Risk, Resiliency and Rural Fire Operations with Trevor Meador Frederick County DFRS

Firefighter Trevor Meador is a member of the Frederick County, MD Fire and Rescue Department, currently assigned to Station 3 in downtown Frederick. Trevor is also an instructor in the Frederick County Training Academy, teaching a variety of topics, from Firefighter Safety and Survival, truck Ops and much more. Trevor also served in the USMC.

Luck Equals Preparation Plus Opportunity with LTC Mark Westphal USA and USAF

Today’s guest is Lt. Col. Mark Westphal, a highly accomplished leader with an extensive and diverse background. Mark grew up in Westchester County, New York before heading to Georgia Tech, where he earned both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Mechanical and Materials Engineering.  He also earned an MBA from LaSalle University.  In his civilian career, Mark serves as the Chief Engineer for Special Operations Forces platforms and is a certified Licensed Professional Engineer (PE) with a major defense contractor.  A combat veteran, Mark recently retired from the National Guard as a Lieutenant Colonel after an extraordinary career. His service spans multiple roles, including Combat Engineer, Infantry, Special Forces Green Beret, and Air Force Special Warfare Officer.

Unpacking Robert Coram's "Brute: The Life of Victor Krulak" with Jim Roussell USMC/Chicago PD

The LUF team believes that a careful examination of history’s most accomplished mission-oriented leaders reveals that their success was strongly correlated to scholarship and professional reading.  LUF book clubs have been a conduit to meaningful discourse, reflection, and critical thought.   Jim Roussell has guided several LUF book clubs.  Jim’s infectious commitment to professional reading was at the foundation of his preparation for the duration of his remarkable career in the USMC and Chicago PD.  He relied heavily on his self-study to compliment his extensive operational experience and inform his leadership philosophy and complex problem-solving skillset.  In this podcast episode, Jim unpacks the early chapters of Robert Coram’s “Brute” and provides valuable insight into the philosophy, traits, and approach that enabled LtGen Victor Krulak to transform the USMC’s warfighting capability set.  

Performance and Longevity in Professional Ironman Racing with Angela Naeth

Angela Naeth is a Canadian Professional Triathlete who made a significant mark on the sport with her exceptional performances in both Ironman and Ironman 70.3 events in her 20 year long career. In 2015, she became the North American Ironman Champion, cementing her place among the elite triathletes of her generation. Known for her strength in cycling and running, Angela has consistently delivered top performances at major events, including multiple podium finishes at the Ironman 70.3 World Championship. In 2021 she finished 6th place OVERALL at Gravel Unbound, the worlds premier gravel cycling race and completed the grueling Leadville 100 in a blistering 8 hours and 22 minutes.  Overcoming injuries throughout her career, she has demonstrated remarkable resilience. Angela actively shares her insights and experiences to inspire others and raise awareness for mental health as a coach and mental performance expert. 

Enhancing Fireground Performance through Coaching with Kevin O’Connor, FDNY

Today’s guest is FDNY Firefighter Kevin O’Connor of Ladder 33 in the Bronx.  Kevin is a 17 year member of the department and has represented the FDNY on countless occasions as a member of the Pipes and Drums band.  He is a regular contributor to the FDNY’s MPI program and a Tactical Performance Coach helping members hone their skills on the fire floor. 

Remembering Black Sunday with FF Brendan Cawley, FDNY

The FDNY suffered line of duty deaths at two separate fire operations on January 23, 2005, “Black Sunday.”  Firefighter Richard Scalfani of Ladder Co. 103 was killed in the performance of his duties while operating a private dwelling fire on Jerome St. in the East New York section of Brooklyn.  Just hours prior, six members of Ladder Co. 27 and Rescue Co. 3 jumped from the top floor of a 4-story apartment building on E. 178th St in the Bronx.  Lieutenant Curt Meyran, FF John Bellew, and Lieutenant Joseph DiBernardo succumbed to their injuries.      Firefighter Brendan Cawley is a survivor of the 178th St fire. Nearly three years after the fire, Brendan returned to full duty status following a grueling and miraculous recovery from the physical and mental injuries that he sustained after exiting the top floor.  The interview you will hear in this episode was recorded in 2019 at a LUF Human Performance Summit devoted to the concept of resilience and the question, “what happens when we compete to win and lose?”  The LUF team remembers those members who lost their lives on Black Sunday.  The LUF team is inspired by the resilience that the survivors have displayed in the years since, survivors including sons of members killed and critically injured who have recently joined the ranks of the FDNY. 

2024 Year in Review with Jason Brezler and James McNamara - Part 2

Today's episode is part 2 of a 2 part conversation with Jason Brezler and James McNamara  where we continue to reflect on the range, depth, and reach of Leadership Under Fire’s TEAM efforts in 2024. The LUF team has maintained its commitment to humanizing and optimizing performance and leadership in today’s fire service and other high-risk industries through programs, research, and publications.

2024 Year in Review with Jason Brezler and James McNamara - Part 1

In this episode we are joined by LUF Founder Jason Brezler and LUF’s Senior Man James McNamara.  In this conversation, we reflect on the range, depth, and reach of Leadership Under Fire’s TEAM efforts in 2024. The LUF team has maintained its commitment to humanizing and optimizing performance and leadership in today’s fire service and other high-risk industries through programs, research, and publications.

Legacy of Courage and Compassion with Kristina Moon

This episode features a powerful story of courage, compassion, and legacy. We’re honored to have Kristina Moon, wife of fallen FDNY firefighter William (better known as “Billy”) Moon II, whose heroic act of organ donation after a tragic accident in December of 2022 has saved multiple lives and left an enduring legacy of service. For more information, please visit billymoonfoundation.org. 

Developing Grey Collar Professionals with Capt Gabe Angemi, Camden FD

In this episode, we present part two of a two-part conversation between Jason Brezler and Captain Gabe Angemi of the Camden Fire Department, which originally aired on October 31st. In part one, Gabe shared his experiences during the recovery efforts in Asheville, NC, following Hurricane Helene. Part two shifts focus to the critical role of academia and higher education in shaping and informing leadership within the fire service.

Sociocultural Human Performance: Education and Learning for Promotion in the American Fire Service

by Gabriel Angemi

The Willingness to Prepare Sets Us Apart with Captain Trevor Renadette FDNY

Today’s guest is Trevor Renadette.  Trevor is a native of Plattsburgh, NY where he was born and raised before going to college at Plattsburgh State in 1998.  After one year at university Trevor decided to take a break from school in order to join the NY Army Nation Guard.  In 1999 he attended Infantry basic training in Fort Benning, GA. before advanced infantry training where he achieved a dual MOS as an 11 Bravo Infantrymen and an 11 Charlie Mortarman.  After graduating AIT, Trevor returned to college where he received a degree in Communications.  In 2004 Trevor was called into active duty service and was attached to the 1st Infantry Division with whom he deployed to Iraq.  Upon returning home he was honorably Discharged and entered the NYC Fire Academy.  Trevor was Assigned to Engine 38 and Tower Ladder 51 in the Williamsbrige section of The Bronx before being promoted to Lieutenant in 2016.  As a Lieutenant Trevor was assigned to Engine 3 Ladder 12 in Manhattan and just a few weeks ago he was promoted to the rank of Captain and is currently assigned to Division 14 in Queens.    

Humanizing Real World USAR Operations with Capt Angemi, Camden FD

Our guest for this episode is Gabe Angemi.  Gabe is a second-generation member of the Camden NJ Fire Department. He presently serves as a Captain and is assigned to Squad Company 7. Gabe has spent many years serving in Camden’s Special Operations companies and has been a member of NJ-TF1 FEMA USAR since 2008.  Gabe serves as a tactical leadership advisor for Leadership Under Fire. Gabe last appeared on the LUF podcast in March of 2021. 

Understanding the History Behind Our Why with FF Joanne Mariano, FDNY

Joanne Mariano is a firefighter with the FDNY assigned to L136 in Elmhurst, Queens, and formerly assigned to E225 in East New York, Brooklyn. Prior to joining the fire department, she was a lighting technician with IATSE Local 52 Motion Picture Studio Mechanics. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Film Production from Hunter College and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Sport and Performance Psychology with a concentration in applied practice at the University of Western States. Joanne is working towards becoming a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) through the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP).

Whoever Shows Up on a Cold Rotten Day with LUF Chief Mentor Jim Roussell

This conversation was originally recorded in May of 2024 when Jim Roussell spoke to leaders in the Baltimore City Fire Department during the BCFD’s first weeklong LUF Optimizing Human Performance (MPI) Course. Jim Roussell served with the Chicago Police Department for more than 36 years and spent most of his career in gang-tactical units. He commanded the 24th District and the department’s mobile strike force which targeted gang violence citywide. Jim also served with the US Marines for 39 years where he held numerous billets in infantry and intelligence assignments in both active duty and reserve capacities. He deployed to Iraq on three separate occasions with Marine infantry battalions.  Jim has a Doctor of Education from Olivet Nazarene University and serves as a chief mentor for the LUF team.

Drawing Hope from the Memories of Those Lost with Battalion Chief Pat Connolly

Battalion Chief Pat Connolly is a twenty-three year member of the FDNY. Chief Connolly began his career at Engine 39/Ladder 16 on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, then promoted to Lieutenant and was assigned to E231/TL120 in Brownsville Brooklyn. Chief Connolly promoted again to the rank of Captain and was assigned to L-133 in South Jamaica, Queens. Recently, Chief Connolly was promoted to the rank of Battalion Chief and is assigned to Battalion 35 in Brooklyn. Chief Connolly is a graduate of Fordham University and has attended the FDNY’s MPI weeklong program.

Making Yourself Hard to Kill and the Limits of Operational Safety

This conversation is a continuation of an episode about Building the LUF Team which was published on May 16, 2024.  LUF Senior Man Jim McNamara and Founder Jason Brezler revisit Leadership Under Fire’s origins and the genesis of LUF’s Making Yourself Hard to Kill construct, and more broadly the team’s endeavor to challenge and encourage leaders to think critically.  Jim and Jason discuss the inherent limitations of operational safety in real-world operational environments and conversely its suitability in largely controlled training settings.  The conversation was recorded in mid-May and mid-August of 2024 and coincides with a season in which influential organizations that shape doctrine and narratives in the American fire service are evaluating the merits and shortcomings of their methodologies which have been primarily anchored in the operational safety concept.   

