Leadership in the fire service isn’t about the badge — it’s about the lives that depend on you. In this episode, Ralph Suppa opens up about the sleepless nights, the toll of responsibility, and the lessons learned from failure. If you’ve ever questioned whether you’re doing enough for your crew, this one hits home.

What You’ll Take Away:

• Why real leadership means putting your people first — even when it costs you sleep or worse
• How to face the crushing weight of responsibility without breaking under it
• The mindset shift every officer needs to keep their crew safe
• Why failure in leadership can become your greatest teacher

If you’re a firefighter who’s stepping up to lead — or wants to — and you feel the weight of that responsibility, this one’s for you.

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🔥 Ready to feel unstoppable in your gear? Fit For Service is the 8-week training plan built for firefighters to regain strength, confidence, and endurance on the job. 💪 Start your journey here!

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Promotion changes everything — not just your title. In this episode, Captain Ralph Suppa opens up about his journey from rookie firefighter to respected officer, the wins that built him, and the failures that shaped him. From grueling tests to unexpected lessons in leadership, Ralph shares what it really takes to step up without losing your crew or yourself.

What You’ll Learn:

• How to build unshakable trust with your crew — even after you make mistakes.
• Why finding the right mentors can change your entire career.
• The truth about the “competition” in promotion processes (and how to turn rivals into allies).
• How to handle the backlash when your success doesn’t sit well with everyone.
• The mindset shift that separates great firefighters from great leaders.

If you’re a firefighter who’s grinding for the next step or struggling with the politics of promotion, this one’s for you.

Support the show

🔥 Ready to feel unstoppable in your gear? Fit For Service is the 8-week training plan built for firefighters to regain strength, confidence, and endurance on the job. 💪 Start your journey here!

>>> Shop Keep the Promise! <<<

Get 15% off your purchase at Rescue 1 CBD with code KTP at checkout!

You can build something incredible and still serve.

In Part 2, Mike gets real about growing Frontline Optics while staying grounded in firefighter values. He shares the emotional highs and gut checks of going all-in on a brand, how he manages burnout, and why giving back to the fire service is built into his business. If you’ve ever felt torn between your calling and your next move, this one hits hard.

What You’ll Learn:

• The moment Mike knew it was time to leave the fire service, and how he handled it
• Why firefighter grit is your superpower when building a business
• How Frontline Optics supports firefighter mental health through nonprofit giving
• What actually happens after you step away from the job
• How to grow a mission-driven brand without losing your identity

If you’re a firefighter who wants to leave the job better than you found it - and build something meaningful after - this one’s for you.

Grab a pair of firefighter-built sunglasses at Frontline Optics, then check out our training tools at keepthepromisefire.com.
Subscribe, share, and keep the promise - in service and beyond.

Support the show

🔥 Ready to feel unstoppable in your gear? Fit For Service is the 8-week training plan built for firefighters to regain strength, confidence, and endurance on the job. 💪 Start your journey here!

>>> Shop Keep the Promise! <<<

Get 15% off your purchase at Rescue 1 CBD with code KTP at checkout!

You can love the job and still build the next chapter.

In Part 1, former firefighter-paramedic Mike Ettenberg tells us how a kid who chased sirens on a bike turned his party-bus side hustle into Frontline Optics. From the EMT grind to 30 failed applications, Mike shows why the firefighter mindset, solve problems and never quit, works in business too.

What You’ll Learn:

• How to stay hungry after 30 “no’s” and finally land the job
• Why small-department mandatories can push you to create Plan B
• The cake-takes-time rule: slowing your firefighter feedback loop for business success
• A step-by-step look at bootstrapping 300 pairs of shades into a six-figure brand
• The paralysis-by-analysis trap—and simple ways to beat it and just start

If you’re a firefighter who’s dreaming about life after the job, or already growing a side hustle, this one’s for you.

Check out Frontline Optics and our firefighter training tools at keepthepromisefire.com.
Subscribe, share, and keep the promise - to your crew and your future.

Support the show

🔥 Ready to feel unstoppable in your gear? Fit For Service is the 8-week training plan built for firefighters to regain strength, confidence, and endurance on the job. 💪 Start your journey here!

>>> Shop Keep the Promise! <<<

Get 15% off your purchase at Rescue 1 CBD with code KTP at checkout!

