In episode 48, Matt and Chris speak with Ryan Julius and Leah Lloyd, both recent graduates of Firefighter Rescue and Survival (FRAS), Class 9. Ryan and Leah recount their experiences and offer advice to anyone interested in attending one of the most mentally and physically demanding courses offered to DoD Firefighters. Visit https://firedawg.us/fras/ for more info on FRAS and to sign up for the next class.

In episode 47, Matt speaks with Robert Gerry, the Logistic Officer at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Fire Department in New Jersey. RJ is a contributing member of the Air Force Fire & Emergency Services "Reinvigorate the Flight" strategic line of effort (LOE) #2 and championed the new Logistics Officer Course intended to introduce new logistics officers to the information and resources necessary to be successful in the job. In the episode, he explains the rationale behind the course,...

In episode 46, Matt and Chris talk with FDNY Firefighter Jeff Cool. On January 23rd, 2005, Jeff survived what later became known as "Black Sunday". Jeff and 5 other New York City firefighters bailed out of the 4th floor of an illegally divided tenement in the Bronx, killing two firefighters and leading to the death of a third as a result of his injuries. Jeff started his firefighting career in 1984 as an active-duty Air Force firefighter at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. From there, he did...

In this episode, Matt speaks with Chief Michael Ott, former Air Force Firefighter and now Fire Chief for Tulare Fire Department, California. They discuss his transition out of the military, how to maximize your marketability as a former military firefighter, and what to expect during the transition. Chief Ott is a retired Air Force Firefighter who served 21 years at multiple locations across the US, Europe, and the Middle East. He achieved the rank of Senior Master Sergeant and served as a...

In episode 44, Matt speaks with Andrew Starnes. Andy currently serves as a Battalion Chief in a large career department in NC. He is a well-known fire service contributor on the topics of thermal imaging, fire behavior, leadership, behavioral health, and faith-based devotions. He is also the founder of Bringing Back Brotherhood, a nonprofit organization designed to encourage and provide guidance for firefighters in the area of behavioral health, counseling, and more. He has trained and...

In Episode 43, Matt speaks with Chief Josh Loescher. Chief Loescher is the Fire Chief at Traux Field in Madison Wisconsin, home of the 115th Fighter Wing.  He has served in the Air National Guard for over 22 years.  He is also an Academic Associate at Arizona State Watts College and an Adjunct Fire Protection Instructor at Fox Valley Technical College. In the episode, he highlights the unique characteristics of Fire Protection in the Air National Guard including manpower, funding, support for...

In Episode 3 of Table Talk, Matt Wilson is joined by Jared Aardema. They discuss education pursuits, networking, and workplace performance. Where should you aim with your educational pursuits? What does right look like in regard to networking? How do you motivate someone to care about the job? How do you rid an organizational culture of mediocrity? These are just a few of the topics that Matt and Jared discuss. After you've listened, please head over to our Facebook Group, FireDawg...

In episode 42, Matt and Chris sit down with Nick Martin, a well-known fireground training advocate and founder of Combat Ready Fire Training. They discuss the “combat ready” mentality and the importance of always being ready to perform. Nick also offers advice to departments with lower call volumes and advice for effective training drills. Head over to his site www.combatreadyfire.com to learn more about what training he and his team offer. You can also check him out on Facebook or on...

In this episode, Matt speaks with MSgt Roy Campos about the Air Force Fire Protection Support given on Hamid Karzai International Airport (HKIA) in Kabul Afghanistan in August 2021. Roy led the 13 person Fire Protection Quick Strike Team (QST) for 12 days in support of the Afghanistan evacuation and the largest human airlift in history. In the episode, he recounts the experience and highlights specific events during their time on HKIA. As a result of his leadership and the teams efforts, Roy...

In this episode, Matt talks to former Ohio State Fire Marshal Bob Rielage. They speak about his service in Vietnam as an Air Force Intelligence Officer, fire service leadership, and transitioning from the military to civilian fire service. Chief Rielage has been a chief officer in several departments with over 30 years of experience. He is a graduate of the Kennedy School's Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government at Harvard University. He also holds a master's degree in...

