Student Of The Game Fire Podcast

33 years of career experience. 2nd generation Firefighter. Creator and owner of CFT County Fire Tactics & recently retired Battalion Chief with Escambia County Fire/Rescue in Florida. If you don’t know anything about Curt I implore you to listen to the Weekly Scrap Episodes he’s been on where you can find more information on his knowledge on tactics and the fire service as a whole. The interview between Curt and I is more directly related to why he believes and thinks the way he does. Curt is one of the main reasons why my mindset towards the job is the way it is. Against others opinions and beliefs the biggest takeaway from this interview is to be PATIENT & TRUE to yourself.

23 years of combination experience. A driver on Truck 7 with Portland Fire & Rescue, Brothers In Battle cadre member. Growing up Anthony was attracted to public service and was thinking law enforcement but in high school sports kind of pushed some of those notions to the side. Right before Anthony was set to go into the education field he had a friend ask him about the fire service which really got things going again to a point where Anthony sought it out jumping in with both feet and never looked back. Anthony is a die hard truckie through and through. Although he jokes towards the engine we all know on the fire ground we all have a place where things need to get done. I certainly hope the listeners can truly tune in when we discuss the topic of VES and Anthony’s mindset towards it.IG: airbrax

33 years of combination experience 2nd generation Firefighter. A Captain on Rescue 1 with Durham Fire Department. From a very young age Carl knew what he wanted to be and where he wanted to work. He wasn’t able to get hired on his first attempt, but got it on the second. Once he did he knew the type of Firefighter he wanted to be. When you’re hired at a young age we sometimes believe that we know it all and this is not a shot at Carl because I was the same way as well. It takes humility, maturity and being around seasoned veterans to show us things we didn’t know and that’s exactly who Carl surrounded himself with. We won’t always be liked by everyone and that’s ok. Haters are going to hate what’s important is remembering your why and being the best version of yourself. I truly hope the listeners can snatch the gems and nuggets being dropped by Carl in this interview. IG: laddercaptain99

19 years of combination experience. A Engine Lieutenant recently moved over to Operations Lieutenant with Newport News Fire Department. Creator and owner of Mind Of Fire where they specialize in providing individuals to enhance their cognitive abilities to make informed decision making & Author of Mind Of Fire: The Science and Art Of Decision Making. Kiel never had sights of being in the fire service. He was a college student struggling to find his way. Eventually it was his mother who pushed him to pursue the service. Once he got in he was able to find mentors outside of his organization that provided PERSPECTIVE and insight to different areas of the job that helped shape who he is today. I truly hope the listeners can enjoy the conversations being shared.IG: kielsamsing mindoffire

21 years of career experience. A retired Deputy Chief from the Southern California area who is now the Training Coordinator For New Mexico State, Training Captain with Santa Fe County Fire & owner and creator of From The Ashes LLC. Upon completion of serving in the armed forces Justin knew the fire service was where he wanted to be. A friend’s introduction was able to get him through the door where Justin journey set sail. From fire conferences, outside trainings, switching organizations the up’s & downs of staying engaged Justin went through it all. And from that was where Justin was able to gain maturity through his experiences and wants to share so others can learn and grow.IG: firedad2024 from_the_ashes_llc

11 years of combination experience. Fire chief for Bonduel Area Fire Department in Wisconsin. Kevin got his foot into the fire service via the EMS Side where he started out as medic with Ski patrol. From there a position came open on the fire department Kevin applied and got his start. Although becoming Fire Chief wasn’t on his radar since being appointed Kevin made sure he took full of advantage of resources around him by attending various leadership courses available and many outside training events. What stood out to me about Kevin is the fact that just because he’s a Fire Chief that doesn’t mean he’s above the people within his department. If he’s instructing a class that requires the students to be in gear Kevin is also in gear. He is whole heartedly trying to better the organization and those he can impact within the fire service. Don’t take my word for it, just have a listen.IG: 601_k_lynch

17 years of career experience with several generations of Firefighters within his family. A Firefighter/Paramedic in the Kansas City Metro Area & creator and owner of Carry The Flag. Chris grandfather is a retired Deputy Chief with Kansas City Kansas Fire serving for 32 years. When you listen to Chris talk about his background and family history the writings were on the wall of the line of work Chris was going to fall into. This episode is most certainly a little different from the rest as Chris and I went down a few rabbit holes of discussions and topics which was a blast. Needless to say gems and nuggets were being dropped from Chris and hopefully the listeners can catch on to a few of them. IG: carrytheflagusa

34 years of combination experience. Captain with City Of Spartanburg on Truck 62. Jared always wanted to be a Firefighter from a very young age. He was able to get his start with Hawthorne Volunteer Fire Department in New Jersey where he rose through the ranks to Assistant Fire Chief before moving to South Carolina to pursue a career position. Jared found the career route a little later on in life but for me his mindset is what sets him apart due to the fact he knows with age being physically fit and wanting to train is not just for his benefit but its what the public EXPECTS from us when we show up. I truly hope the listeners tune in and hear a few nuggets Jared drops along the way. IG: jdvek

20 years of career experience. A Retired Fire Chief in the Ontario Canada region. Once he retired became a TI Specialist for Bullard setting to retire with them as well after 20 years. My discussion with Manfred may not be as alluring or sexy with Firefighters but there is no denying how Thermal Imaging Technology is probably one of the most under trained areas within the fire service. A lack of proper thermal imaging training in fire departments can lead to firefighters misinterpreting images, over-relying on the technology, and potentially increasing the risk of injury or death. Many departments don't provide enough training, and even when training is offered, it often lacks live fire scenarios and fails to address the limitations and inaccuracies of thermal imagers. My hope is the listeners can gain a bit of knowledge towards TIC’s, take it back and start having conversations with their respective crews or department.

11 years of combination experience. A Captain For Matthews Fire & EMS North Carolina who is assigned to station 1 also known as the Special Ops house. Kyle always wanted to be in public service and had his eyes set on becoming a State Trooper. But sometimes things we want in life just don’t line up and we need to adapt. And that’s what Kyle did. I truly loved hearing how the experience he received when he wanted to become a volunteer resonated with him so much that it ultimately became the reason he was able to find the career side. When you listen to Kyle talk you can clearly tell how much the fire service has done for him but also how being a Fireman isn’t all he wants that define’s him as an individual. He’s a husband, father and a christian man who makes sure he encompasses all of that into his life. IG: skbeard