Rephonic
Artwork for Smart Firefighting

Smart Firefighting

Smart Firefighting
Public Safety
World Fire Congress
NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System
Drone Safety
Fire Service
Climate Change
Artificial Intelligence
Firefighter Health and Safety
Incident Command
Wildfires
Ethics
Aviation Safety
Tablet Command
Law Enforcement Drone Association
Drones
Emergency Response
XPRIZE
Community Risk Reduction
Firstnet
Emerging Technology Risks

Smart Firefighting Podcast covers real-world deployments of smart technologies through conversations with technologists, innovators, companies, and forward-thinking public safety and government agencies. Learn from interviews with leaders as they share their insights and offer their expertise every week! ​ Host Kevin Sofen is a co-founding member of the Smart First Responder Community who loves to... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes320Founded8 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Education

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Smart Firefighting

Latest Episodes

How do you prepare firefighters for risks that did not exist 10 years ago?

That close call sparked a question that many firefighters have quietly accepted for years. Is this really the safest way to do this job, or is there a better way?

Hello Smar... more

What starts as a routine task on the fireground can quickly turn into a life threatening moment. For Matt Simmonds, that moment came while rolling hose after a fire, when a passing vehicle nearly struck his crew.

That close call sparked a question t... more

What happens when a community faces the reality that staying in place is no longer safe?

Hello Smart Firefighting Community!

Welcome to another episode of covering real world innovations via interviews with fire service and technology industry expe... more

What happens when the people who design buildings and the firefighters who respond to emergencies inside them stop talking to each other?

Hello Smart Firefighting Community!

Welcome to another episode of covering real world innovations via intervie... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Recent Guests

Kurt Vollmacher
Firefighter and educator, advocate for universal responder safety standards
Institute of Fire Safety Engineers (Australia)
Episode: Episode 313: Why First Responders Need One Global Language for Safety with Kurt Vollmacher
Matt Simmonds
Co-founder of Operational Fire (with business partner)
Operational Fire
Episode: Episode 312: From Close Call to Safer Fireground Operations with Matt Simmonds
Gavin Smith
Researcher focused on community-led relocation and climate adaptation
North Carolina State University (NC State)
Episode: Episode 311: Moving Communities Out of Harm’s Way with Gavin Smith
Fiona Perrin
Board member of the Institution of Fire Engineers; risk engineer at Zurich
Zurich / Institution of Fire Engineers
Episode: Episode 310: Bridging the Gap Between Fire Engineering and the Fire Service with Fiona Perrin
Greg Pobar
Emergency Planning Manager, Rams (Regional Airport Management Services)
Regional Airport Management Services (Rams)
Episode: Episode 309: What Aviation Emergencies Teach Us About Coordination and Preparedness with Greg Pobar
Karen O'Connor
Founder/Executive Director of Earth Fire Alliance
Earth Fire Alliance
Episode: Episode 308: A Global Alliance to See Fire Before It Spreads with Karen O’Connor
Will Boake
Innovator in fire prevention technology and co-founder at Pioneering Tech
Pioneering Tech
Episode: Episode 307: Why Cooking Fires Still Drive So Many Fire Calls with Kevin Callahan & Will Boake
Kevin Callahan
Innovator in fire prevention technology and co-founder at Pioneering Tech
Pioneering Tech
Episode: Episode 307: Why Cooking Fires Still Drive So Many Fire Calls with Kevin Callahan & Will Boake
Peter Dekkers
Expert in thermal imaging technology and first responders' needs, representing FLIR.
FLIR
Episode: Episode 306: Why Time Matters Most in Fireground Decision-Making with Peter Dekkers

Host

Kevin Sofen
Host of Smart Firefighting Podcast; co-founder of Smart First Responder Community; focuses on change management and technology in public safety.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 50 ratings
  • Quality and easy to consume content

    For anyone that is seeking thought provoking information about public safety, this is the podcast for you. Really enjoyed the episode with Dr. Lori. She is a shining star

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    hsofen
    United Statesa year ago
  • The Smart Firefighting Podcast hits the nail on the head

    . The topics are spot-on and highly relevant, offering valuable insights for anyone in the fire service and public safety space. You can hear Kevin’s passion for the work in every episode, making it both engaging and informative. Highly recommend!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Seawallac
    United Statesa year ago
  • Great perspectives

