Firefighter Podcast

The UK’s 2026 wildfire season has pushed Fire and Rescue Services into unprecedented operational territory. In this episode, we look at the numbers behind more than a thousand significant wildfires, some of the largest and most resource-intensive incidents of the year, the impact on firefighters, appliances and national resilience, and how the UK’s wildfire capability has developed over time. 
We explore specialist teams, training, vehicles, aerial firefighting and international best practice, before taking a deeper look at one of the most important issues facing firefighters on the fireline: PPE, heat stress, smoke exposure and the reality of undertaking prolonged wildfire operations in structural firefighting kit that was never designed for that environment. 
This is a firefighter-focused debrief of what 2026 has exposed, what the sector is already improving, and what needs to change before the next major wildfire season.
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DELTA FIRE
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In this episode I sit down with Portuguese firefighter and world champion firefighter athlete Duarte Mendes to discover the man behind the medals. 
We talk about growing up in the small Portuguese town of Avis, the values and work ethic his family gave him, his four years serving in the Portuguese Marines, lifeguarding and the journey that eventually led him into a career with the Lisbon Fire Brigade. Duarte gives us a fascinating insight into professional firefighting in Portugal, including 24-hour shifts, specialist diving operations and the demands of serving one of Europe’s historic capital cities, before we get into nearly a decade of firefighter competition, becoming a world champion, winning internationally, how his training and recovery have evolved and the sacrifice required to compete at the highest level while remaining an operational firefighter. 
But perhaps most importantly, we talk about family, purpose, the possibility of eventually stepping away from competition and why becoming a good person matters far more to Duarte than any medal he could ever win. 
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William Wood Watches - Discount code FFPODCAST gives the user 10% off full range on website
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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.***
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In this episode I sit down with Natalie Wilson, Founder and Managing Director of Workwear Solutions International, to explore one of the most important but often underdeveloped areas in the fire sector: how we specify, procure, assess and ultimately trust the PPE and workwear we rely on every day. 
Natalie brings more than 20 years of experience across the supply chain, procurement, technical assessment and standards development, including leading work on the world’s first inclusive PPE standard, and this conversation gets into the gap between something simply being compliant and it actually being fit for purpose, fit for the wearer and fit for the operational environment. 
We talk about the loss of experienced PPE knowledge as people retire, the importance of succession planning, wearer trials, standards, fit, inclusion, station wear, supplier engagement and how better questions can lead to better kit and safer outcomes. For anyone involved in firefighting, PPE, procurement, training, health and safety or leadership, I genuinely see this as essential CPD because understanding what we wear, why we wear it and how those decisions are made is fundamental to doing the job properly. 
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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
PBI high-performance fabrics 
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USEFUL LINKS MENTIONED:
www.wsiltd.co.uk
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliewilson01/
Inclusive PPE Standard & Companion Guide links from BSI:
https://knowledge.bsigroup.com/products/provision-of-inclusive-personal-protective-equipment-ppe-guide
https://www.bsigroup.com/en-GB/insights-and-media/insights/brochures/how-to-turn-bs30417-into-action-companion-guide/
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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.***
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In this one-off episode I step away from our usual focus on trained emergency responders to explore what happens when ordinary people find themselves inside somebody else’s worst moment and choose to act. 
Through documented stories involving burning buildings, aircraft crashes, freezing water, terrorist attacks, wartime rescue networks and mass evacuations, I examine courage, initiative, sacrifice and the difficult line between bravery and recklessness. 
This is not an encouragement to take unnecessary risks, but a reminder that agency, leadership and meaningful action are not owned by rank, uniform or authority and that even the smallest decision to notice, speak up or step forward can change the direction of another person’s life. 
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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.***
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Recorded in the appliance bays during our March 2026 visit to Atlanta, this episode offers a quick insight into Cobb County Fire and Emergency Services and one small part of the wider American fire service.
We discuss their specialist command and rescue capabilities, emergency medical provision, recruitment, training and personnel accountability.
The conversation also tackles some challenging operational questions. Would you enter without a hose line for a known life risk? How should firefighters balance immediate rescue against long-term health risks? Are accountability systems always proportionate to the resources available?
This was not a formal sit-down podcast. We were on a tight schedule preparing for the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb, so we captured the conversation while we had the opportunity.
A brief, honest look at the people, equipment and operational thinking inside Cobb County Fire.
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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
PBI high-performance fabrics 
GORE-TEX Professional Clothing
MSA The Safety Company
JAFCO
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