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Firefighter Podcast

Pete Wakefield
Firefighter Podcast
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449 episodes

  • Firefighter Podcast

    #462 DEBRIEF London Luton Airport’s Terminal Car Park 2 fire October 10th 2023

    08/04/2026 | 39 mins.
    A fire involving a single vehicle at Luton Airport’s multi storey car park rapidly escalated and spread through closely parked cars leading to the full structural collapse of a large section of the building. In this episode we walk through the timeline of events from initial ignition to rapid fire spread highlighting the role of modern vehicle construction fuel load and fire behaviour in open car park environments. We explore how the incident developed into a major fire involving over a thousand vehicles the challenges crews faced on arrival and the wider impact on airport operations and infrastructure.
    CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD DEBRIEF DOCUMENT
    Access all episodes, documents, GIVEAWAYS & debriefs HERE
    Join me at Blue Light Show in London in July
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     Please check out our Partners supporting this episode are
    William Wood Watches - Discount code FFPODCAST gives the user 10% off full range on website
    FIRST TACTICAL- tactical gear for elite operators
    GORE-TEX Professional Clothing
    MSA The Safety Company
    JAFCO
    IDEX
    FIRE & EVACUATION SERVICE LTD 
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    Support the show
    ***The views expressed in this episode are those of the individual speakers. Our partners are not responsible for the content of this episode and does not warrant its accuracy or completeness.***
    Please support the podcast and its future by clicking HERE and joining our Patreon Crew
  • Firefighter Podcast

    #461 Why Silence Is Killing Our Culture with Graham Goulden

    06/04/2026 | 1h 25 mins.
    This conversation cuts straight to one of the most uncomfortable truths in emergency services: the biggest risk to our people is not always the job, it is what we tolerate around each other. Graham Goulden is a former police officer with Police Scotland who has stepped away from frontline service to focus on something bigger by helping organisations rethink culture, behaviour and responsibility. Now an international violence prevention and leadership trainer Graham works across sectors from emergency services to elite sport, prisons, education and healthcare specialising in active bystandership and the power of peer intervention. As a consultant with global programmes like ABLE through Georgetown University and Heroes Intervene he is at the forefront of changing how people step in before harm is done.
    What you will take from this episode is practical, not theoretical. From redefining loyalty to building what Graham calls a true “circle of trust”, this is about equipping firefighters with the mindset and tools to act early, speak up, and support each other when it matters most. We explore how relationships sit at the heart of everything, how culture is shaped in the small moments, and why silence is never neutral. This is a conversation that challenges you to look at your own standards, your own influence, and your willingness to act because in the end, better people build better teams and one person stepping in can genuinely change everything.
    connect with Graham HERE
    Grahams Website HERE
    Access all episodes, documents, GIVEAWAYS & debriefs HERE
    Join me at Blue Light Show in London in July
    Podcast Apparel, Hoodies, Flags, Mugs HERE
     Please check out our Partners supporting this episode are
    William Wood Watches - Discount code FFPODCAST gives the user 10% off full range on website
    FIRST TACTICAL- tactical gear for elite operators
    GORE-TEX Professional Clothing
    MSA The Safety Company
    JAFCO
    IDEX
    FIRE & EVACUATION SERVICE LTD 
    Send us Fan Mail
    Support the show
    ***The views expressed in this episode are those of the individual speakers. Our partners are not responsible for the content of this episode and does not warrant its accuracy or completeness.***
    Please support the podcast and its future by clicking HERE and joining our Patreon Crew
  • Firefighter Podcast

    #460 Fire Spyder: A New Answer to High-Rise Firefighting with Thomas Jonkers

    02/04/2026 | 48 mins.
    High-rise firefighting has a problem we don’t talk about enough… getting water onto the fire floor fast enough when it really matters.
    From delayed internal attacks to compromised stairwells and unreliable rising mains, crews are often fighting to catch up with a fire that’s already developing ahead of them. And when the building height starts working against you, that gap only gets bigger.
    In this episode we explore the Fire Spyder, a new concept designed to tackle that exact challenge. A rapid deploy externally mounted system that allows firefighters to deliver water directly onto upper floors from the outside of the building beyonf the reach of most ALP's or TL's.
    We break down where current high-rise tactics struggle how this system works in the real world and where it could fit alongside existing approaches.
    The buildings are getting taller. The fires are getting more complex. The question is… are our tactics keeping up?
    find out more about FIRE SPYDER HERE
    Access all episodes, documents, GIVEAWAYS & debriefs HERE
    Join me at Blue Light Show in London in July
    Podcast Apparel, Hoodies, Flags, Mugs HERE
     Please check out our Partners supporting this episode are
    William Wood Watches - Discount code FFPODCAST gives the user 10% off full range on website
    FIRST TACTICAL- tactical gear for elite operators
    GORE-TEX Professional Clothing
    MSA The Safety Company
    JAFCO
    IDEX
    FIRE & EVACUATION SERVICE LTD 
    Send us Fan Mail
    Support the show
    ***The views expressed in this episode are those of the individual speakers. Our partners are not responsible for the content of this episode and does not warrant its accuracy or completeness.***
    Please support the podcast and its future by clicking HERE and joining our Patreon Crew
  • Firefighter Podcast

