Student Of The Game Fire Podcast

28 years of career experience 2nd generation Firefighter. A Captain on Squad 1 with Dearborn Fire Department in Michigan. Mark knew he wanted to be apart of the same profession his Dad was in. It took him nearly 7 years to get on but Dearborn was the first to call. Once in Mark gravitated towards the Senior men who had the knowledge and skills he wanted to possess. One of Mark’s biggest takeaway are the things you learn from good and bad leaders. I throughly enjoyed the topics and discussions Mark and I shared and hope there listeners find value in it to. IG: markdbnfire aconversationwith_

26 years of career experience. Captain on Squad 18 with The Colony Fire Department in Texas. Adjunct instructor for the North Central Texas College fire academy, cadre member with Citizens First, Build Your Culture & Forge Fire & Company. Georgia Smoke Diver and assistant with Oklahoma Smoke Diver. From a young age Justyn knew he wanted to be in the service. Even though the fire service wasn’t on his mind he had a friend who put him in contact with the local Junior College where he lived, took a few tests and the rest was history. I hope the listeners can tune in on the reasons why Justyn wanted to become a Company Officer and ask yourself do you have that same notion?

19 years of combination experience. Lieutenant with Effingham County Fire/Rescue in Georgia on Engine 9. Jennifer never grew up dreaming of becoming a Firefighter. She was a Medical assistant in the Oncology research department. One day while hanging with a friend she ran a call involving a child. After the call was over one of the Captain’s who responded asked her if she ever thought about joining the fire department. Fast forward to today when you hear Jennifer talk you can tell how switching over to the fire service was one of the best decisions she made in her life. Jennifer doesn’t like to talk about herself and I truly can respect that but she makes valid points on the topics we discussed and I hope you all can enjoy the conversation. IG: jennwright21

52 years of combination experience. Deputy Fire Chief with Loveland-Symmes FD in Ohio. Best Seller Published Author, Creator of The Secret List, Firefighter Close Calls & 40 plus fire. Involved with International Association of Fire Chief’s Safety, Health & Survival, Sept 11 Families, National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, NIOSH & so many others. I can go on and on but there is no doubt Billy loves the fire service. From a young age once he was exposed there was no stopping him from being apart of what we all know deep within is the greatest job in the world. I truly hope the listeners enjoy the interview and pick up a few gems Billy drops along the way. IG: billygfire

Blake Cartee- 20 years of combination experience 3rd generation Firefighter. Captain on Truck 7 with Columbia-Richland Fire Services. Blake’s father wanted his brother and Blake to pursue a career in the medical field but from a very young age watching their father run calls & ride the rigs both of them wanted to get into the emergency services field. After having a friend of theirs mention to apply once they did there was no way they were looking back. Blake believes whether your career or volunteer we are all Professional problem solvers. Which involves a systematic approach to identifying, analyzing, and resolving issues in various contexts. It requires a combination of skills, including critical thinking, analytical reasoning, creativity, and effective communication. A key aspect is the ability to break down complex problems into smaller, manageable parts and to develop and implement solutionsIG:bcartee917

Mark Combs- 30 years of combination experience. Battalion Chief in the 9th Battalion on B-Shift with Dallas Fire/Rescue.Kevin Jordan- 15 years of career experience. A Command Tech also with Dallas Fire Rescue who works right along side Mark Combs.A strong relationship can be bonded through the integration of work and faith by approaching your work and interactions with others from a biblical perspective. Both Mark and Kevin live out their faith at work by building meaningful relationships, fostering a supportive workplace & having trust through communication. Actions most certainly speak louder than words. Both men agree on letting your actions shine as a light to others by demonstrating good character and a strong work ethic. There were so many gems and nuggets being preached on this interview it was too hard to just pick one. Do yourself a favor and tune into this episode as you surely won’t regret it.

32 years of combination experience. 1st Firefighter in his family to go career. Retired from Fairfax Fire/Rescue with 20 years as a Firefighter from Bailey’s Crossroads station 10. Firefighter, former Fire Chief and life member with Kentland Volunteer Fire Department, former Ops Chief with Clearwater Fire Department in Florida & currently Fire Apparatus Manager/ Assistant Chief with Prince George’s County. Ricky gained a ton of experience while being a volunteer member in Prince George but it wasn’t until a mentor in his life told him what good is all that experience and knowledge if your not willing to share it to others? After that discussion that’s when things began to evolve for Ricky. Having valuable experience and knowledge is beneficial, but its true worth is realized when shared with others, fostering growth, innovation, and collective progress. Without sharing, knowledge can become stagnant, and opportunities for learning and improvement are missed. Sharing knowledge not only benefits others but also deepens the sharer's understanding and strengthens relationships. IG: rickyrileytt

17 years of combination experience 2nd generation Firefighter. A Captain on Engine 18 with Caldwell Fire Department in Idaho, President with Treasure Valley Fools & creator of March Mayhem Fire Conference. Gino got his start as a reserve FF for Sacramento City with the dream goal of becoming a Firefighter with Cal Fire. Once he was eligible Gino began applying anywhere he could to get a full-time career position. That prayer was answered when he got hired with Sacramento. But Gino began to realize he wasn’t truly being fulfilled being just a number in such a large department and started seeking other avenues. Gino adds that there are no ill feelings towards his former organization but sometimes you as the individual need to find a place where you feel like you can make a difference and leaving a positive mark within the service.IG: mr.triple_g

22 years of combination experience. A retired Division Chief Of Training with Winter Park FD. Creator, founder & OG of Vent Enter Search, connoisseur of anything related to truck work. Growing up Jimm wanted to become a pilot in the armed forces but in life not everything is guaranteed to play out the way we would like. Jimm found the next thing best thing and for him it was the fire service. Once Jimm got his foot in the door it was all gas and no brakes. Surrounding himself with individuals who were into the job and climbing up the ranks along the way. I hope the listeners can find value in this conversation I had with Jimm when it comes to taking care of yourself and remembering that your FAMILY matters. IG: jimm.walsh

30 years of combination experience. A Battalion Chief in the 1st Battalion for Anne Arundel County Fire on B-Shift. Brandon was attending college for an engineering degree when his living situation on campus wasn’t desirable. He turned to the local county Fire Department live-in program which allowed him to attend classes but also ended up being the best decision he made for his career. It was nothing for him and other individuals to run over 2000 incidents a year which most certainly has its positives when it comes to gaining experience. Soon after Brandon knew he wanted to go career and got hired on Anne Arundel. Climbing through the ranks now as Battalion Chief one of the best statements I’ve heard was Brandon state “As a leader he wants to be tactically proficient enough where his decision making would be trusted.”