Image: Sgt Tylor Belshe, USMC and Cpl Bill Cahir, USMC (later KIA) at FOB Black in Fallujah, Iraq 

Reading and Responding to Black Swans with Jim Roussell

Since our formal inception more than a decade ago, the LUF Team has championed professional reading.  The LUF team believes that a careful examination of history’s most accomplished mission-oriented leaders reveals that their success was strongly correlated to a scholarly appreciation of literature and professional reading.  In 2022, LUF launched our inaugural book club.   LUF online book clubs have been a conduit to meaningful discourse, reflection, and critical thought.    In this podcast episode, LUF’s Senior Mentor Jim Roussell unpacks Nassim Nicholas Taleb's "Black Swan" with a LUF Book Club.  Jim provides valuable insight into the leadership traits and organizational practices that will equip mission-oriented leaders and units to respond to unpredictable and improbable events. 

Purpose and Performance Under Pressure with Lt Ben Baus, Milwaukee FD Rescue Co. 1

Lieutenant Ben Baus joined the ranks of the Milwaukee Fire Department in 2012.  As a firefighter, Ben served in Rescue Co. 1 and on the department’s Heavy Urban Rescue Team which provides technical rescue throughout the city and surrounding areas.  He was promoted to Lieutenant in 2020 and is currently assigned to Rescue Co. 1.  Ben has been a contributor to the LUF Emerging Leadership Development course. 

Don't Do Ordinary with Lt Evan Bergman USAF

Today we are joined by LT Evan Bergman with the United States Air Force. Evan is a Tactical Air Control Party Specialist, or TACP, at the 15th Air Support Operations Squadron in Savannah Georgia.  He spent most of his youth in Annapolis Maryland before attending the Virginia Military Institute where he majored in Psychology.  After graduating in 2021 Evan attended TOPT, the AF Special Warfare Officer selection course for the TACP career field.   In 2022 Evan began the arduous TACP pipeline where he helped lead his teams through nearly two years of intense physical and mental training. 

Protecting Courage with Chief Paul Conway

Paul Conway is a third-generation firefighter who served with the Milwaukee Fire Department for 31 years and retired as the Chief of Operations in 2012.  He also served with the New Berlin Volunteer Fire Department for seventeen years.  Paul used his fire service experience and passion to start Conway Shield. Nearly 40 years later, the Conway Shield business he founded strives to be a leading source of protective gear, safety equipment, and educational resources for first responders in the U.S.  Paul continues to actively serve in his community and serves as both a chief sponsor and senior advisor for Leadership Under Fire. 

From the Military to the Greatest Job on Earth - FDNY FF Exam Info Session

The filing period for the FDNY Firefighter Open Competitive exam #4044 opened on Monday, June 24, 2024. The last filing period was in 2017. The path to joining the Greatest Job on Earth is competitive and tedious – it requires both perseverance and patience. That is why the Leadership Under Fire Team and Paddy Brown Program hosted an information session to educate and encourage those military service members and veterans desiring to join the FDNY as well as those who are considering military service prior to joining the FDNY. The conversation featured the perspectives of several current FDNY members whose path to the FDNY was shaped by their military service. The conversation also provided insight into the FDNY’s hiring process, employment requirements, the professional benefits of military service, and commentary on military veterans who have served our Nation and FDNY with distinction.      

Of note: The Notice of Examination for Exam #4044 was released after the conversation was recorded. Subsequently, those who are interested in joining the FDNY are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the NOE prior to filing for the exam.  

Burn the Boats with LT Jason Leone, Baltimore City FD

Lieutenant Jason Leone started his career with the Baltimore City Fire Department in 2010 and is currently assigned to Rescue Company 1. Prior to promotion, he was a firefighter in Truck Co. 23 and an Emergency Vehicle Driver in Truck Companies 23 and 6. Jason is a member of the BCFD’s Special Operations team and is an adjunct instructor at the Fire Academy. Jason is a former Captain Timmy Stackpole LUF Scholar recipient. 

This conversation you are about to hear was delivered during an online LUF Leadership Development Course to which Jason contributed. The final module of the course is dedicated to an examination of mission-oriented risk and resilience, specifically “what science, history, and experience” informs us about what happens when we compete to win and lose. Jason candidly reflects on his professional and personal journey following the Stricker Street fire which claimed the lives of Lieutenant Paul Butrim and Firefighters Kelsey Sadler and Kenny Lacayo in January 2022.

Finding Balance with Deondre Smalls and Tom Flores, Camden City (NJ) Fire Department

In this conversation, Deondre Smalls and Tom Flores of the Camden City (NJ) Fire Department’s Squad Co. 7 discuss balancing the job with life away from the firehouse to optimize both professional and personal performance. Deondre is a second-generation member of the Camden City Fire Department. He earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism/media studies from Rutgers University and has worked as a research assistant at NFL Films since 2020. Tom is a first generation American. Since 2022, he has worked with nonprofits mentoring fatherless and undocumented youths.

This conversation was recently delivered during an online LUF Emerging Leaders Development course. The course is uniquely built around the perspectives of emerging leaders with 5-10 years of job time from several different departments. The course equips and encourages emerging leaders to embrace, create, and recognize opportunities to lead and exercise initiative in a fashion consistent with relative experience and culture.

Building the Leadership Under Fire Team with Jason Brezler

In this conversation, Jim McNamara and Jason Brezler discuss the genesis of Leadership Under Fire. Jim and Jason explore how Jason’s experiences as a combat leader in Iraq and Afghanistan shaped his leadership philosophy and how he went about building the LUF Team.

Pursuing Purpose with Intellectual Curiosity with Tom Miller, FDNY

Tom Miller is a FDNY firefighter assigned to Ladder Co. 26 in Harlem. He is a former US Marine and served as a forward observer in combat units in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Tom attended Columbia University on the GI Bill and obtained a bachelor's degree in Astrophysics. He serves as a human performance analytics program designer and analyst for Leadership Under Fire.

Reading and Leading with LUF's Chief Mentor Jim Roussell, USMC (Ret) & Chicago PD (Ret)

Since our formal inception more than a decade ago, the Leadership Under Fire Team has championed professional reading. We have fervently advocated for increased professional reading in the American Fire Service and similar high risk industries that do not enjoy the robust professional development curricula that the US military provides. The LUF team believes that a careful examination of history's most accomplished mission oriented leaders reveals that their success was strongly correlated to a scholarly appreciation of literature and professional reading. We have been humbled to watch many in the LUF network devour books that on the surface have nothing to do with the fire service, and yet everything to do with the fire ground.

The past several years has challenged each of us as well as our families, institutions, communities, and nation in a myriad of ways: military conflict in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, a global pandemic, civil and political unrest at home. The proliferation of digital communications platforms and the emergence of disruptive technology have only exacerbated the intellectual, emotional, and moral demands on those of us leading in mission oriented and lethal vocations. Leaders with four years of service and leaders with four decades of service alike have found today's operational environment to be disorienting and uncomfortable. The unfortunate news is that there is no evidence that the pace and acceleration of technological and social change and instability is likely to slow anytime soon. The favorable news is that the predicament we find ourselves in might not be as novel as we think. If we look at history through a wider lens, professional reading has never been as critical as it is now.

Rigorous reading affords each of us valuable insight that provides principled leaders encouragement, and even a roadmap for navigating institutional and social technical changes. In 2022, LUF launched our inaugural book club. The online book club has been a conduit to meaningful discourse, reflection, and critical thought. It was only fitting that LU F's Senior Mentor Jim Roussell served as the initial LUF book club leader given his infectious commitment to professional reading over the course of his remarkable career in the United States Marine Corps and Chicago Police Department. In this podcast episode, Jim unpacks Marcus Aurelius's meditations and provides valuable insight into how leaders use professional reading to cultivate leadership, critical thinking, and complex problem solving skills.

Learning and Leading with Lt Tom Daly, FDNY R-2 (Ret)

Our guest in this episode of the Leadership Under Fire Humanizing the Narrative Podcast is Lieutenant Thomas Daly. Lt Daly joined the ranks of the FDNY in 1997. As a firefighter, Tommy served in Ladder Co. 176 and Rescue Co. 2. As a Lieutenant, he was assigned to Ladder Co. 111 and Rescue Co. 2. Tom retired from the Department in 2023 with 27 years of service. LUF Founder Jason Brezler hosts.

Train Them and Tell Them You Love Them with Lts Kendria Donaldson and Jessica Ziems, MFD

This episode features two women who currently serve in the Milwaukee Fire Department—Lieutenants Kendria Donaldson and Jessica Ziems. Both started their firefighting journeys as Fire Cadets in 2013. The two-year program hires individuals between the ages of 17-19 and starts them on their firefighting career. They completed recruit class in 2015 and have been honing their firefighting and leadership skills in the Milwaukee FD since that time. Both attended the Leadership Under Fire Leadership Development Course at The Farm in the Fall of 2023 and offered a great deal of insight to the cohort. 

Revisiting a Historic Human Performance Episode of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

The original broadcast date of this episode was March 25, 2021. On March 25, 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist Company factory in New York City burned, tragically killing 146 workers. It is remembered as one of the most infamous incidents in American industrial history. The tragedy brought widespread attention to the dangerous sweatshop conditions of factories, spurred the creation of the FDNY’s Bureau of Fire Prevention, and led to the development of a series of laws and regulations that better protected the safety of workers. But what has been curiously absent or understated from the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire narrative is a closer examination of firefighting efforts that took place that day, lessons regarding rescue of people who were trapped, a more detailed understanding of the leadership demonstrated in the wake of the event and the legacy of the fire today—just to name a few topics. In this episode of the Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Podcast, we hope to contribute more broadly to the historical narrative of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire. The depth of this conversation is made possible by the extensive research efforts employed by our guest in this episode, FDNY Lieutenant Matt Connor. 

