02/10/2026
Guest Speakers Jeremey Donch will be speaking at our 121st Annual Conference on Saturday, August 8, 2026, Register now so you don't miss him.
Donch began his fire service career with the Franklin Lakes, NJ, Fire Department, where he was raised. He had two opportunities to become a career firefighter, but opted to stay with the family business, an industrial distributorship. During college, Donch volunteered for Fairview, NY, Fire District for five years, then returned to Franklin Lakes. However, everything happens for a reason.
“I think that we have to be very careful of where we are today in the fire service about protecting the core values of what the fire service truly stands for. We can't get lost. We can't let generational differences or committees dictate anything different than what the core values stand for,” said Donch.
“It was around when I was 40 years that I told my wife that I wanted to do something more for the fire service. I felt that with my skills and abilities, I'd be able to build something on the back of what I had learned against our family business. That really was the catalyst,” said Donch.
As his brand gained popularity, there was a need for expansion. Recording originally took place in his in-law’s garage, but fast forward to 2024. Looking at National Fire Radio today, there are multiple podcasts within the brand, including Donch’s, a merchandise brand and multiple platforms to deliver the content on.
“Once I realized there was a starving community for this, our organic growth exploded really quick, and we had to be very careful that we maintained our integrity and character,” said Donch.
Additionally, the brand has built a media marketing team. They do projects with major manufacturers and are a full-blown creative and design platform. They shoot content for the manufacturers, map it, design it and deliver it to their community.
“The one thing that I have learned in life is that you can't do everything, and you're not good at everything,” said Donch. “So, as we scale, I have to be conscious of who and what's around me, and how do we do it in a way that is representative of the brand?”
Experience matters in the fire service, and Donch believes the next best thing is learning from one another around the kitchen table. Hence, the setting up of his podcasts. It’s just a conversation. Donch doesn’t prepare a list of questions, rather he wants the interaction between him and his guest to be completely genuine and reactive.
“The one thing that's super important to us and in the fire service is protecting the integrity and character of the job. That comes on the back of hard work, which must be full transparency and authentic. We never embellish. We don't bu****it. We are in your face and up front,” said Donch.
He gives a spotlight to stories from big names in the industry but also wants to be relatable in the essence of hearing from people that nobody really knows. He wants to eliminate the generation gap between firefighters; therefore, he brings on guests that the younger generation can relate to.
“We try to find ways to bridge the gap between the way it was and the way it is. We must find common ground, because the only way we're going to succeed is to survive. That's what National Fire Radio is built upon, and that's what we're doing,” said Donch.
Donch makes episodes in a different way each time that brings forth a different message each time. Everyone has a story to tell, and Donch wants to make sure those stories get heard.
“This has nothing to do with Jeremy from National Fire Radio. This has everything to do with legacy. After 40 years of building National Fire Radio, when I get to sit back and take a 30,000-foot view of it and go, I think we did it better. I think we did a good job. I think we made an impact,” said Donch.
Building upon the audience that Donch has been able to acquire, he offers some advice on those starting in the social media game, specifically in the fire service.
Donch gained experience with social media and the perks of it while he was helping his family business. He was able to apply that knowledge to National Fire Radio. Donch wanted to do something more for the fire service, so he combined his expertise and his love for podcasts to create a company that is widely known in the fire service industry.
“Don't sacrifice your morals, ethics and values for anyone else. Remain true to who you are and know where you fit in. I tell them, have a focus and have a plan, but the major thing that you must be able to do is one thing. The key thing doing podcasting is hitting record,” said Donch.
“If you want to build original content and you want to build a platform that has a lasting voice in the fire service, it’s done through the long game. It takes a tremendous amount of time and work to do it correctly. If you want to take shortcuts and find a quick way to get to some type of end game, I promise you, the reward is not going to be there,” said Donch.
