HAZARD CLASS

Stephanie White joins Hazard Class to discuss the future of the fire service, firefighter wellness, leadership, accountability, and what it takes to create meaningful change inside the firehouse.
Stephanie spent nearly two decades as a firefighter and paramedic with Fairfax County Fire and Rescue before transitioning into fire service media as the Editor-in-Chief of Firefighter Nation. In this conversation, she gives an inside look at the process of selecting classes and instructors for FDIC, including the challenge of choosing from hundreds of submissions while trying to identify instructors who can provide real value to attendees.
The conversation quickly moves beyond conferences and into some of the biggest cultural challenges facing the fire service today. Stephanie challenges the way the fire service talks about mental health, arguing that wellness should be viewed as a complete picture of a firefighter’s life, including sleep, physical health, family, organizational culture, and personal responsibility.
Jake and Stephanie discuss accountability inside the firehouse, including the growing tendency to outsource interpersonal problems instead of solving them through communication, trust, and leadership. They explore how healthy firehouse cultures are built, why firefighters need permission to have difficult conversations, and how officers can create environments where members feel comfortable asking questions and admitting mistakes.
Stephanie also shares her experience as a female firefighter entering the fire service at a young age, the challenges she faced, and the importance of having mentors and advocates who helped her navigate a traditionally male-dominated profession. She discusses the difference between unhealthy behavior that should be addressed and the process of earning trust and belonging within a firehouse culture.
The episode closes with Stephanie reflecting on retirement, leaving the firehouse after 20 years, and her mission with Firefighter Nation: empowering firefighters at every level to realize they have the ability to influence and improve the fire service.
This episode is a wide-ranging conversation about leadership, culture, wellness, accountability, and why the future of the fire service depends on firefighters taking ownership of the profession they love.

GUEST BIO:
Stephanie White is the Editor-in-Chief of Firefighter Nation and a longtime voice in the fire service community. Before moving into fire service media, Stephanie spent nearly two decades as a firefighter and paramedic with Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department in Virginia.
Throughout her career, Stephanie has been involved in firefighter training, peer support, leadership development, and conversations surrounding firefighter wellness and organizational culture. She has contributed to fire service education through writing, podcasting, and speaking engagements, with a focus on helping firefighters create stronger teams and healthier firehouses.
As Editor-in-Chief of Firefighter Nation, Stephanie works to amplify firefighter voices, share practical solutions, and provide a platform where members of the fire service can learn from one another regardless of rank or position. She believes that every firefighter has the ability to influence the future of the profession.
CONNECT WITH STEPHANIE WHITEFirefighter Nationhttps://www.firefighternation.com/Firefighter Nation Social Mediahttps://www.facebook.com/FirefighterNationhttps://www.instagram.com/firefighternation/EPISODE RESOURCESFDIC Internationalhttps://www.fdic.com/Fire Engineeringhttps://www.fireengineering.com/SPONSORSHAIX USAhttps://www.haixusa.com/Rigaku Analytical Deviceshttps://rigakuanalytical.com/

Jake sits down with Austin Beier and Taylor Hayes from the Heart of the Lakes Fire Summit to talk firefighter training, firemanship, search tactics, hose and nozzle selection, and building a stronger training culture in the fire service.
The Heart of the Lakes Fire Summit was created to bring high-level regional and national fire service instructors to firefighters in Minnesota who may not otherwise have easy access to that level of training. Now entering its third year, the conference is expanding in 2026 with hands-on training in engine company operations and forcible entry.
But this conversation goes well beyond the conference.
Austin and Taylor discuss their experiences across the volunteer, paid-on-call, and career fire service and why every firefighter has a responsibility to maintain competency regardless of department size or employment status. They dig into complacency, getting outside the walls of your own firehouse, learning from failure, owning mistakes, and challenging the "this is how we've always done it" mentality.
The conversation also gets tactical. Austin explains why firefighters need to be proficient at searching without a hose line, while Taylor dives into why hose, nozzle, flow, pressure, and pump operations need to work together as a complete attack package.
That leads into a deeper discussion about smooth bore vs. combination nozzles, automatic fog nozzles, fire flow, nozzle reaction, hose selection, primary search, engine company operations, truck work, and the difficulty of changing deeply rooted fire department practices.
Ultimately, this episode is about becoming a more competent firefighter by questioning assumptions, training through failure, learning from others, and refusing to let experience become an excuse to stop improving.

