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PODCAST

Firefighter Podcast

The Firefighters Podcast is an award winning global podcast developing, inspiring, connecting, motivating & celebrating the world of our emergency services operators through a series of wide-ranging conversations with those within our emergency services family.Hosted by serving operational UK firefighter & Instructor Pete Wakefield who speaks with individuals from all walks of life who share a connection with, can add value to, or can develop those within the fire sector.Our driving purpose

education self-improvement

All Episodes

57:44

#467 Artificial Intelligence & Large Language Models...

Firefighter Podcast ·

2026/04/23

Recorded in collaboration with the Blue Light Show, London’s leading emergency services conference and expo, this episode explores what Artificial Intelligence and Large Language Models actually mean for first responders, beyond the noise, hype and fear. Sitting down with Jurga Zilinskiene, founder of Guildhawk and a leader in ethical AI and language technology, the conversation digs into communication, risk and system design in high pressure environments, from the hidden dangers of language

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93:50

#466 Mental Health, Purpose & Why So Many Suffer in...

Firefighter Podcast ·

2026/04/20

In this episode, I sit down with Warren Shepherd and Lee Ralph, the firefighters behind Freedom In The Fire, a movement built around one simple idea - creating space for real conversations about mental health. From sitting in full fire kit in the middle of Bath inviting strangers to talk, to carrying a log through the mountains as a symbol of the weight people carry every day, their work is raw, human, and deeply needed. We get into the uncomfortable truths around mental health. The idea of “quiet

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44:30

#465 IFIW Australia Ep05 Steve De Blauwe - Hose...

Firefighter Podcast ·

2026/04/16

In this episode of the International Fire Instructors Workshop Australia mini series, Steve De Blauwe, Station Officer and CFBT instructor from Belgium takes you inside the reality of interior firefighting and why so much of what we’ve been taught simply doesn’t hold up when it matters. This is a raw, honest look at broken training systems, the gap between the academy and the fireground and how that turns into frustration, poor performance and risk for crews. Steve walks through how they rebuilt

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96:57

#464 Brad Dicks Redefining High Performance without...

Firefighter Podcast ·

2026/04/13

In this episode I sit down with Brad Dicks, FireFit world record holder and Firefighter Challenge World Champion to explore what it really takes to perform at the highest level.On paper Brad is operating at the top of the game. But this conversation goes far beyond medals and titles. We get into the reality behind elite performance including setbacks, pressure, and the moments that don’t go to plan. Brad shares how he adapted, learned and ultimately climbed to become the best in the world.We also

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86:16

#463 Dr Mark Spencer on Forensic Botany Hidden...

Firefighter Podcast ·

2026/04/10

This episode takes you into a side of investigation most people never even realise exists. I sat down with forensic botanist Dr Mark Spencer who has spent over a decade supporting police forces and forensic teams by using plants, pollen, soil and environmental evidence to interpret crime scenes, locate missing persons and uncover what has happened in complex cases. From disturbed vegetation to microscopic trace evidence Mark explains how the natural world can reveal movement, timelines and human

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39:53

#462 DEBRIEF London Luton Airport’s Terminal Car Park...

Firefighter Podcast ·

2026/04/08

A fire involving a single vehicle at Luton Airport’s multi storey car park rapidly escalated and spread through closely parked cars leading to the full structural collapse of a large section of the building. In this episode we walk through the timeline of events from initial ignition to rapid fire spread highlighting the role of modern vehicle construction fuel load and fire behaviour in open car park environments. We explore how the incident developed into a major fire involving over a thousand

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85:56

#461 Why Silence Is Killing Our Culture with Graham...

Firefighter Podcast ·

2026/04/06

This conversation cuts straight to one of the most uncomfortable truths in emergency services: the biggest risk to our people is not always the job, it is what we tolerate around each other. Graham Goulden is a former police officer with Police Scotland who has stepped away from frontline service to focus on something bigger by helping organisations rethink culture, behaviour and responsibility. Now an international violence prevention and leadership trainer Graham works across sectors from

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48:22

#460 Fire Spyder: A New Answer to High-Rise...

Firefighter Podcast ·

2026/04/02

High-rise firefighting has a problem we don’t talk about enough… getting water onto the fire floor fast enough when it really matters.From delayed internal attacks to compromised stairwells and unreliable rising mains, crews are often fighting to catch up with a fire that’s already developing ahead of them. And when the building height starts working against you, that gap only gets bigger.In this episode we explore the Fire Spyder, a new concept designed to tackle that exact challenge. A rapid

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99:16

#459 Are we at risk of losing our sense of humour - A...

Firefighter Podcast ·

2026/03/30

Humour has always been part of emergency service culture. It builds connection, relieves pressure, and helps people process some of the most difficult situations imaginable. But in a modern environment shaped by increased scrutiny, policy, and public visibility, that same humour is now being questioned. Where is the line between coping and causing harm? And what do we risk losing if we get it wrong?In this episode, Sonia Pawson brings a unique perspective shaped by senior leadership experience

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16:43

#458 DEBRIEF: When Smoke Took the Building - Twin...

