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Firefighter Podcast

Pete Wakefield
Emergency Services
Mental Health
Firefighter Training
Leadership
Fire Service
Firefighting
Firefighters
Firefighter Fitness
High-Rise Firefighting
Resilience
First Responders
Fire Behavior
Firefighting Tactics
Community Support
Firefighter Safety
Emergency Response
Firefighter Cancer
Mental Health Awareness
Emotional Intelligence
Gore-Tex

The Firefighters Podcast is an award winning global podcast developing, inspiring, connecting, motivating & celebrating the world of our emergency services operators through a series of wide-ranging conversations with those within our emergency services family.Hosted by serving operational UK firefighter & Instructor Pete Wakefield who speaks with individuals from all walks of life who share a con... more

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes479Founded6 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
EducationSelf-ImprovementCourses

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Artwork for Firefighter Podcast

Latest Episodes

In this incident debrief, we examine the two devastating fires at the Glasgow School of Art’s Mackintosh Building in 2014 and 2018, unpacking how heritage construction, hidden ventilation ducts, timber voids, compromised fire protection during restor... more

“Speak softly and carry a big stick” is more than Jared Vermeulen’s favourite quote it reflects the way he thinks about leadership, responsibility, and the modern fire officer. Born and raised in the blue-collar fishing town of Jupiter, Florida, Jare... more

In this special High Rise Masterclass miniseries, The Firefighters Podcast brings you live recordings direct from the International Tall Buildings Conference and specialist high rise firefighting masterclass held in London in May 2026. Across this se... more

Today’s episode is with Randy James from Fire Department Coffee. Randy is a career firefighter and paramedic from Rockford, Illinois, serving since April 2000. His journey took him to Ladder 5, working alongside Fire Department Coffee founder Luke Sc... more

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Randy James
Career firefighter and paramedic, Director of Brand Relationships at Fire Department Coffee
Fire Department Coffee
Episode: #489 More Than Coffee: Rescue 1 & the Mission of Fire Department Coffee with Randy James
Dawn Harding
KFSM, formerly Dawn Whittaker, retired chief fire officer, charity trustee, public speaker
Fire service leadership and Parkinson's advocacy
Episode: #488 Firefighters with Parkinson’s: The Diagnosis No One Sees Coming
Steve Norman
former Deputy Assistant Commissioner of London Fire Brigade
London Fire Brigade
Episode: #488 Firefighters with Parkinson’s: The Diagnosis No One Sees Coming
David Little
former watch manager
Fire service
Episode: #488 Firefighters with Parkinson’s: The Diagnosis No One Sees Coming
Jag Wattley
Firefighter at London Fire Brigade and social media educator/advocate
London Fire Brigade
Episode: #487 Mr Honest Work aka Jaguar Wattley
Millie Margetts
Firefighter with Humberside Fire and Rescue; CrossFit coach; Olympic weightlifter; Gladiators athlete
Humberside Fire and Rescue; Gladiators
Episode: #486 Why Persistence Matters: Firefighter, Gladiator & Competitive Optimist | Millie Margetts
Justin Fitzwater
Firefighter with the Kansas City Fire Department and founder of Fitzwater Leather
Fitzwater Leather
Episode: #485 Leather, Legacy & the shield with Justin Fitzwater of Fitzwater Leather
Martin Brown
Founder of Project Ever, EV emergency response expert, commentator on battery and chemical hazards in fires
Project Ever (Electric Vehicle Emergency Response)
Episode: #484 You Can't Put It Out - Thermal Runaway, EV Fires & the Health Crisis Hiding in Plain Sight with Martin Brown
Peter Critchell
Aviation fire services expert and advisor
(not explicitly stated)
Episode: #482 AFOA 2026 Conference Live - Developing the All-Hazard Leader with Peter Critchell and Craig Rayner

Host

Pete Wakefield
Host and practicing UK firefighter and instructor.

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 331 ratings
  • Ep 401

    A decent episode but the presenter seemed to waffle and wanted to dictate not interview and listen to the guests. They should have had a lot more airtime due to their vast experience

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    Cymro dyn
    United Kingdom10 months ago
  • Great content

    Excellent listen, interesting and informative. In depth and varied content. Highly recommend

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    tri-harder-oli
    United Kingdoma year ago
  • Great Podcast

    Great podcast with lots of amazing insights and guests that are so helpful for those working within this industry. Only issue is I feel we don't hear enough from the guests because the host spends the majority of the time speaking about his experiences or going off on tangents.