Chris Bauchle is joined by friend Travis Bender to discuss their take on tactics for training and stress management in the department.

In this episode, Matt joins SSgt James Muncy and Mr. Robyn Torrence to highlight Travis AFB Fire Department. They discuss details about the Department, talk about services offered, highlight the local community, and much more.

In episode 39, Matt and Ben talk with our newest Career Field Manager, CMSgt Phillip Winkelmann, about career field updates on deployments, mental health initiatives, and much more. Check out www.FireDawg.us for more episodes, reviews, and content like this. Don't forget to like and follow @TheFireDawgPodcast on social media, and subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast platform.

In Episode 38, Chris and Matt talk to Chief David Rhodes, a retired Atlanta Battalion Chief, and the Chief Elder for Georgia Smoke Divers Program. Chief Rhodes answers questions on common leadership dilemmas and covers many experiences he had throughout his 30 year career.

In this new series, The FireDawg Podcast crew discusses topics on their mind in more of a free-flow discussion format. This episode is focused on timing, opportunity, and preparation.

Matt speaks with Phil Crews about the Suicide Prevention Initiative, an effort to bring awareness to, and prevent suicides in the DoD Fire Service.

Matt and Chris talk to Dr. Kenny Fent and Dr. Gavin Horn who are leading researchers in firefighter safety and health initiatives. Collectively, their research is advancing what we know about firefighter exposure to carcinogens on structural fires and the physiological demands while working in gear.

In episode 36, Matt speaks with Dr. Lance Davis and Sean Lazio, founders and leaders of The Rising Warrior, a mental health program designed to provide a holistic approach to healing, growth, and betterment of current military members, veterans, and First Responders. They are both veterans of the Army who went through their own personal struggles with mental health and, as a result, decided to design and deliver practical solutions to mental healing. In the episode, they explain the...

In Episode 35, Matt and Chris speak with CMSgt Peter Webb, Command Chief for the 919th Special Operations Wing and Battalion Chief for the Dothan Fire Department. Chief Webb entered the Army Reserves as a Firefighter in 1989. In 1998, he joined the Air Force Reserves to work as a Firefighter for the 919th Special Operations Wing at Duke Field, Florida, and eventually landed an opportunity to serve as the Command Chief - a position he still holds today. He has also served as a Firefighter and...

In Episode 34, Matt speaks with MSgt Maria Stivers and MSgt Cartalo Madison about their efforts as leaders within the Air Force FES Diversity and Inclusion Working Group. The group was formed in 2020 with the intent of advancing diversity and inclusion within the career field. In the episode, they elaborate on the purpose of the group, explain how survey data and feedback from the field helped to shape their initiatives, offer their thoughts on anyone who may be skeptical of the effort, and...

In the final episode of the Air Force Fire Service History series, Matt joins SMSgt Dameon Moore to cover Air Force Fire Protection history from 2000 to present day. Over the past few years, Sergeant Moore has dedicated much of his time to researching and studying both Air Force Civil Engineer and Fire Protection history. His efforts were inspired by a personal drive to know our history and to make sure others within the career field know the history. The material covered in this episode and...

In Episode 33, Matt speaks with SMSgt Jeffrey Wyatt about his effort to create a Fire Officer Development course (aka 7-Level School) for Air Force Firefighters. Sergeant Wyatt is the Fire Protection Force Development Manager at the Air Force Civil Engineer Center (AFCEC). In that position, he has oversight of Career Development Courses (CDCs) and many other initiatives such as the Rookie Development Program. Recently, he has been working on developing a Fire Officer Development Course. In...

In this episode, Matt joins Chris Benner and Brock Lillie to highlight Kadena AB Fire Department. They discuss details about the Department, talk about services offered, highlight the local community, and much more.

In this series, Matt joins SMSgt Dameon Moore to cover Air Force Fire Protection history. The material covered in this episode and in all other history episodes comes from a variety of sources mentioned in Part 1. Most of which can be found on our website firedawg.us. Part 3 covers the 1980s through the 1990s.