Firefighter Podcast

Me & Rhiain Akin of London Fire Brigade explore the reality of domestic violence within the fire service and why it must be recognised as a workplace issue, not just something that happens behind closed doors. 
Drawing on her own experience as a victim survivor and her work leading the Phoenix support network, Rhiain breaks down the many forms domestic abuse can take, from coercive control and emotional manipulation to financial and physical harm, and explains how these experiences directly impact performance, wellbeing and safety on the job. 
Together, we unpack the stigma, shame and cultural barriers that stop firefighters from speaking up, the hidden impact on colleagues and families, and the responsibility we all carry to look out for one another. This episode also highlights the practical steps organisations can take to support their people, from policy and training to flexible working and safe leave, and shows how small actions like listening, believing and asking the right questions can make a life changing difference.
Find Rhiain HERE
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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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***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

How much attention do you actually pay to the uniform you wear every day?
The trousers that don’t fit right.
The seams that go.
The fabric that fades.
In this episode, im chatting with Claire Wilford, Head of European Sales at First Tactical to unpack a question most of us have never really asked:
What does good uniform actually look like?
Because across the UK alone, hundreds of millions are being spent on first responder kit every year…So why are so many still dealing with gear that doesn’t perform?
CONNECT WITH CLAIRE HERE
SEE FIRST TACTICAL HERE
Access all episodes, documents, GIVEAWAYS & debriefs HERE
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

Recorded in collaboration with the Blue Light Show, London’s leading emergency services conference and expo, this episode explores what Artificial Intelligence and Large Language Models actually mean for first responders, beyond the noise, hype and fear. 
Sitting down with Jurga Zilinskiene, founder of Guildhawk and a leader in ethical AI and language technology, the conversation digs into communication, risk and system design in high pressure environments, from the hidden dangers of language barriers to the reality that we are often building more complex systems without improving outcomes. This is a grounded, honest look at how AI can support decision making, identify risk earlier and improve how we serve the most vulnerable, but only if it is implemented properly and paired with human understanding, training and trust. 
Recorded as part of the Blue Light Show 2026 at Olympia London on the 1st and 2nd of July, this episode highlights the value of specialist knowledge, professional curiosity and continuous learning across policing, fire, ambulance and wider public safety organisations. 
Free to attend, register and find out more: https://www.bluelight.show/
Access all episodes, documents, GIVEAWAYS & debriefs HERE
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

In this episode, I sit down with Warren Shepherd and Lee Ralph, the firefighters behind Freedom In The Fire, a movement built around one simple idea - creating space for real conversations about mental health. 
From sitting in full fire kit in the middle of Bath inviting strangers to talk, to carrying a log through the mountains as a symbol of the weight people carry every day, their work is raw, human, and deeply needed. 
We get into the uncomfortable truths around mental health. The idea of “quiet desperation,” masking and functioning on the surface while struggling underneath. This is an honest, unfiltered conversation about what’s missing, what’s working and what it really means to be heard.
Find out more about Freedom In The Fire here
Access all episodes, documents, GIVEAWAYS & debriefs HERE
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

In this episode of the International Fire Instructors Workshop Australia mini series, Steve De Blauwe, Station Officer and CFBT instructor from Belgium takes you inside the reality of interior firefighting and why so much of what we’ve been taught simply doesn’t hold up when it matters. 
This is a raw, honest look at broken training systems, the gap between the academy and the fireground and how that turns into frustration, poor performance and risk for crews. Steve walks through how they rebuilt everything from the ground up, creating a simple, repeatable system for staying low, moving efficiently with hose lines, building real muscle memory for gas cooling and creating clear expectations under pressure so firefighters actually do what they need to do inside a burning building. 
Recorded live at IFIW, this is gritty, practical and immediately usable. You’ll also find downloadable content linked below so you can take this learning back to your own crews and start applying it straight away.
You can also download the full presentation using the link HERE
For those undertaking professional development, CPD is available for listening to this episode through the Institute of Fire Engineers - email [email protected]
PROTECT YOURSELF IN LIVE FIRE WITH ENDURO PROTECT & DE-WIPE 
Access all episodes, documents, GIVEAWAYS & debriefs HERE
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