Make Due: Suburban Fireman Podcast

Chief Dave McGlynn of the Letterkenny (PA) FD and owner of Passion in Leading LLC joins the show to discuss all things leadership and training! Do you have what it takes to elevate your leadership? Do you have what it takes to take your department's training to the next level? This episode will challenge you to BE more passionate, effective and resourceful. Don't miss out on this epic co...

Nick welcomes Cobb County (GA) Capt. and UL FSRI technical panel member, Sean Gray to the show to take a 2-hour deep dive into some of the amazing research being conducted by the UL FSRI. Sean shares his insights into the research, holds court on the topic of fire dynamics and how it relates to the modern fireground, and shares his tactical experiences over the last 3 decades of his fire service j...

Sean and Nick welcome special guest, Fire Chief (ret.) and owner of First Line Fire Service Training LLC, Dennis Reilly! The chief gives us some great insight in regard to the standards we hold. This is a deep dive examining personal, cultural, professional, and organizational standards and expectations. The conversation also reviews physical fitness in the fire service, training with a purpose an...

Nick welcomes good friend and fellow hard-charger JD Ducharme to the show to discuss WHY we are here. They dive headfirst into mission mindset, building a culture of excellence, training and preparation, and risk management/aversion in the fire service. If you're looking for a feel good, pat on the back kind of show, this isn't the episode for you. This is a fast-paced, no-holds-bar, una...

Sean and Nick welcome Zach Bruhn to the show to discuss engine ops, training and leadership! Zach is a Major with the Oklahoma City FD, is and instructor at Oklahoma State University, and owns Precision Fire Service Consulting. He gives us the skinny on engine ops OKC style including an examination of how they have perfected the use of the Metro Load in their organization. The crew then dives into...

Nick and Sean welcome Estero (FL) Fire Rescue Division Chief of Operations and Training, Grant Schwalbe to the show to talk grabs. This fast-paced, action-packed episode takes a look at search and rescue best practices for both searching and removing fire victims. We also discuss some of the excellent programs Grant is part of including When Things Go Bad and the "Grabs" podcast and thei...

Join Nick and Sean with our friend and guest, Dep. Chief (ret.) Steve Prziborowski of the Santa Clara (CA) County Fire Department. The crew unpacks some practical tools in this banger of an episode talking all things leadership! From new members to company officers to chief officers of all ranks, this episode hits on the needed traits, skills and the challenges faced at each respective level. Stev...

This is the episode you've been searching for (see what I did there). Seriously though. Dustin Martinez of Cobb County (GA) FD and Reformation Training absolutely lays down the gauntlet when it comes to search and rescue in this full-throttle, tactics heavy episode. This is blue-collar, firehouse table style learning at its best! (Disclaimer: no paramedics were harmed in the making of this ep...

2 hours of laughs, passion and knowledge with the one and only, Jake Barnes. Jake is the Battalion Chief of Training at the New Albany (IN) Fire Department, is an instructor with ISFSI having taught multiple times at the FDNY's "The Rock" and has instructed at numerous fire conferences around the country including FDIC. Jake is also the host of the 3 Point Firefighter Podcast. This...

Our good friend and all-around badass fireman, Devin Craig joins the show to spread the cure to the masses. Devin is a Captain in the FD in the Houston (TX) metro area and has been doing work for the past 20 years. He brings a level of passion, humor and tenacity that's evident from the moment you meet him. In this episode we discuss the Train or Die group (which he is co-founder of), his Laz...

Sean and Nick welcome our good buddy and all-around badass fireman, Wyatt McCall to the show to dive into building performance-based culture, the importance of attitude, leadership at the company level and the criticality of having a training mindset on the job. This unfiltered, raw conversation is just what the doctor ordered to get your batteries charged up and get you motivated to keep crushing...

We welcome our good friend and lover of all things forcible entry, Robert (RJ) James to Episode 33 for a fast-paced, fun (ok...seriously it was a blast!) conversation on all things forcible entry.  RJ is a Lieutenant with the Frederick County (MD) Fire-Rescue and a lead instructor with Capitol Fire Training. In this episode we discuss conventional, gas-powered and thru-the-lock forcible entry, tac...

