The Firehouse Yak

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Editor-in-Chief Peter Matthews talks with Firehouse authors and speakers and members of the fire service about firefighter training and tactics, leadership, trends and traditions.

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Beyond the Bugles

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Beyond the Bugles is a podcast hosted by Assistant Chief Jacob Johnson of the Pearland, TX, Fire Department, where he sits down with guests to discuss leadership at the chief officer level.

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The Firehouse Yak: Tyler Whittredge – Finding Your Identity in the Firehouse
The Firehouse Yak
Peter Matthews talks with Tyler Whittredge about how firefighters struggle to find an identity for themselves in the firehouse at a time when the fire service is seeing a large...
March 30, 2026
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The Firehouse Yak: Janet Wilmoth, Mike Scott, Patrick Stone – Station Design Conference 2026 Preview
The Firehouse Yak
Peter Matthews catches up with Station Design Conference Director Janet Wilmoth and architects Mike Scott and Patrick Stone to look at this year’s conference and how to maximize...
March 16, 2026
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Beyond the Bugles: Lessons That Build a Legacy
Beyond the Bugles
On this episode of Beyond the Bugles, Chief Jacob Johnson is joined by retired Chief Dennis Reilly as they discuss integrity, moral courage and setting the tone in your fire company...
March 9, 2026
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The Firehouse Yak: Flip Griffin
The Firehouse Yak
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...
March 2, 2026
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The Firehouse Yak: Jared Vermeulen
The Firehouse Yak
Peter Matthews talks with Capt. Jared Vermeulen, author of “The Modern Fire Officer,” about the leadership principles in his book, from relationships and crew health to encouraging...
Feb. 16, 2026
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Firehouse Podcast: Beyond the Bugles
Beyond the Bugles
A new Firehouse Magazine podcast brings you, "Beyond the Bugles" hosted by Assistant Chief Jacob Johnson, where he and guests discuss leadership at the chief officer level.
Feb. 9, 2026
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The Firehouse Yak: Ryan Pennington
The Firehouse Yak
Peter Matthews is joined by Ryan Pennington, who explains his approach to every shift with the mentality of being a firefighter first and how that has guided him as he has promoted...
Feb. 2, 2026
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The Firehouse Yak: Justin Sherwood
The Firehouse Yak
Peter Matthews talks with Justin Sherwood about his path to fire chief and what he has learned over the last five years, from encouraging service to finding clarity in the noise...
Dec. 23, 2025
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The Firehouse Yak: John Lewis and Robert Moran – Basement Fires and Hidden Dangers Below
The Firehouse Yak
Peter Matthews is joined by Robert Moran and John Lewis of the Jersey Guys to talk basement fire tactics considering recent firefighter death reports and lawsuits.
Dec. 9, 2025
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The Firehouse Yak: Sean Eagen
The Firehouse Yak
Peter Matthews talks with Buffalo, NY, Capt. Sean Eagen about his approach to fires in vacant structures, from building markings and size-up factors to search and firefighting...
Nov. 24, 2025
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The Firehouse Yak: Dan Byrne, TJ Cullison, AJ Kehl – Firefighters Reflect on Military Service, Veterans Day
The Firehouse Yak
Peter Matthews talks with three firefighters who started their public service careers in the U.S. Army, Marine and Air Force and what Veterans Day means to them.
Nov. 11, 2025
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The Firehouse Yak: Michael Daley
The Firehouse Yak
Peter Matthews talks with fire instructor and longtime Firehouse contributor Michael Daley about firefighter training, from motivation to training ideas and future challenges....
Oct. 27, 2025
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The Firehouse Yak: Kristopher Blume
The Firehouse Yak
Fire Chief Kristopher Blume joins Peter Matthews to share his insight on being a fire chief and leadership in today’s ever-changing fire service and his new book.
Oct. 13, 2025
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The Firehouse Yak: Black Sunday
The Firehouse Yak
Eileen Bellew, widow of FDNY Lt. John Bellew, and his daughter, Katreana, talk about navigating PTSD since the 2005 Black Sunday fire, and how fire departments can support those...
Sept. 29, 2025
The Firehouse Yak: Bill Niemann
The Firehouse Yak
Peter Matthews talks with Bill Niemann, author of the book Heavy Fire Showing, talks about launching his department’s fire investigation team.
Sept. 15, 2025
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The Firehouse Yak Grant Tinker
The Firehouse Yak
Peter Matthews talks with Grant Tinker about the impact of normalization of deviance – not to be confused with complacency –in the fire service and what can be happen if it is...
Aug. 18, 2025
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The Firehouse Yak: Jeremy Blair and Courtney Hull
The Firehouse Yak
Peter Matthews talks with Jeremy Blair and Courtney Hull about a high school firefighter training program that's redefining recruitment and how your fire department can better...
Aug. 4, 2025
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The Firehouse Yak: Steve Baker
The Firehouse Yak
Peter Matthews talks with Assistant Chief Steve Baker about the moment that changed his life and the interactions that led him to assess his mental health.
July 22, 2025
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The Firehouse Yak
Peter Matthews talks with Michael Dozier on the factors fire departments are having trouble improving their culture as both crews and organizations.
July 7, 2025
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The Firehouse Yak Ariel Jackson
The Firehouse Yak
Peter Matthews talks with Capt. Ariel “AJ” Jackson about the program helped developed in Anne Arundel County, MD, to help new fire officers learn from ropes, from payroll to fireground...
June 24, 2025
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The Firehouse Yak Michael Glore
The Firehouse Yak
Peter Matthews talks with deputy chief and author Michael Glore about the importance of accurate fire department histories and how that helps firefighters understand what they...
June 9, 2025
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The Firehouse Yak Robert Moran and John Lewis
The Firehouse Yak
Peter Matthews talks with John J. Lewis and Robert Moran, also known as The Jersey Guys, on their careers and what led them to become the 2025 Firehouse Hall of Fame Inductees...
May 26, 2025
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The Firehouse Yak: Tom Jenkins
Peter Matthews and Chief Tom Jenkins discuss the new national fire service reporting system, NERIS, and what listeners need to know about onboarding and how effective use of the...
May 12, 2025
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Steve Baker The Firehouse Yak
The Firehouse Yak
Peter Matthews sits down with Assistant Chief Steve Baker to reflect on 25 years of fire service evolution and the push toward today’s forward-thinking culture of training and...
April 28, 2025