    This means it more becomes a lecture on the guest's theme for the episode rather than a conversation or interview.

    The information within the podcast overrides this issue however it does get annoying as it takes away fro... more

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    EvieEve94
    United Kingdoma year ago
  • The best!

    This podcast is perfect whether you want in-depth knowledge on most firefighting subjects of just some light hearted entertainment. I’d highly recommend the debriefs as it’s there’s a lot to be learnt from the harsh realities of being a firefighter. Passionate, funny and all round good guys describes not just Pete, but all the guests he has on!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Stuart Mount
    United Kingdom2 years ago
  • Inspiring

    I’m an aspiring firefighter and since finding the podcast I’ve not been able to stop listening and my desire for the job has increased 10 fold. Brilliantly open and honest and incredibly informative.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Brendanb333
    United Kingdom2 years ago

Listeners Say

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

Host often draws on personal experience, which can enhance storytelling but may crowd guest voices in some episodes.
Listeners praise the breadth of guests and practical fire-ground insights.
Fans value the depth and variety of topics, though some wish for tighter moderation to keep conversations more guest-led.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

#486 Why Persistence Matters: Firefighter, Gladiator & Competitive Optimist | Millie Margetts
Q: What does the Gladiators experience look like from the inside, and how did it impact your career?
It was the best experience of my life; going from firefighting dreams to TV exposure pushed me to new heights, showing me the balance of public attention with professional craft and how to handle both positives and trolls.
#488 Firefighters with Parkinson’s: The Diagnosis No One Sees Coming
Q: What changes can organizations implement to support firefighters with long-term health conditions?
Create clear pathways for non-operational roles, provide access to neurology specialists, share information about Parkinson's nurses, adopt reasonable adjustments, and maintain open conversations to reduce stigma and help staff stay engaged.
#485 Leather, Legacy & the shield with Justin Fitzwater of Fitzwater Leather
Q: What are the parameters around what people can actually have done on shields in KC FD or in the US more broadly?
He describes a mix of tradition and personal flavor with flexible regulation in KC and broader US contexts, where identification on shields is central but there is room for artistic customization within safety regulations.
#485 Leather, Legacy & the shield with Justin Fitzwater of Fitzwater Leather
Q: Take me to the origin of the handcrafted leather goods and how you got into this.
Justin explains a collision of art affinity, fire service family history, and a local shield-maker's influence that inspired him to pursue leathercraft as a business, building from family and art background into Fitzwater Leather.
#476 AFOA 2026 Conference Live RFFS Industry Update with Neil Gray
Q: What implications will sustainable aviation fuel have, if any, on rescue and firefighting operations?
SAF is a key element of Jet Zero; while it changes fuel sources, early testing suggests its firefighting behavior is not different from conventional fuels, so existing extinguishing agents and techniques remain largely applicable with ongoing validation.

Audience Metrics

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

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Gender Skew
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Frequently Asked Questions About Firefighter Podcast

What is Firefighter Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A global-focused firefighting interview series featuring practitioners, regulators, researchers, and advocates who share real-world insights across a broad spectrum of emergency-services topics. Episodes frequently center on cutting-edge PPE evolution, incident command and decision making, high-rise and aviation firefighting, electric-vehicle hazards, mental health and resilience, and advancements in gear, training, and policy. Notable threads include practical innovations in gear materials, regulatory and standards updates, trauma recovery stories, and hands-on lessons from live conferences or field operations. The show tends to blend technical depth with personal narratives, making it valuable for leaders, frontline responders, procuremen... more

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How many listeners does Firefighter Podcast get?

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What are the audience demographics for Firefighter Podcast?

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How many subscribers and views does Firefighter Podcast have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Firefighter Podcast 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 Firefighter Podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Firefighter Podcast:

1. Fin vs History
2. That Peter Crouch Podcast
3. The Dozen with Liam Tuffs
4. Dodge Woodall Network
5. Stick to Football

How many episodes of Firefighter Podcast are there?

Firefighter Podcast launched 6 years ago and published 479 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 Firefighter Podcast?

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 Firefighter Podcast?

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How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Firefighter Podcast?

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What guests have appeared on Firefighter Podcast?

Recent guests on Firefighter Podcast include:

1. Randy James
2. Dawn Harding
3. Steve Norman
4. David Little
5. Jag Wattley
6. Millie Margetts
7. Justin Fitzwater
8. Martin Brown

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.

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