The Weekly Scrap, Firefighter Podcast

Kevin Shea is on The Weekly Scrap!

I’ve been trying for a LONG time to land this white whale, and he has finally agreed to come on the Scrap! If you’re familiar with Kevin Shea, you already know why I’ve been chasing this one for so long

Retired FDNY Lieutenant with more than 40 years in the fire service as both a volunteer and professional firefighter. Kevin's career includes time with Rescue Company 1 in Manhattan and involvement in one of the most incredible roof-rope rescues in FDNY history.

Two years later, Kevin was operating with Rescue 1 at the 1993 World Trade Center bombing when he fell more than 40 feet into the blast crater while searching for a reported victim and was critically injured.

He has spent decades sharing his experience with the fire service, teaching firefighting and technical rescue to state, county, and municipal agencies, as well as the military and private industry. He continues to share his knowledge through Glacier Rescue Solutions, his involvement with FDIC, and as a contributing author for Fire Engineering.

I’ve waited a long time for this conversation, and I appreciate all the questions the live audiance brings to the show every single week.

Episode 376 goes LIVE Tuesday, October 6th with Kevin Shea and is made possible by our incredible sponsors:

Snap-tite Hose

Fire Station Furniture

Fire Innovations - Check out fireinnovations.com/weeklyscrap featuring the new Osprey - an NFPA certified carabiner and ladder hook, that fits in the palm of your hand and opens with a simple twist.

UL Research Institutes' Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI) - Visit the dedicated page created specifically for Weekly Scrap listeners, giving you access to some of the best firefighter research and training resources available at fsri.org/weeklyscrap.

Sean Duffy is BACK on The Weekly Scrap!

Sean has been part of some great Scrap conversations over the years, and every time he comes on, he knocks it out of the park. 

Serving in the fire service since 2004, Sean has built a reputation around search, training, fireground performance, and building a culture that puts the mission first. He’s the founder of the Great Lakes HOT Fire Conference, co-founder of Build Your Culture, and has spent years teaching firefighters across the country and internationally.

In his previous Scrap appearances, we’ve dug into Searchable vs. Survivable, Search and Culture, and the Mega Scrap Echo discussion surrounding OSHA and two-in/two-out. If you haven’t heard those episodes, go back and check them out.

This time around, we’re digging into “training for reality,” SEARCH, and why “policies are our playbook.” There’s a lot of knowledge and experience to pull from with Sean, and it was awesome to dive into.

Fire Innovations

IdentiFire - Use code VIGILANCE for 10% off your order.

Snap-tite Hose

UL Research Institutes' Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI) - Visit the dedicated page created specifically for Weekly Scrap listeners, giving you access to some of the best firefighter research and training resources available at fsri.org/weeklyscrap.

If you want to talk about standards, getting outside your comfort zone, finding your why, and taking ownership of your career, there was plenty to get into with Jeff.

Jeff is an Engine Company Boss in Naples, Florida, now in his 11th year in the fire service after serving 10 years in the United States Marine Corps. He has continued to push himself through some of the most demanding training opportunities out there and now gives back as a cadre member and instructor with Proactive Rescue Operations (PRO).

Just a few of the things we enjoyed digging into: what Jeff calls the “reset button,” getting comfortable being uncomfortable, and finding your “why.” What drives you to sign up for something difficult? What keeps you going when the voice in your head starts telling you to quit?

We’ll also talk about taking ownership of your career path — stepping outside the comfort of your own organization, putting yourself in situations where you’re measured against a different standard, and being willing to find out where you really stand.

And of course, LIVE audience.

Episode 374 goes LIVE Tuesday, September 22nd with Jeff Colon and is made possible by our incredible sponsors:

Fire Station Furniture

Snap-tite Hose

UL Research Institutes' Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI) — Visit the dedicated page created specifically for Weekly Scrap listeners, giving you access to some of the best firefighter research and training resources available at fsri.org/weeklyscrap.

This week on The Weekly Scrap... Chief Mike Salzano!

Talking firefighting, training, engine company operations, and leadership, there’s plenty to get into on this episode.

Mike brings nearly three decades of experience in the fire service, with much of his career spent in engine companies. Today, he serves as a Battalion Chief with Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue and continues to share that experience through training and teaching.

He's the owner of FS Training & Consulting, founder of the Fort Lauderdale Fire Expo, and has spent years teaching Engine Company Operations, including the MEGA — Make Engines Great Again class.

We cover a lot including engine company operations, the basics, first-line deployment, preparing for when things don’t go according to plan, leadership, and training. There was a lot of directions we could of taken this one, and with Mike’s experience and passion for the job, we had no shortage of things to discuss.

Mike was last on Episode 196, where we talked respect, leadership, developing others, communication, size-up, and plenty more. If you haven’t heard that Scrap, go back and give it a listen before Episode 373.

And of course the live audience brought the heat!!!! 🤘🤘

Episode 373 was recorded LIVE Tuesday, September 15th with Mike Salzano and was made possible by our incredible sponsors:

Snap-tite Hose

IdentiFire — Use code VIGILANCE for 10% off your order.

UL Research Institutes' Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI) — Visit the dedicated page created specifically for Weekly Scrap listeners, giving you access to some of the best firefighter research and training resources available at fsri.org/weeklyscrap.

This week on The Weekly Scrap... Chief Michael Terpak!

I’ve been looking forward to getting Mike back on the show, and we made it happen.

If you haven’t listened to his first appearance on Episode 87, now’s a good time to go back, give it a listen.

Mike Terpak has built an impressive career in the fire service and continues to share his knowledge and experience with others.

