Veteran fire chief and emergency management instructor Paul Prevost joins the show from Canada to break down the critical lessons learned—and often ignored—from major disaster reports. From the tragic loss of firefighters in Baltimore and Georgia to the devastation of Jasper and the successes of the Francis Scott Key Bridge response, Paul explains why span of control, staffing, and rigorous training are the only things standing between safety and catastrophe.

In this episode, you'll learn about:

• The Repetitive Nature of Tragedy: Why line-of-duty death reports often cite the same causes: lack of ICS, freelancing, and poor accountability.

• The "Canada Plan": The dangerous mindset of "it can't happen here" and how it leaves communities vulnerable.

• Jasper Wildfire Analysis: A critical look at the lack of mutual aid coordination during the recent devastating fire.

• The Danger of Lithium-Ion: How modern hazards like EV fires in parking garages are outpacing current firefighting tactics.

• Robots in the Fire Service: Why remote-controlled monitors and drones are inevitable—and necessary—tools for the future.

• The Baltimore Turnaround: How the Baltimore City Fire Department transformed its incident command culture between two major events.

• Engineering on the Margins: The hidden risks in modern buildings, from single-stairwell designs to sprinkler systems that can't keep up.

• The Power of ICS: Why the Incident Command System is the "operating system" for managing chaos.

Dr. Kira Hoffman, a fire ecologist based in British Columbia, explains why we need to shift from fearing fire to understanding its vital role in our ecosystems and communities. Explore the deep history of Indigenous fire stewardship, the dangers of suppressing natural fire cycles, and why "good fire" is essential for food security, biodiversity, and even reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfires.

In this episode, you'll learn about:

• Fire as a Human Tool: How fire shaped our evolution and why "wildfire" doesn't exist in many Indigenous languages.

• The Cost of Suppression: The unintended consequences of banning cultural burning and removing fire from the landscape.

• Indigenous Fire Sovereignty: The push for Indigenous-led fire stewardship and the challenges of navigating colonial systems.

• Fire and Food Security: How prescribed burns create more productive berry patches and food sources.

• The "Good Fire" Movement: Why communities need to reclaim fire as a tool for safety and ecological health.

• Social Science of Fire: Why understanding human perception and behavior is just as critical as understanding fire physics.

• Learning from Failure: The need for a culture that shares mistakes and learns from them, rather than hiding them.

• Place-Based Research: Why you can't understand fire without spending time on the land and listening to the people who live there.

Indicium Dynamics founder Mike Ross joins the show from Tasmania to discuss how his company is pioneering the "Digital Forest" concept, using a massive LoRaWAN network and IoT sensors to monitor everything from eagles' nests to wildfire conditions. Discover how his platform integrates data from satellites, cameras, and ground sensors to help agencies make smarter decisions about prescribed burns and rapid response, and hear his thoughts on the future of autonomous suppression drones.

In this episode, you'll learn about:

• The "Digital Forest": How IoT sensors are bringing connectivity to remote wilderness areas where cell phones don't work.

• Data Integration: Why the real power lies in combining data streams from multiple sources (cameras, satellites, sensors) into one actionable platform.

• Prescribed Burn Planning: Using hyper-local data on soil moisture, fuel moisture, and weather to predict the perfect burn window days in advance.

• Lightning as a Trigger: How monitoring lightning strikes in real-time allows for faster smoke detection and response.

• The XPRIZE Challenge: Mike's collaboration with other innovators to develop autonomous wildfire detection and suppression solutions.

• Navigating Regulations: The challenges of deploying new tech in protected areas and the need for faster regulatory approval.

• The Human Element: Why AI can suggest the best course of action, but the final decision still rests with the incident commander.

With 26 years of service in the BLM, National Park Service, and US Forest Service, veteran fire manager Dave Dukart provides a rare inside look at the cultures, challenges, and evolution of federal firefighting. He discusses everything from using fire line explosives to the bureaucratic hurdles that stop innovation, and explains why the biggest changes must come from the bottom up.

In this episode, you'll learn about:

• A Career Across Agencies: The different missions and fire philosophies of the BLM (multi-use), NPS (preservation), and USFS (a mix).

• Old vs. New Tech: Using fire line explosives to drop trees and the shift to modern tools like drones and BurnBot.

• A New Federal Fire Agency: The breaking news that the federal government plans to consolidate its wildfire services.

• The "Boots on the Ground" Perspective: Why the best way to get new technology adopted is to get buy-in from the firefighters, not just leadership.

• Bureaucratic Hurdles: How procurement rules and a "check-the-box" safety culture can stifle innovation.

• The "Armchair Quarterback": The danger of leadership making decisions without understanding the on-the-ground reality.

• Proactive Training: Why the US is training military crews for fire response before the season peaks, a major shift in strategy.