Firefighter Podcast ·

2026/03/26

In this incident debrief, we break down the 2022 Twin Parks high-rise fire in the Bronx, where a single apartment fire escalated into a mass casualty event that claimed 17 lives, all due to smoke inhalation. This episode explores how the failure of compartmentation, open doors, and an unprotected stairwell allowed smoke to spread rapidly throughout the building, turning a place of safety into a hazard. Through a structured timeline and evidence-based analysis, we examine the fire dynamics, building

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96:30

#457 The Care Gap, Ten second Triage & Why We’re Not...

Firefighter Podcast ·

2026/03/23

Phil is a Consultant in Emergency Medicine and Pre-Hospital Care, with over two decades of experience and a background that spans ambulance services, air ambulance, and national-level major incident response. He’s currently a Medical Director at South Western Ambulance Service and has provided expert evidence to major public inquiries including Manchester Arena and Bondi Junction.This episode is brought to you in collaboration with the Blue Light Show 2026, taking place on the 1st and 2nd of July in

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4:37

#456 We Need You: Firefighter Cognition Under Heat

Firefighter Podcast ·

2026/03/19

If you’re a firefighter and you’ve experienced a challenging incident, particularly involving search and rescue, you can take part by contacting Dr Catherine Thompson directly via email at thompsc1@hope.ac.ukThe only requirement for participation is that a firefighter can remember the incident they choose to describe and that they were working as an operational firefighter during the incident. We welcome participation from anyone who is interested and are keen to gain as many varied perspectives as

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64:03

#455 Have we been alerting firefighters the wrong way...

Firefighter Podcast ·

2026/03/16

In this episode I sit down with Blake Richardson, CEO of EaseAlert and the son of a 22 year firefighter to explore what may be one of the next frontiers in firefighter health and safety: how we alert crews to calls. For generations the fire service has relied on loud bells, tones and lights to mobilise stations. It works, but it was designed to wake an entire building rather than the specific firefighters who are actually responding. EaseAlert is approaching this differently, using wearable tactile

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44:25

#454 IFIW Australia Ep04 Chief Jason Caughey -...

Firefighter Podcast ·

2026/03/12

In this episode of the International Fire Instructors Workshop (IFIW) Australia mini series, Fire Chief Jason Caughey of the Laramie County Fire Authority explores one of the most debated topics in the modern fire service: the relationship between aggressive firefighting and firefighter safety. With more than 30 years in emergency services and over two decades serving as a Fire Chief, Jason brings a leadership perspective shaped by operational experience, education and global teaching. Drawing on

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160:51

#453 Tradition & Reform: Navigating Change in the...

Firefighter Podcast ·

2026/03/09

Beci Newton is a Station Manager in the UK Fire and Rescue Service and an experienced fire behaviour instructor as well as other disciplines joins me for a conversation about our past, our present and our future, and how we are evolving the identity of our profession.This episode is about more than neutral planes &compartment behaviour. It is about identity & about who we are as a profession. We step back and ask some difficult but necessary questions about the fire and rescue service and

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53:08

#452 IFIW Australia – Ep03 James Mendoza Large Volume...

Firefighter Podcast ·

2026/03/05

In this episode of the IFIW Australia mini-series, James Mendoza, Captain and Training Officer with the San Jose Fire Department, takes us inside a major large volume fire at a Home Depot in 2022. With a background in education and microbiology, and experience contributing to UL’s Coordinated Fire Attack study, James blends science and street-level decision making as he unpacks the realities of operating inside a thirty foot high warehouse filled with high rack storage, compressed gas cylinders and

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73:26

#451 Challenge Season: Legends, Disruptors & the Rise...

Firefighter Podcast ·

2026/03/02

In this episode I sit down with my good friend John Gregory, one of the original trailblazers of the British Firefighter Challenge as we head into a challenge season that is bigger and more competitive than ever before. John and I have shared the arena many times over the years, from Toughest Firefighter competitions to international search and rescue arduous conditions courses and HYROX events and that shared experience shapes a conversation that goes far beyond fitness. We unpack the growth of the

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60:46

#450 IFIW Australia – Ep02 Ed Hartin Fireground...

Firefighter Podcast ·

2026/02/26

In this episode recorded live at the International Fire Instructors Workshop 2026 in Australia, you’ll hear from Edward Hartin as he explores fireground sensemaking and decision making for the station officer. Drawing on more than fifty years in the fire service and decades at chief officer level, Ed takes us inside the cognitive process that underpins command. How initial cues shape your frame of reference before you even arrive. Why experience alone is not expertise. And how deliberate prac...

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87:03

#449 London Fire Brigade - A UK Fire Brigade on a...

Firefighter Podcast ·

2026/02/23

London Fire Brigade protects one of the most complex urban environments on the planet. The resident population of London sits at around 9 million people, but that number is misleading. On a typical weekday, when commuters, tourists, and transient populations are added in, the number of people moving through the city regularly swells to 11 to 12 million, sometimes more during major events or peak travel periods.Around a quarter of all fire and rescue service calls in the UK come into London. Around

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77:24

#448 IFIW Australia - Ep01 Karel Lambert Air...

Firefighter Podcast ·

2026/02/19

This mini series opens a door into the International Fire Instructors Workshop 2026 in Australia, a gathering that for nearly two decades has been built on closed room conversations, honest challenge and the exchange of experience between some of the most respected fire instructors in the world. With the full support of the organisers and attendees, these recordings bring that environment into the open. The theme this year is Back to Basics, a deliberate return to the fundamentals that ...

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470 results

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