Faith, Flying and Family with LtCol Pete “Salvo” Benning, USMC

In this episode, LUF Founder Jason Brezler is joined by LtCol Pete “Salvo” Benning, USMC. Benning was born and raised in New Guinea where his parents were missionaries. After graduating from high school, he moved back to the US where he spent a couple of years as a ski instructor and doing odd jobs. He applied to the US Naval Academy and was initially rejected but was afforded the opportunity to attend the Naval Academy Prep School in Newport, RI. Benning would eventually make his way to Annapolis as a Midshipman and was commissioned as a Marine officer upon his Naval Academy graduation in 2004. In the two decades since, Benning has actively led and served in an array of capacities as a combat aviator, an instructor at the Naval Academy, in business development in the private sector, at home as a husband and active father, and in his church and community.

Commanding Complex Fire Operations Under Pressure with BC Jeff Facinelli, FDNY

This episode featured FDNY Battalion Chief Jeff Facinelli who is currently assigned to Battalion 18 in the Bronx. Jeff joined the ranks of the FDNY in 2001 and previously served in Ladder Co. 40 in Harlem as a firefighter, Engine Co. 67 in Washington Heights as a lieutenant and Engine Co. 23 in midtown Manhattan as a Captain. Jeff is a program manager for the FDNY’s Mental Performance Initiative as well as the FDNY Command Course for battalion chiefs. He holds a bachelor’s degree in fire science from the University of New Haven.

Mentorship and Tactical Coaching with Capt Mike Guli, FDNY

The recording you will hear in this episode of the Leadership Under Fire Humanizing the Narrative Podcast features LUF tactical performance advisor Captain Mike Guli. It was delivered as an online presentation to leaders enrolled in an online LUF Coaching Firefighters and Fire Officers to Perform Optimally at Fires and Emergencies course. The course equips leaders and tactical trainers with tools, concepts, and coaching strategies that optimize individual and until level performance under pressure. Capt Guli joined the ranks of the FDNY in 2005 and was a firefighter in Engine Co. 290 in East New York Brooklyn. He served as a Lieutenant in Engine Co. 55 in Lower Manhattan and presently serves as the company commander of Tower Ladder 86. Mike serves as a lead tactical coach for the FDNY’s MPI program. He has both a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in human nutrition.

Grit, Growth, and Gratitude with Capt Tristan Tricarico, BCFD

This episode of the Leadership Under Fire Humanizing the Narrative Podcast features Captain Tristan Tricarico. Captain Tricarico has been a member of the Baltimore City Fire Department since 2011 and currently serves as the Captain of Truck Company #8. Previous assignments include the Fire Academy, Truck #23, Engine #8, and Truck #6. Tristan is a member of the Special Operations team, and is an adjunct instructor at the fire academy, as well as an instructor for the State of Maryland. He holds a master’s degree in organizational leadership and bachelor’s degree in emergency management, both from Waldorf University. LUF Founder Jason Brezler hosts.

Year in Review and Outlook for 2024 with Jason Brezler and Jim McNamara

In this episode of the Leadership Under Fire Humanizing the Narrative Podcast, host Patti Murphy is joined by LUF Founder Jason Brezler and LUF’s Senior Man and Human Performance Advisor Jim McNamara. In this conversation, we reflect on the range, depth, and reach of Leadership Under Fire’s team efforts in 2023. As has been the trend in recent years, technological and societal changes have deeply impacted all of us, individually and collectively. To that end, the LUF team has reaffirmed its commitment to humanize performance and leadership in today’s fire service and other high-risk, lethal environments to gain and maintain a competitive edge while maintaining the moral imperative of leadership. Through programs, research and publications, the team is committed to developing mission-oriented leaders who make human performance a priority. 

An Alaskan Mission-Oriented Mindset with Chief John Beebe, CMSFD

This episode features John Beebe as our guest. He currently serves as the Assistant Chief of Training and Operations for the Central Mat-Su Fire Department in Alaska. He began his fire service career in 1999 as a paid-on-call responder with the neighboring Palmer Fire Department while at the same time, building navigation and communication towers and performing electrical work on remote Alaskan runways for the FAA. He obtained his paramedic license in 2002 and was hired as a career EMS Battalion Chief for the Central Mat-Su FD in 2005. In 2012 fire and EMS split, becoming two separate agencies. With firefighting always his passion, he accepted the position of Training Captain for the CMSFD in 2013 and has worked his way up to his current role as assistance chief of training and operations. In addition to completing various trainings and certifications, Beebe has nearly completed a Bachelors in Fire Service Administration.

Going the Distance with Lt Shane McKeon, FDNY

Shane McKeon is a FDNY Lieutenant and seasoned endurance athlete. Shane joined the ranks of the FDNY immediately after 9/11 and spent many years as a firefighter in Engine Co. 84 and Ladder Co. 34 in Washington Heights before becoming a company officer. Shane has served as a lead fitness instructor at the FDNY's Probationary Firefighter School, a program manager for the FDNY's "A Day in the Life of a Firefighter" program in conjunction with the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton Business School, and as a member of the FDNY's First Line Supervisor Training Program. Shane played Division 1 baseball and two years of minor league baseball prior to joining the FDNY.  Since becoming a member of the FDNY, Shane has completed 25 marathons, numerous ultra open water swims, and the Ironman on two occasions. 

Leading and Managing Through Crisis with John Rabin, FEMA

Our guest in this episode of the Leadership Under Fire Humanizing the Narrative Podcast is John Rabin. Mr. Rabin currently serves as the FEMA Assistant Administrator for Response, where he is responsible for the delivery of a coordinated Federal emergency management response to state, local, tribal and territorial communities that have been impacted by natural disasters, acts of terrorism or other emergencies. This includes the leadership and management of the National Urban Search and Rescue System, Disaster Emergency Communications, the National Response Coordination Center and numerous national planning, warning and reporting organizations. He was on the ground in Puerto Rico and in the U.S. Virgin Islands for Hurricanes Irma and Maria, leading the region in complex lifesaving and life-sustaining operations. Mr. Rabin also served as Deputy Assistant Administrator for National Preparedness. In this role, he led the day-to-day operations that provided the guidance, training, exercises and programs to prepare the Nation to prevent, protect from, respond to and recover from all hazards. A volunteer firefighter and EMT, he is also a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and the Executive Leaders Program at the Naval Postgraduate School’s Center for Homeland Defense and Security.

The Influence of Education and Learning on Leadership and Performance with Captain Gabe Angemi, Camden NJ FD

The recording you will hear in this episode of the Leadership Under Fire Humanizing the Narrative Podcast features LUF tactical leadership advisor Gabe Angemi. Gabe is a second-generation member of the Camden NJ Fire Department. He presently serves as a Captain and is assigned to Squad Company 7. Gabe has spent many years serving in Camden’s Special Operations companies and is a member of NJ-TF1 FEMA USAR since 2008. He completed undergraduate study in Public Safety Administration from Neumann University and holds a master’s degree in Emergency & Disaster Management from Georgetown University. He was previously featured on episode no. 60 of this podcast titled, From Renegade to Reformer with Capt Gabe Angemi, Camden NJ FD.

Policing and Performance Under Pressure with Lt David Pawling, Barrington Police Department

Our guest in this episode of the Leadership Under Fire Humanizing the Narrative Podcast is Lieutenant David Pawling. Lieutenant Pawling started with the Barrington New Jersey Police Department in 2011. He previously served as a Patrol Officer, Patrol Sergeant, and Detective Sergeant before being promoted to Lieutenant in 2022. Lt Pawling serves as the Emergency Management Coordinator in Barrington and has been a member of the Zone 5 SWAT team since 2015. He is a lifelong resident of the town where he is policing and is proud to serve his community.

The LUF team has worked tirelessly to better understand the impacts of operational stress on those who work in high-risk, lethal environments where the consequences of failure can be catastrophic. It is our collective belief that the pressures placed upon the members in law enforcement put them in a category of exceptional stress and uncertainty.

Expanding Leadership Development to Meet Emerging Challenges with Jacob Dutton

Our guest in this episode of the Leadership Under Fire Humanizing the Narrative Podcast is Jacob Dutton. Jake is an FDNY firefighter currently assigned to Rescue Co. 1 in Manhattan. He also serves as a Human Performance Analyst and Course Director for Leadership Under Fire. Listeners can hear more about his background and professional experience in episode no. 29 of this podcast titled “Managing Risk and Morality as a Paramedic with Jacob Dutton.”

In this conversation, Jake and host Patti Murphy explore a value that is important to all members of the LUF team and a tenet of the LUF philosophy: the value of having leaders from a multiple generational TEAM prepare leaders and organizations to perform optimally perform optimally under pressure and navigate physical, mental, emotional, and moral rigors in high-risk and lethal settings.

For these reasons and more (which we’ll touch on in this episode), Leadership Under Fire will soon be making an even greater effort to contribute to the development of emerging leaders while also affording emerging leaders with increased opportunities to contribute to important conversations on operational doctrine, leadership development, and human performance optimization.

Earning Longevity on the Fire Floor and Beyond with Firefighter James Lopez, FDNY R-2

In episode number 10 of this podcast, we featured FDNY Firefighter and LUF Human Performance Advisor James Lopez. During the episode we discussed many timeless topics related to physical and tactical fitness as well as enjoyment and quality of life. It’s hard to comprehend how much has transpired since our previous conversation in 2019, to include a global pandemic, civil unrest, and war on the European continent, but Lopez is back in this episode to share how some of his practices and philosophies have evolved, and how some have stood the test of time.

Lopez joined the FDNY in 1997 and has served as a Firefighter in Rescue Company 2 for nearly 20 years. He’s a contributor to the FDNY’s Mental Performance Initiative and other LUF human performance optimization endeavors across the country. He competed as a collegiate wrestler while attending Hunter College, and holds a bachelor’s degree in nutrition science from Kaplan University. He still operates a gym in Staten Island, New York but has modified things a bit since navigating the COVID pandemic as a small business owner. And he and his wife are proud parents of two children who are now attending college.

Remembering FDNY Chief William “Bill” M. Feehan

In this Podcast episode, we’re honored to share the story of FDNY Chief William M. Feehan’s leadership, service, and devotion to his family and the FDNY, compliments of insight from his son, FDNY Battalion Chief John Feehan, his grandson Firefighter Connor Davan, and former FDNY Fire Commissioner and friend, Daniel Nigro.

FDNY Chief William Feehan—better known as Bill—was a knowledge center of the New York City Fire Department. Chief Bill Feehan was well-versed on a wide range of subjects and possessed exceptional leadership qualities. He was a “firefighter’s chief” who held every rank in the FDNY and served the Department for more than 41 years. His command philosophy and leadership style were shaped by his love for the United States, New York City, the FDNY and its members, his Catholic faith and his devotion to his family. Chief Feehan was a strategic minded leader who balanced the necessity to innovate with an appreciation for the FDNY’s special culture, storied past and human spirit.

