Fire Fighting in Canada: The Podcast

Chatham-Kent Fire Chief Chris Case joins host Tom DeSorcy to discuss his unconventional rise up the ranks of the fire service through the United Kingdom and now Canada, and his experience dealing with an abandoned gas well incident in 2021 that forced residents out of their homes and mandated his department be on scene for over two years. This episode is brought to you by VFIS of Canada, a divisio...

Fire Chief Dallas D'Aoust is a strong advocate for mental health, leading an initiative that secured dedicated mental health funding for his previous department in Yorkton, Sask. In this month’s podcast he discusses the cost of mental health and what that means for today’s firefighters. D’Aoust has spent over 20 years in the fire service after beginning his career in Edmonton. Note: Since recordin...

Tom DeSorcy sits down for a discussion with CAFC Volunteer Fire Chief of the Year Wayne Power, who has served as the fire chief of the Placentia Fire Department in Newfoundland since 1979. The two discuss how Power began his career as a volunteer firefighter, how his department’s recruitment and staffing strategies are shifting, his fire hall’s close ties to the Placentia municipal government, and...

Mike Harnett, president of Solaris Fatigue Management, and Steve Farina, a well-known advocate in first responder mental health who served 32 years in B.C.’s fire service, join Tom DeSorcy to discuss B.C.’s decision to permanently shift their clocks forward and the effects that sleep and fatigue have on a firefighters’ physical and mental health. This episode is brought to you by VFIS of Canada, a...

Brian Hutchinson, superintendent of provincial operations at BC Wildfire Service, joins Tom DeSorcy to discuss his experience in various structural firefighting roles, how the second worst wildfire season affected B.C., how BC Wildfire deployed resources out of province to aid others in 2025, what he thinks is in store for 2026, and more. This episode is brought to you by VFIS of Canada, a divisio...

Tune in to hear fire Chief Mathew Conte’s harrowing experience fighting the devastating Jasper wildfires of 2024. Conte also touches on how the municipality has pushed past this challenging time, how wildfire fighting is ingrained into his department, and his own start in the fire service. This episode is brought to you by VFIS of Canada, a division of CVIS Incorporated, Canada’s largest insurer o...

Fire Chief Jason Cairney takes you inside Surrey Fire Services’ award-winning cancer prevention efforts. The three-part health initiative involves specialized education, cardiac stress testing, and advanced blood and urine screenings to identify risks early. Chief Cairney emphasizes the shift toward clean cab designs and on-scene decon. A critical component of the program’s success is the partners...

Ken McMullen, president of the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs (CAFC), takes listeners inside their annual "Chiefs on the Hill" initiative, where a large delegate of fire chiefs meet with federal officials in early December to address policy implications for fire, emergency, and life safety across Canada. Tune in to find out this year’s hot topics on the Hill. 

This episode features Fire Chief Greg Jones of the Amherst Fire Department and president of the Fire Service Association of Nova Scotia. Chief Jones discusses the release of the association's governance study, which is a roadmap for modernizing and strengthening fire service delivery. Chiefs will gain critical insights into key recommendations, including introducing consolidate...

Fire Chief Clarence Coolen shares his personal battle with cancer and how that experience motivated him to prioritize cancer prevention for the Hubbards District Volunteer Fire Department in Nova Scotia by securing new PFAS-free turnout gear for his entire crew — and securing the $170,000 budget for new safety equipment was no easy feat. This is one of several challenges of being a rural...

Former Firefighter Jess Ward, now a dedicated mental health advocate and CEO of Athinka, discusses navigating stress through “mental mapping” to navigate mental states. She touches on the critical difference between stimulus and response and emphasizes the importance of mental fitness and preventative strategies for fire service personnel, contrasting them with reactive approaches t...

Tune in for an insightful conversation with Brian Hutchinson, a seasoned veteran of the Canadian fire services in both wildland and municipal sectors. The discussion highlights Hutchinson's career trajectory and the evolving relationship between wildland and structural fire fighting, particularly in the context of the WUI and the increasing severity of fires. The conversation also explores th...

