Project Command

In this special Q&A episode of Project Command , we dive straight into questions from our listeners in the fire service and beyond. We discuss one of the biggest challenges facing departments—how to effectively scale project management without losing control or clarity. We also break down practical strategies for managing the firefighter schedule within active projects, balancing operational deman...

Fire departments operate in environments where competence, trust, and consistency can mean the difference between life and death. Because of that reality, change inside the fire service is often far more difficult than leaders expect. In this episode of Project Command, Captain Peter Younes explores why fire departments frequently struggle to implement lasting change. The discussion breaks down se...

In this special guest appearance, Peter Younes , host of the Project Command podcast, is interviewed by Chief Eric Linnenburger on the Ops Talk podcast. We are bringing this conversation to the Project Command feed because it digs deep into the core mission of what we do here: applying professional project management to the high-stakes world of public safety. Peter and Chief Linnenburger discuss w...

In this episode of Project Command , Peter Younes sits down with Odean "Dean" Maye to talk about what it actually takes to scale ideas, teams, and technology in the real world. Dean shares lessons from startups, enterprise leadership, AWS, finance, and AI, then breaks down how leaders can separate hype from real business value. The conversation dives into practical AI adoption, why most organizati...

Episode Description Big problems often feel overwhelming because everything is stuck in our heads at the same time. In this episode of Project Command, Captain Peter Younes explains a simple framework for using artificial intelligence to turn complex problems into clear, actionable plans. Instead of staring at a problem and hoping inspiration strikes, AI can be used as a thinking partner to organi...

In this episode of Project Command , we sit down with Dr. Johnny Torgeson —Operations Chief, leadership consultant, national speaker, and instructor—to talk about what leadership really looks like when it matters most. Drawing from his military experience and leadership roles in high-risk professions, Dr. Torgeson breaks down the difference between authority and leadership and explains why the mos...

In this episode of Project Command, I sit down with Samson Desessa, author of Brotherhood is a Verb , to talk about what real leadership looks like when it is tested under pressure. We explore his experience in the military and how it shaped his philosophy on mentorship, accountability, and taking care of your people. Samson shares what brotherhood truly means, why leadership is an action and not...

Flash Points: Systems Make Heroics Possible When Team USA Men's Hockey captured Olympic gold, the spotlight fell on one unforgettable performance — goaltender Connor Hellebuyck delivering save after save with the game on the line. But championships aren't won by heroics alone. In this episode of Project Command: Flash Points , Lieutenant Duke Cuneo explores what fire service leaders and project ma...

n this episode of Project Command, I sit down with Scott Payne, PMP and Lean expert, who has helped more than 5,000 professionals earn their PMP certification and has led process improvement efforts across Fortune 500 companies. Scott shares what is hardest to teach new PMP students and what concepts deliver the most immediate value once applied in the real world. We discuss practical process opti...

AI Velocity: The New Leadership Advantage Artificial intelligence isn't improving gradually — it's accelerating. In this episode of Flash Points , Lieutenant Duke Cuneo breaks down what the recent surge in large language model capabilities really means for fire service professionals. This isn't about chatbots or convenience. It's about leverage. From long-document policy analysis to scenario simul...

In this special Q and A episode of Project Command, I answer your questions about artificial intelligence and how it applies to the fire service. We cover practical use cases for chiefs and company officers, policy and risk considerations, data security concerns, and how tools like ChatGPT can improve writing, decision making, project management, and communication. If you are trying to understand...

In this episode of Project Command, I sit down with Lucy MacLeod, Borough Commander with the London Fire Brigade, USAR and technical rescue specialist, wellbeing dog handler, and author of the Lucy and Blue book series. We explore the key differences between the fire service in the United States and the United Kingdom, from terminology and rank structure to operational approaches and culture. Lucy...