On the morning of September 11, 2001, Bill Feehan was a FDNY Deputy Commissioner. He’d retired from uniformed service several years before but continued to serve his beloved Department and City. In true Chief Feehan fashion, he responded to the World Trade Center attacks that morning, donning his helmet and turnout coat as he provided counsel to the Department’s senior leaders such as Chief of Department Pete Ganci. Chief Feehan was one of the 343 FDNY members of who made the Supreme Sacrifice on 9/11, leaving behind an enduring mark on the Department and a legacy that continues to inspire many members in the FDNY today, most notably those members of his family who continue to lead and serve. 

Revisiting the LUF Series: Remembering FDNY Captain John T. Vigiano–Part II

July 2023 marked the 5th anniversary of FDNY Captain John T. Vigiano's passing, and several members of the Leadership Under Fire team thought it appropriate to reflect on the many lessons and words of wisdom that "the Vig" provided us, and share the ways in which they have continued to encourage and guide us even in his physical absence.    In this episode, we're revisiting the second and final installment in our series dedicated to "Remembering FDNY Captain John T. Vigiano," which originally aired in 2019 when the show was branded the "Optimizing Human Performance Podcast." But first, listeners will hear a message from LUF Founder, Jason Brezler, followed by the original episode.    We recommend listening to Remembering FDNY Captain John T. Vigiano–Part I prior to this episode. 

Revisiting Mental Sweat with Mental Performance Coach Hannah Huesman

The original broadcast date for this episode was October 24, 2019. It features Hannah Huesman who was a Mental Performance Coach with the Philadelphia Phillies at the time of this recording. Huesman has since accepted the role of Mental Performance Coordinator for the Texas Rangers Organization. She also travels for speaking engagements on how training your mental skills can help ANY performer. She has worked with the FDNY, MLB, business executives, actors, and athletes of all ages. She is also the host of #MentalSweatMonday on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. This is a one-minute video, posted every Monday, of different strategies to help you work on your mental game. LUF Podcast host and producer Patti Murphy caught up with Hannah recently to discuss her endeavors since 2019. So, first you'll hear that discussion, followed by the original conversation. 

Building a Company to Perform Under Pressure with Capt Brian McNulty, Milwaukee FD

The recording you will hear in this episode of the Leadership Under Fire Humanizing the Narrative Podcast features longtime LUF contributor Brian McNulty and was recently delivered as an online presentation to leaders enrolled in the online LUF Optimizing Tactical Performance Under Pressure course. Brian joined the ranks of the Milwaukee Fire Department in 1999 and was one of the department’s first rescue company commanders and a plank owner of Rescue Company 2. Brian is a very seasoned and no-nonsense fire officer who has advanced his understanding of human performance as well as refined how he trains and develops rescue company firefighters and leads at fires and emergencies—a perspective that is at the core of this conversation.    

Brian’s eleven-year tenure as Rescue 2’s company commander ended recently. After much deliberation, Brian elected to turn the company over to a new Captain and assume greater responsibility as a battalion chief. The LUF team would like to commend Brian for the success that he and his members have achieved in building Rescue 2. We wish Brian continued success as a chief officer and are confident that he will continue to be a trusted leader under pressure in the Milwaukee Fire Department.  

Revisiting Leading with Character and Curiosity: From Combat to Moneyball with Sandy Alderson

The original broadcast date for this episode was July 30, 2020, and features host Patti Murphy and American baseball executive Sandy Alderson, general manager of the NY Mets at the time. Sandy currently serves as the President of the NY Mets and has been a front office executive in Major League Baseball for 40 years. Under his leadership, Major League Baseball teams have won six division titles, three American League pennants, one National League pennant and a World Series Championship. Sandy has held executive leadership roles with the Oakland Athletic, San Diego Padres, and New York Mets. Under his leadership as general manager, the Oakland Athletics played in three consecutive World Series from 1988 to 1990 and won the 1989 World Series. Sandy guided the 2015 NY Mets to a National League pennant and the World Series. He has also served as an executive for Major League Baseball on two separate occasions. Sandy was a principal architect of “Moneyball” in the Oaklands Athletics organization. Sandy reformed the way Athletics did business in virtually every regard--he revolutionized the ways in which the club scouted and identified talent, used analytics, approached the mental game, and conditioned their athletes. Sandy’s approach to fielding a competitive team while at the helm of the Athletics was unconventional--decades later those once progressive tenets are now part of the game’s orthodoxy in virtually every organization in professional baseball. Sandy has been a trusted source of insight and encouragement in shaping LUF’s approach to systematically optimizing human performance in the fire service and ultra-competitive and/or lethal endeavors. LUF recently launched the LUF Human Performance “Team of Teams” – a collaborative network of human performance leaders from around North America. Though in its infancy, the LUF Team of Teams network will consist of several networked functional teams dedicated to exploring and advancing specific pillars of human performance. Each of the teams are named in honor of a human performance pioneer and we thought it would be fitting to name the program manager team “Team Alderson” in honor of Sandy’s immense contributions. Leadership and service are in Sandy Alderson’s bloodline. His father was a seasoned Army Air Corps and Air Force fighter pilot who flew in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. Sandy graduated from Dartmouth at the height of the Vietnam War and did an unpopular thing, particularly as an Ivy League graduate--he took a commission in the United States Marine Corps. 2nd Lt Alderson soon found himself in Vietnam as a platoon leader of US Marine infantrymen. Sandy was commended for his combat leadership in Vietnam with a Bronze Star with a valor device. After returning home from Vietnam, Sandy received orders to the Marine Corps prestigious “8th and I” Barracks in Washington, DC, a billet customarily reserved for officers destined for great responsibility in the Marine Corps. Though Sandy unquestionably had a bright future in the Marine Corps, he opted to depart the service and attend law school at Harvard. In professional baseball circles, Sandy is revered as a maverick for his baseball intellect. But more importantly, he is respected and admired for his character and moral compass. Sandy has been recognized in recent months by the NY Friends of Vietnam Veterans Plaza and the Marine Corps Law Enforcement Foundation for his leadership and civic virtue. The same character and conviction that was central to Sandy’s leadership style as a leader of Marines in combat has been at the core of how he has conducted himself and business in professional baseball for the past four decades. Sandy’s character is perhaps most evident in what the organizations under his charge do not just on the field, but also off the field. Under Sandy’s leadership the NY Mets have consistently, and quietly, gone above and beyond in supporting our Nation’s veterans, Gold Star families, and the families of fallen first responders--not because it is favorable for the brand, but because it is the right thing to do.

Growth and Gratitude Compliments of the Competitive Grind with Capt Aaron Miller, Fairfax County FRD

Our guest in this episode of the Leadership Under Fire Humanizing the Narrative Podcast is Aaron Miller. Miller is a Captain with the Fairfax County (VA) Fire and Rescue Department. During this episode, listeners will learn about how Miller's high-level baseball experience and competitive spirit influenced his leadership philosophy and perspective on fireground performance. LUF Founder Jason Brezler hosts.

Asking Questions to Inform Decisions and Leadership with LUF Chief Mentor Jim Roussell, USMC (Ret) & Chicago PD (Ret)

The following interview was hosted by LUF's Human Performance Advisor and Senior Man's Performance Journal author, Jim McNamara. The conversation was recorded at our 2023 National Leadership and Performance Summit, which was held in Annapolis, Maryland. The interview features Jim Roussell who has served as one of the Leadership Under Fire team’s chief mentors and advisors since LUF's formal inception in 2012. We hope you enjoy this episode, and Roussell's insightful contributions to the Summit. 

James Roussell retired from the USMC and the Chicago Police Department after serving several decades as a leader in both organizations. Most recently, Jim served as the Chief of Staff for the Chicago Police Department. Prior to serving as the Chief of Staff, Jim served as the Executive Officer of Area Central and spent a preponderance of his 36-year career in gang-tactical units. He commanded the Rogers Park 24th District and the department’s mobile strike force which targeted gang violence citywide. He has supervised all facets of emergency response and joint operations during his career. Jim is also a retired US Marine reserve Chief Warrant Officer 5. Jim served with the USMC for 39 years with the bulk of his service in infantry and intelligence assignments including three combat tours in Iraq. He has completed the Command and Staff College, Expeditionary Warfare School, and Marine Air Ground Task Force Intelligence Officer Course. Jim has a Doctor of Education from Olivet Nazarene University with emphasis on ethical leadership as well as a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Science degrees in Criminal Justice from Lewis University. 

Humanizing Performance Under Pressure with Captain Liam Flaherty, FDNY

The recording you'll hear in this episode took place at our National Leadership and Performance Summit in Annapolis, Maryland, in April 2023. It features FDNY Captain of Rescue Co. 2, Liam Flaherty. We hope you enjoy this conversation and its many takeaways, and encourage listeners to tune in to our previous episode--number 112--as it features the first talk of the Summit which we refer to during the episode. Captain Flaherty joined the FDNY in 1990. He currently serves as the company commander of Rescue Co. 2, which he’s been assigned to for the past decade. Liam was previously assigned to Rescue Co. 2 and Ladder Co. 157 as a Lieutenant and Rescue Co. 4 and Ladder Co. 44 as a firefighter. He is an adjunct instructor at the FDNY’s Technical Rescue School and was instrumental in the development of the course curriculum for the Advanced Firefighter Rescue and Removal Training for FDNY Special Operations Command firefighters and officers. As many listeners to this podcast know, fireground commanders rely on the experience and capabilities of rescue companies at complex fires and emergencies. More specifically, incident commanders rely on rescue companies to problem solve at fires where members are in distress or when conditions make members more susceptible to distress. Liam is one of FDNY’s most experienced and respected fireground leaders, and one of the Department’s most fervent advocates for mission-oriented service. Perhaps equally significant, Liam has led the FDNY’s Emerald Society band at several hundred line of duty funerals over the course of the past 25 plus years.

