This week, we dive deep into the heart of the fire service—family, legacy, and what it means to really love this job. From laughing about Brian's new acting role as the Genie in Aladdin, to sharing emotional stories about our kids following in our footsteps, this episode blends heartfelt moments with hard firehouse truths.

And yes… Snail Mail is back, and it’s fire. 🐌🔥

• 🎭 Brian the Genie – We’re STILL milking the “Bird Cage” joke, and now he’s blue. Literally.

• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Firefighting as a Family Legacy – The crew gets personal about what it means when your kids (or YOU) choose the fire service.

• 🧠 Mental Health & Mass Casualty Incidents – Honoring recent tragedies in Southport, NC and Michigan; the lasting impact on responders.

• 🧂 Unkie's Seasonings & Burn Box Shoutouts – Chipotle in chili wins competitions, Freddy's cooking for 30+ football players, and we drool over firehouse recipes.

• 💬 The Family You Find in the Firehouse – Why the fire service truly becomes your family, even if you didn't grow up in it.

• 🛠️ Apparatus Crisis Continued – The national fire truck shortage isn’t going away. We talk:

  • The real reason rigs take 3+ years to deliver

  • $10 milkshakes vs. $2 milkshakes 🍨 (yes, it makes sense)

  • Federal funding, industry monopolies, and departments customizing themselves into a corner

• 🐌 Snail Mail Segment – Listener shoutouts, Spotify comments, and TikTok feedback about fire truck pricing, manufacturer mergers, and the struggle to plan for replacements

• Unkie’s Seasonings – From the firehouse to your house. Use it on everything. 🔥

• The Burn Box – FD Collectors Club = thick challenge coins, rad patches, and firehouse vibes shipped monthly.

• Drop a comment if you like how we handle sponsors—more banter, or keep it tight?

• Do you have family in the fire service? Tag them.

• What would YOU remove from a fire engine spec sheet to speed up delivery?

🎧 Now streaming on: Spotify | Apple | Amazon | YouTube
📲 Follow us on TikTok & Instagram for clips, behind the scenes, and to submit your own Snail Mail!

🔥 Key Topics Covered:🧂 Sponsors of the Week:💬 Calls to Action:

In this episode, Matt, Unkie, and Brian get sidetracked (as usual) with shirts, stickers, Sasquatch soap, and a whole lot of firehouse banter. But don’t worry—we also dive deep into important fire service topics like shift bids, specialty teams, station culture, and the rising cost of fire apparatus. PLUS… it’s time for another edition of SNAIL MAIL 🐌✉️ with some of the best listener comments yet!

🔥 Highlights:

• [00:01] Dr. Squatch, Air Show shirts, and why it takes 2 hours to record a 45-min episode 🤦‍♂️

• [03:00] Moment of silence for Officer John Coutchie and recent LODDs

• [07:00] Do you hang after shift? Matt loves staying late for coffee and crew talk ☕

• [13:00] 24/72 schedules are coming—departments experimenting with shorter work weeks

• [20:00] The Weegie tradition: Station bidding Laguna-style (crowns, staffs, and all) 👑

• [23:00] Do you really need all that specialty gear? A discussion on hazmat, USAR, and regional teams

• [33:00] Matt reflects on choosing Laguna Beach FD over bigger agencies—“Sometimes the department chooses you.”

• [37:00] Call to Action: What’s your post-shift routine? Do you hang? Comment and let us know!

• [38:00] 🐌 SNAIL MAIL segment: Listener feedback on fire apparatus costs, maintenance, and manufacturer monopolies

• [44:00] Brian fires back with real costs: $5K oil changes and $15K in fuel!

• [48:00] Shoutout to volunteer listener Courtney for an awesome comment on planning, training, and NOT relying on luck

  🧂 Sponsors:

• Unkie’s Seasonings – From the firehouse to your house. Grab yours at unkieseasoning.com

• The Burn Box – FD-inspired wellness and gear, brought to you by Tom

  📢 Call to Action:

• Do you stay late after shift for coffee and pass-downs?

• What's your station bidding process like?

• What specialty teams does your department support (or wish they had)?

• Drop your answers in the comments on Spotify, TikTok, or Instagram. We love hearing from you in Snail Mail!

  🎧 Listen on:

Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music
🎥 Watch full video episodes on YouTube and Spotify Video!

In this episode, the boys are back—Matt, Brian, and Unkie—and the kitchen table banter is strong right from the jump. From Brian’s magical new role as Genie in Aladdin (goodbye, Bird Cage 👋) to a real discussion on the national fire apparatus crisis, this episode covers it all.

We dive into the Senate hearing on the fire apparatus shortage and unpack what departments around the country are facing:

• 🚒 3–4 year lead times

• 🔩 Customization bottlenecks

• 💰 Massive profit margins for manufacturers

• 🤯 477 options on a fire truck spec sheet?!

We ask real questions:

• What are firefighters willing to give up to get rigs faster?

• Are manufacturers gaming the system?

• Can departments shift culture and still keep mission readiness?

