing to do with fighting fires.

What starts as a listener question about rank and responsibility quickly turns into a powerful conversation about leadership, sacrifice, family, and the pressure that comes with serving others. From firefighters on the engine to chief officers answering calls long after they leave the station, the discussion explores how every rank carries a different kind of responsibility.

One of the most impactful moments comes when Matt says:

"The hardest thing you'll ever do is look in the mirror and be honest."

Brian builds on that thought by explaining that firefighters are often addicted to service. Even on their days off, many struggle to stop helping others, answer one more phone call, volunteer for one more responsibility, or put the job ahead of themselves and their families. The crew discusses why balance is one of the hardest lessons to learn in the fire service.

In This Episode:

- Why leadership becomes more complicated with every promotion

- The sacrifices families make that often go unnoticed

- The importance of perspective across every rank

- Why firefighters struggle to disconnect from the job

- Looking in the mirror and taking honest accountability

- How service can become an addiction

- Why empathy matters more than assumptions

- Finding balance between faith, family, and the fire service

Also in this episode:

- Welcome to our newest Patreon Engineer members

- July Patreon Perks giveaway announcement

- Little Station 5 collaboration update

- Burn Box and FD Collectors Club highlights

- Unkie's Seasoning updates and upcoming releases

- Listener mail discussing PTSD, firefighter photos, and social media professionalism

- Preview of next week's discussion on firefighter hobbies and life outside the station

This episode is a reminder that while firefighters dedicate their lives to serving others, true leadership starts with being honest with yourself.

If you're a firefighter, officer, volunteer, or anyone striving to lead well, this conversation is one you won't want to miss.

Support The Cool Fireman Podcast
Join our Patreon community for bonus episodes, behind-the-scenes content, Turnout Drills, and monthly Patreon Perks giveaways.

#Firefighter #FireService #Leadership #FirefighterPodcast #TheCoolFiremanPodcast #FirefighterLife #FirstResponder #Firehouse #LeadershipDevelopment #MentalHealth #SelfReflection #FireCaptain #Brotherhood #VolunteerFirefighter #CareerFirefighter #FireDepartment #StationLife #FaithFamilyFire #PersonalGrowth #FirehouseCulture

This week on The Cool Fireman Podcast, Matt, Brian, and Adam tackle one of the most controversial topics in the fire service:

🚒 When does sharing become oversharing?

The conversation dives into firefighter social media use, taking photos at incidents, off-duty conduct, and whether firefighters should be held accountable for what they post online. What starts as a discussion about a recent fire service controversy turns into a deeper conversation about professionalism, public trust, and representing the badge both on and off duty.

• Should firefighters take photos at fire scenes?
• Where is the line between pride and poor judgment?
• Should firefighters be disciplined for off-duty social media posts?
• Does social media help or hurt the fire service?
• Why public perception matters more than ever
• The responsibility that comes with wearing the badge
• Firehouse traditions vs. modern-day scrutiny
• The power of professionalism on and off duty

• Patreon Perks winner shoutouts
• Benjamin Fry's Turn Out Drill answers
• The great pineapple-on-pizza debate 🍍🍕
• Favorite smells, mountain air, diesel fuel, and pipe tobacco
• New Patreon members and upcoming giveaways
• Little Station 5 collaboration announcement
• Updates from Unkie's Seasoning and Burn Box sponsors

The crew answers listener questions about:

• Fire service rank and family sacrifice
• Firefighter hobbies and off-duty activities
• Volunteer firefighter jokes (again...)
• Future episode ideas from the audience

Whether you're a career firefighter, volunteer, officer, or probationary firefighter, this episode is guaranteed to make you think about how we represent ourselves, our departments, and the fire service as a whole.

🔥 Join the conversation and let us know:

Should firefighters be disciplined for off-duty social media posts?

Support the Podcast:
Patreon: Exclusive behind-the-scenes content, Turn Out Drills, monthly giveaways, and more.