Leadership and Human Performance Under Sea with LCDR Ty Daniels, USNR

The conversation you will hear in this episode was recorded in April 2023 at our National Leadership and Performance Summit, which took place in Annapolis, Maryland. It features LUF Founder Jason Brezler interviewing Ty Daniels, a seasoned US Submarine Officer with extensive insight into leadership and ethical behavior. We hope you enjoy this conversation and others from the Summit, which we plan to share on this podcast. Lieutenant Commander Ty Daniels, USNR, graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Ocean Engineering. Afloat, Ty completed his division officer tour aboard the Los Angeles Class submarine USS JEFFERSON CITY (SSN 759) as the Assistant Engineer and then aboard the ballistic missile submarine USS ALABAMA GOLD (SSB 731) as the Engineer Officer. During his sea tours he completed one Western Pacific deployment and three Strategic Deterrent Patrols. Ashore, Ty served as the Character Development Officer at the United States Naval Academy where he taught leadership and ethics as well as supported submarine engagement initiatives. Ty left active service with the US Navy in September 2022 and currently works for Amazon Web Services. He continues to serve with the US Navy Reserves and is assigned to Submarine Group 8.

Pivoting and Performing in the Face of Adversity with Seankelly McCauley, Philadelphia Fire Department

In this episode of the Leadership Under Fire Humanizing the Narrative Podcast, host Patti Murphy is joined by Philadelphia Firefighter Seankelly McCauley. Sean comes from a family of FDNY firefighters, and it was always assumed that he'd follow in his father and great grandfather’s footsteps by achieving his lifelong dream of joining the FDNY.  

In 2007, Sean proudly took the Department's entrance exam and began preparing for his FDNY career. Despite his enthusiasm to learn the job, physical abilities and willingness to serve the City of New York, Sean’s dreams were derailed in 2010 when a federal judge ruled that the FDNY entrance exam 6019 had a “disparate impact” on minority candidates and was not a true measure of the abilities required for entry-level firefighters. So began years of ligation, and waiting and worrying to see if he’d ever get the chance to serve the FDNY as a Firefighter. 

Eventually, in 2016, Sean made the hard decision to leave New York City and joined the Philadelphia Fire Department where he serves today. In 2022, he was given the opportunity to attend Leadership Under Fire’s Optimizing Human Performance Under Pressure Program with the Cherry Hill NJ Fire Department. Sean remains a student of the job and hopeful about the future of the American fire service. 

Revisiting Risk, Restraint and Resilience in Lethal Environments with James Roussell, USMC (Ret) & Chicago PD (Ret)

The original broadcast date for this episode was June 4, 2020, but the interview you will hear with our guest in this episode was recorded in early 2019 at a Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Summit, which took place in Annapolis, Maryland. Jim Roussell, a retired US Marine and Chicago police officer, was one of several summit guests who shared their perspective on navigating adversity and loss in lethal settings. The episode begins with LUF founder Jason Brezler and host Patti Murphy discussing their reflections shortly after the 2019 Summit.   

The LUF team will be hosting another Leadership and Human Performance Summit in Annapolis on April 21, 2023. This will be LUF’s first national summit since the arrival of the COVID pandemic in early 2020, the emergence of civil unrest during the summer of 2020, and following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. Jim Roussell will again be a featured guest at the 2023 Summit, and we anticipate that he will discuss the ways in which the world has changed in recent years for leaders in high-risk industries. We thought that the insight and encouragement that Jim offered in 2019 might serve as a fitting prequel for those who will be attending the 2023 Summit, and will benefit those who will be hearing conversations from the 2023 Summit in the coming months on the Leadership Under Fire Humanizing the Narrative Podcast.  

Rethinking NIOSH LODD Reports from a Human Factors Perspective with Jason Brezler, Jim McNamara and Jerry Smith Jr.

During the summer of 2022, members of the Leadership Under Fire team formed a working group that endeavored to examine NIOSH reports which detail structural firefighting operations that resulted in the line of duty deaths (LODDs) of firefighters and fire officers. The LUF team submitted its findings to NIOSH via the CDC that summer in the form of a paper which succinctly highlights human factors deficiencies in LODD analysis and reporting.     In this episode, host Jim McNamara is joined by two members of the LUF team who were instrumental in leading and organizing the effort – Jason Brezler, LUF’s founder, and Jerry Smith, a member of the Baltimore City Fire Department and LUF plank owner. We hope this conversation will not only provide important insight into the methodology used to generate the team’s findings, but additionally, that the conversation might also illuminate the path ahead for LUF and the greater American fire service with regard to improving the processes that the fire service relies upon to make sense of performance at fires which result in catastrophic death and injury to firefighters and fire officers in the United States.       

Leadership Development: From Fallujah to the Fireground with Jeremy Starr, USMC/Milwaukee FD

Our guest in this episode of the Leadership Under Fire Humanizing the Narrative Podcast is Jeremy Starr. Jeremy enlisted in the Marine Corps in August 2004. Private First Class Starr received orders to 2nd BN 7th MARINES after graduating from recruit training and completing School of Infantry West. He served as gun team leader for 2/7’s Weapons Company 81's platoon for a combat deployment to Fallujah, Iraq in 2005 and 2006. During his tour in Fallujah, Jeremy was Combat Meritoriously promoted to the rank of Corporal. In 2008, Jeremy left active duty and started his fire service career when he joined a paid-on-call department in Sussex, Wisconsin. In November 2009, he was hired by the City of Milwaukee Fire Department. He was initially assigned to Engine Company 32 and transferred to Engine Company 24 and Rescue Company 2 a short time later. Jeremy was promoted to Lieutenant in 2016 and served as a relief officer, the lead cadet instructor for the department’s fire academy, and in field units. He was promoted to the rank of Captain in 2020 and presently serves as the company commander for Engine Company 30. As a Marine, 1st Sgt Starr presently serves with Engineer Services Company, CLB-25. He previously served with US Marine reserve units that include 2nd Battalion, 24th Marines; 3rd Civil Affairs Group in support of the Marine Special Operations Command and held several joint service and multi-national billets. LUF Founder Jason Brezler hosts.

Navigating Risk: Stories with Renowned Skier, Mountaineer and Climber Craig Calonica

Our accomplished expert in this episode is former US speed skier, mountaineer, and climber, Craig Calonica. Craig is a world-renowned adventurer who has great insight on risk and leadership. He has four decades of experience navigating daring and dangerous assents and descents in some of the most extreme alpine locations in the world—creating and breaking records in the process. He currently runs a cutting-edge helicopter skiing operation in the Himalayas and is originally from Lake Tahoe, California. 

In the summer of 2021, Calonica regaled podcast host Patti Murphy with stories of some of his incredible high-altitude experiences. We hope to have him back on the podcast in the future to unpack his philosophies on navigating risk and building resilience, but for now we’re honored to share his powerful accounts of adventuring in complex outdoor environments that showcase extraordinary aspects of human endurance and the human spirit. 

Leadership Continuity in a High-Risk, Ever-Changing World with Lt Jack Meara, FDNY

Our guest in this episode, FDNY Lieutenant Jack Meara, comes from a long line of FDNY firefighters and proudly joined the Department in 1982. He was first assigned to Engine Co. 67 in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, which was one of the most active companies coming out of the FDNY’s War Years. In 1995, after working with some of the most seasoned and experienced members on the job, he promoted to Lieutenant and within a relatively short period of time was assigned to Engine Co. 46 in the Bronx where he continues to serve today. As you’ll hear in this conversation, that continuity of leadership has made a great and lasting impact on those around him. 

”Bringing Ridge Home” with Assistant Chief Derek Alkonis, Los Angeles County Fire Department (Ret.)

The interview you’ll hear in this episode of the Leadership Under Fire Humanizing the Narrative Podcast is a bit of a departure from the conversations we typically share, but is an extraordinary story steeped in adversity and resilience. Our guest, and his family, are currently navigating an international battle with their son, a U.S. Navy Lieutenant, locked in the center of it. 

Ridge Alkonis is a thirty-four-year old surface warfare officer who has been serving time in a Japanese prison for what Japanese courts deemed to be the negligent driving deaths of two Japanese citizens, which occurred with Ridge’s wife Brittany and children in the car at the time. Ridge’s father, retired Los Angeles County Fire Chief Derek Alkonis, has been pleading with the Biden administration to help bring his son home claiming that Ridge did not receive a full medical examination after the accident, or a fair trial in Japanese court. Additionally, the Alkonis’ assert that the Status of Forces Agreement (or SOFA) between the Japanese and American governments has been breached/violated. 

Listeners of this podcast may already be familiar with Derek Alkonis… He currently serves as a Research Program Manager for UL’s Fire Safety Research Institute (or FSRI). Prior to joining FSRI, Alkonis served 31years with the Los Angeles County Fire Department, most recently as Assistant Fire Chief in charge of the Air and Wildland Fire Division. He’s been a passionate and active member of the American fire service throughout his career as well as a proud American patriot. 

During our recorded discussion we were also joined by Ridge’s naval academy classmate, Andrew Eubanks, one of Ridge’s closest friends and advocate during this ordeal.

Morale and Mindset in Lethal Environments with LtCol Andrew Terrell, USMC

In this episode, listeners will hear a brief, but poignant presentation given by Marine Corps Major Andrew Terrell. This recording took place in Pennsylvania in October 2012 at the first Leadership Under Fire Making Yourself Hard to Kill Conference, which paved the way for future Leadership Under Fire conferences and events. The Survivor Panel which Terrell contributed to showcases, in a human-centric fashion, the personal and professional growth LUF endeavors to facilitate. 

In the recording, listeners will also hear the voice of former Fire Engineering Editor in Chief Bobby Halton introducing Terrell. Sadly, Halton passed away in December 2022, but his legacy is that of a passionate fire service leader, mentor and advocate. 

For an update on Terrell's bio, please visit the episode web page.

If you’re interested in attending an upcoming Leadership Under Fire event, please visit leadershipunderfire.com for more information.

Moving Forward, Looking Ahead with Jason Brezler and Jim McNamara

This is a continuation of our annual year in review conversation on the Leadership Under Fire Humanizing the Narrative Podcast. In this episode, host Patti Murphy is joined by LUF Founder Jason Brezler and LUF’s Human Performance Advisor Jim McNamara. Please listen to our previous episode recapping 2022, as this one picks up from where we left off. We hope you enjoy this discussion and follow along the rest of the year as the LUF team expands our mission.

