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Firefighters Podcast

Pete Wakefield
Firefighters Podcast
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  • #411 National Breathing Apparatus Challenge The Debrief Part 2
    In Part Two of our National Breathing Apparatus Challenge collaboration, we step behind the smoke to hear from the people who design, assess, and drive one of the UK fire service’s most respected events. After following ten operational crews through their thirty minute, two fire, three casualty scenario in Part One, this episode turns the focus to the organisers and assessors — the experts who build the realism, set the pressure, and define what good looks like on the fireground.They share how the Challenge is created, what assessors look for during each phase, and what trends they’re seeing in firefighter performance across the country. From scenario design to decision-making under stress, this conversation reveals how the National BA Challenge continues to raise the bar for competence, safety, and professional development in the UK fire and rescue service.Access all episodes, documents, GIVEAWAYS & debriefs HEREPodcast Apparel, Hoodies, Flags, Mugs HEREPODCAST GIFT - FREE subscription to essential Firefighting publications HERE A big thanks to our partners for supporting this episode.GORE-TEX Professional ClothingMSA The Safety CompanyIDEXFIRE & EVACUATION SERVICE LTD HAIX Footwear - Get offical podcast discount on HAIX HEREXendurance - to hunt performance & endurance 20% off HERE with code ffp20Lyfe Linez -  Get Functional Hydration FUEL for FIREFIGHTERS, Clean no sugar  for daily hydration. 80% of people live dehydratedSend us a textSupport 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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  • #410 National Breathing Apparatus Challenge 2025: The Debrief - Part 1
    In this episode, we head straight to the heart of the 2025 National Breathing Apparatus Challenge where teams of operational UK firefighters went head-to-head in a simulated high-pressure incident: smoke issuing from a rented property, three persons unaccounted for, and two seats of fire to tackle within thirty minutes. Armed with one fire truck & five firefighters each crew faced the same scenario but delivered different results.I sat down with the crews for some for raw, unfiltered hot debriefs with firefighters from Buckinghamshire, Norfolk, London Fire Brigade, West Yorkshire, Kent, Shropshire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Tyne and Wear, Scotland, and Gloucestershire. Together they explore how variations in kit, tactics, and service procedures shaped their outcomes and what those differences reveal about firefighting in the UK today. This is not just about competition; it’s about collaboration, reflection, and professional growth.Access all episodes, documents, GIVEAWAYS & debriefs HEREPodcast Apparel, Hoodies, Flags, Mugs HEREPODCAST GIFT - FREE subscription to essential Firefighting publications HERE A big thanks to our partners for supporting this episode.GORE-TEX Professional ClothingMSA The Safety CompanyIDEXFIRE & EVACUATION SERVICE LTD HAIX Footwear - Get offical podcast discount on HAIX HEREXendurance - to hunt performance & endurance 20% off HERE with code ffp20Lyfe Linez -  Get Functional Hydration FUEL for FIREFIGHTERS, Clean no sugar  for daily hydration. 80% of people live dehydratedSend us a textSupport 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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  • #409 Evolution vs Revolution: The Journey of Tactical Firefighting UK continues Part 2 of 2 with Dave Berry
    Today we’re back with someone whose name carries serious weight in UK tactical firefighting. Dave Berry, Tactical Firefighting Training Lead at Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service.With over 25 years on the front line, Dave has trained operational crews across Lancashire, Manchester, Macedonia and Montenegro. He’s a fire behaviour specialist, an educator’s educator, and a lifelong student of the craft learning shoulder to shoulder with many of the experts you’ve already heard on this podcast. He’s also one of the founding voices behind Tactical Firefighting UK a collaborative group driving the conversation on how we bring operational tactics and firefighter knowledge into the 21st century. And beyond the job, he’s a good mate, someone I’ve already shared hard lessons, long days, and a few wild adventures with.If you caught Episode 389 - Part One of this conversation you’ll know where this started go back after this and line them up  as they work best as a pair.Because in Part Two, we’re digging deeper. We talk:Anti-ventilation and search-first tactics BA team leadership and competence Flow rates and water mapping The “BA shuffle” debateAnd we go wider: building construction, ventilation, and career sustainability.This episode is built for firefighters, instructors, and incident commanders who want to think deeply about the craft. It’s one to pick apart, replay, and bring to the drill yard or the mess room — because this is how the job gets better.contact Dave at - [email protected] all episodes, documents, GIVEAWAYS & debriefs HEREJoin me on the United for 9/11: Memorial Stair Climb – Atlanta 2026 HEREPodcast Apparel, Hoodies, Flags, Mugs HEREPODCAST GIFT - FREE subscription to essential Firefighting publications HERE A big thanks to our partners for supporting this episode.GORE-TEX Professional ClothingMSA The Safety CompanyIDEXFIRE & EVACUATION SERVICE LTD HAIX Footwear - Get offical podcast discount on HAIX HEREXendurance - to hunt performance & endurance 20% off HERE with code ffp20Lyfe Linez -  Get Functional Hydration FUEL for FIREFIGHTERS, Clean no sugar  for daily hydration. 