    #459 Are we at risk of losing our sense of humour - A conversation about Humour, Trauma & the Psychology of Leadership with Sonia Pawson

    30/03/2026 | 1h 39 mins.
    Humour has always been part of emergency service culture. It builds connection, relieves pressure, and helps people process some of the most difficult situations imaginable. But in a modern environment shaped by increased scrutiny, policy, and public visibility, that same humour is now being questioned. Where is the line between coping and causing harm? And what do we risk losing if we get it wrong?
    In this episode, Sonia Pawson brings a unique perspective shaped by senior leadership experience across government and fire and rescue, alongside research into workplace humour. We explore why dark humour exists, the different types of humour that show up in teams, and how leaders can better understand its role in culture, trust, and psychological safety. This is not about removing humour. It is about understanding it, so we can protect both people and professionalism at the same time.
    Access all episodes, documents, GIVEAWAYS & debriefs HERE
    Join me at Blue Light Show in London in July
    Podcast Apparel, Hoodies, Flags, Mugs HERE
     Please check out our Partners supporting this episode are
    William Wood Watches - Discount code FFPODCAST gives the user 10% off full range on website
    FIRST TACTICAL- tactical gear for elite operators
    GORE-TEX Professional Clothing
    MSA The Safety Company
    JAFCO
    IDEX
    FIRE & EVACUATION SERVICE LTD 
    Send us Fan Mail
    Support the show
    ***The views expressed in this episode are those of the individual speakers. Our partners are not responsible for the content of this episode and does not warrant its accuracy or completeness.***
    Please support the podcast and its future by clicking HERE and joining our Patreon Crew
  • Firefighter Podcast

    #458 DEBRIEF: When Smoke Took the Building - Twin Parks High Rise, Bronx, New York, January 2022

    26/03/2026 | 16 mins.
    In this incident debrief, we break down the 2022 Twin Parks high-rise fire in the Bronx, where a single apartment fire escalated into a mass casualty event that claimed 17 lives, all due to smoke inhalation. 
    This episode explores how the failure of compartmentation, open doors, and an unprotected stairwell allowed smoke to spread rapidly throughout the building, turning a place of safety into a hazard. 
    Through a structured timeline and evidence-based analysis, we examine the fire dynamics, building design, and human factors that shaped the outcome, while challenging firefighters to think differently about smoke movement, stairwell protection, and their role in influencing conditions on arrival. 
    Access all episodes, documents, GIVEAWAYS & debriefs HERE
    Join me at Blue Light Show in London in July
    Podcast Apparel, Hoodies, Flags, Mugs HERE
     Please check out our Partners supporting this episode are
    William Wood Watches - Discount code FFPODCAST gives the user 10% off full range on website
    FIRST TACTICAL- tactical gear for elite operators
    GORE-TEX Professional Clothing
    MSA The Safety Company
    JAFCO
    IDEX
    FIRE & EVACUATION SERVICE LTD 
    Send us Fan Mail
    Support the show
    ***The views expressed in this episode are those of the individual speakers. Our partners are not responsible for the content of this episode and does not warrant its accuracy or completeness.***
    Please support the podcast and its future by clicking HERE and joining our Patreon Crew
    Send us Fan Mail
    Support the show
    ***The views expressed in this episode are those of the individual speakers. Our partners are not responsible for the content of this episode and does not warrant its accuracy or completeness.***
    Please support the podcast and its future by clicking HERE and joining our Patreon Crew

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About Firefighter Podcast

The Firefighters Podcast is an award winning global podcast developing, inspiring, connecting, motivating & celebrating the world of our emergency services operators through a series of wide-ranging conversations with those within our emergency services family.Hosted by serving operational UK firefighter & Instructor Pete Wakefield who speaks with individuals from all walks of life who share a connection with, can add value to, or can develop those within the fire sector.Our driving purpose is to create a legacy resource for the current and future generations of firefighters & first responders
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