45 years in the fire service, 36 years with the Jersey City Fire Department, retiring as a Deputy Chief and City-Wide Tour Commander, author of six best-selling fire service books, instructor, educator, and retired adjunct professor in Fire Science.

He has spent decades studying the job, teaching it, writing about it, and continuing to give back to firefighters — both those new to the job and those looking to promote.

We talk fireground operations, knowing the basics, knowing your own backyard before worrying about someone else's, high-rise firefighting, and some of those fundamentals of the job that simply never change.

We also get into the promotional side of the fire service. Mike has spent years helping firefighters and fire officers prepare for that next step and has written extensively on both fireground operations and the promotional process.

With Mike’s experience, knowledge, and perspective, I have a feeling we’ll have no shortage of things to discuss.

And of course, LIVE audience brought the questions. 🤘🤘

Episode 372 with Mike Terpak is made possible by our incredible sponsors:

Snap-tite Hose

FireStation Furniture

UL Research Institutes' Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI) — Visit the dedicated page created specifically for Weekly Scrap listeners, giving you access to some of the best firefighter research and training resources available at fsri.org/weeklyscrap.

We’re adding a special episode of The Weekly Scrap this week for a good reason.

Episode 371 went LIVE Thursday, September 3rd—the same day The Romagus Papers officially releases. And we were joined by special guest Ian Bennett because his book "Learning to Burn" went live the very next day. We talk about both books, how they came together, and dive into some of the topics and conversations inside them.

And of course, the audience as always delivered!

Episode 371 is made possible by our incredible sponsors:

Snap-tite Hose

IdentiFire Safety — Use code VIGILANCE for 10% off your order.

UL Research Institutes' Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI) — Visit the dedicated page created specifically for Weekly Scrap listeners, giving you access to some of the best firefighter research and training resources available at fsri.org/weeklyscrap.

Jonathan brings nearly three decades in the fire service and a ton of time spent teaching and training firefighters. An instructor with Task Force One Inc. and Street-Smart Tactics, a member of the Frontier Fools, and has a passion for truck work, training, and making sure we pass this job on better than we found it.

We talked some shop; truck company operations, riding assignments, ventilation, company officer responsibilities, and training with intent.

We also dug into something Jonathan calls "Warehouse Management" - Keeping your own house in order. Looking inward when frustration sets in. Playing the long game. Staying mission focused. Taking care of your people. And becoming the kind of firefighter and leader you expect everyone else to be.

Of course, this was The Weekly Scrap, so the Audience took us down some rabbit holes. It was a fantastic, "Can Not Miss" Episode!

Episode 370 is made possible by our incredible sponsors:
Snap-tite Hose
FireStation Furniture
UL Research Institutes' Fire Safety Research Institute — Visit the dedicated page created specifically for Weekly Scrap listeners, giving you access to some of the best firefighter research and training resources available at fsri.org/weeklyscrap.

I am excited to have Gary Lane join me once again on the Scrap for a conversation that could go in a lot of different directions.

Gary has decades in the fire service, has been a state fire instructor since 2008, and is a member of the Brothers In Battle training cadre. He brings a lot of experience to the table, along with practical insight into where we are getting it right and where we could be doing it better.

We dig into hit-or-miss leadership and the toll it can take on morale, informal training and drills for busy departments, the lack of quality live fire training, and passion vs. competence.

But this is The Weekly Scrap, so you guys know how this works. The live audience and your big beautiful questions have a way of taking the conversation in directions we never planned. 

Episode 369 is made possible by our incredible sponsors:

Snap-tite Hose

IdentiFire Safety — Use code VIGILANCE for 10% off your order.

UL Research Institutes' Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI) — Visit the dedicated page created specifically for Weekly Scrap listeners, giving you access to some of the best firefighter research and training resources available at fsri.org/weeklyscrap.

My brother Nick Ledin steps in as special guest host, and I'm a little jealous as he got to sit down with Keith Stakes himself. 

Nick has spent years digging into civilian rescue data as a contributor to the Firefighter Rescue Survey, helping bring real-world data from thousands of reported rescues into the conversation about search and what that information can teach us about the job.

Keith has been right in the middle of research that continues to shape our understanding of the modern fireground. Keith is a Principal Research Engineer with UL Research Institutes' Fire Safety Research Institute and a fire protection engineer whose work focuses on fire service tactics, firefighter safety, and fireground operations.

Put these two together and buckle up. Listen in as they dig into NFPA 1700, the data surrounding search and rescue, and how research and real-world rescue data have impacted the fire service.

There is SO much information packed into this one.

Episode 368 is made possible by our incredible sponsors:  Snap-tite Hose   -   FireStation Furniture   -   and UL Research Institutes' Fire Safety Research Institute — Visit the dedicated page created specifically for Weekly Scrap listeners, giving you access to some of the best firefighter research and training resources available at fsri.org/weeklyscrap.

Larry Conley is on the Scrap, and what a great conversation. 

Larry has served more than thirty years in the fire service, and he's spent much of that time teaching and mentoring other firefighters. Now retired, Larry continues to invest his time in making the fire service better.

If you've followed his work, heard him teach, or listened to The Larry Conley Show, you know there are plenty of directions this conversation can go.

Leadership. Training. The job. The people. And the lessons earned over more than three decades in the fire service.

We'll have a plan...

But the live audience usually has other ideas.

Episode 367 is made possible by our incredible sponsors: Snap-tite Hose, IdentiFire Safety: Use code VIGILANCE to save 10% on any order, and the UL Research Institutes' Fire Safety Research Institute. Visit  a dedicated page just for Weekly Scrap listeners giving you access to one of the best firefighter research resources available - fsri.org/weeklyscrap