Projects don't fail because people disagree. They fail because no one is sure who gets to decide. In this episode of Project Command: Flash Points , Lieutenant Duke Cuneo breaks down a hard leadership truth: consensus feels collaborative—but clarity drives results. On the fireground, we instinctively understand unity of command. Someone has it. Everyone aligns to it. Input flows. Adjustments are m...

In this episode of Project Command , Captain Peter Younes sits down with Keith Flip Griffin, a retired Navy Command Master Chief and nationally recognized expert in search and rescue and leadership. Drawing from decades of experience leading teams in high risk environments, Keith shares hard-earned lessons on leadership, trust, and what it really takes to build strong teams. The conversation focus...

Frustration Is the Enemy Frustration doesn't just slow projects down — it quietly kills them. In this Flash Points episode, Lieutenant Duke Cuneo breaks down why frustration is often more dangerous than failure, resistance, or lack of resources. Drawing clear parallels between incident command and project leadership, this episode explores how unclear authority, stalled decisions, and unmanaged unc...

Grant writing is one of the most important and most frustrating tasks in the fire service. In this episode of Project Command, I break down my seven step grant writing process and show exactly how ChatGPT and other AI tools can support you at every stage. From identifying needs and aligning projects with funding priorities, to drafting narratives, strengthening justifications, and refining final s...

In this third installment of the AI in the Fire Service series on Project Command , we break down how fire training officers can use ChatGPT and other AI tools to improve training, organization, and program development. We start with a simple AI 101 overview to explain what artificial intelligence is and what it is not in plain language for the fire service. Then we dive into real world use cases...

In this episode of Project Command we examine how fire chiefs and chief officers can use ChatGPT in 2026 as a practical decision support and executive productivity tool while maintaining professional judgment. We cover how AI can be used for targeted research to support strategic decision making policy development and revision and synchronizing complex documents across divisions agencies and gover...

When chaos reigns, make your project an island of stability. Organizational chaos is not the exception in large systems — it's the environment. Leadership changes. Priorities shift. Direction arrives late, inconsistently, or through side channels. In this Flash Points episode, Lieutenant Duke Cuneo breaks down why successful projects don't wait for clarity from above — they create stability inside...

In this episode of Project Command , I'm joined by Jared Vermillion , author of The Modern Fire Officer , for a grounded conversation on what effective officer development really looks like in today's fire service. We dig into the soft skills that matter most for officers, including leadership, communication, conflict resolution, coaching firefighters, and building trust within a crew. Jared share...

If you don't measure it, you don't control it. On the fireground, measurement is non-negotiable. We track air, time, accountability, and benchmarks because guesswork gets people hurt. But too often, when we step into projects—that same discipline disappears. In this Flash Points episode, Lieutenant Duke Cuneo draws a direct line between fireground command and project management. Being busy doesn't...

In this episode of Project Command, we break down project metrics and how to use them to understand whether your project is actually on track. We cover what to measure, when to measure it, and how to turn data into actionable insight so fire officers and project leaders can make better decisions before small issues become big problems.

If it isn't assigned, it isn't going to happen. On the fireground, unassigned tasks don't magically get done — and projects are no different. In this Flash Points episode of Project Command, Lieutenant Duke Cuneo breaks down one of the most common (and quietest) reasons projects fail in the fire service: lack of ownership. Not bad ideas. Not missing funding. But the dangerous assumption that "some...

In this episode of Project Command, Captain Peter Younes sits down with Alec Wons to discuss the lessons he has learned from interviewing over 100 fire and police chiefs across North America. Drawing from those conversations, Alec breaks down the common patterns he has seen in organizational culture, leadership, and decision making that directly impact firefighter wellness and a department's abili...

Artificial intelligence is quickly becoming one of the most valuable tools in the modern fire service — not because it replaces people, but because it gives them back time. In this episode of Project Command: Flash Points, Lieutenant Duke Cuneo breaks down why AI is emerging as a practical, everyday force multiplier for firefighters and officers. Drawing from a recent Project Command conversation...