We also talk DOD fire trucks (Air Force gets everything, Navy gets bare minimum), and what departments can learn from each other across the country.

🧂 Sponsors

• Unkie’s Seasonings – From the firehouse to your house.

• The Burn Box – FD Collectors Club: Get your custom fire gear each month.

  
  

  📬 Snail Mail is BACK!

• Kenny Mitchell calls out a hater calling us out for “clearing our throats too much.” 😂

• One firefighter works fires completely alone?!

• Listeners chime in on comfort zone training and creative extrication setups.

• Genie Brian makes his comeback—he ain’t coming outta that bottle, folks.

• 🧠 Topics Covered:

  Fire truck delivery delays and apparatus funding issues

• • Custom vs. stock builds – what can we live without?

  • Transparency between administration and crews

  • The power of clean rigs, solid maintenance, and pride in your equipment

  • Culture and communication gaps between new and seasoned members

  • The true cost of federal stimulus spending on apparatus backlog

  • Shoutout to our shop mechanics—you’re the real MVPs

  • Mental health, peer support, and encouraging open dialogue

  🎧 Listen Now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your shows.
  📢 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share—and tell your whole crew to do the same.

This week’s episode is packed full of real firehouse talk—from wild call stories to mental health, continuing education, and the one universal truth in the fire service:
👉 If you don’t use it, you lose it.

🔥 Episode Highlights:

• 🚑 Calls Gone Sideways – From patients claiming they’ll swallow their tongue to an actual arm amputation call, the crew breaks down how dispatch info doesn't always match the scene.

• 💥 Training Talk – Why there are strict EMS training requirements, but not enough fireground certification standards.

• 🧠 Mental Health in the Fire Service – Matt and the crew respond to a listener's message about handling "the messy stuff" (blood, vomit, trauma).

• 🪓 Auto Extrication & Rope Drills – Real training setups with junk cars, ladders, rope bags, and more.

• ✉️ Snail Mail Returns! – Shoutout to Morrow CP and other listeners who chimed in with thoughtful questions and firehouse love.

• 🐶 Meet Millie – Doug introduces us to his dog Millie (who has no front teeth and a crooked tongue, and is adorable).

💬 Key Moments:

• "Don't criticize a fire you weren’t on." – A deep dive into armchair quarterbacking and post-call debriefs.

• “Smells like sepsis.” – The entire crew bonds over the unmistakable smell of nursing homes.

• “Get creative with your training.” – Matt shares how a strip of duct tape turned a middle school wall into a rescue drill site.

• "Always look for another way." – Unkie challenges listeners to go beyond “we’ve always done it this way.”

🎧 Also in This Episode:

• Burn Box shoutouts

• Unkie’s Cajun Chicken & Rice recipe

• Jokes about Doug’s “glizzy microphone”

• CPR stories, training standards, and big-city EMS setups

• The OODA Loop explained (and roasted)

📬 Snail Mail Is OPEN!
Got a question, comment, or funny firehouse story? Drop it on Spotify, Instagram, or email—we might read it next week.

🎧 Now streaming on Spotify, Apple, Amazon & YouTube
📲 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share with your crew.

In this episode, Matt and Brian dive deep into some of the challenges (and hilarious moments) happening both in and out of the firehouse. From Matt’s code 3 siren strategy to Brian’s communication fatigue, this one’s got a little bit of everything: loud opinions, soft wisdom, and yes... more Snail Mail.

🔥 Highlights Include:

• 🚨 Driving Code 3: Matt shares his take on how and why sirens should be used—air horns included

• 🧠 Leadership, Followership & Informal Influence – What role do you play in the firehouse?

• 📲 Comment Culture & Keyboard Commanders – A look at how feedback lands in the fire service, both online and in person

• 📬 Snail Mail Returns! Featuring real listener responses, debates on informal leadership, stew showdowns, and a surprise shoutout

• 💬 Communication in an “over-communicated world” — why tone matters more than ever

• 🧠 “Don’t criticize the fire you didn’t fight.” – A real convo on armchair quarterbacking & healthy critique

  Frank Viscuso - https://www.tiktok.com/@frank_viscuso/video/7542851995170868494?lang=en

• 🧂 Food talk! Unki Seasoning + Blackstone pasta gets a highlight

• 👕 Burn Box shoutout + FD Collectors Club faves

• 💛 Moment of Silence for responders injured or lost in the line of duty

💡 Key Themes:

• 🚒 Don’t confuse noise for leadership – real influence starts with humility

• 🧠 Effective communication is a skill—and a responsibility in the firehouse

• 🎧 Social media isn’t always the kitchen table—but it can be

• 🙌 Be present, be positive, and bring the energy—especially if you're new to the job

🎧 Now Streaming on Spotify, YouTube, Apple & Amazon
💬 Got thoughts or questions? Drop them in the comments or send us a message for Snail Mail – we might read yours next!

