Firefighter Podcast

In part one of this two-part episode, I’m joined by Dave Payton and Ian Evans, co-founders of Fire Tactics and two of the most experienced fire behaviour and breathing apparatus instructors to have worked in the UK fire service. With decades of experience spanning West Midlands Fire Service, the Fire Service College, and national BA and fire behaviour training, this conversation cuts straight through doctrine, buzzwords and inherited habits to focus on what actually happens when theory meets heat.This episode explores how fire behaviour training has evolved, where it has drifted away from operational reality, and why firefighters need understanding, not just procedures, when conditions start to change. If you want fire behaviour that is honest, practical and deployable, this is where it starts. Make sure you follow the links to learn more about Dave and Ian’s current work with Fire Tactics and the training they deliver across the UK and beyond.Contact Dave HERE Iain HEREFIRE ATTACTICS HEREAccess all episodes, documents, GIVEAWAYS & debriefs HEREPodcast Apparel, Hoodies, Flags, Mugs HERE our partners supporting this episode.GORE-TEX Professional ClothingFIRST TACTICAL- tactical gear for elite operatorsMSA The Safety CompanyJAFCOIDEXFIRE & EVACUATION SERVICE LTD HAIX Footwear - Get offical podcast discount on HAIX HEREXendurance - to hunt performance & endurance 20% off HERE with code ffp20Send 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

In this episode, Pete sits down with Dr Lynsey Mahmood, PhD, a behavioural scientist and applied psychologist whose work bridges academic research and real world fire and rescue operations. The conversation explores how psychology shows up on the fireground every day, whether we acknowledge it or not. From watch culture and social identity to leadership, behaviour change, and organisational blind spots, Lynsey explains why who we are, how we belong, and what we value shape the way we act under pressure. Together they unpack why evidence based practice can struggle to gain traction in operational environments, and how biases like sunk cost and confirmation bias quietly influence decision making across the service.A central focus of the episode is the Psychology of Rescue project, which examines rescue from the casualty’s perspective rather than purely through technical or procedural success. Lynsey challenges listeners to consider the psychological impact of extrication, questioning whether well intentioned rescue practices may unintentionally add to trauma. The discussion highlights the importance of casualty centred communication, interdisciplinary research, and training that considers psychological safety alongside physical outcomes. This is a thoughtful, challenging conversation about leadership, identity, and professional curiosity, and why understanding human behaviour is essential to the future effectiveness and credibility of the fire service.Access all episodes, documents, GIVEAWAYS & debriefs HEREPodcast Apparel, Hoodies, Flags, Mugs HERE our partners supporting this episode.GORE-TEX Professional ClothingFIRST TACTICAL- tactical gear for elite operatorsMSA The Safety CompanyJAFCOIDEXFIRE & EVACUATION SERVICE LTD HAIX Footwear - Get offical podcast discount on HAIX HEREXendurance - to hunt performance & endurance 20% off HERE with code ffp20Send 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

Today’s conversation is with Bob Palestrant, a firefighter, emergency manager and author of Never on a 10, whose career spans more than four decades across nursing, paramedicine, frontline firefighting, urban search and rescue, aviation firefighting and homeland security. Bob spent over twenty years working in one of the busiest battalions in North America, deployed with Florida Task Force 1 including Ground Zero after 9/11, and later held senior leadership roles coordinating responses to aviation disasters, mass casualty incidents, major hurricanes and terrorism related events. This episode is grounded in lived experience where decisions carried real consequences for real people.This is not a highlight reel and it is not a nostalgia exercise. It is an honest, wide ranging discussion about physical readiness, mental health, leadership under pressure, recruitment standards, accountability and firehouse culture. We talk about close calls, outdated systems that still put firefighters at risk, the responsibility leaders carry for their crews and why mentorship and paying it forward matter more than rank or reputation. This episode was recorded earlier in the year and released later than planned, but the timing does not dilute the message. These lessons are earned, unfiltered and absolutely worth the wait.Access all episodes, documents, GIVEAWAYS & debriefs HEREPodcast Apparel, Hoodies, Flags, Mugs HERE our partners supporting this episode.GORE-TEX Professional ClothingFIRST TACTICAL- tactical gear for elite operatorsMSA The Safety CompanyJAFCOIDEXFIRE & EVACUATION SERVICE LTD HAIX Footwear - Get offical podcast discount on HAIX HEREXendurance - to hunt performance & endurance 20% off HERE with code ffp20Send 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

This episode is being recorded from Lukla in Nepal, the gateway to Everest and the Khumbu Valley. A place where life happens at altitude, infrastructure is limited, and when something goes wrong the community cannot rely on fast backup arriving from down the road. Fire, rescue, and medical emergencies here are dealt with by local people, on foot, in extreme conditions, often hours away from definitive care. At the centre of that reality is Sonam, the local fire chief, and the community he serves.We talk about how Everest Fire and Rescue has grown in just three years, from almost nothing into a functioning rescue capability spread across multiple villages, built on training, trust, and sheer determination. You will hear what emergency response looked like before this project existed, why equipment alone was never enough, and how the focus has shifted toward sustainable training, local leadership, and protecting the people who live here year round. This episode will give you perspective, challenge some comfortable assumptions about rescue and resilience, and leave you with a clear understanding of what it really takes to build a fire and rescue service from the ground up in one of the most unforgiving environments on Earth.Donate to Everest Fire and Rescuefind out more about Everest Fire and RescueInstagram Everest Fire & RescueAccess all episodes, documents, GIVEAWAYS & debriefs HEREPodcast Apparel, Hoodies, Flags, Mugs HERE our partners supporting this episode.GORE-TEX Professional ClothingFIRST TACTICAL- tactical gear for elite operatorsMSA The Safety CompanyJAFCOIDEXFIRE & EVACUATION SERVICE LTD HAIX Footwear - Get offical podcast discount on HAIX HEREXendurance - to hunt performance & endurance 20% off HERE with code ffp20Send 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

This episode goes deep into the reality of fire behaviour as it actually shows up on the fireground, not the simplified version many of us were taught early on. Matt and I talk about how modern fuels, building design and ventilation have changed the speed and violence of fire development, why smoke is often the biggest killer in the room, and how firefighters still get caught out by flow paths, rapid fire development and unseen pyrolysis. We get into high rise and complex buildings, wildfire versus structural thinking, decision making under pressure, and the gap that still exists between contemporary fire science and legacy doctrine. This is a practical conversation aimed squarely at improving how firefighters read fire, make decisions, and stay alive when the margins are thin and the consequences are high.Matt Davis is a Station Officer with the Tasmania Fire Service and a twenty one year veteran of the job, with deep experience across structural firefighting, wildfire, fire investigation, and instructor development. He has led strike teams on campaign fires, developed high rise and complex building training at an organisational level, and delivered fire behaviour education to firefighters, volunteers and specialist agencies across Australia and internationally. Alongside his operational career, Matt is the creator of one of the most respected fire behaviour education channels on YouTube, known for breaking down complex fire science into clear, honest and usable lessons. He brings academic rigour, operational credibility and a calm refusal to accept nonsense, making this conversation one every firefighter, instructor and officer should spend time with.Find Matts YOUTUBE 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 CompanyJAFCOIDEXFIRE & 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 hydraSend 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