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10/22/2026

What goes into building a fire training facility that prepares crews for the buildings they actually encounter on the fireground?

At Estero Fire Rescue in Florida, the answer starts with realistic live fire training, flexible container based construction, and designing every space around the drills firefighters need to master.

In this FDIC interview, Operations Chief Grant Schwalbe shares lessons learned from building the department’s training facility, including modular layouts, common construction mistakes, planning for future expansion, and creating opportunities to bring high level training directly to local firefighters.

10/21/2026

Engine Company Operations: Hose Management, Firefighter Training, and Data

Engine company operations, hose management, and firefighter training take center stage in this discussion of fireground tactics, equipment testing, and fire service research.

Lt. Shane Furuta of Federal Fire in Hawaii joins the show to discuss why mastering the fundamentals remains essential to effective firefighting.

The conversation explores hands-on training, hose management, low-pressure hose systems, equipment evaluation, and the role of research and data in improving fireground performance. They also examine resources such as the Firefighter Rescue Survey and explain why departments must apply research findings to their own staffing, resources, and operational needs.

Listen for practical insights on engine company operations, firefighter training, fireground decision making, and using data to improve tactical performance.

Firefighter Rescue Survey: FIREFIGHTER RESCUE SURVEY - For Them

This episode is brought to you by The Fire Store: TheFireStore.com

10/21/2026

Behind on NERIS? Don't re-enter a year of calls by hand. Our team converts your NFIRS records, uses CAD data to fill gaps, and gets you caught up before year-end reports and grant deadlines hit. NERIS V1.5 Certified and trusted by 1,000+ departments.

Catch Up Before Year-End

https://ow.ly/OJy950ZZ39j

10/21/2026

Fitness is a key part of being able to do this job well.
Are you working out in your gear? Why or why not?
Drop your answer in the comments by October 28. Your response could be featured in Fire Engineering Magazine.
👉 To be considered, include your name, rank, department, and location or state. See less

10/20/2026

The Choice Before Us: Deciding the Future of the Volunteer Fire Service

What will determine the future of the volunteer fire service? Guest Mike Ledford joins Tom Merrill to challenge the excuses, outdated practices, and resistance to change that can hold volunteer departments back.

Drawing on lessons from the Wilmore (KY) Fire Department, Assistant Chief Ledford discusses practical ways to strengthen recruitment and retention, from improving how prospective members connect with a department to establishing structured duty crews and maintaining high training standards.

The conversation also examines the role of leadership, accountability, mentorship, and station culture in building a volunteer fire service that can meet the needs of its members and communities.

Volunteer departments cannot afford to rely on the way things have always been done. The future depends on leaders who are willing to identify problems, develop solutions, and take action.

This episode is brought to you by The Fire Store: TheFireStore.com

10/20/2026

WEBINAR November 3, 11:00 am ET:
https://ow.ly/CHfN50ZTAat
Breaking the Chain of Contamination: A Practical Approach to Biological Exposure Control for Fire & EMS
-with Clint Greenwood

Emergency responders routinely encounter biological contamination through patient care, blood and body fluids, infectious materials, contaminated environments, and vector pests. The incident may end when the unit clears the scene—but contamination can continue traveling on clothing, PPE, equipment, apparatus, and personal belongings.

This webinar examines the entire contamination pathway, from initial recognition and exposure control through isolation, personal decontamination, equipment processing, documentation, and return to service. Participants will also examine emerging approaches to chemical-free decontamination, including how heat, humidity, and UVC technologies can be incorporated into a comprehensive exposure-control program.

https://ow.ly/CHfN50ZTAat

Sponsored by Cres Cor Health and Safety

10/20/2026

Being a training officer is no easy task. Your position, perhaps more than any other, has the potential to influence an entire generation of firefighters positively or negatively.

This is especially true in a small department, where a small number of people are led by an even smaller number of officers. These leaders often have significantly greater influence than they would in a larger organization.

Your responsibility as a training officer isn’t less in a small department. It is actually greater because your ability to delegate is far less and you have fewer resources to help you.

Unfortunately, much of what you do as a training officer is dictated by the department’s budget, which ranges from inadequate to nonexistent in many small departments.
Your work as a training officer will be difficult and rarely glamorous, but it will always matter.

The way you choose to lead, mentor, and inspire today will echo in every call answered tomorrow. That is the true legacy of a training officer: not simply teaching skills but building people who will stand ready when their community needs them most.

By setting SMART goals, getting to know your people, and finding creative ways to build skill and camaraderie, you can transform ordinary individuals into a cohesive, confident force capable of extraordinary outcomes.

See tips for training officers and read more from "The Rule of Sevens: Succeeding as a Small-Town Training Officer" here: https://ow.ly/v1RN50ZZm8F

10/19/2026

Lithium-ion battery fires are rising with these batteries' widespread use, posing new challenges for fireground tactics. Understanding thermal runaway, prioritizing water suppression, and monitoring for reignition are key strategies. How is your team adapting to these evolving threats? Stay informed and stay safe 🔥

Read more: https://ow.ly/pbzE50ZU6em
https://ow.ly/w1tF50ZU6en

10/18/2026

Welcome to Tactical Decision Gaming (TDGs), where you learn by doing. Today's game: a vacant strip mall.
⁠
Click the link to begin the simulation: https://www.fireengineering.com/firefighter-training/tdg-13-strip-mall-fire-a/

How a TDG works:⁠
⁠
- You are the company officer on the first-arriving engine.⁠
- You will be dispatched to a fire.⁠
- Uncertainty is part of the game. You will get some, but not all, information.⁠
- Just like the real world you will arrive at the fire and make decisions.⁠
- Give your size-up IN RADIO LANGUAGE.⁠
- Direct your crew.⁠
- Give orders to the next arriving companies IN RADIO LANGUAGE.⁠
⁠
That’s it. Do your best! Have fun! Learn!

10/16/2026

9/11: Remembering the Fallen and Lessons for First Responders | Two Volleys and a Guest

September 11 changed the lives of first responders and communities forever. Jerry Knapp and Tim Pillsworth step away from their usual interview format to reflect on 9/11, sharing personal memories from West Point and local firehouses while honoring the friends they lost and remembering the lasting health impacts on first responders.

This heartfelt conversation goes beyond remembrance to examine the lessons emergency services and communities must carry forward. Knapp and Pillsworth discuss the importance of local emergency planning, establishing clear incident command structures, preparing communities for the unexpected, and educating younger generations about the events of September 11 and their lasting impact.

We cannot change what happened, but we can honor those who were lost by supporting survivors, strengthening preparedness, and ensuring the lessons of 9/11 are never forgotten.

In this episode:
-Personal reflections on September 11 from West Point and local firehouses
-Remembering fallen friends and the ongoing illnesses affecting first responders
-Why effective emergency planning and incident command matter
-Building community resilience through preparedness and education
-Keeping the memory and lessons of 9/11 alive for future generations

Two Volleys and a Guest is a podcast for the volunteer fire service, bringing important conversations and firsthand perspectives to the fire service community.

Subscribe to Fire Engineering for more fire service podcasts, training insights, and conversations that matter to firefighters.

This episode is brought to you by The Fire Store: TheFireStore.com

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