Joined on this episode by the one and only Cody Trestrail, Founder and Instructor of Brothers in Battle and the man behind Firemanship! Cody has been on the Scrap for episodes 179 (one of the most listened to episodes of all time), 295, and the Firemanship special, and is coming back on for episode 355!

Join us for another epic episode where truth bombs drop as we discuss the driving force behind Cody and his mission! It would be remiss not to talk Firemanship and the massive impact it is having on the fire service! The audience as always lights it up with their questions and we enjoy where the conversation took us because that is what makes the Scrap the absolute best!!!!!

ENjoy the show!

Joined on this episode by the one and only Kiel Samsing; firefighter, paramedic, neuroscience coach, instructor, and author of the game-changing book Mind of Fire: The Science and Art of Decision Making.

Kiel founded Mind of Fire back in 2018 after seeing a massive gap in the fire service: we crush tactics and hands-on skills, but we’ve been starving the cognitive side - the mental sets and reps that separate good decisions from the ones that get people hurt.

In this episode we’re diving straight into the science and art of fireground decision-making, how the brain actually works under extreme stress, and the practical tools every firefighter and officer needs to build better mental models, cut through chaos, and make the right call when it matters most.

We’ll talk about the OODA loop fire-service style, empowered leadership, why cognitive training is just as critical as nozzle technique, and the real-world stories and lessons that went into Mind of Fire. Kiel’s also got the companion workbook dropping soon and it is loaded with mental drills and exercises you can actually use on shift.

Expect straight talk on building decision-making muscle, staying sharp through the years, and why the “mind of fire” might be the most important tool on the truck.

Of course the audience is going to light this one up with questions, and we’ll go wherever the conversation takes us... because that’s what makes the Scrap the absolute best!!!!

And if you haven’t read Mind of Fire yet, fix that. It’s already becoming required reading in engine houses and training divisions across the country. www.mindoffire.com | @kielsamsing | @mindoffire

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Episode 354 made possible by FireStation Furniture, Snap-Tite Hose, and LCC Fire School

Another firehouse-fueled showdown, we welcomed back David “DJ” Stone to the show!

DJ is currently developing "The Personnel Issues Playbook: Firefighter Interpersonal Issues You Must Know as a Boss". This is a collaborative project focused on the real-world people problems officers and chiefs face on the job, and how they’ve handled them.

From navigating tough interpersonal conflicts to his own journey moving into the training division, we discussed hard-earned lessons on building trust, inspiring change, avoiding burnout, and leading with respect.

We will also dug into patience vs. passion, earning credibility, recruiting informal leaders, playing the long game, and why surveying the land (not just the people) is critical at all levels.

And of course… So many amazing questions from the Audience!

Special thanks to IdentiFire and SnapTite Hose for episode 353 of The Weekly Scrap Podcast.

This week, we're sitting down with Michael "Stickers" Goldstein, a battle-tested New Hampshire firefighter with 20 years in the first responder game, from dispatcher to the front lines. As the no-holds-barred host of The C.A.N. Report, Mike is on a mission to spotlight the fire service's rich history, raw culture, leadership truths, mental health realities, and the hard lessons that keep our brotherhood strong.

From calling out toxic leadership to celebrating passion, training, and accountability, Stickers delivers straight-talk conversations that hit hard and keep it real. If you love unfiltered fireground wisdom and real talk that matters, you do NOT want to miss this one.
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This week we’re joined by Stephanie White, Editor-in-Chief of Firefighter Nation, one of the sharpest voices in the industry.

Fresh off the rig after 20+ years as a firefighter/paramedic with Fairfax County, Stephanie is bringing her no-nonsense perspective to the table. We dive into the topics that matter most right now. Starting with the problem of conflicts in the fire house and then pivoting to victim mentality in the fire service. And with the biggest week in the industry happening right now, you already know we’re talking the BIG SHOW - FDIC.

As always… I count on the audience to bring the heat and the great questions because the best part of The Scrap is we never know where the conversation will go!!!! If you care about the health, culture, and long-term survival of this job, you do NOT want to miss this one.

Let’s get after it! Stephanie White is on The Scrap!

Joined on this episode by the one and only Curt Isakson — the absolute force of nature I call “Hurricane Ike” is BACK for Episode 350 of The Scrap!

Chief Ike — 30+ year fire service legend, recently retired Battalion Chief from Escambia County Fire Rescue, creator of County Fire Tactics, and the man who’s lit up The Scrap on episodes 70, 100 (“People Before Water”), 150, 200, 250 (“Faith, Family, Fire, Friends & the Future”), and 313 — returns with the same unrelenting passion and fire that defines every single appearance.

Curt never phones it in. He shows up raw, real, and ready to drop heavy tactical gold, hard-earned leadership lessons from the fireground, and straight-talk truth about the real challenges of this job — raising the next generation of probies, navigating the good days, bad days, and truly GREAT days.

If you’ve listened to any of Chief Ike’s previous episodes, you already know: the energy is electric, the wisdom runs deep, and the conversation goes exactly where it needs to go. This one is no different.

This is Episode 350 of The Scrap — unfiltered, no holds barred, and packed with value for every firefighter who wants to get better.

Link it to a brother or sister who needs to hear this, and share it everywhere.

Chief Ike just brought the heat.

Joined on this episode by the one and only Brian Brush (CRUSH) and you better be ready, because we’re diving deep into rescue data. He’s coming on to release and discuss the initial findings from the 2026 rescue count. We compare it to the 2021 project and what trends we can quantify, and what trends we are seeing over the last five years.

With over 500 structure fire incidents across the U.S. in the first 90 days of 2026 where a civilian rescue was made. That’s 5.6 structure fire incidents per day involving a rescue, roughly one every 4 hours and 16 minutes. Nearly 1,000 civilians rescued from those incidents. An average of 1.9 victims per fire where a rescue occurs. Roughly 11 Americans rescued by firefighters every single day. The data is already telling a powerful story!

We also talk Fire Engineering and FDIC with the big show right around the corner. And of course, talking to Crush always needs to include what is going on at his department and the culture of live fire and training that they have built.

The audience as always brought the great questions... which is what makes the Scrap the absolute best!!!


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On this episode I am joined by the one and only Kris Blume, and it was a heavy dose of leadership discussion!

We talked about what he means when he says “Carry the Fire” and “Serve the Work,” along with “The Quiet Damage of Destructive Leadership” and how “Burnout Isn’t Just the Job, It’s Leadership.” We also dove into “Data vs. Culture: What Actually Changes Behavior?” And "The Cost of Silence"

As usual, we only got to a fraction of the topics. The questions from the audience came fast and often.