Firehouse

Peter Matthews is joined by Eileen Bellew, widow of FDNY Lt. John Bellew, and his daughter, Katreana, to discuss their paths through PTSD since John lost his life during the 2005 Black Sunday fire in the Bronx. 

Eileen shares her journey, which began Jan. 23, 2005, when she learned that John was seriously injured after jumping from an apartment building. From being escorted to the hospital, the fire service funeral, memorial servic...

Peter Matthews talks with Bill Niemann, who spent nearly two decades in the Prince William County, VA, Fire Department Fire Marshal’s Bureau. During that time, Niemann and his team relaunched the department’s arson investigation unit and logged many headline-making arson arrests. 

Niemann provides insight into his 17-year assignment in the fire marshal’s bureau and the relaunch of their fire investigation unit, which they mostly bu...

Peter Matthews talks with Battalion Chief Grant Tinker about the normalization of deviance, often mistaken for complacency, and how deeper in the fire service and carries serious consequences. 

In this episode the two discuss how it shows up in day-to-day habits at home or the fire service and can result in dangerous consequences. They talk about crew resource management, pioneered by the aviation industry and adopted by the fire s...

Peter Matthews talks with Jeremy Blair and Courtney Hull about a unique program that prepares high school seniors to become firefighters through Waukesha County Technical College in Wisconsin. 

The two share how fire departments can better connect with Gen Z recruits by rethinking education and engagement through recruitment. Blair explains why today’s students want to feel part of something bigger and why teaching methods must evo...

Peter Matthews sits down with Assistant Chief Steve Baker to discuss the mental health challenges firefighters face, and the life-changing events of a single day in 2019 that reshaped his journey. 

With two decades in emergency services, Baker shares how he reached a breaking point, what he discovered when he took a hard look at the “rocks” weighing down his backpack, and how he began shedding those rocks while rebuilding himself. ...

Peter Matthews talks with Battalion Chief Michael Dozier of The Company Officer about the deep-rooted cultural challenges facing today’s fire departments.  

Dozier starts by breaking down what “culture” truly means in the fire service and how departments across the country, at every rank, are struggling with communication, trust, and aligning expectations. He explains how key points contribute to cohesive teams, and what firefighte...

Peter Matthews sat down with Capt. Ariel “AJ” Jackson to look at his role in developing an officer mentoring and training program for the Anne Arundel County, MD, fire officers. 

Jackson, a second-generation firefighter, talks about the night he was promoted and the working fire with entrapment that followed. That fire turned into a career-long learning experience for him in which he partnered with another firefighter to develop a ...

Peter Matthews invites author Michael Glore, who is a deputy chief with the Reading, PA, Fire Department, to share his interest in fire service history and how the war stories from the past has shaped today’s fire service.   

Glore, who has nearly 40 years in the fire service and has co-authored four fire service history books, explains why firefighters should know their department’s history to help make tactical decisions, but als...

Peter Matthews sits down with longtime Firehouse contributors John J. Lewis Jr. and Robert Moran, who have been named Firehouse’s Hall of Fame Class of 2025. The two reflect on their fire service careers, Lewis retiring as a lieutenant and Moran as a fire chief.  

The two, known as The Jersey Guys, entered the fire service Northern New Jersey and had lengthy careers in both volunteer and career fire services as well as two decades ...

Peter Matthews sits down with Chief Tom Jenkins to discuss the latest developments with the National Emergency Response Information System (NERIS) and what fire departments should expect as NFIRS is phased out in 2026.  

Jenkins breaks down how departments can begin the transition, outlines timelines, and how more than a dozen records management systems have already been approved to integrate with NERIS, paving the way for more sea...

Peter Matthews talks with Assistant Chief Steve Baker of the Plymouth, MN, Fire Department about how fire service delivery has evolved in his region.  

Baker shares how the transition from volunteer and paid-on-call firefighters to combination and full-time agencies has led to faster responses and more efficient operations. He highlights the role of regionalized training, inter-agency collaboration, and a consistent command system ...

Peter Matthews talks with Rob Policht, a lieutenant with Passaic, NJ, Fire Department and one of the guys between Flow and Vent, about the state of today’s fire service and how a podcast he was on with a former Navy SEAL changed some of his approach to the fire service.  

As a young officer, Policht provides his perspective on bridging the gap across multiple generations in the station. From bringing new members to the crew to unde...

Peter Matthews talks with Jacob Gates, a lead instructor at the Ohio Fire Academy, about the need to stay relevant while instructing multiple generations of the fire service and staying up-to-date strategies and tactics.  

Gates, who also serves with Mifflin Township Division of Fire in Gahanna, OH and the Falls Township, OH, Fire Department explains some of the changes he has witnessed as teaching styles evolve and recruit/member ...

Capt. Joe DeVito talks about the need for added training and an enhanced understanding of thermal imaging cameras (TIC) for firefighters during today’s emergency responses.  

DeVito talks about the lack of training for most firefighters, from the basics of fireground operations to rescue and other incidents. They talk about how to overcome the common misconception that a TIC is primarily an officer’s tool and why every member needs...

Station Design Conference Director Janet Wilmoth and Principal Architect Rob Manns discuss the impact of the Station Design Conference on recent fire station construction projects, and how attendees can maximize what they get out of attending the annual conference focused on fire station designs and construction for new and renovated stations.

Wilmoth planned the 11th annual conference, taking place in Glendale, AZ, May 20-22, with...

Assistant Chief Christopher Zak talks with Peter Matthews about his retirement from the Milford, CT, Fire Department and transition to a new career in Hanahan, SC. He moved to become a training office and has since promoted to assistant chief.  

Zak talks about the decision to call an end to his first fire service career and how a Google search took him to South Carolina, plus the conversations and insight he sought from trusted an...

Chief Daniel DeYear returns to The Firehouse Yak podcast after talking about the fire service’s approach to safety with a discussion on company officer development based on his workshops. 

DeYear digs into decades of leadership lessons from nearly two decades as an officer and chief in Dallas Fire-Rescue, including communication, accountability, trust and support. Many including firefighters and officers, DeYear says, do not unders...

Peter Matthews talks with Jeff Cool about the tragedy of Jan. 23, 2005, which was named FDNY’s “Black Sunday” after the department lost two firefighters at a fire in the Bronx and one at a fire in Brooklyn. The Bronx fire left four other firefighters seriously injured, including one who died from the fire six years later. 

Cool, a Rescue 3 firefighter, responded a fire in an apartment building that was renovated into a maze of room...

Peter Matthews talks with Andy Starnes about the importance of each person having a personal board of directors who they can reach out to and seek advice from throughout their lives. Starnes stresses why this board is just as important for decisions within the fire service as it is at home and with your family. 

While Starnes is known around the world for his efforts to educate firefighters on thermal imaging, this episode focuses ...