Sponsors:

• Unkie's Seasoning
• Burn Box
• Little Station 5

#Firefighter #FireService #Firehouse #SocialMedia #TheCoolFiremanPodcast #FirefighterLife #Leadership #FirstResponder #FireDepartment #FirefighterPodcast #Professionalism #VolunteerFirefighter #CareerFirefighter #FirehouseCulture #Brotherhood #FireRescue #EmergencyServices #FirefighterTraining #Podcast #FirehouseKitchenTable

In This Episode:Patreon & Community UpdatesSnail Mail

🚒 Would You Rather: White Shirt Edition Returns! 🚒

The boys are back with another round of firefighter debates, hot takes, and leadership conversations that hit a little deeper than usual.

This episode starts with some housekeeping, sponsor updates, Patreon shoutouts, and a heartfelt tribute to fallen firefighter Chief Harold Osborne before diving headfirst into a series of thought-provoking "True or False" discussions.

Topics include:

🔥 Are the best firefighters usually the quietest?
🔥 Is your reputation built more in the station or on the fireground?
🔥 Do firefighters eventually become the people they once complained about?
🔥 Can accountability and brotherhood truly coexist?
🔥 Are most leadership problems actually communication problems?
🔥 Does failure help people discover their purpose?
🔥 Who sacrifices more for a firefighter's career—the firefighter or their family?

The conversation gets real as Matt, Brian, and Unkie share personal experiences about leadership, promotion, family life, communication, and the realities of serving in the fire service. One of the most powerful discussions of the night centers around the sacrifices made by firefighter families and why they may be the true unsung heroes of the profession.

Plus, in this week's Snail Mail segment, the crew answers a listener's question about becoming a firefighter at 45 years old and why it's never too late to pursue a career that matters.

Featured Sponsors

🔥 Unkie's Seasoning
🔥 FD Collectors Club
🔥 Burn Box

Patreon Perks

Special thanks to our newest Engineer Tier member and congratulations to this month's Patreon Perks winner! We also preview some exciting upcoming giveaways with Little Station Five.

💬 Question of the Week:
True or False: Our families sacrifice more for our fire service careers than we do.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

🚒 Stay safe. Stay salty. Stay Cool.

Hot Take Meter: Are We Setting the Internet on Fire?

This week, the entire crew is back together—Matt, Doug, Brian, and Unkie—for a brand-new game called Hot Take Meter. Every statement gets ranked as a Cold Take, Warm Take, Hot Take, or Nuclear Take, and the guys aren't holding back.

From rookie cell phone policies and firehouse traditions to chiefs riding rigs and the ever-controversial topic of vertical ventilation, this episode dives headfirst into some of the fire service's most debated topics. Some takes spark healthy discussion. Others threaten to melt the comment section.

In This Episode:

🔥 Should rookies stay off their phones during shift?
🔥 Are firehouse traditions disappearing—and is that a good thing?
🔥 The surprising debate around vertical ventilation and modern fireground operations.
🔥 Should chiefs still ride rigs occasionally?
🔥 Uniform policies, professionalism, and firehouse culture.
🔥 A Patreon Turnout Drill winner is selected live!
🔥 June Patreon Perks winner Benjamin Fry gets his Burn Box package.
🔥 Little Station 5 joins forces with The Cool Fireman Podcast to sponsor July's Patreon Perks package.

Patreon Updates

A huge thank you to all of our Patreon supporters! This month’s Patreon Perks winner is Benjamin Fry, and July’s giveaway is being sponsored by our friends at Little Station 5 (Quinn and Travis) with an exclusive merch package.

Join Patreon today:

• Rookie Tier – $1/month
• Engineer Tier – $2/month (includes monthly giveaway eligibility)

Honoring Our Fallen

This episode also takes a moment to honor fallen firefighters:

• Josh Morgan
• Demair Lloyd
• Robert B.K. Kildruff Jr.

As well as K9 Knight and all first responders lost in the line of duty.

Question of the Week

What's your hottest fire service take?

