Our Personality Behind the Profile series, showcasing some of the most influential and popular social media profiles in the fire service looked at a dozen influencers.
Robert Policht dives into how he co-founded Flow and Vent, a social media account that has more than 51,000 followers.
Lt. Aaron Zamzow of the Madison, WI, Fire Department, explains how his fitness journey combined with his fire service career resulted in over 200,000 followers across all social platforms.
March: The Size Up by National Fire Radio
The director of 555 Fitness, Robert "Pip" Piparo, explains his path through the fire service and how he became a podcast host for National Fire Radio.
Andy Drake and James Wolsiffer share their story of creating Axe Head Threads, a custom clothing brand for first responders with over 55,000 followers.
Steve Crothers shares the story of launching Tractor Drawn Aerial, which has roped in over 150,000 followers on social media.
Jared Johnson shares his journey, including competing in the Firefighter Olympics, and passion for fitness, which has brought over 108,000 followers to his JJohnsonatx account.
NYCFireWire, created by FDNY Firefighter Dan Hamelburg during Hurricane Sandy illustrates how the FDNY operates; and has over 400,000 followers on various platforms.
Battalion Chief Joseph Grossi Jr. built his Instagram account with more than 31,000 followers through point-of-view videos to help with firefighter training and education.
Retired FDNY Firefighter Mike Monaco and St. Paul, MN, Firefighter Jake Ryks offer insight into how The HazMat Guys launched a successful brand.
Cody Spaulding, the face behind The Salty Paramedic social media accounts makes humorous skits about the fire and EMS services and has accrued more than 442,000 followers.
Fireman Lance has gained over 437,000 followers with his comedic short skits about life in fire and EMS, while providing first responders with a positive outlet to learn from.
FireCaptSteve has built his name on wanting to show the younger generation how rewarding a career in firefighting can be.
About the Author
Ryan Baker
Associate Editor
Ryan Baker is a writer and associate editor with prior experiences in online and print production. Ryan is an associate editor for Firehouse with a master's degree in sciences of communication from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. He recently completed a year of teaching Intro to Public Speaking at UW-Whitewater, as part of his graduate program. Ryan acquired his bachelor's degree in journalism in 2023 from UW-Whitewater, and operates currently out of Minneapolis, MN. Baker, also writes freelances for the Ultimate Frisbee Association (UFA) in his free time, while also umpiring baseball for various ages across the Twin Cities Metro Area.