Project Command

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...

In this episode of Project Command , I'm joined by Eddie Buchanan , creator of SLICE-RS , for a deep dive into how fire service ideas are built, tested, and scaled into real-world practice. We explore what drove the creation of SLICE-RS, how data and experience shaped its development, and what it takes to move from a fireground concept to an organizational system. Eddie also shares his perspective...

A project isn't finished when the work is done — it's finished when it's closed out. In the fire service, we know an incident doesn't end just because the flames are knocked down. We overhaul. We check for extension. We secure utilities. We give a final report. Only then does command terminate. Projects work the same way — yet closeout remains one of the most neglected phases of the project lifecy...

In this episode of Project Command, I'm joined by Kevin Henson, Deputy Chief of Staff for the John Fire District, for a wide-ranging conversation on technology, leadership, and execution in the fire service. We break down key takeaways from the IAFC Technology Summit 2025, discuss how emerging technology and AI can be used as a practical force multiplier, and explore the strong parallels between p...

Welcome to Project Command: Flash Points- quick, sharp hits that turn big project management concepts into everyday tools for the fire service. Today's Flash Point: How a classic fireground rule can reshape the way we run projects.

In this episode of Project Command, we dive into The 90% Problem: The Hidden Cost of Technical Debt, a challenge almost every fire department faces but few talk about openly. Technical debt builds up every time we roll out a new project without completing the policies, training, communication, or documentation that make it sustainable. Over time, this "almost done" work creates operational confusi...

In this episode of Project Command, we break down the 7 essential rules for working with your IT department. These are the rules every fire officer needs but most were never taught. From bringing IT the right problem instead of a pre-picked product, to understanding risk tolerance, lifecycle ownership, communication, and why tickets actually matter, this episode gives you a practical framework for...