The Weekly Scrap, Firefighter Podcast

Stephen Runyan, aka Tommy Gunn, is coming back to The Scrap, and this one is going to be loaded... again! With more than 20 years in the fire service, Stephen has dedicated his career to developing firefighters, challenging conventional thinking, and sharing the lessons he's learned from some of the best mentors in the profession. A Georgia Smoke Diver, FDIC H.O.T. Class Specialist, Wichita F...

Joined on this episode by my friend, the one and only Dana Larkin! Dana currently serves as Battalion Chief with Camano Island Fire & Rescue, leading C-Shift while overseeing the department's training division. From starting as a volunteer in 2001 to becoming one of the driving forces behind firefighter development, Dana has spent years building firefighters, officers, and future leaders....

Joined on this episode by the one and only Steve Prziborowski, retired Deputy Chief with the Santa Clara County Fire Department who continues to shape the fire service as an instructor with Chabot College and the National Fire Academy. A respected mentor to many, Steve spends much of his time coaching and developing firefighters and officers at all ranks. Steve has spoken across the country, autho...

Joined on this episode by my man Brandon Chapman! Brandon is the Co-Founder and Instructor of GRIT Fire Training LLC, Driver on Truck 17 in the City of Pittsburgh, Assistant Fire Chief for Stowe Township Fire Department, and firefighter with West Lanham Hills Volunteer Fire Company 28 in Prince George's County, Maryland. With 17 years of combined career and volunteer fire service experience,...

Joined on episode 358 by Jason Worthy of South Spartanburg Fire Department.  A second-generation firefighter with 18 years on the job—many of them spent riding the truck. Jason currently serves as Captain on Ladder 24. Throughout his career, he has continually invested in his craft, completing OBT2, the NC Breathing Equipment School, Truckman Academy, and the South Carolina Fire Officer’s Academy....

Joined on this episode by the one and only Tom Richardson, retired FDNY Chief of Department! Chief Richardson walks the walk, serving 42 years with the FDNY, rising through every rank to lead as the top uniformed officer in the busiest fire department in the nation. A lifelong firefighter, he’s been a volunteer in Deer Park since 1978 (serving as Chief of Department there in 1999-2000 and 2009-201...

Joined on episode 356 by firefighter/paramedic and founder of VEST First Responder LLC, the one and only Jake Hecht!!!!  Tuesday, May 26th 8 PM CST From high school history teacher to pro MMA fighter (3× UFC veteran) and now firefighter, Jake turned a violent patient encounter into a mission, dedicating his career to protecting those who protect others.  As a former Army Combatives Instructor and...

Joined on this episode by the one and only Cody Trestrail, Founder and Instructor of Brothers in Battle and the man behind Firemanship! Cody has been on the Scrap for episodes 179 (one of the most listened to episodes of all time), 295, and the Firemanship special, and is coming back on for episode 355!  Join us for another epic episode where truth bombs drop as we discuss the driving force behind...

Joined on this episode by the one and only Kiel Samsing; firefighter, paramedic, neuroscience coach, instructor, and author of the game-changing book Mind of Fire: The Science and Art of Decision Making. Kiel founded Mind of Fire back in 2018 after seeing a massive gap in the fire service: we crush tactics and hands-on skills, but we’ve been starving the cognitive side - the mental sets and reps t...

Another firehouse-fueled showdown, we welcomed back David “DJ” Stone to the show!  DJ is currently developing "The Personnel Issues Playbook: Firefighter Interpersonal Issues You Must Know as a Boss". This is a collaborative project focused on the real-world people problems officers and chiefs face on the job, and how they’ve handled them. From navigating tough interpersonal conflicts to...

This week, we're sitting down with Michael "Stickers" Goldstein, a battle-tested New Hampshire firefighter with 20 years in the first responder game, from dispatcher to the front lines. As the no-holds-barred host of The C.A.N. Report, Mike is on a mission to spotlight the fire service's rich history, raw culture, leadership truths, mental health realities, and the hard lessons...

This week we’re joined by Stephanie White, Editor-in-Chief of Firefighter Nation, one of the sharpest voices in the industry. Fresh off the rig after 20+ years as a firefighter/paramedic with Fairfax County, Stephanie is bringing her no-nonsense perspective to the table. We dive into the topics that matter most right now. Starting with the problem of conflicts in the fire house and then pivoting t...