#TheCoolFiremanPodcast #Episode122 #SnailMailReturns #FireServiceLeadership #Code3Driving #KitchenTableTalk #WellSaid #AirHornDebate #FirefighterCommunication #BurnBoxLove #UnkiSeasoning #MomentOfSilence #BrotherhoodStrong

In this jam-packed episode, the crew reunites for a full debrief of their time at the South Atlantic Fire Rescue Expo (SAFRE) in Raleigh. From firehouse food to leadership presentations, parlay betting, bagpipes, and some questionable milk habits—this one’s got it all.

🔥 Highlights Include:

• 🎰 Doug explains parlays to a very confused Brian

• 🧂 Unki Seasoning gets love from Brightleaf Hot Dogs (yes, really)

• 🎶 NEW SEGMENT ALERT: SNAIL MAIL makes its official debut—with a jingle and hilarious listener comments (sorry, Becky)

• 🎤 Doug delivers his best Trump impression… mid-episode

• 🚨 A heartfelt moment of silence for the 52 line-of-duty deaths so far in 2025

• 🥘 Doug’s passionate defense of real Brunswick stew (do not argue)

• 🔥 Leadership & followership: Matt and Brian reflect on their SAFRE presentation, “What About Tomorrow?”

• 🥁 The emotional power of pipes and drums—and why they still stop us in our tracks

💡 Key Takeaways:

• Leadership starts with purpose—but followership is just as vital

• The fire service community is about helping, not competing

• There’s no comfort in greatness—step into hard things and grow

• Sometimes you just need to prank your spouse with the wrong broth

• And yes… Brunswick stew must be thick enough to stand a paddle in it

🎧 Now Streaming on Spotify, YouTube, Apple & Amazon
📬 Got a question or comment? Send us some Snail Mail and you might hear it read live next week!

#TheCoolFiremanPodcast #SAFRE2025 #LeadershipAndFollowership #SnailMailSegment #PipesAndDrums #FireServiceCommunity #WellSaid #FirehouseTalk #FirefighterBrotherhood #BrunswickStewDebate #MomentOfSilence #FireConferenceRecap #NoComfortInGreatness

This week, the crew is back at the kitchen table – and while Brian is away, Matt, Doug, and Unkie dive deep into what firemen talk about inside the engine, from banter to serious pre-call game plans.

We kick things off with a little parlay talk (Doug’s gambling, not the French kind), some seasoning chat (support UnkieSeasoning.com!), and housekeeping. But the real heat comes when we get into what happens when the tones drop.

In This Episode:

• 🚒 What firefighters really talk about in the engine

• 🧠 The importance of planning en route and reviewing game plans

• 🧯 First five minutes: why they matter more than anything

• 🔥 Doug’s recent structure fire run – what went right, how the setup worked, and lessons learned

• 🤝 Why experience builds trust – and how the phrase “Go to work” sets the tone

• 💪 Train more, think ahead, work smoother

• 😂 Mailbag (aka Snail Mail) brings in some killer food tips and Spotify love

• ✈️ A surprising detour into aerodynamics, whiskey rankings, and a little Payne Stewart nostalgia

• 🎧 Shout-outs to Rhett, Becky, and the FD Collectors Club

This is one of those episodes that blends laughs with legit insight. Whether you're on your first shift or your last year, this one will hit home.

🎙️ Quote of the Week:
“Our job’s not that hard… but the first five minutes of every call are everything.” – Matt

📌 Subscribe, comment, and tell Becky she’s slacking!
🎧 Now streaming on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube.

#TheCoolFiremanPodcast #Episode120 #FireEngineTalk #FirefighterTraining #GoToWork #FirstFiveMinutes #UnkieSeasoning #FDCollectorsClub #FireServiceCulture #KitchenTableTalk #MomentOfSilence

This week, it’s just Brian and Adam (aka Unki) holding down The Cool Fireman Podcast kitchen table while Doug and Matt are on duty. The topic? Food—our favorite firehouse meals, family go-tos, recipe wins, and even a few epic fails.

Brian shares highlights from a year of his recipes featured in the Burn Box and announces that Unki will be taking over as the Burn Box recipe guy for the next 12 months. The two swap their top three dishes loved at home and in the firehouse, discuss cooking techniques for brisket, pork butt, breakfast spreads, and easy griddle favorites, and debate everything from smash burgers to fat caps.

You’ll also hear:

• Brisket prep, smoking tips, and rest time debates.

• Why pork butt might be the most versatile cut for the firehouse table.

• The beauty (and danger) of breakfast casseroles and quiches.

• Unique dishes like easy cheesy shrimp sandwiches and quesadillas for a crowd.

• Hamloaf gone wrong, alligator done right, and cow tongue redemption.

• Unexpected flavor combos that actually work—yes, even cheese whiz & pico on a hot dog.

Call to Action:
Drop a comment with your firehouse favorite and your family’s go-to dinner. Bonus points if it’s something quick, affordable, and firehouse-friendly.

Sponsors:
🔥 Unki’s Seasoning – Elevate your meals with seasoning blends that work for home and the firehouse.
🔥 Burn Box – This month’s FD Collector’s Club features another exclusive shirt and gear drop.

#FirehouseCooking #FirefighterLife #TheCoolFiremanPodcast #FireServiceCulture #BurnBox