Student Of The Game Fire Podcast

14 years of combination experience. A Lieutenant on Truck 1 for Whitfield County Fire Department in Georgia. Lee had no ambition of becoming a Firefighter but one of his friends was an explorer at a local volunteer department which got Lee intrigued. Once he saw what the job entailed Lee was hooked and never looked back. Lee is as humble as they come and didn’t like talking about himself too much in the interview but once the topics switched to the job you can clearly see the humility and passion he has for the fire service. IG: coker1059

27 years of career experience. A Captain on Engine 38 for Clark County Fire Department in Nevada, County Fire Tactics Cadre member. The conversation Clark and I had should invigorate any Firefighter who truly has love for the job, wants to leave the service better than they found it and hopefully creates change with the future generation of Firefighters within your own organization. Clark talks with such strong belief, enthusiasm, and a deep commitment to anyone within the fire service, conveying such a strong sense of authenticity and genuine conviction. One of my favorite things Clark talked about was being able to sleep at night knowing you did what was best even if that means going against the grain and standing up for what you believe in.IG: clarklamping

14 years of career experience. A Battalion Chief with Birmingham Fire/Rescue. Ben was a jack of all trades who traveled across the country while exploring what exactly he wanted to do with his life. When the recession in 2008 hit the country hard Ben decided to enter into the world of EMS where he found a huge passion and yearn for but has no problems letting others know it was very hard work. While working for a private EMS service a friend told him about Birmingham Fire hiring individuals. With age and responsibility on his shoulders Ben decided to give it a shot. Looking at where he is today it’s safe to say he made the best decision. I want the listeners to tune into Ben’s discussion and thoughts about promotions and how Firefighters need to view the good and the bad when it comes to the fire service.

Donovan Carrasco- 10 years of combination experience. A back step Firefighter for Cedar Park Fire Department in Texas, creator and founder for Coyote Fire Training. Donovan believes in PRIDE and that Firefighters possess it in all aspects of the job. Pride in your appearance, attitude, work ethic, training and camaraderie. During our conversation Donovan also discussed why you need to make sure the organization you’re apart of is the right fit for you and you alone to understand. IG: coyotefiretraining_tx

18 years of career experience. 2nd generation Firefighter who really never had notions of becoming a Firefighter himself. When you’re a generation or legacy child sometimes you’re constantly being compared to your mother or father’s achievements and may struggle to establish your own identity. Eric was fully transparent when he openly discussed the allure of getting into this field. Once he did every skill, challenge or test, Eric made sure he was always at the top leaving no room for assumptions he didn’t earn his keep. A dream doesn’t become reality through magic. It takes sweat, determination and hard work. Eric Wheaton is proof of that. IG: ericwheaton.61

12 years of combination experience. Fire Chief for Trinity Fire Department in South Carolina. Becoming Fire Chief is never easy. When it comes to holding that title comes great responsibility. Cody achieved this rank at a very young age and most definitely went through big changes and undertaking a lot when it came to the organization he serves. I want the listeners to hear his story but also see that even though he holds a high rank he doesn’t let that cloud his judgement from remembering he still is a Firefighter at heart. When it comes to our wins no one person does it alone. It’s all about the individuals who you surround yourself with that leads to ultimate success. IG: southernendfirechief

17 years of combination experience. A Captain on Engine 1 with Mooresville Fire-Rescue. It’s very easy for a Company Officer to talk about expectations and not execute. I’ve been fortunate to witness first hand how putting words into actions leads to building a crew that actually wants to show up to work, train, run calls and overall just get good at the job. Captain Smith said it best in his interview. “The job is much better when you’re good at it.”IG: russell.smith528

9 years of combination experience. A newly promoted Lieutenant on Ladder 96 with Woodlawn Fire Department. From a very young age Zak always wanted to be a Firefighter. The path that it took to get there wasn’t as easy as most would like but Zak was able to maintain persistence, resilience, continuously learning and adapting, built a strong support network, and overcame challenges with determination and ultimately found his home with Woodlawn Fire Department. IG: firemanzak_cf

3rd generation Firefighter with 19 years of career experience. A Captain with Shawnee Fire Department in Ohio. Mike believes that you can teach the skill set when it comes to the mechanics of being a Firefighter but you can’t teach passion to go with it. That must come within the individual. At the workplace not everyone is passionate, so it's extremely important for organizations and Leaders to identify and differentiate their passionate employees as they are pivotal to success.

28 years of combination experience. 2nd generation Firefighter. A Captain on Squad 7 with City Of Camden Fire Department in New Jersey. Published author, creator and owner of Eckert Fire Tactics. Love him or don’t Bobby has a huge passion and love for the fire service and will let you know that. There’s a story behind every person. There’s a reason why they are the way they are. Think about that before you judge someone. As an officer Bobby believes that he is there to serve for his people and not the other way around. Leading by example in everything that you do. IG: eckert_335