End of Year Reflection with Jason Brezler and Jim McNamara

Please enjoy our annual year in review conversation on the Leadership Under Fire Humanizing the Narrative Podcast. In this episode, host Patti Murphy is joined by LUF Founder Jason Brezler and LUF’s Human Performance Advisor Jim McNamara. 

As 2022 comes to a close, we have much to reflect on. It was a tumultuous year as war returned to Europe and major fluctuations in the economy were felt across the nation. Work trends continued to shift even as 2022 seemed to mark the beginning of the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. And sadly, we lost loved ones this past year, including those close to the LUF network. We continue to honor their memory and remain optimistic about the future; ready to face 2023 to include the good, the bad and the unknown…  

LUF Fireside Chat Series featuring FDNY Capt Kevin Bourke (Ret) and Lt Michael Scotto (Ret)--Part II

This is the second and final installment of the Leadership Under Fire Fireside Chat Series featuring FDNY Captain Kevin Bourke (Ret) and Lieutenant Michael Scotto (Ret). In August of 2022, LUF Senior Man Jim McNamara hosted a conversation with both leaders who spent several decades serving and leading in the FDNY. This conversation affords seasoned leaders the opportunity to candidly reflect on leadership lessons and human performance principles resulting from the many wins and losses they’ve experienced. If you haven’t listened to Part I, we strongly suggest you go back and listen to it as this conversation picks up from where we left off. 

A Recipe for High Performance Under Pressure with Dr. Jonathan Fader

This episode marks a proud milestone for our team. It’s our 100th episode! We deeply appreciate our incredible guests who have trusted us to tell their stories and showcase their lifelong work, to include our guest in this episode, Dr. Jonathan Fader.

Dr. Fader was featured in episode two of this podcast, but was in fact our first recorded interview for this show. So, we thought it would be fitting to bring him back for the 100th episode. In our last conversation, we explored mental skills, risk aversion, and process over outcomes. In this conversation, we're building on those themes and also unpacking some of the things that Dr. Fader has learned about performance in the past four years, particularly working with the Leadership Under Fire team.

LUF Fireside Chat Series featuring FDNY Capt Kevin Bourke (Ret) and Lt Michael Scotto (Ret)--Part I

This episode is part one of two. What you'll hear is a recording of a live event. The “Fireside Chat” is a staple of Leadership Under Fire leadership development and human performance resident programs. The conversation affords seasoned leaders the opportunity to candidly reflect on leadership lessons and human performance principles resulting from the many wins and losses they’ve experienced. In August of 2022, LUF Senior Man Jim McNamara hosted a conversation with retired FDNY Captain Kevin Bourke and retired FDNY Lieutenant Michael Scotto. Both leaders spent several decades serving and leading in the FDNY. As you'll hear in this episode, the Department--and City--look very different today compared to when they joined the FDNY. 

John Boyd, a Fast Corvette and a Faster Fighter Jet with COL Ronald E. Catton, USAF (Ret.)

This episode features the recording of a discussion that was held at the 2018 Leadership Under Fire National Conference in Evanston, Illinois. The team was grateful to all of the leaders who contributed to the event and the types of individuals who spent two days rigorously contemplating the moral, mental and physical aspects of mission-oriented leadership and optimal human performance. Of course, that includes our guest in this episode, retired Colonel Ronald Catton.    Catton was a graduate and instructor of the US Air Force Fighter Weapons School. He was the first of only two students to ever complete the course with a 100 percent score in all academic subjects. Catton also flew with legendary Colonel John Boyd, then the chief of academics at the Weapons School. He served in the Vietnam War, flying hundreds of missions and later flew hundreds of airshows, including those with the Thunderbirds. 

A Lineage of Mission-Oriented Leadership with Chief Bob Hoff, Chicago FD (Ret.)

In this episode, you'll hear the recording of a presentation that was delivered at a 2018 Leadership Under Fire National Conference in Evanston, Illinois. The team was humbled by the caliber of leaders who contributed to the event and the types of leaders who rigorously contemplated the moral, mental and physical aspects of mission-oriented leadership and optimal human performance. To include our guest in this episode, retired Chicago Fire Commissioner Bob Hoff. 

A third-generation firefighter, Bob Hoff started his career as a Cadet with the Evergreen Park Illinois Fire Department in 1972. In 1976, he was hired as an EMT with the Chicago Fire Department and in 1977 he entered the Chicago Fire Academy as a Firefighter/EMT. Hoff served in some of Chicago’s busiest fire companies throughout his career. He worked in the Bureau of Operations as a Firefighter /EMT, Lieutenant, Captain, and Battalion Chief. He also served as the Director of Training for the Chicago FD and the 1st District Chief in Chicago’s downtown high-rise district. He later served as the Assistant Deputy Commissioner of Operations, 1st Deputy Fire Commissioner and Fire Commissioner. He retired from the CFD in 2012 after nearly 36 years of service. Chief Hoff then went on to serve as the Deputy Chief and Chief of the Carol Stream Illinois Fire District until his retirement on January 1, 2020. Hoff’s brother, Raymond, was a 32-year veteran of the Chicago FD. His grandfather, Joseph Hoff, retired as a captain in 1936. And his father, Thomas Hoff, was a battalion chief who was killed while fighting a blaze in a South Side apartment building in 1962. His son, Andy Hoff, is an active member of FFPM with the Downers Grove Illinois Fire Department. Uncles, cousins, nephews and brothers-in-laws are all current and retired members of the Fire Service. Notably, his family’s service and sacrifice inspired the movie, “Backdraft."

Remembering FDNY Deputy Chief Raymond M. Downey Sr.–Part II

On September 11, 2001, Deputy Chief Raymond Downey was the commanding officer of FDNY Special Operations Command. Tragically, he was one of the 343 members of the FDNY who made the Supreme Sacrifice on 9/11 while trying to save innocent victims. Chief Raymond Downey was one of the Department’s most decorated fire officers and a true department icon with 39 years of dedicated service. He was also one of the nation's leading experts on rescue operations at collapsed buildings. In episode one of this series, we explored the life and legacy of Chief Downey as a family man and legendary firefighter and officer who led by example and upheld the highest standards. In this second and final episode in the series, we’ll take a closer look at his role as a strategic visionary who advanced rescue training and operations in the FDNY and beyond, his deep commitment to his Catholic faith, his incredible response to the attacks on 9/11 and his enduring legacy, all compliments of his wife of 41 years, his children and former firefighters who worked with him and were inspired by his actions and leadership.

Psycho-Neurobiology and Resilience with Dr. Charles ”Andy” Morgan

Our guest in this episode of the Leadership Under Fire Humanizing the Narrative Podcast is Dr. Charles "Andy" Morgan. Dr. Morgan's neurobiological and forensic research has established him as an international expert in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), in eyewitness memory and in human performance under conditions of high stress. Dr. Morgan has generously contributed to the Leadership Under Fire endeavor and the FDNY's Mental Performance Initiative--enhancing the resilience of first responders through cutting-edge understanding and programs. Jim McNamara hosts. 

Remembering FDNY Deputy Chief Raymond M. Downey Sr.--Part I

In this episode of the Leadership Under Fire Humanizing the Narrative Podcast, and the one to follow, we're honored to share the story of Deputy Chief Ray Downey’s devotion to his family, his faith and his beloved FDNY compliments of the insight of his wife of 41 years, his sons and his former firefighters who were inspired and influenced by his leadership, service, and courage. Chief Downey’s extraordinary 39-year career with the FDNY was built upon success after success and rescue after rescue. While he was held in high regard by members of the Department and emergency response agencies worldwide, he led a humble life, extremely devoted to the mission and members of the Department. On the morning of September 11, 2001, Chief Downey was the commanding officer of FDNY Special Operations Command, placing him in harm’s way while helping others escape from the fire and collapse scene of the World Trade Center. Chief Downey was one of the 343 members of the FDNY who made the Supreme Sacrifice on 9/11 and left behind a legacy that continues to profoundly shape the Department’s special operations capability set as well as other fire departments across the country. Chief Downey’s leadership, strategic vision and his devout Catholic faith, love for his family, the FDNY and competitive sport continue to inspire fire officers, military leaders, coaches, and citizens today.

Revisiting Measuring Rigor with Timothy Clarke

In this episode, we’re revisiting a conversation with Tim Clarke that was recorded in 2019. Tim is a Brooklyn native who has lived most of his life in New York City. After several years of competing with some of the best endurance athletes in the world as a Professional Triathlete, Tim became an FDNY firefighter in June of 2015. In 2020, he made a life-altering decision to join the United States military. As both an athlete and a coach, Tim gained extensive experience using biometric heart rate data as a tool for training and racing. His experience has given him a unique insight into what happens inside the human body at real world fires and emergencies as well as during workouts and recovery. Tim is a graduate of the University of Delaware and serves as a Human Performance Data Analyst for Leadership Under Fire. Please enjoy a brief update from Tim about his latest endeavors followed by our original conversation, which is as timely as ever. 

Revisiting the Contributions and Legacy of Charles ”Sid” Heal

The original broadcast date for this episode was November 7, 2019. Charles “Sid” Heal was much more than a subject matter expert on doctrine – he was a US Marine Chief Warrant Officer 5, a combat veteran of four conflicts to include Vietnam and Operation Iraqi Freedom, a veteran LA County Sheriff and pioneer in the fields of special tactics and tactical science, a dynamic speaker, and a published author, and a carpenter. Sid was gregarious, kind, and a true gentleman. He possessed an unrivaled amount of physical energy and a contagious spirit of intellectual curiosity that naturally complimented his inordinate operational experience. Our team was extremely saddened to learn of Sid’s sudden passing on May 24, 2022. His departure came as a shock to his family and all of those who loved him, as well as all of those of us who benefited from his wisdom – wisdom that was undoubtedly an anchor in disorienting, complex and lethal environments. Sid would commonly say, “the principles of optimal human performance are universal – it is the application that is contextual.” Our team was honored and blessed to have Sid shape our approach to preparing leaders and operators to perform optimally, under pressure. We are forever grateful for Sid’s tutelage and his ability to “humanize the narrative.”