Austin Beier is a firefighter and organizer of the Heart of the Lakes Fire Summit. He began his fire service career as a paid-on-call firefighter in Wadena, Minnesota, later became a volunteer firefighter in Osakis, and is currently a career firefighter in Moorhead. His experience spans the paid-on-call, volunteer, and career fire service.
Search is one of Austin's primary tactical passions, particularly developing firefighter competency and confidence in searching structures independently of a hose line. Through Heart of the Lakes, he works to expand access to advanced firefighter training throughout Minnesota.
Taylor Hayes is a firefighter and organizer of the Heart of the Lakes Fire Summit in Alexandria, Minnesota. He began his fire service career in 2013 as a volunteer firefighter in Bloomington before moving to Alexandria and later joining the Alexandria Fire Department.
Taylor is involved in community and public education and is a strong advocate for firefighters seeking training outside their own departments. His tactical interests include truck company operations, apparatus placement, aerial operations, hose and nozzle selection, and engine company effectiveness.
Through the Heart of the Lakes Fire Summit, Taylor works to bring regional and national-level fire service education to Minnesota and create opportunities for firefighters to challenge established practices and continue improving throughout their careers.
HEART OF THE LAKES FIRE SUMMIT
Conference Info: https://www.firenuggets.com/classes/heart-of-the-lakes-fire-summit-26
2026 Registration: https://firenuggets.regfox.com/26-hotlfs

SPONSORS

HAIX
https://www.haixusa.com/

RIGAKU ANALYTICAL DEVICES
https://www.rigakuanalytical.com/

Jeremy Donch has built National Fire Radio into one of the most recognizable voices in the American fire service, but this conversation isn't about how he built a podcast. It's about what comes with having a voice people actually listen to.
Jeremy joins Jake for a raw conversation about the changing culture and identity of the modern fire service. They dig into authenticity in the age of social media, the difference between genuine influence and chasing attention, confidence versus empty bravado, personal accountability, leadership, competition, and why experience and competence still matter.
The conversation also tackles some of the harder questions facing today's firehouse. Are we becoming too corporate? Have we blurred the line between being a buddy and being a boss? Are we punishing people for making decisions while simultaneously asking them to show more initiative? And as departments take on more responsibilities, are we losing sight of the core mission that brought us here in the first place?
Jeremy also opens up about ego, loneliness, relationships, and the responsibility that comes with reaching a massive audience. Ultimately, this is a conversation about what the modern fire service is becoming, what we may be losing along the way, and why Jeremy believes we need to put firemanship first.
Jeremy Donch is the founder and voice behind National Fire Radio, a fire-service media platform built around honest conversations about leadership, culture, tradition, and the American fire service.
Since launching National Fire Radio in 2018, Jeremy has developed a large audience across podcasting and social media while remaining focused on what he considers the mission behind the platform: bringing value to firefighters and protecting the core values and traditions of the job.
Beyond National Fire Radio, Jeremy brings experience as a firefighter, leader, manager, teacher, entrepreneur, and business owner. His perspective blends lessons from the firehouse and fireground with decades of experience managing people in the private sector.
Rather than presenting himself as an expert on every aspect of the job, Jeremy has built his reputation around speaking candidly about the areas he knows best: leadership, management, fire service culture, history, tradition, and personal accountability.
At the center of his message is a simple philosophy: stay authentic, know your lane, take responsibility for your actions, and never lose sight of what it means to be a fireman.