Drop it in the comments and let us know if it's:
❄️ Cold
🌤️ Warm
🔥 Hot
☢️ Nuclear

🎙️ Subscribe, rate, and share the show.
🔥 Support the podcast at The Cool Fireman Podcast Patreon.
🚒 Follow us on social media for clips, giveaways, and behind-the-scenes content.

#FirefighterPodcast #TheCoolFiremanPodcast #HotTakeMeter #FirehouseCulture #FireService #FirefighterLife #TruckCompany #Leadership #FirefighterTraining #FirstResponder

🔥 WOULD YOU RATHER: FIREHOUSE EDITION 🔥

This week Matt and Doug bring back one of the podcast’s favorite formats with another hilarious and brutally honest game of “Would You Rather?” — firehouse style 👊

The guys debate everything from lazy firefighters vs know-it-alls, strict policy vs complete chaos, old salty captains vs overly motivated new captains, and whether respect from your crew matters more than admin approval 😂

Along the way they dive into:
🚒 Firehouse culture and leadership
🚒 Freelancing vs accountability on the fireground
🚒 EMS life and ambulance burnout
🚒 Old school experience vs new school motivation
🚒 Cooking at the station vs doing dishes
🚒 Promotions, trust, and earning respect
🚒 Retirement conversations in the fire service
🚒 Why freelancing can get firefighters hurt

The episode also includes:
🔥 Patreon Perks winner announcement
🔥 Updates from Unkie’s Seasoning and Burn Box
🔥 Snail Mail listener comments
🔥 Discussion on firefighter sleep deprivation and wellness

This one is packed with laughs, honest opinions, firehouse banter, and plenty of controversial takes that every firefighter can relate to.

👇 Drop your answers in the comments:
Would YOU rather work with a lazy firefighter or a know-it-all firefighter? 👀

🎙️ The Cool Fireman Podcast

#FirefighterPodcast #FirefighterLife #WouldYouRather #FirehouseHumor #Leadership #EMS #TheCoolFiremanPodcast

This week on The Cool Fireman Podcast, the crew sits down with Megan from Finergy Fuel Energy Drink to talk about building a firefighter family business, balancing marriage and kids while chasing big goals, and creating a healthier energy drink option for first responders and people constantly on the go.

Megan shares the real behind-the-scenes struggles of starting a business from scratch while raising two kids under two, supporting a firefighter husband, and trying to grow a brand without losing sight of what matters most.

The crew also dives into:
⚡ The truth about the energy drink industry
⚡ Why ingredients and formulation matter
⚡ Building a business while balancing family life
⚡ Social media struggles for small businesses
⚡ Supporting firefighter-owned companies
⚡ Long nights, stress, and staying grounded
⚡ Funny debates about pineapple pizza 🍍😂
⚡ The realities of entrepreneurship in the fire service community

This episode is packed with laughs, honest conversations, business insight, and motivation for anyone trying to build something meaningful while juggling real life.

🎙️ Featuring:
• Megan from Finergy Fuel
• Brian
• Unkie
• Matt

👇 Check out Finergy Fuel online and support firefighter-family-owned businesses!

#FirefighterPodcast #SmallBusiness #Entrepreneur #FirefighterLife #EnergyDrink #Firewife #FirstResponderLife #TheCoolFiremanPodcast

This week on The Cool Fireman Podcast, the crew sits down with Rescue 1 CBD founder and firefighter/paramedic Jon Vought to have a REAL conversation about firefighter sleep deprivation, inflammation, recovery, and the stigma surrounding C*D in the fire service.

Jon shares how a devastating foot surgery, long-term opioid use, and terrible sleep led him down the path of creating a firefighter-focused CD company specifically designed to help first responders WITHOUT risking failed drug tests. The crew dives deep into:
🔥 The difference between C*D and T*C
🔥 Why firefighters struggle with sleep
🔥 How cannabinoids affect circadian rhythm
🔥 Pain relief vs inflammation relief
🔥 Nicotine pouches, sleep health, and recovery
🔥 Drug testing myths in the fire service
🔥 Why Rescue 1 CBD became the first firefighter-tested C*D company studied by universities

The conversation gets nerdy, hilarious, and incredibly informative as the guys break down how poor sleep is impacting firefighters everywhere — and what we can actually do about it.