Optimizing Performance at Fires and Emergencies in the Cherry Hill NJ Fire Department

In the Spring of 2022, the Leadership Under Fire Team launched an Optimizing Human Performance Program with the Cherry Hill NJ Fire Department. The program strives to equip fire officers, firefighters and EMS providers with a comprehensive understanding of human performance, particularly under stress in high-risk settings. The immersive LUF human performance course is being delivered to the Cherry Hill FD in three iterations. Each iteration consists of 40 hours of immersive curriculum that rigorously explores physiological performance under operational stress, cognitive function and decision-making in high-risk settings, mental skills and conditioning, as well as responsible stress inoculations. The final block is devoted to a provocative examination of what science, history and experience inform us about risk and resilience.     Course advisors and contributors include several fire service leaders as well as human performance thought-leaders in the military, sport and academia. The Cherry Hill NJ fire department is the third fire department in the US to advance performance in programmatic fashion--they join the FDNY and the Milwaukee FD in this endeavor. Lieutenants Zach Houck and Timmy Moore serve as the human performance program managers for the Cherry Hill FD. The LUF team is proud of our relationship with the Cherry Hill FD and Philadelphia FD, as we continue to work together to humanize the narrative around performance at fires and emergencies. 

Leading and Competing with a Walk-On Mentality with Adam Casey

Our guest in this episode of the Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Podcast is Adam Casey. Born and raised in St. Louis, MIssouri, Adam attended the University of Missouri (aka Mizzou) where he was a walk-on for the Tigers football team from 2004 - 2008. After graduating with a Bachelor's in Biology, Adam was commissioned as a naval officer in 2012 with the intentions of becoming a Navy SEAL Officer. In 2013, Adam laterally transferred to the Marine Corps where he served as a rifle Platoon Commander with 2nd Battalion, 6thMARINES. Soon after assuming command of his platoon, Adam was diagnosed with advanced Stage-IV non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and underwent a grueling six months of chemotherapy. Upon remission, Adam returned to school at the University of Colorado at Boulder to earn another undergraduate degree, this time in Computer Science. Now a full-time software engineer for Jane Technologies, Adam continues to find purpose in running a non-profit and hosting his own podcast.

Learning and Leading After 9/11 with FDNY Battalion Chief Jason Cascone

Battalion Chief Jason Cascone has served in the FDNY since 2001. He is currently assigned to Battalion 17 in the Bronx. Prior assignments include Engine 67 and Ladder 36 as a firefighter, Engine 332 as a lieutenant and Ladder 11 UFO as a captain. He holds a BBA in accounting from Pace University and an MPA from Baruch College, Marxe School of Public and International Affairs. He attended the West Point Counterterrorism Leadership Program, the Naval Postgraduate School’s Center for Homeland Defense and Security and the FDNY Mental Performance Initiative. He is a content producer for the Department’s Bureau Fire Operations, and is the editor in chief of WNYF magazine—the FDNY’s official training publication which has been publishing since 1940.

Purpose and Performance as a Pararescueman with Doug Kechijian

Doug Kechijian is a physical therapist and CEO and co-founder of Resilient Performance Systems. Resilient seeks to systematically explore the continuum between acute rehabilitation and athletic performance. Resilient’s clientele includes athletes and operators from Major League Baseball (MLB), National Basketball Association (NBA), professional mixed martial arts, X Games, Winter and Summer Olympics, collegiate athletes as well as those in federal law enforcement tactical teams and military special operations units. Before beginning his sports medicine practice, Doug was a Pararescueman in the U.S. Air force where he deployed throughout the world to help provide technical rescue capability and emergency medical care to U.S and allied forces. He is a nationally certified paramedic with advanced training in emergency, trauma, and wilderness medicine. In 2015, he was selected as one of the U.S. Air Force's Outstanding Airmen of the Year. Doug received his AB in Biology from Brown University and MA in Exercise Physiology/Doctor of Physical Therapy from Columbia University.

LtCol Justin Constantine, USMC--A Life of Service Well Lived

On Thursday, May 5, 2022, US Marine LtCol, attorney and veteran advocate Justin Constantine passed away at the age of 52 after a long bout with cancer. While on a combat patrol with 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines in October 2006, Justin was severely wounded by an Al Qaeda sniper’s bullet which inflicted devastating damage to his face. Through teamwork, mental fortitude, the gifted hands of surgeons and medical professionals, and tremendous support from his family and friends, Justin successfully endured several years of intensive surgeries and went on to live a full life of continued service to others. In late October of 2012, firefighters and fire officers from across the country gathered in Philadelphia, PA, for Leadership Under Fire’s inaugural summit. The “Making Yourself Hard to Kill” conference rigorously examined what was at the time a commonly neglected dimension of performance at fire and high-risk operations—the mental aspect. Justin was truly the epitome of resilience, and was a natural fit for the summit panel of survivors. Though Justin’s time on Earth was finite, his words of encouragement, which you'll hear in this episode, are timeless.  

Celebrate the life of Justin Constantine: celebratejustinconstantine.org

Climbing Everest Without Oxygen and With Morality with Ed Webster

In this episode of the Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Podcast, you’ll hear from American climber and author, Ed Webster. This recording of Webster reflecting on risk and resiliency took place in Pennsylvania in October 2012 at the first Leadership Under Fire Making Yourself Hard to Kill Conference, which paved the way for future Leadership Under Fire conferences and events. Webster is a record-breaking climber who has achieved and survived the impossible, including in 1988, when he and three partners ascended a new, never-before-attempted route up Mt. Everest’s most dangerous, isolated side in Tibet with no sherpas, no radios and no oxygen. 

”See the World Differently” with LtCol Charlie Black, USMC (Ret)

In this episode of the Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Podcast, we welcome back to the show LtCol Charlie Black, USMC (Ret). Black was featured on the podcast in early February 2020 in episode #27 where he discussed leadership in a rapidly changing environment. Shortly after the episode aired, all of our lives were drastically impacted by world-changing events including the tragic loss of life and economic effects of a global pandemic to civil unrest. 2021—and so far 2022—have brought on significant worldwide challenges as well such as America’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan and the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Since Black is  a dynamic, transformative and futures-oriented leader with over thirty five years of diverse global experience and proven talent for cultivating winning and resilient teams that attain favorable futures in an accelerating and turbulent world, the Leadership Under Fire Team thought it would be fitting to invite him back on the show.

LUF Fireside Chat Series featuring FDNY Chief Jack Pritchard (Ret) and Captain Tommy Gardner–Part II

This is the second and final installment of our Leadership Under Fire Fireside Chat Series featuring FDNY Chief Jack Pritchard (Ret) and Captain Tommy Gardner. Both individuals have worked in some of the busiest companies in the FDNY and served in the United State Navy prior to joining the Department. This conversation affords seasoned leaders the opportunity to candidly reflect on leadership lessons and human performance principles resulting from the many wins and losses they’ve experienced. The episode is hosted by LUF Senior Man Jim McNamara. If you haven’t listened to Part I, we strongly suggest you go back and listen to it as this conversation picks up from where we left off. 

Cold Case Investigations: Serving Justice and Building Resilience with Detective Wendell Stradford, NYPD (Ret)

On September 11, 2021, Wendell Stradford marked his 63rd birthday, the birth of his granddaughter, and the end of his nearly forty-year career with the NYPD. Detective Stradford aged out of service after having spent the bulk of his career working and solving cold cases. There were many successes in the detective’s time on the job, but there were many challenges that came along with it. He joined the Department in 1984 prior to the consolidation of the New York City Transit Police and Housing Authority Police in 1995. Stradford built a reputation as a superb investigator and proud public servant despite the dangers of policing. While off-duty, Stradford made sure to carve out time to coach his children and local high school athletes. He’s coached several basketball teams including the Police Athletic League and has served as the longtime assistant coach at St. Peter’s Boys High School on Staten Island. After a long career chasing down criminals and solving heinous crimes, Stradford was asked to share his expertise consulting on TV crime shows, which is how he’s been spending time in retirement. 

LUF Fireside Chat Series featuring FDNY Chief Jack Pritchard (Ret) & Captain Tommy Gardner--Part I

This episode of the Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Podcast is hosted by Jim McNamara and features FDNY Battalion Chief Jack Pritchard (Ret) and Captain Tommy Gardner. Both individuals have worked in some of the busiest companies in the FDNY. Chief Pritchard started his career in 1970 in Squad 4. During his career he went on to work in Rescue Co. 2, Rescue Co. 5, Engine Co. 255, Ladder Co. 157 and served as a chief in Battalion 41. Over the course of Captain Gardner's career he served in Engine Co. 255, Ladder Co. 157, Ladder Co. 111. After 9/11, he worked at the FDNY's Fire Training Academy. Once promoted to Captain, he served in Ladder Co.113. Gardner is a plank owner of Squad 8 on Staten Island. Both men served in the United State Navy prior to joining the FDNY. 

Reflections on a Family Legacy with Deputy Chief Jim Ginty, FDNY (Ret)

Deputy Chief Jim Ginty is a 37 year veteran of the FDNY. Assigned as a probationary firefighter to Einge Co. 43/Ladder Co. 59 in 1984 to the war ravaged Bronx. Upon promotion to Lieutenant, an assignment to Ladder Co. 28 in Harlem. As a Captain, he served in Ladder Co. 147 in Flatbush, Brooklyn. Upon yet another promotion, Chief Ginty returned to Harlem in Battalion 12. Chief Ginty capped off his career with one final promotion, to Deputy Chief of the Special Operations Command of the FDNY. In addition, Chief Ginty has been instrumental in the development and execution of the FDNY’s Mental Performance Initiative. Chief Ginty also is intimately involved in the Fire Family Transport program, which obtains vehicles to be used by sick and injured firefighters and their families.

Rescue Company Command with Capt Brian McNulty, Rescue Co. 2, Milwaukee FD

Leadership Under Fire founder Jason Brezler hosts this episode of the Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Podcast. Our guest in this episode is Captain Brian McNulty of the Milwaukee Fire Department’s Rescue Company 2. Capt McNulty joined the ranks of the Milwaukee Fire Department in 1999. In addition to serving as the company commander of Rescue Co. 2, McNulty is a co-director for the department’s technical rescue team and is an adjunct instructor at the training academy. He is also the lead tactical training instructor for our generous sponsor Conway Shield’s Training Division. 