NATIONAL FIRE RADIO
Website: https://nationalfireradio.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/national_fire_radio/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nationalfireradio
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nationalfireradio
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-fire-radio/
EPISODE SPONSORS
HAIX: https://www.haixusa.com/
Rigaku Analytical Devices: https://www.rigakuanalytical.com/

Dr. Candace Ashby has spent more than 40 years in the fire service, and she's convinced the biggest threat facing today's fire departments isn't what's burning. It's the culture inside the firehouse.
In this episode, Candace shares the unlikely story that took her from a troubled teenager to Battalion Chief with the Indianapolis Fire Department before diving into the leadership lessons she learned the hard way. We discuss why company officers hold more influence than any fire chief, the difference between accountability and punishment, why communication breaks down inside organizations, and how fire departments can rebuild trust, ownership, and brotherhood.
If you've ever been frustrated by toxic station politics, ineffective leadership, or the "us versus them" mentality between administration and operations, this conversation offers practical advice for creating a healthier culture from the kitchen table to the fireground.

GUEST BIO:
Dr. Candace Ashby is a Battalion Chief with the Indianapolis Fire Department and has served in the fire service for more than four decades. She holds a Doctorate in Management and Organizational Leadership and is the founder of Elite Public Safety Consulting, where she helps fire departments improve leadership, organizational culture, and officer development. Known for her direct, practical teaching style, Candace has become one of the fire service's most respected voices on accountability, communication, and building high-performing organizations.

ELITE Public Safety Consulting
⁠https://www.elitepublicsafety.com/⁠
LinkedIn⁠
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-candace-ashby-iaai-cfi-cfei-cfii-cvfi-mifiree-5010091a/⁠
Episode Sponsors
HAIX USA
https://www.haixusa.com
Rigaku Analytical Devices
https://rigakuanalytical.com

James Geering's path to the fire service is anything but conventional. Raised on a farm in England, he pursued careers as a stunt performer before immigrating to the United States and ultimately becoming a firefighter and paramedic. In this episode, James shares the experiences that shaped his perspective, the lessons learned from serving in multiple fire departments across the country, and how those experiences led him to create the internationally recognized Behind The Shield Podcast.
The conversation explores firefighter wellness far beyond fitness. James explains why sleep deprivation, cumulative stress, organizational culture, and outdated scheduling models are driving many of the profession's biggest challenges, including burnout, cancer, injury, divorce, and suicide. He makes the case for the 24/72 shift schedule, discusses why recruitment and retention problems are symptoms of larger systemic issues, and outlines how departments can improve both firefighter performance and long-term health through evidence-based leadership.
Jake and James also examine the power of long-form podcasting, the importance of meaningful human connection, and why difficult conversations are essential if the fire service hopes to evolve. This episode is an honest, thought-provoking discussion about leadership, resilience, and building a healthier future for the next generation of firefighters.
Guest Bio
James Geering is a former firefighter, paramedic, strength and conditioning coach, and the creator and host of the Behind The Shield Podcast, one of the most respected podcasts in the fire service and tactical performance communities. Over nearly 1,300 episodes, he has interviewed world-leading experts in medicine, psychology, military special operations, leadership, fitness, sleep science, and emergency services. Today, James is a leading advocate for firefighter health, performance, and organizational change, dedicating his work to improving recruitment, retention, mental health, and longevity across the fire service through free, evidence-based education.
CONNECT WITH JAMES GEERINGBehind The Shield Podcasthttps://www.behindtheshieldpodcast.com/Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/behindtheshield911/Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/behindtheshield911/YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/@BehindTheShieldPodcastLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/james-geering/SPONSORSHAIX USAhttps://www.haixusa.com/Rigaku Analytical Deviceshttps://www.rigakuanalytical.com/FOLLOW THE HAZ MAT GUYSWebsitehttps://thehazmatguys.comTraininghttps://training.thehazmatguys.com