Joined on this episode by the one and only Curt Isakson — the absolute force of nature I call “Hurricane Ike” is BACK for Episode 350 of The Scrap! Chief Ike — 30+ year fire service legend, recently retired Battalion Chief from Escambia County Fire Rescue, creator of County Fire Tactics , and the man who’s lit up The Scrap on episodes 70, 100 (“People Before Water”), 150, 200, 250 (“Faith, Family,...

Joined on this episode by the one and only Brian Brush (CRUSH) and you better be ready, because we’re diving deep into rescue data. He’s coming on to release and discuss the initial findings from the 2026 rescue count. We compare it to the 2021 project and what trends we can quantify, and what trends we are seeing over the last five years. With over 500 structure fire incidents across the U.S. in...

On this episode I am joined by the one and only Kris Blume, and it was a heavy dose of leadership discussion! We talked about what he means when he says “Carry the Fire” and “Serve the Work,” along with “The Quiet Damage of Destructive Leadership” and how “Burnout Isn’t Just the Job, It’s Leadership.” We also dove into “Data vs. Culture: What Actually Changes Behavior?” And "The Cost of Silen...

Joined on this episode by the one and only Dave Dubowski and it was one for the ages. We plan to talk about his  journey through the fire service and how trajectory is something he has been thinking about.  We dive into what he coined “5 career calls over the past 5 years.”  His photography and buffing over the past 42 years…of course talking to Dubowski, it would be a party foul to not discuss th...

Joined on this episode by one of my favorite Stone brothers…Chief Shannon Stone. I was fired up for this conversation and the topics we planned to dig into. I’ve taken a lot of notes over the years sitting in on this man’s lectures.  Leadership,  developing the ideal promotional process to put the right people in the right seats and building cultures to support our mission. What it looks like to p...

Joined on this episode by the one and only Jake Ryks, and here is a taste of the talking points we we’re planning to cover: the importance of training, inspiring the next generation to care, taking pride in the job, recruitment and retention, when it’s time to promote, what it means to truly be a “master firefighter,” department morale, leading by example, and what it means to be “the senior man.”...

This week, the Scrap was a little different. We filmed LIVE on location in Baton Rouge at the L.I.F.T. Fire Conference with special guests Bassel Ibrahim and Todd Edwards. (With Surprise guest Clyde Gordon) Questions came from the YouTube audience and the live audience at L.I.F.T. An amazing evening with several surprises.  It was an amazing evening and an unforgettable Live Scrap!

There is not a more sacred number in the United States Fire service than 343 and I did not want to treat this as just another episode. With this year marking the 25th anniversary of 9/11, it was important to approach Episode #343 with respect and honor.  So with that said - this will be MEGA SCRAP FDNY!  I will be joined by three of FDNY's best: Tom Richardson, Joe Jardin and Frank Leeb. Toge...

Joined this week by Mr. Fully Involved himself, the one and only Mark vonAppen.  It promises to be an awesome conversation as one of my most influential mentors comes back on the Scrap!  We discuss how decisions made at the mid-level shape culture, trust, and long-term performance within organizations. How he likes to  emphasizes accountability without ego, discipline without arrogance, and the id...

Joined this week by the one and only Chris Watson.  It was an interesting conversation for sure! We dove deep into transferring knowledge, not just skills. The big question: Are we really doing enough for the next generation of firefighters? Mentoring and how much he learned from his mentors and how that impacted him to pass it on. Chris is also passionate about sharing knowledge beyond the fireho...

Joined this week by the one and only Phil Jose. The first time Phil came on the show, I was out of the country and had Rob Fisher step in as guest host.  I enjoyed listening to that Scrap so much and knew I had to bring Phil back for another round. We talk a lot about tactical decision games, and the lessons he has learned after building and running them for years. The pitfalls to avoid and the be...

Joining us this week is the editor-in-chief himself, Chief David Rhodes!  The number 339 holds deep significance for Rhodes, and we unpack what it means to him. We dive into the nuts-and-bolts… and where this philosophy comes from as well as how he uses it to guide his personal decision making.  No discussion with Chief Rhodes would be complete without checking in on the big show and what all he h...

Joined this week by Groovy himself, Chad Gruver and if you know Chad you know this was an interesting and wild conversation. We discuss Engine work, and how he builds and maintains the culture he desires. We  discuss charities and how a bunch of bad ass seals and bad ass firefighters have done a lot of badass things to make a difference in a lot of lives. Of course, Chad has had his own “Oh shit! ...