    Love the content and varying perspectives. Great speakers. Kevin does a phenomenal job of bringing important conversations to all of us.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    thenarains
    United Statesa year ago
  • Great podcast

    Showcase of new tech and current issues. Every industry needs a podcast like this.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    gennarific
    United States3 years ago
  • Good Listen

    EP12 is definitely worth a listen here - for school-house instructors and tech parters

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    timthome
    United States8 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Shows a strong emphasis on new technologies and cross-border learning.
Guests are diverse, covering tech, leadership, and field operations.
Episodes are useful for agencies looking to modernize systems and procedures.
The host's passion and clear expertise come through in every episode.
Listeners appreciate practical public-safety insights and real-world lessons.
The podcast is seen as a valuable resource across fire service and public safety ecosystems.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Episode 313: Why First Responders Need One Global Language for Safety with Kurt Vollmacher
Q: What have you learned over four decades in the fire service that shapes your current work?
The importance of clear, universally understood information for responders and the necessity of standardizing labels, symbols, and data so responders can quickly assess risks regardless of where they are or what language is used.
Episode 310: Bridging the Gap Between Fire Engineering and the Fire Service with Fiona Perrin
Q: What are some examples of proactive safety measures where fire engineering and the fire service can collaborate beyond just following codes?
Examples include evaluating the placement of EV charging facilities near exits, conducting regular thermography scans and hot-works procedures to prevent electrical faults, and implementing protective measures for tunnels and large public buildings to minimize business interruption after a fire.
Episode 310: Bridging the Gap Between Fire Engineering and the Fire Service with Fiona Perrin
Q: You mentioned the term nexus; what are the practical steps to ensure better collaboration between designers, operators, and responders?
Practical steps include joint CPD sessions that mix engineering and firefighting perspectives, updating building plans to reflect current layouts, co-hosted webinars and drills, and creating channels for frontline feedback to influence future designs and policy.
Episode 310: Bridging the Gap Between Fire Engineering and the Fire Service with Fiona Perrin
Q: Tell me more about this dynamic of the nexus and why it's so important between the engineering and the first responder firefighting community to have this dialogue?
It matters because building design directly affects how first responders navigate, access hydrants, and perform firefighting operations; aligning design with field realities improves safety for occupants and responders alike, and ongoing dialogue helps update plans and training as technologies and risks evolve.
Episode 309: What Aviation Emergencies Teach Us About Coordination and Preparedness with Greg Pobar
Q: What is the Institution of Fire Engineers to you and why is it important for the fire service community?
Greg emphasizes a strong link between engineering and firefighting, noting that collaboration leads to better prevention, safer responses, and more cohesive knowledge-sharing across the industry, which is reinforced by conference engagements.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Smart Firefighting

What is Smart Firefighting about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A forward-looking show focused on how smart technologies and data drive safer, more effective public safety and firefighting operations. Across recent episodes, listeners hear practical lessons on inter-agency coordination, wildfire data and decision-making, thermal imaging, rapid intervention tactics, and the role of engineering and technology in preventing and managing incidents. Guest experts span aviation safety, wildfire management, fire tech startups, and leading public safety agencies, offering actionable takeaways for practitioners, policymakers, and technology providers looking to improve emergency response and resilience. A notable strength is the consistent emphasis on real-world applicability, cross-border learnings, and the int... more

Where can I find podcast stats for Smart Firefighting?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Smart Firefighting. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Smart Firefighting and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Smart Firefighting get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Smart Firefighting, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Smart Firefighting?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Smart Firefighting, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Smart Firefighting have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Smart Firefighting has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Smart Firefighting?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Smart Firefighting:

1. Better Every Shift
2. CFITrainer.Net Podcast
3. Today with tonies

How many episodes of Smart Firefighting are there?

Smart Firefighting launched 8 years ago and published 320 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Smart Firefighting?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Smart Firefighting?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Smart Firefighting from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Smart Firefighting?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Smart Firefighting. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Smart Firefighting?

Recent guests on Smart Firefighting include:

1. Kurt Vollmacher
2. Matt Simmonds
3. Gavin Smith
4. Fiona Perrin
5. Greg Pobar
6. Karen O'Connor
7. Will Boake
8. Kevin Callahan

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days