Join us on this insightful podcast episode as host Ret. Fire Chief Tom DeSorcy sits down with Tim Pley, a former fire chief, past president of the Fire Chiefs Association of BC, and local government CAO, to explore the evolving landscape of the volunteer fire service. Pley offers invaluable insights into the challenges facing volunteerism today, from societal shifts and the 'gig eco...

Firefighter Anthony De Benedictis details his personal project, Firefighter Rescues Ontario, where he collected information from public sources to analyze rescue trends within the province. He emphasizes the importance of this data for improving training and operations. The conversation highlights the challenges and potential benefits of collecting and utilizing rescue statistics to enhance f...

Hear from three Canadian suppliers — Marcel Syens, Principal Associate for Double Eagle Associates, Rick Suche, CEO of Fort Garry Fire Trucks, and Mark Biernat, president of Biernat Fire Feu — on the challenges fire departments in Canada face regarding procurement, particularly during the rapidly evolving economic uncertainty and tariffs in today’s world that could ultimately mean higher pric...

This episode focuses on challenges and progress within the Canadian fire service, with a particular emphasis on the unique circumstances and evolution of Indigenous fire departments. (Ret.) Fire Chief Tom DeSorcy interviews Acting Fire Chief Michael Seth, providing insights into the history, current state, and future aspirations of the Six Nations Fire and Emergency Services, while also touching o...

Matt Pegg, COO of Warrior Health and retired fire chief, discusses the organization's origins and goals. Warrior Health emerged from Wounded Warriors Canada and aims to provide comprehensive mental health support and resilience training to public safety personnel and their families across Ontario. Pegg highlights the province's financial commitment and the program's unique inclusion of family supp...

Are you prepared for the challenges of retirement? This episode of Fire Fighting in Canada: The Podcast explores the crucial topic of firefighter mental health during the transition out of service. Retirement can bring a loss of identity and purpose, disconnect from the fire service family, and a resurgence of unresolved trauma. This episode features captain Steve Farina, a leader in first respond...

To kick off 2025, we’re bringing you an interview with Jim Jessop, the newly appointed fire chief and general manager of Toronto Fire Services. Join host and retired fire chief Tom DeSorcy as Jessop recounts his 30-year career, highlighting key mentors and experiences that shaped his leadership. He discusses significant changes in the fire service, including improved safety equipment and stronger...

This podcast features an interview with Fire Chief Ken McMullen, president of the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs, discussing current challenges facing Canadian fire services. Key topics include the increasing reliance on fire departments for medical first response, the importance of addressing first responder mental health, and the need for improved collaboration among federal, provincial, an...

In this episode, host Tom DeSorcy interviews Randy Schroeder, fire chief for the Town of Mayerthorpe & Lac Ste. Anne County and president of the Alberta Fire Chiefs Association. The conversation explores the challenges and complexities of maintaining a volunteer fire service, particularly in rural areas. The discussion delves into issues of recruitment and retention, acknowledging the increasi...

On the latest edition of Fire Fighting in Canada: The Podcast, Ret. Fire Chief Tom DeSorcy is joined by Steve Fraser, the co-author of the proactive mental health awareness training program for first responders Resilient Minds and a retired captain with Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services. The pair discuss the past, present and future Resilient Minds and outline how firefighters can introduce menta...

Ret. Fire Chief Tom DeSorcy sits down with returning guest Jennifer Grigg, whose 30-year career with the fire service has included time spent as a volunteer firefighter, instructor, and coach. The pair discuss the importance of personal reflection, examine how family fits into the lives of firefighters both in and out of the station, and review the state of change currently impacting volunteer fir...

On the latest edition of Fire Fighting in Canada: The Podcast, Jason Brolund, fire chief for West Kelowna Fire Rescue, which provides services for the city of West Kelowna and Westbank First Nations, shares his experience leading the fight against 2023’s McDougall Creek wildfire, a fire chief’s “nightmare scenario.” The McDougall Creek fire was the largest wildfire in the history of West Kelowna a...

Ret. Fire Chief Arjuna George has stayed connected to the fire service as a columnist (From Hire to Retire,  Canadian Firefighter ), podcast host (Beneath the Helmet), and author (Burnt Around the Edges, with more books to come). Arjuna shares how burnout pushed him into early retirement, why he wrote a book on it, and how a “world café” can contribute to better mental health.