Oshkosh (WI) FD fireman and Old-Fashioned FOOLS President Rick Guerra joins the show to share his journey from a young Milwaukee (WI) fireman to an Aurora (CO) jake, and then finally back home to Wisconsin again. We discuss lateral entry and how it has impacted the fire service. We chat about training, health and fitness. We dive into the FOOLS and what they represent. Rick discusses what the FOOL...

We were stoked to welcome Lt. Tyler Whitfield of Clearwater (FL) Fire-Rescue to the show. The crew discuses several topics including the importance of building a the proper mindset towards training, challenges of being a new company officer, and finally a snapshot look at Tyler's new class "The Grab Factory" (not to be confused with "The Grab Lab" which I (Nick) inadverten...

We were honored to have special guest John Spera of South Metro (CO) Fire Rescue and Fit to Fight Fire on the show to discuss his journey in the fire service. We dive into fitness and its importance and impact on the fire ground. We discussed mental and emotional health. We dive into the lateral entry hiring and the opportunities and challenges that go with it.  Finally, John and Nick share the im...

In this episode we welcome our good friend and mentor, Jason Liska to the show to discuss training and mentoring new and experienced members. We also dive into how culture influences our expectations, training and mentorship. Finally, the crew takes a look at recruitment and retention in the fire service. Make no mistake, this episode pulls no punches and is raw, unedited and maybe even a little u...

Jonathan Brumley of Denver (CO) Fire Department joins the show to discuss engine company operations. This episode is jam packed with excellent discussion on hose loads, engine company mindset, nozzles, nozzle reaction, and what it takes to be a successful engine firefighter. Jonathan hones in on attack packages and medium diameter hose in particular discussing training, hose line management and ti...

Sean and Nick welcome special guest Battalion Chief and Owner/Lead Instructor with Insight Training LLC, Andy Starnes to the show to discuss all things thermal imaging. This fast paced, highly informative episode takes a hard look at one of the most important, yet often underutilized tools on the fireground. Andy absolutely takes us to school with over 2 hours of knowledge, experience and passion!...

Join Sean and Nick as they welcome training officer Brian Weigle of the Elmira Heights (NY) FD to the show. We discuss what it takes to run a training event. We also dive into training, culture, recruitment and retention specifically in the volunteer and/or combination setting. The team dives into the "why" behind these factors and how they impact our departments, our members and our ver...

Sean and Nick welcome Steve Kimker of the Richmond Heights (MO) FD and the founder and owner of Rescue Redefined training cadre to the show to discuss stabilization, extrication, new vehicle construction, tactics, training and the emergence of electric vehicles and lithium-ion battery technology and their impact on the fire service. This episode is jam-packed with incredible information, tactical...

Season 3 is kicking off with a splash! Sean Eagen of the Buffalo (NY) Fire Department joins the show to discuss the importance of truck work on the fireground, truck tactics, positioning, truck company priorities and maximizing your training in a knowledge packed first episode of the new year! I've even been told it's ok if engine jakes listen in too (hey, he rode an engine for a few yea...

Buckle your seat belt and hold on tight! While this may be the longest episode ever recorded on the Make Due podcast (it happens!), make no mistake, this episode is a gloves-off, no bullshit, high octane episode from start to finish! Dru Goings (founder of Smoothbore Nation, co-founder of Rust Belt Jakes and Training Officer with the SEHNWU Joint Fire District in west central Ohio) shares his thou...

Captain Marc Aloan (West Columbia FD) of The Fire Inside and Rust Belt Jakes joins Nick to discuss suburban fireground operations, leadership and culture. The discussion starts out discussing some hot button topics in regard to water supply, nozzle selection, attack packages, search, and traditional truck work for the suburban engine company. Numerous tactical considerations and strategies are dis...

Battalion Chief Randy Feltner shares his story of surviving cardiac arrest on duty to overcoming all the challenges along the way to get back on the job. This episode takes a hard look at health, fitness, diet, sleep, and training mindsets in the fire service and how they all affect our long-term quality of work and life experiences and expectations. Randy offers his unique perspective on these is...

WARNING: SERIOUS WATER NERD TALK AHEAD! This is a MUST LISTEN episode if you are serious about taking your pump ops/water supply game to the NEXT LEVEL! If you're looking for legit water supply information this is the episode for you. This episode is jam-packed with tons of technical knowledge, tactical conversations, and real-world, experience- driven operational considerations. Additionally...