• Lessons from Prescribed Fire: The personal health risks of "eating smoke" and the complex politics of managing fuel.

Visionary Patric Douglas, founder of FireSwarm Solutions, outlines his plan to revolutionize aerial firefighting by adopting a "Fire-as-a-Service" model built on ultra-efficient, gas turbine drones. Drawing on his background as a tech entrepreneur and his experience with devastating B.C. fires, he details the three major bottlenecks facing the industry and advocates for a massive investment in rapid logistics and high-performance, next-generation suppressants.

In this episode, you'll learn about:

• The Formula 1 Model: Why drone logistics must achieve 15-second turnaround times to be effective.

• The Turbine Advantage: Why the physics of heat and altitude currently favor gas turbines over electric batteries for heavy-lift aerial attack.

• The Three Bottlenecks: Identifying the major constraints in the industry: power, suppressants, and adoption.

• Next-Gen Suppression: The need for standardized, powerful powder additives that can be mixed with water anywhere in the world.

• FSAS (Fire-as-a-Service): How private investment in drone fleets can fill the void left by inadequate state resources, especially for private timberlands.

• From Shark Tags to Fire Tech: Patric's fascinating career journey from the Discovery Channel and helicopter companies to the current tech boom.

• The Lasting Impact: Why the economic incentive for rapid, decisive fire suppression must replace the current system's slow, costly approach.

Retired firefighter Keith McMillan shares his raw, powerful journey of leaving a 26-year career due to physical injuries, only to discover his deepest wounds were from PTSI (Post-Traumatic Stress Injury). Now a Wildfire Mitigation Specialist for his own HOA, he details his new mission: protecting his community, educating homeowners with a firefighter's triage perspective, and championing the life-saving importance of "crew checks" and mental health vulnerability.

In this episode, you'll learn about:

• A New Model for HOAs: How a private community hired a full-time wildfire expert to manage its 5,000 acres of open space.

• Triage for Your Home: How Keith uses a fire captain's triage criteria to show homeowners their real-world risk.

• The "Crew Check": A vital, non-negotiable check-in for first responders to share their emotional load before a shift begins.

• A Personal PTSI Journey: Keith's moving story of how COVID-driven isolation forced him to confront years of suppressed trauma.

• Life After Fire: How he found a new, fulfilling niche as a part-time park ranger and mitigation specialist.

• From Woe to Go: The importance of proactive evacuation planning, from safe zones to using your car's "biohazard mode."

FYREBX founder Sean Henry tells the incredible story of how getting bored in retirement led him to invent a revolutionary piece of firefighting hardware in his barn. Discover the FYREBX, a multi-tool attachment that turns any compact track loader into a dozer, a 500-gallon water cannon, and a hydro-seeder, and learn how his grassroots strategy of letting firefighters discover its value on their own terms is driving its rapid adoption.

https://fyrebx.com/

In this episode, you'll learn about:

• The FYREBX Innovation: How this patented attachment combines a dozer blade and water tank for incredible stability and effectiveness.

• The "Street Cred" Strategy: Why Sean sold to loggers first, letting CAL FIRE and other agencies discover the product organically.

• Real-World Success: Stories from the field where the FYREBX did the work of multiple engines and saved a dozen homes.

• Feedback-Driven Design: How a suggestion from a CAL FIRE veteran led to the "Hyder Pump," an innovation for rapid refilling.

• The Machine as the Monitor: Why a nimble track loader can be more efficient with water than a traditional engine with long hose lays.

• The Future is Remote: How FYREBX is partnering with tech companies to create remotely operated and even autonomous firefighting machines.

• From Pools to Pulaskis: How Sean's background as a high-end designer and artist informed his engineering process.

LA County Fire Captain Ed Monroe shares his candid, powerful insight into PTSI (Post-Traumatic Stress Injury), emphasizing why mental health must be treated as a physical injury and why help must be sought proactively. Drawing on 17 years of service, he discusses the critical role of peer support, the shock of a firefighter being shot, and the unique challenges and rewards of leading wildland inmate crews.

In this episode, you'll learn about:

• PTSI vs. PTSD: Why "Injury" is a more accurate and helpful term than "Disorder."

• The Inmate Crew Program: How this initiative gave men a mission and a path to turning their lives around.

• Peer Support is Essential: Why first responders trust those within their circle and how LA County Fire is utilizing peer mentorship.

• The Warrior's Code: Why the reluctance to ask for help is a dangerous mindset that must be overcome.

• The Retirement Cliff: Why veterans and former first responders are most at risk after losing their daily peer support network.

• The External Threat: The chilling reality of firefighters being targeted while responding to incidents.

• The Fire Culture Shift: Why it's now safer and easier than ever to seek care without career reprisal.