Firefighters Podcast

• #426 Collaboration Over Tradition: Dave Berry and the Rise of Tactical Firefighting UK

  Inside the Lancashire Tactical Firefighting Summit: A Four-Part Series on Modern Firefighting.The final episode brings the series home with Greater Manchester’s Tactical Firefighting Training Lead Dave Berry. Dave is one of the founding voices behind Tactical Firefighting UK. Dave charts the UK’s slow march toward modernization, from years of near-identical training practices across multiple services to the moment everything began to shift: when a small WhatsApp group of instructors decided to collaborate instead of working in isolation. That collaboration evolved into TF-UK, a national network driving tactical innovation and shared learning.Dave shows how collective effort has accelerated progress in water mapping, flow testing, hose pack design, search techniques, size-up frameworks and more. He explains how TF-UK has reduced duplication, strengthened doctrine, and helped instructors introduce change with confidence and evidence. This closing chapter ties the entire mini series together with data from Dan, structure from Gerard, training evolution from Lucas and presents collaboration as the engine that will shape the future of UK firefighting.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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• #425 Droplets, Energy and the Future of Container Training with Lucas Garden

  Inside the Lancashire Tactical Firefighting Summit: A Four-Part Series on Modern Firefighting.In episode three, Fire and Rescue New South Wales instructor Lucas Garden takes us deep into the evolution of modern fire behaviour training. He traces how his service moved from rigid, tradition-heavy British-style tactics toward a more scientific, evidence-based approach shaped by international research. Lucas explains why understanding energy is the key to understanding fire, and how misconceptions about water, droplet behaviour and smoke cooling once held back operational effectiveness.Using the development of NSW’s container programme as a case study, Lucas shows how to teach fire behaviour and tactical movement in a way that actually changes performance on the fireground. He breaks down the limits of container training, the risks of teaching bad habits in small volumes, and the importance of controlled, comfortable learning environments where firefighters can observe, reflect and embed good technique. This session is a masterclass in linking science to practical, repeatable skills that firefighters can trust under pressure.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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• #424 From the Service Strategy all the way to the Branch: Unified Fireground Thinking with Gerard Mann

  Inside the Lancashire Tactical Firefighting Summit: A Four-Part Series on Modern Firefighting.In episode two, Station Officer Gerard Mann of Fire Rescue Victoria builds on Dan’s analysis by shifting the focus to how a fire service thinks strategically, tactically and culturally. Drawing on sixteen years across operations, training and doctrine development, Gerard lays out a simple but powerful framework that connects strategy, tactics, tasks and techniques. He explains why leadership alone can’t deliver excellence, why capability lives at task and technique level, and why modern services need a unified operational language if they want predictable performance under pressure.Gerard also tackles the legal and ethical realities facing today’s fire services. Following the death of Firefighter Isabella Nash and Australia’s first operational manslaughter case, he explains why doctrine and training must be defensible, documented and aligned with real-world practice. From practitioner-written doctrine to bite-sized training modules and consistent instructor development, Gerard shows what an integrated, modern firefighting system actually looks like. This episode gives listeners the “how” behind building a service that can think and act as one.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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• #423 When Doctrine Fails: Standards, Strategy and the Reality of Fireground Performance with Dan Stephens

  Inside the Lancashire Tactical Firefighting Summit: A Four-Part Series on Modern Firefighting.In part one of this mini series, Dan Stephens breaks down the findings from his cumulative inspection of all three Welsh fire and rescue services, focusing on operational effectiveness at domestic dwelling fires. He walks through three years of data, nearly fifteen hundred dwelling fires per year and reveals the patterns that emerge when you strip away assumptions. From the true prevalence of fuel-controlled fires, to the widespread misreporting of “well alight,” to the over-reliance on nineteen millimetre hose reels even in post-flashover environments, Dan shows how these decisions shape firefighter survivability, civilian outcomes and the scale of avoidable damage.He also highlights the human factors at play: the limits of experiential learning, the legacy of outdated and conflicting operational policies, and the lack of clarity around what “good” looks like on the fireground. Dan doesn’t point the finger at firefighters. Instead, he shows where the system has failed them and why now is the moment to rebuild doctrine, training and operational expectations properly. This opening episode sets the tone for the full series. Honest analysis, shared learning and a clear push for capability built on evidence rather than folklore.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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• #422 Health Span over Life Span Staying Operational to 60 with Chris Ward of Fit Fire Rescue part 2

   In part two Chris Ward moves from the personal story into the practical blueprint. This is where the conversation shifts gears and gets straight into the habits, behaviours and systems firefighters need if they want to stay fit for the job for decades, not months. Chris opens up about the emotional toll of testing, the stigma around capability, and the reality that annual fitness fear is often a lifestyle problem not a treadmill problem. He breaks down how shift work, on call pressure, modern declarations, poor recovery, bad sleep, erratic training and even small daily choices stack up into long term decline. Chris digs deep into programming, nutrition, movement, strength, cardio, and the mindset shift from “training for the test” to building year round operational readiness. From menopause to chronic disease, from confidence issues to the mental health benefits of discipline and routine, this episode gives firefighters a clear, honest, and achievable path back to control. If part one was the wake up call, part two is the map. Find Chris HEREAccess 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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