The Firehouse Yak: Flip Griffin – Flipping Fire Service Leadership

Peter Matthews talks with U.S. Navy Command Master Chief (ret.) Flip Griffin about the impact of leadership on fire service recruitment, retention and burnout and how departments can work to change those problems.
March 2, 2026
Listen on Apple buttonListen on Spotify buttonListen on iHeartRadio buttonListen on Podbean button

Flip Griffin, a retired U.S. Navy Command Master Chief, talks with Peter Matthews about his new mission, Firehouse Freedom. Griffin has been teaching fire departments about the impact of leadership in recruitment, retention and burnout at all levels of the departments.

Griffin relates to his time in the military when recruitment was at an all-time high following the Sept. 11 terror attacks to the fire service’s current dilemma of hiring and keeping good firefighters and leaders in the ranks. Burnout comes at all levels, Griffin says, and some of it can be prevented with a new approach to operations.

Griffin ties his time in the military, which involved fire, EMS and search and rescue, to help fire departments examine where they are to tighten up the gaps the fire service has seen with so many leaving the ranks over the last decade. 

Related links: 

Contributors:

About the Author

Peter Matthews

Editor-in-Chief/Conference Director

Peter Matthews is the conference director and editor-in-chief of Firehouse. He has worked at Firehouse since 1999, serving in various roles on both Firehouse Magazine and Firehouse.com staffs. He completed an internship with the Rochester, NY, Fire Department and served with fire departments in Rush, NY, and Laurel, MD, and was a lieutenant with the Glenwood Fire Company in Glenwood Landing, NY. Matthews served as photographer for the St. Paul, MN, Fire Department and currently is a photographer for the Fort Worth, TX, Fire Department.        

Sign up for our eNewsletters
Get the latest news and updates

Voice Your Opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Firehouse, create an account today!