Plus, Jon survives the Turnout Drill with questions about chili beans, challenge coins, and helicopter flying. 😂

👨‍🚒 Guest: Jon Vought
🌐 Rescue1CBD.com
📲 Instagram: @rescue1cbd

As always, thank you for supporting The Cool Fireman Podcast.
Like, subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with your crew! 🔥🚒

#TheCoolFiremanPodcast #Firefighter #CBD #FireService #MentalHealth #SleepDeprivation #FirstResponder #FirefighterWellness #Recovery #Podcast #FirehouseCulture #EMS #Paramedic #HealthAndWellness #Brotherhood

In this powerful episode, the crew sits down with Australian former police officer, detective, wellness coach, and first responder advocate Erin Jane for an honest conversation about firefighter mental health, relationships, burnout, trauma, and resilience.

Erin shares her journey from law enforcement in Australia to becoming a first responder wellness coach in the United States after meeting her firefighter husband in Berlin. She opens up about losing her father to suicide, volunteering on crisis hotlines, and why she felt called to create a space where first responders can talk openly without judgment.

The crew dives deep into “cab therapy” and kitchen table conversations in the firehouse — why firefighters use dark humor to cope, why those conversations matter, and why sometimes they still aren’t enough. Matt talks about missing the firehouse camaraderie while recovering from a heart attack and how the laughs inside the engine cab can become part of the healing process.

Erin explains the importance of being intentional about wellness, from creating routines and exercising first thing in the morning to grounding yourself, decompressing after shift, and learning how to recognize stress before it spirals into burnout, divorce, addiction, or worse.

The conversation also explores:

• The physiological effects of trauma and sleep deprivation
• Why first responders struggle to ask for help
• Fear of stigma, losing careers, or appearing weak
• How communication impacts firefighter marriages
• Why resentment can destroy relationships
• The importance of self-awareness and emotional regulation
• The reality of chronic sleep deprivation in the fire service
• Healthy coping strategies vs. maladaptive behaviors

Doug asks Erin what firefighters and cops are best at hiding, and her answer hits hard: fear. The crew discusses how many first responders silently carry stress, trauma, and emotional exhaustion while pretending everything is fine.

The episode balances heavy topics with plenty of laughs, including Erin introducing the now legendary “Sodomy Scale” — a humorous communication system she and her firefighter husband use to explain how rough a shift was without needing to relive every detail.

The crew also talks about:
🔥 Firehouse culture
🔥 Relationships in the first responder world
🔥 Intentional wellness practices
🔥 Trauma awareness for new firefighters
🔥 The importance of recognizing warning signs early
🔥 Why asking for help is not weakness

Erin also shares details about:
🎧 The Thin Line Rock Station
🎙️ Her podcast I’ll Hold Space for Your Darkness
🚒 The upcoming 24-hour live fundraiser supporting first responder mental health initiatives and suicide prevention organizations.

As always, the episode wraps up with laughs, turnout drill questions, and classic Cool Fireman Podcast banter.

Follow Erin Jane:
📲 Instagram: @erinjanecoaching
🌐 erinjanecoaching.com
🎧 The Thin Line Rock Station

🔥 Roll it, GG.

In this episode of The Cool Fireman Podcast, the guys circle back on a topic that sparked a lot of conversation—the “family feel” of the firehouse.

After some feedback from listeners, they take a step back from the negativity and bring it back to what really matters: how the fire service shows up when one of its own is going through something tough.

From injuries and family emergencies to extended time away from work, this episode dives into the real ways firefighters support each other—both on and off the job.