80% of people live dehydratSend us a textSupport 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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  • #408 ESS LIVE - When Systems Fail: Human Factors and the Weight of Modern Healthcare with Andy Youngson & Simon Nevitt
    In this special Emergency services show Collaboration 2025 episode, we explore how human factors shape the way emergency services deliver care under pressure. Im Joined by Andy Youngson, Advanced Paramedic in Pre-Hospital Care with East Midlands Ambulance Service, and Simon Nevitt, Market Access Manager at Galen Pharma, we unpack the realities of high-stakes decision-making, communication breakdowns, and the cultural shifts needed to strengthen collaboration across healthcare and emergency response. From the lessons of Martin and Elaine Bromley’s story to the growing challenge of bariatric care in the UK, this discussion goes beyond theory—examining how realistic training, open communication, and cross-service understanding can help teams perform better together and keep patient care truly human in a system that’s constantly under strain. Access all episodes, documents, GIVEAWAYS & debriefs HEREJoin me on the United for 9/11: Memorial Stair Climb – Atlanta 2026 HEREPodcast Apparel, Hoodies, Flags, Mugs HEREPODCAST GIFT - FREE subscription to essential Firefighting publications HERE A big thanks to our partners for supporting this episode.GORE-TEX Professional ClothingMSA The Safety CompanyIDEXFIRE & EVACUATION SERVICE LTD HAIX Footwear - Get offical podcast discount on HAIX HEREXendurance - to hunt performance & endurance 20% off HERE with code ffp20Lyfe Linez -  Get Functional Hydration FUEL for FIREFIGHTERS, Clean no sugar  for daily hydration. 80% of people live dehydratedSend us a textSupport 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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  • #407 The Origin & Evolutions of Firefighter Fitness Tests in the UK with Dr Phil Turner
    Today we’re digging into the roots of firefighter fitness. How we got from local “beep test and vibes” to nationally validated standards built from actual job tasks and science.Joining me is Dr. Phil Turner one of the key architects behind the NFCC FireFit framework. Phil’s spent the last two decades co-designing the drill ground assessments and publishing the data that define what fit for duty really means in the UK fire service.We’ll unpack where those numbers came from, the VO₂ cutoffs, the strength benchmarks that mirror ladder lifts and rescues and why being “fit enough” is about more than a stopwatch or a treadmill. We’ll talk about how age, body composition, and even sleep all factor into real operational safety.This conversation goes beyond testing. it’s about health, culture, and what’s next for the fire service as we face an aging workforce, rising chronic disease, and new challenges like climate-driven incidents.So buckle in, this one’s part history lesson, part health science, and a look forward at what the next 20 years of firefighter fitness might need to be.Access all episodes, documents, GIVEAWAYS & debriefs HEREJoin me on the United for 9/11: Memorial Stair Climb – Atlanta 2026 HEREPodcast Apparel, Hoodies, Flags, Mugs HEREPODCAST GIFT - FREE subscription to essential Firefighting publications HERE A big thanks to our partners for supporting this episode.GORE-TEX Professional ClothingMSA The Safety CompanyIDEXFIRE & EVACUATION SERVICE LTD HAIX Footwear - Get offical podcast discount on HAIX HEREXendurance - to hunt performance & endurance 20% off HERE with code ffp20Lyfe Linez -  Get Functional Hydration FUEL for FIREFIGHTERS, Clean no sugar  for daily hydration. 80% of people live dehydratedSend us a textSupport 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 Firefighters Podcast

The Firefighters Podcast is a global podcast seeking to develop, inspire, connect, motivate, represent & celebrate the world of our emergency services operators through a series of wide-ranging conversations celebrating those within our emergency services family and encouraging the support of this incredible group of people.Operational UK firefighter Pete Wakefield speaks with individuals from all walks of life who share a connection with, can add value to, or can develop those who choose this life path.Our driving purpose is to create a legacy resource for the current and future generations of firefighters & first responders
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