Episodes
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23 years of combination experience. A Capt/Station commander at Station 6 with Montgomery County Fire/Rescue where heâs been at for 19 years. The conversation Jason and I had was one that should start discussions with others you work with but most importantly within yourself internally. Are you being the best version of you within the organization you serve regardless of rank? If youâre a Company officer I want you to listen to an incident that occurred with Jason and ponder what would you have done in that situation? One of my favorite quotes from Jason is âWe train from probable to possible.â
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36 years of combination experience. Deputy Chief in Division 13 Queens South Command with the FDNY. Chief Ditaranto wholeheartedly believes in CHARACTER. How you carry yourself when no one is paying attention. Upon entering the FDNY Gene was fortunate to be surrounded by very seasoned veterans which laid down the foundation of how he treats others. A very humble gentleman who took all the skills and traits he learned coming up into the fire service and applies them when dealing with the men and women he serves with. Just because Gene is a Deputy Chief he still putâs forth the effort of stopping in at different firehouses under his command to check in on the well being of the Firefighters he is very proud of.
LinkedIn: Eugene Ditaranto Jr.
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36 years of combination experience. Captain with Baltimore City on Truck 5. Mike Started out as a volunteer Firefighter which he credits raised and kept him on the straight path, created a strong work ethic internally and creditâs his experience along with who he surrounded himself with shaped him to be the Firefighter he is today. Truck 5 consistently runs over 5000 calls a year. One of Mikeâs key points with being a Company Officer is looking out for the men and women you serve with. Making sure that they have what they need and most importantly that theyâre okay mentally.
IG: eastsidehookman
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45 years of combination experience. 2nd generation Firefighter. Like a good number of individuals Iâve been fortunate to interview being Chief was never on Rickâs radar. He just wanted to be the best Firefighter Paramedic for his organization. And Rick could not settle for mediocrity. So he took the advice of a great mentor in his life who told him if he wasnât happy with the way things were to consider becoming a Fire Chief to effect change and thatâs exactly what he did. I donât need to further explain what this man has been able to do for the fire service as his work, reputation and name speaks for itself.
IG: chieflasky
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17 years of career experience. Tailboard Firefighter on Ladder 4 for the City Of Jacksonville Fire Rescue. Co-founder of Build Your Culture LLC. Pablo is a straight shooter type of Firefighter who loves the job with so much passion and energy you can clearly hear it by the way he speaks. Heâs going to tell the truth no matter whoâs around. But whatâs important is that he speaks all FACTS. I truly appreciate the conversation I had with Pablo and I hope the listeners will too.
IG: pgen305
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22 years of career experience. Division Chief Of Training with Rural Metro Fire in Knox County Tennessee. Firefighting wasnât on his radar for Brandon but after having a discussion with his father he decided to apply and within a few weeks into his academy he fell in love with it. What I like about Brandonâs story is the fact that with any occupation thereâs going to be highâs and lowâs but all it takes is that one individual to see the potential that you might not see within yourself that forever changes the path in your career.
IG: brandonsdouglas
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16 years of combination experience. A Firefighter Driver for the City Of Butler Bureau Of Fire and part time Firefighter for the City Of McKeesport in Pennsylvania. Sean is a man of few words and doesnât like the lime light being shined on him. But was a key component in making the Jimmy Ellis Training Weekend a success along with members of the Butler County Fire Chiefâs Association. Itâs no secret that to become professionals whether career or volunteer we must not let training take a back seat and allow complacency to make a home within ourselves or our organization and Sean drives home why that and leadership go hand in hand.
IG: ssokoĆowski23
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16 years of combination experience. A Lieutenant, Paramedic & Police Officer with Bald Head Island Department Of Public Safety in North Carolina. No your ears arenât deceiving you as Steve holds all 3 positions. Bald Head has a very unique and challenging way of operating for the residents and visitors. While you donât hear very many stories like Bald Head what I hope the listeners appreciate is how Steve and others within the department view their situation and not let it deter them from being all in when it comes to physical fitness, training and basic skills of the job. Steve also openly discusses his struggles when it comes to Firefighter wellness and how he overcame what some cannot.
IG: dad_bod_running
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30 years of combination experience. A Division Chief Of Operations & Training with Estero Fire Rescue in Florida. An instructor with When Things Go Bad, and creator of the Grabs podcast. Grant has a strong passion and yearn for everything and anything search. Why, because he experienced an incident that changed the way search was approached and performed within his organization. Grant is definitely a Fire fighters Chief who at any chance he can get still rides the truck and runs calls with the men and women of his organization when possible.
IG: gscwalbe
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39 years of combination experience. Fire Chief with Florissant Valley Fire Protection District in Missouri. Jason is a contributor to Fire Engineering, Fire/Rescue Magazine, instructs at FDIC, various conferences and departments throughout North America on leadership, officer development and fire ground operations. Jason is another prime example of a Chief who remembers his roots but also hasnât forgotten that the men and women of his organization are the fore front and important in providing excellent customer service to the community but also EXPECTS them to meet the benchmarks of the organization.