🔥 In This Episode

Why the “firehouse family” isn’t gone—it’s what you make it

Real story: Supporting a crew member during a child’s medical emergencyMeal trains, check-ins, and the small things that make a big impactDepartment policies: sick leave, donated leave, and light duty assignmentsThe importance of accident insurance and financial preparedness

Why younger firefighters need to understand the benefits early

How different departments handle injuries (on-duty vs. off-duty)Maintaining firehouse culture despite phones, new stations, and changing times

💡 Key Takeaways

The firehouse culture may look different—but the brotherhood is still there

Support doesn’t have to be big—a text, visit, or meal goes a long way

Protect yourself: insurance, benefits, and planning matter more than you think

Culture is built intentionally—it doesn’t just happen anymore

When life hits hard, the fire service still shows up 👊

🧯 Housekeeping

New Patreon members welcomed (free + paid tiers)

🔥 May Patreon Perks Winner: William “Crummy” Crumpacker

Patreon continues to grow—thank you to everyone supporting the show

Plans in the works for live podcast recordings and audience interaction

🤝 Sponsors

• Unkie’s Seasoning
• The Burn Box – firefighter subscription gear

🕊️ Moment of Silence

A moment of silence is held for first responders lost this past week, with a reminder to properly honor those we may have missed in future episodes.

📬 Snail Mail

Listener engagement continues to grow across platforms

Feedback on firehouse culture debate

Conversations around generational differences in the fire service

FDIC shoutouts and community connections

💬 Final Thought

The firehouse family isn’t dead.

It just looks different now.

And at the end of the day…
it’s still about showing up for your people when they need it most.

👇 Question for You

👉 Have you seen your department step up for someone in a tough situation?

Drop your story—we’re reading them.

🚒 FDIC 2026 Special Episode

The guys are coming to you straight from Indianapolis for a special FDIC 2026 episode—recorded live after long days on the convention floor. This one is raw, unfiltered, and exactly what you’d expect when you put the crew together in the same house after a full week at the biggest fire service conference in the country.

🔥 What FDIC Is Really Like

In this episode, they break down what FDIC is really like and why it’s often called the “Super Bowl” of the fire service. From the moment you walk into the convention center, it’s nonstop energy—thousands of firefighters, vendors, classes, and departments from all over the world. The guys share their experience working the booth with Burn Box and the FD Collectors Club, including the chaos of selling gear, building custom boxes, running back and forth for inventory, and trying to keep up with the constant flow of people.

🤝 The Power of the Fire Service Community

They also talk about what makes events like this so important. It’s not just about the tools or the classes—it’s about the people. Meeting listeners face-to-face, connecting with subscribers, and building relationships with other firefighter-owned businesses was one of the biggest highlights of the week. From shaking hands with familiar names to meeting firefighters from across the country and even around the world, it reinforced what the fire service is all about: community.

💼 Behind the Booth & The Grind

The conversation dives into the reality of balancing firehouse life with running a business, especially at this level. There’s a lot of pressure, a lot of moving parts, and a lot of money on the line—but at the end of the day, it comes down to taking care of people and delivering something they believe in. The guys also share some behind-the-scenes stories from the booth, including giveaways, mystery prizes, and a few moments that perfectly sum up the controlled chaos of the week.

🕊️ Remembering 9/11

They take a moment to recognize the 25-year remembrance of 9/11, honoring all the lives lost that day and the continued impact it has had on the fire service. It’s a reminder of the deeper purpose behind everything they do and the brotherhood that connects them all.

🎁 Patreon & Support

There are also shoutouts to new Patreon members and a reminder that the next episode will feature the upcoming Patreon Perks drawing. If you’re not part of it yet, it’s a great way to support the show and get access to exclusive content and giveaways.

💬 Final Takeaway

At the end of the day, this episode reinforces one thing: FDIC isn’t just about gear or training—it’s about the people, the relationships, and pushing the fire service forward. If you’ve ever been, you already know. And if you haven’t, this gives you a front-row seat to what it’s all about.

👇 Join the Conversation

If you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to follow, leave a review, and share it with your crew. And if you’ve been to FDIC before—what was your biggest takeaway?