Knox® and friends

What happens when the unthinkable becomes reality?  On November 4, 2025, UPS Flight 2976 crashed shortly after takeoff from Louisville International Airport, creating one of the most significant emergency responses in the airport's history.  In this episode of Knox & Friends , Neal Zipser sits down with Josh Grimes, C.M., Chief and Director of Public Safety for the Louisville Airport Auth...

The "it's not going to happen here" mindset is a dangerous, complacent attitude in school safety that leads to inadequate security, deferred investments, and, ultimately, vulnerability. Overcoming this barrier requires shifting from reactive to proactive measures, including regular safety audits, staff training, and fostering a culture of alertness rather than fear. In this podcast,...

As the old “fireman” days are now well behind us, the fire service industry continues to seek new ways to recruit and retain female firefighters and to embrace a traditionally underrepresented demographic. Whatever the industry is doing seems to be working, as women are taking leadership roles at an accelerated pace. In this Knox & Friends podcast, two of the leading fire marshals in the U.S....

Communicating with your local, state, and federal representatives is more important than ever in today’s political environment. Fortunately for the fire service, the Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI) works to educate members of Congress on the needs and challenges facing our nation’s fire and emergency services, helping them understand how federal support impacts local first responders....

Mike Morgan is very involved in the fire industry. From being on the board of the National Association of State Fire Marshals to being heavily engaged with the volunteer firefighting community, Mike still makes time to lead the fire service programs in his home state of Colorado. One thing that currently has him concerned is the attack on model codes and standards. Hear from Mike on this issue, as...

Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell recently concluded her tenure as the U.S. Fire Administrator. Over the past four years, she used her position to drive change and advocate fiercely for firefighters. She joins Knox & Friends to discuss how she got into the fire service, where her passion comes from, why NERIS is so important, who she looks up to, what’s next for her, and much more.

In this podcast, Kelly Ransdell discusses her plans as NFPA’s new Director of Public Education and where her passion for public education comes from. One of her priorities includes the continuing development of the Steps for Safety program, which pairs fire and EMS professionals with community partners to educate older adults about home fire and fall safety through group presentations and home vis...

What turned out to be a false alarm at a school got local agencies in Columbus (Georgia) talking about delayed access. That led to discussions among various departments, including the fire department, Homeland Security department, police and sheriff departments, and school district. The result was the initiation of a Knox eLock Program throughout Columbus. What could have been a complicated, time-...

Kyle Green, fire marshal with the University of Alaska Fairbanks, has spent his entire fire service career in Alaska—and he wouldn’t change a thing. In this podcast, Kyle discusses the unique challenges of fighting fires in Alaska and how the university he works at is facing today’s fire and life safety issues head-on. Kyle also shares his tips on visiting Alaska and what he loves most about the s...

Chief Ron Siarnicki recently retired as the Executive Director of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF). The reins of the NFFF have been passed to Victor Stagnaro, who joined Knox & Friends to discuss his past involvement with the NFFF, how he plans to fill the "big shoes" left by Ron, the significant role of the NFFF in the fire service industry, the NFFF's launch...

The latest electronic advancements from Knox have opened up new opportunities for Knox to expand beyond fire departments. In fact, an increasing number of commercial businesses are realizing that the Knox eLock System can provide significant benefits within their safety and security framework. In this episode, Jeramie Morris of Dow discusses the challenges and issues facing today’s fire and life s...

After a critical injury while preparing for a training drill, FDNY firefighter William (Billy) Moon succumbed to his injuries and passed away at the age of forty-seven. His wife, Kristina, carried out Billy’s wishes to donate his organs to help others. In this podcast, Kristina discusses Billy’s legacy and the transformative gift of being an organ donor. Her story increases awareness and education...

NASFMs new “Bridging the Gap – Preparing Your Jurisdiction for Civil Unrest”  guide and training course focuses on educating and preparing fire marshals, inspectors, and code officials on proactively mitigating firefighter safety issues and fire damage before civil unrest incidents occur. An important takeaway from the podcast is the importance of jurisdictions requiring the installation of Knox F...

This informative episode features Assistant Chief, Joshua Frost w/the Zionsville, IN Fire Department. He illustrates the successes that are possible with a secure rapid access solution that provides accountability through audit trail reporting and a system that can exponentially expand and grow unlimited types of internal and external possibilities. Through their work, Zionsville FD has set the ba...

In this month’s Knox and Friends podcast our featured guest is Jason Schnase, Battalion Chief of Training and Safety at the Seattle Airport and chair of the ARFF Working Group.

Mark Brady, a nationally-recognized and respected public information officer, joins Knox and Friends to discuss his career and how social media has forced today’s PIO to think more creatively on reaching key audiences. 

Chuck Wilson, the president of the Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS), explains how schools need to employ better technology and protocols when it comes to active shooter preparedness, and the importance of first responders having safe and rapid access to the keys they need. Chuck also discusses the importance of the PASS guidelines, which are the most comprehensive collection of school saf...

Justin Daniels,  Fire Marshal and Emergency Management Operations, University of Oklahoma – Norman Campus, and the president of the Center for Campus Fire Safety (CCFS), discusses the latest happenings at the CCFS including the upcoming Campus Fire Forum. He also shares how the University of Oklahoma started its comprehensive rapid access program with the Knox eLock System, including how he overca...

David Davis, the Fire Logistics Specialist with Wake Forest (NC) Fire Department, shares how they have implemented rapid intervention strategies, including a Knox HomeBox Program for their growing senior community. The HomeBox expedites entry at residential properties, without costly damages, and provides the ability to easily, and quickly, secure the home following a call for service or medical t...

There are many issues involved in protecting communities from fire risks, yet important prevention methods are sometimes overlooked. Meet Chief Shane Ray, a dedicated career firefighter and the current president of the National Fire Sprinkler Association. Chief Ray has seen many dangerous situations, prevention, and fire safety solutions throughout his long career in the industry. Listen as he exp...