The gloves are off in Part 3.

Captain Bobby Eckert returns to finish what he started, and he doesn’t hold back. From being called “the villain” of the fire service to commanding firegrounds and building one of the most respected training programs in the country, Bobby explores what it really takes to lead, teach, and stay true to yourself - no matter how loud the haters get.

What You’ll Learn:

• The fire service politics Bobby’s done pretending to tolerate
• What happens when you teach the truth - and they come for your name
• Why social media can’t handle real firefighters being real humans
• The actual purpose of fire training (and why your gloves better be in the rig)
• The power of authentic leadership, accountability, and letting go of ego

If you’re tired of the fire service popularity contest and just want to be a better firefighter and leader—this one’s for you.

Support the show

🔥 Ready to feel unstoppable in your gear? Fit For Service is the 8-week training plan built for firefighters to regain strength, confidence, and endurance on the job. 💪 Start your journey here!

>>> Shop Keep the Promise! <<<

Get 15% off your purchase at Rescue 1 CBD with code KTP at checkout!

Some people post quotes. Bobby Eckert lives them.

In Part 2 of this no-holds-barred conversation, Captain Bobby Eckert gets brutally honest about leadership, firehouse culture, and the broken state of firefighter training. From how he sleeps better at the station than at home, to why he’s done playing nice with the fire service status quo - this one punches straight through the noise and hits the heart of what it means to lead.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why good officers don’t hover - and how Bobby lets his crew grow on their own
• The surprising reason he sleeps better at the firehouse than anywhere else
• The massive failure in entry-level firefighter training - and what needs to change
• How to lead with humility, consistency, and grit
• What happens when you stand up to the fire service “establishment” - and don’t back down

If you’re a firefighter who’s tired of the same old politics and wants to lead with realness, this one’s for you.

Support the show

🔥 Ready to feel unstoppable in your gear? Fit For Service is the 8-week training plan built for firefighters to regain strength, confidence, and endurance on the job. 💪 Start your journey here!

>>> Shop Keep the Promise! <<<

Get 15% off your purchase at Rescue 1 CBD with code KTP at checkout!

In this raw and real conversation, Bobby Eckert opens up about his roots, leadership, and the gut-punch layoff that nearly derailed it all. From childhood drills to navigating Camden’s chaos, this is a story about resilience, fatherhood, and the drive that keeps him going even when they try to take away the uniform.

What You’ll Learn:

• What growing up with a fire chief dad taught Bobby about leading with integrity
• How layoffs nearly ended his career - and why he came back stronger
• The firehouse smells, sights, and lessons you never forget
• A leadership style built on trust, distance, and letting your crew figure it out
• Why empathy and public trust are core to serving - even on “BS” calls

If you’re a firefighter who wants to lead with grit, bounce back from setbacks, and serve with heart — this one’s for you.

Support the show

🔥 Ready to feel unstoppable in your gear? Fit For Service is the 8-week training plan built for firefighters to regain strength, confidence, and endurance on the job. 💪 Start your journey here!

>>> Shop Keep the Promise! <<<

Get 15% off your purchase at Rescue 1 CBD with code KTP at checkout!

In Part 3 of our powerful series with retired FDNY Captain Rob Cefoli, we explore how first responders—and anyone living under high stress—can take control of their internal world. This episode dives into body-based interventions like tremor manipulation, breathwork, and focused energy redirection to help release chronic tension and build lasting resilience.

You’ll learn:

• How to direct tremors and energy to areas of discomfort
• The meditative aspects of TRE and body awareness
• Why emotional trauma is often at the root of our struggles
• How Rob’s methods are being used with first responders, retirees, and even school-aged kids
• The intersection of training, therapy, and sustainable health
• Raw stories of parenting, personal growth, and finding purpose after hardship

This episode is a blueprint for using body-based healing to improve your mental health, physical performance, and emotional clarity—both on and off the job.

Support the show

🔥 Ready to feel unstoppable in your gear? Fit For Service is the 8-week training plan built for firefighters to regain strength, confidence, and endurance on the job. 💪 Start your journey here!

>>> Shop Keep the Promise! <<<

Get 15% off your purchase at Rescue 1 CBD with code KTP at checkout!