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23 years of career experience. A driver on Ladder 7 for Honolulu Fire Department in Hawaii. When I asked Ken to come on and talk he was hesitant at first but so far since starting this podcast I havenât been wrong with the guests Iâve been fortunate to talk to. Ken is a firm believer in putting in the work over running that mouth. Actions always win and Ken continues to put in the work within the fire service when it comes to humility, training and physical fitness. My favorite quote from Ken is âItâs better to stay in shape, than to get in shape.â
IG: hfdbackseatdriver
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22 years of combination experience. Fire Chief for Brighton Fire/Rescue in Colorado who made his way through the ranks of the organization. Brycen believes in âQUALITYâ hard work. And that individuals who want to be successful in whatever path they choose need to invest within yourself take it seriously do your best and bring it back to your respective organization. Brycen is a prime example of a Firefighterâs Chief who remembers that you need to get out of your office go out to listen & communicate with the boots on the ground.
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20 years of combination experience. Back step Firefighter for Ann Arbor Fire Department on Engine 4. Co founder of Build Your Culture LLC, one half of the Make Due Suburban Fireman Podcast published author, national speaker who has instructed all over the country including internationally. And in my opinion a subject matter expert when it comes to search on the fire ground. Sean is humble yet very passionate about the fire service in all aspects of the job and isnât afraid to let you know that. I hope the listeners can enjoy the message and tune in on the little nuggets and gems being dropped along the way.
IG: seanduffy86
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20 years of combination experience. From a young age Rob always wanted to be a Firefighter with his Uncle having served with Dallas Fire Department in Texas. With knowing what he wanted in life Rob joined as a volunteer with Frisco Fire Department where he surrounded himself with go getters who set the tone for him with culture, training & knowing the job. Rob is also a big proponent towards mental health as he openly discussed his own struggles and how having the right individuals in your corner allows you to rise above adversity. My favorite quote from the interview with Rob is âThis Job Has A Shelf Life.â
IG: robcstone
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27 years of combination experience 1st generation firefighter, currently serving as a Division Chief for the Charlotte Fire Department. While growing up, the fire service always interested him and after he became a volunteer firefighter in college, it didnât take much convincing for him to pursue the job as a career. Now, years later everything has come full circle, and while the job has changed, itâs still about the people.
IG: charlottefirecar07
LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/david-farnum-cfo
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Chief Matt Knierim 2nd generation Firefighter with 28 years of combination experience. Division Chief Of Training who after completing his tenure decided he wanted to go out back on the floor and is Battalion Chief for B Shift. From a very young age Matt always wanted to be a Firefighter and got his chance with Stockton Fire. From day one the blueprint of how you are going to treat, act & perform when it comes to Stockton was engrained and made Matt the individual he is today. Your expectations won't change the result, but your standards will". This quote suggests that standards are more important than expectations, and that exceptional people have high standards for themselves and others. Matt Knierim embodies that along with other individuals whom he surrounded himself with.
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Ken Johnson- 32 years of combination experience. Fire Chief of Lodi Fire Department in California. Before becoming Chief of Lodi Ken got his start with Stockton Fire Department where he served for 23 years. During that time Ken promoted through the ranks going all the way from Firefighter to Division Chief Of Training and finally Fire Marshal. The experiences Ken had coming up is second to none which truly in my opinion has shaped the way his mindset is when it comes to the job that can resonate with most Firefighters. Along the interview Ken dropped so many gems and nuggets that I truly hope the listeners can catch on to. One of my favorite quotes from Ken is this. â I think when you look at making your career path, the path of the fireman you have to do a lot of self introflection and say do I have courage? Do I have courage to do things that are hard when they matter?.â
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11 years of combination experience, 3rd generation Firefighter. Currently a probationary Firefighter on the Nine-Two engine with the FDNY. Michael is no stranger to the fire service as heâs been surrounded by this profession his whole life. He got his start as a live-in with a little ole Fire Department called Christiana Fire Company in Delaware not sure if any of you have heard of it. The way Christiana operates plays a huge role in how Michael believes all Firefighters need to view the job. From there he knew he wanted to become a career Firefighter wherever he could get the chance but always had dreams of the big city.
IG: bench_press_
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Jacob Johnson 24 years of combination experience. Assistant Chief with Pearland Fire Department in Southeast Texas. Itâs been said that you donât need rank to lead and I wholeheartedly agree with that. You can be a leader when it comes to any profession. The difference is matching words with actions, being directly intentional, having the humility to let others know your faults/weaknesses, working to improve on them and most of all being truly genuine with yourself. I literally was at a lost for words when talking to Chief Johnson during this interview. I implore all and any of you who listen to this episode to share this with your friends, colleagues & co-workers. Have round table discussions, smoke a stogie in the back of your bay but do yourself a favor and listen to the words that Jacob speaks. No script, no rehearsal just words from the heart from a man that truly wants to help change his organization for the better. I want to give Chief Johnson his flowers along with many other Chiefâs, Company Officers & Firefighters that I have had the pleasure of talking to since Iâve started this podcast. You all are making a difference and donât ever forget that.
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25 years of career experience. Currently Fire Chief for Meridian Fire Department in Idaho. Kris is a Chief that wholeheartedly believes in a mission driven culture. The Chief position was never on his radar but sometimes individuals need to rise up and step in uncomfortable and uncharted territory. Some of Kris viewpoints are outside training, embracing the mission driven culture and my favorite quote âWhy You Do The Job Is More Important Than Where You Do The Job.â
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