Joined on this episode by the one and only Jake Ryks, and here is a taste of the talking points we we’re planning to cover: the importance of training, inspiring the next generation to care, taking pride in the job, recruitment and retention, when it’s time to promote, what it means to truly be a “master firefighter,” department morale, leading by example, and what it means to be “the senior man.”

We’ll also talk about firehouse culture (hazing vs. just having fun), the importance of caring about the little things, not rushing your career goals, Jake’s mental health journey and his experience at the IAFF Center of Excellence, the fire story behind the awards he received in 2024, why the fire service matters so much to him, who should—and shouldn’t—be a firefighter, and how to walk the line between safe and “too safe,” and risky vs. “too risky.”

Enjoy!!!

This week, the Scrap was a little different. We filmed LIVE on location in Baton Rouge at the L.I.F.T. Fire Conference with special guests Bassel Ibrahim and Todd Edwards. (With Surprise guest Clyde Gordon)

Questions came from the YouTube audience and the live audience at L.I.F.T. An amazing evening with several surprises. 

It was an amazing evening and an unforgettable Live Scrap!

There is not a more sacred number in the United States Fire service than 343 and I did not want to treat this as just another episode. With this year marking the 25th anniversary of 9/11, it was important to approach Episode #343 with respect and honor. 

So with that said - this will be MEGA SCRAP FDNY! 

I will be joined by three of FDNY's best: Tom Richardson, Joe Jardin and Frank Leeb. Together they bring more than 115 years of combined experience to explore, dissect, dig-into and ask questions about! 

We will absolutely honor those who were lost. But that’s not the sole focus. We’ll also talk about the impact, the changes, and the challenges they faced and overcame throughout their careers. 

It was an incredible Scrap.  Enjoy.

Joined this week by Mr. Fully Involved himself, the one and only Mark vonAppen.  It promises to be an awesome conversation as one of my most influential mentors comes back on the Scrap!  We discuss how decisions made at the mid-level shape culture, trust, and long-term performance within organizations. How he likes to  emphasizes accountability without ego, discipline without arrogance, and the idea that credibility is built through consistent action, not position. We planned to address the challenges firefighters face: ethical gray areas, top-down pressure, burnout, and the tension between policy and people. Of course as always the best thought out topics of me and the guest got beutifully hijacked by the wonderful questions from the audience.  Enjoy the episode!!!

Joined this week by the one and only Chris Watson.  It was an interesting conversation for sure! We dove deep into transferring knowledge, not just skills. The big question: Are we really doing enough for the next generation of firefighters? Mentoring and how much he learned from his mentors and how that impacted him to pass it on. Chris is also passionate about sharing knowledge beyond the firehouse, especially with the public - and  why fostering relationships with all stakeholders matters more than ever. He brings a unique perspective on how small, seemingly minor interactions can compound over time into massive wins for any organization. And of course, as always, the audience questions drove the Scrap! Pull up. Let’s scrap.

Joined this week by the one and only Phil Jose.
The first time Phil came on the show, I was out of the country and had Rob Fisher step in as guest host.  I enjoyed listening to that Scrap so much and knew I had to bring Phil back for another round. We talk a lot about tactical decision games, and the lessons he has learned after building and running them for years. The pitfalls to avoid and the best ways to go about setting up your own. Of course, as always the direction of the discussion was driven by the amazing questions from the audience. Let’s scrap. You already know this one’s gonna hit.

Joining us this week is the editor-in-chief himself, Chief David Rhodes!  The number 339 holds deep significance for Rhodes, and we unpack what it means to him. We dive into the nuts-and-bolts… and where this philosophy comes from as well as how he uses it to guide his personal decision making.  No discussion with Chief Rhodes would be complete without checking in on the big show and what all he has planned for FDIC this year, and of course all of this was wonderfully interrupted by the live audience and their awesome questions. 

Joined this week by Groovy himself, Chad Gruver and if you know Chad you know this was an interesting and wild conversation. We discuss Engine work, and how he builds and maintains the culture he desires. We  discuss charities and how a bunch of bad ass seals and bad ass firefighters have done a lot of badass things to make a difference in a lot of lives. Of course, Chad has had his own “Oh shit!  Life slapping you in the face!” type of event… and he dives into the details of his face-to-face battle with cancer at age 52. Of course all of the best laid plans of me and the guest are always beautifully derailed by the awesome questions from the audience and this was no exception!!

Joined on this episode of the Weekly Scrap by none other than Zach King! This scrap has been a long time in the making and it finally happened.  We had a lot of conversations centered around the word importance!  The importance of having a plan. The importance of visualization of those plans. The importance of understanding that we do not always have tomorrow! The importance of the human element as it pertains to our future success. And of course, as always…me and the guests' conversations were beautifully derailed and thrown aside by the  questions from the audience!  Enjoy the show!

Second half of the kickoff 2026 double header!!!!  Joined on this episode by the one and only James Nisbet, and it promises to be a doozy! We plan to discuss getting beyond the pre-connect. The purpose of the first line. Supporting search as the engine. The purpose of system based actions as the engine company (don’t know what this means but it’s provocative) Of course all of our plans as is always the case, will be derailed by the wonderful questions from the audience as we dive down rabbit trails and chase squirrels!