Cultivating Personal and Team Resilience with Jennifer Baker

In this episode, listeners will hear the final installment of a recording captured in 2019 at a Leadership Under Fire Summit in Annapolis, Maryland. This talk is a departure from the interviews featured on this podcast and offers a glimpse into how the LUF team approaches advancing leadership and optimizing human performance under fire during scheduled events and seminars. The presenter you'll hear in this episode is Jennifer Baker, who currently is the Director of Athletics and Recreation at Johns Hopkins University. She was promoted to the role on August 6, 2019. Prior to this, Baker served as Hopkins’ Senior Associate Director of Athletics since September 2017. Baker is a co-founder of Athletics Leadership Consulting, whose mission is to make leadership development accessible to all athletes, coaches and organizational support staff. The group leverages athletics as a tool for leadership education as it designs and delivers original content that allows athletes to develop leadership and teamwork skills as an integrated component of their competitive experience. Baker graduated from the United States Naval Academy with a degree in aerospace engineering and was a member of the Academy’s women’s lacrosse club team. After the Naval Academy, Baker spent seven years in the Navy, including three years as a pilot and four as a construction manager and facilities engineer. She later earned an MBA and a master’s in mechanical engineering from Cornell.

Visit the episode webpage on leadershipunderfire.com to view the workbook Baker references in the episode. 

A Reflection on Individual Risk and Resiliency with FDNY Firefighter Brendan Cawley

FDNY firefighter Brendan Cawley is a survivor of the horrific Black Sunday Fire which occurred in the Bronx on the morning of January 23, 2005. Brendan is one of six members who jumped from the top floor of a 4-story apartment building on E. 178th St. Thirty-four months later, he returned to full duty status after a miraculous and grueling recovery from the physical and mental injuries he sustained as a result of his long fall. The fire tragically claimed the lives of three members of the FDNY – Lt Curt Meyran, FF John Bellew and Lt Joseph DiBernardo. 

The interview you will hear in this episode of the Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Podcast featuring Brendan was recorded in 2019 at a LUF Human Performance Summit in Annapolis, Maryland. The event was devoted to the concept of resilience, namely asking the question, “what happens when we play to win and lose?” To help listeners gain context for each summit conversation, LUF Founder Jason Brezler and podcast host Patti Murphy discussed their reflections shortly after the event, which you will hear prior to the interview. 

Note: The podcast episode also includes tactical fireground transmissions from the Black Sunday fire in the Bronx. A word of caution to our listeners, the transmissions are raw and graphic.

A Historic Human Performance Episode of the Equitable Building Fire

2022 marks the 110th anniversary of the Equitable Building Fire in New York City. On January 9, 2012, the Equitable Life Assurance Building located in Manhattan’s Financial District caught fire after a match was carelessly thrown into a trash can. Within minutes, almost the entire building was engulfed in fire. Outside, the wind was howling at nearly 40 miles per hour–with gusts of up to almost 70 miles per hour–making the already below freezing temperatures even colder. At the time, no other private business building housed a similar magnitude of monetary interests under its roof. Considered by some as the world’s first skyscraper, the building at 120 Broadway was completed in 1870. The tragic deaths and enormous property losses sustained at this disaster contributed to lasting changes to FDNY policies and procedures. Those familiar with this fire may know the logistics of this historic event, but in this episode of the Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Podcast, we aim to add to the historical narrative of the Equitable Building Fire through a human performance lens.

This conversation is made possible by the extensive research efforts of our guest in this episode, FDNY Lieutenant Matt Connor. Matt was appointed to the New York City Fire Department in 2005. He worked as a Firefighter in Engine Co. 222 and Ladder Co. 124, both in Brooklyn. He was promoted to Lieutenant in 2020 and assigned to Battalion 37 in the 15th Division, again, in the borough of Brooklyn. He’s served in the FDNY Bureau of Training and contributes to the FDNY’s Mental Performance Initiative. Matt received a bachelor’s from the University of Delaware and is pursuing a master’s at the Graduate Center City University of New York where he is studying New York City history through the lens of urban firefighting.

2021 Year in Review with Jason Brezler and James McNamara

In this episode, host Patti Murphy is joined by LUF Founder Jason Brezler and LUF’s Human Performance Advisor James McNamara. If you’re tuning into this podcast for the first time, you can listen to episodes no. 5 and 12 to learn more about each of them. Since this is our year in review episode, the team covers a lot in just a short amount of time. 2021 seems to have been a long, divisive year where we endured another 12 months of a global pandemic with impeding COVID-19 mandates, witnessed America’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan as we marked the 20th anniversary of the attacks on 9/11, and continued to redefine “normal.” But while it was another incredibly hard year for many, there were still moments that highlight the admirable tenacity and ingenuity of people and resilience of the human spirit worthy of celebrating.

Smarter Not Harder with David Sears, US Navy SEAL (Ret)

Commander David Sears (Ret) served twenty years of active military duty as a US Navy SEAL officer. He served on multiple east coast SEAL Teams, Naval Special Warfare Development Group, various Joint Commands, and Headquarters United States Special Operations Command. Commander Sears has participated in a number of conflicts and contingency operations in Latin America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. He is a graduate of Boston University and the Naval Postgraduate School, earning a Master of Science in Defense Analysis. He is the co-founder and a managing partner at Xundis Global, LLC. Using CRISP Thinking® principles to navigate the complexity of a rapidly emerging world, Xundis helps organizations and individuals increase performance, leadership, and innovation. A keynote speaker, senior consultant, and advisor to multiple clients in the defense and technology space, David is a regular guest commentator on Fox News, Fox Business, and CBSN. 

Breathing for Warriors with Dr. Belisa Vranich

In this episode of the Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Podcast we welcome back to the show renowned clinical psychologist and breathing expert Dr. Belisa Vranich. Since we last featured her on the podcast in early 2019, Dr. Vranich has expanded her work with athletes and first responders and has published a new book titled Breathing for Warriors. In the previous episode, we unpacked Belisa’s groundbreaking research and daily workout that helped our bodies relearn the proper way to inhale and exhale. Now, we’ll uncover how she’s discovered how to optimize performance and improve endurance, strength, precision and recovery all through the most basic of human functions—breathing!

Miracle in Afghanistan‘s Hindu Kush with Shaun Cullen, FDNY and Air National Guard

This episode of the Optimizing Human Performance Podcast is hosted by Leadership Under Fire Founder Jason Brezler. Our guest is Shuan Cullen, a native New Yorker who graduated from Iona College in 2001 with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance and International Business. He played Division 1 water polo and swam for the Gaels while attending Iona. Upon graduation, Shaun went to work for Goldman Sachs in August of 2001. He left Goldman in August of 2002 to take an EMT course and joined the ranks of the FDNY in February of 2003. Upon completion of Proby school, Shaun was assigned to 54 Engine in Midtown Manhattan. He transferred to Squad 1 in 2013, was promoted to Lieutenant in 2017 and is presently assigned to Ladder 1 in Lower Manhattan. Shaun entered the Air National Guard in 2004 and was commissioned in 2005. He completed Undergraduate Pilot Training at Laughlin AFB in Del Rio, Texas, and rotary qualification at Fort Rucker, Alabama. Upon graduation from pilot training, he was assigned to a Combat Search and Rescue/Personnel Recovery unit in Westhampton Beach, NY. Shaun made two combat deployments to Afghanistan and participated in hurricane rescue and recovery, wildfire support, NASA Shuttle launch and recovery, and civilian SAR missions.

Optimal Human Performance During the FDNY War Years with DC Joseph DiBernardo (Ret) & Capt Louie Andrade (Ret) Part II

This is the second and final installment of our second Virtual Fireside Chat. The conversation affords seasoned leaders the opportunity to candidly reflect on leadership lessons and human performance principles resulting from the many wins and losses they’ve experienced. This conversation is hosted by LUF Senior Man Jim McNamara and features FDNY retired Deputy Chief Joseph DiBernardo and retired Captain Louis Andrade. If you haven’t listened to Part I, we strongly suggest you go back and listen to it as this conversation picks up from where we left off. 

Fire in My Eyes with Paralympian LT Brad Snyder, US Navy EOD

Leadership Under Fire Human Performance Data Analyst Timothy Clarke guest hosts this episode of the Optimizing Human Performance Podcast featuring Brad Snyder. Brad is a multi-time Paralympic Gold Medalist in swimming and triathlon. In September 2011, while serving in the US Navy, Brad stepped on an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan rendering him completely blind. It wasn’t long before Brad found a new purpose and dedicated himself to competing at the 2012 London Paralympics the following summer winning a gold medal in swimming. Brad repeated this feat at the 2016 Rio De Janeiro Paralympics, but decided to switch gears this year in Tokyo competing instead at the sport of triathlon. All told Brad has won six gold and two silver medals at the Paralympics. Brad is a US Naval academy graduate and author of the book Fire in My Eyes: An American Warrior’s Journey from Being Blinded on the Battlefield to Gold Medal Victory. Brad is also currently pursuing a PhD at Princeton in Public Policy.  

Optimal Human Performance During the FDNY War Years with DC Joseph DiBernardo (Ret), Capt Louie Andrade (Ret)—Part I

This episode is part one of two, and is a recording of a live event. The “Fireside Chat” has become a staple of Leadership Under Fire leadership development and human performance resident programs. In early 2021, the LUF Team decided to launch a Virtual Fireside Chat series where LUF Senior Man Jim McNamara hosts candid conversations with seasoned leaders and human performance thought leaders. Leadership Under Fire’s second Virtual Fireside Chat featured FDNY retirees Deputy Chief Joseph DiBernardo and Captain Louie Andrade. Captain Andrade entered the ranks of the FDNY in 1957 after having served in the United States Marine Corps. Andrade was a Lieutenant in Engine Co. 82 at the height of the War Years in the South Bronx. He later served as the Captain in Engine 69 in Harlem and Engine 320 in Queens. Deputy Chief Joe DiBernardo was appointed to the FDNY in 1966 following combat service in the US Army. Chief DiBernardo’s career included service in Manhattan, the Bronx and Brooklyn. He spent the final fifteen years of his career as a deputy chief in the Bronx’s 6th Division. Both leaders have been instrumental in the development of countless firefighters, fire officers and chief fire officers.

What Science Informs Us About Resilience with Dr. George Bonanno

According to psychologist and emotions expert Dr. George Bonanno, all of us share a surprising ability to be resilient. The interview you will hear in this episode of the Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Podcast featuring Dr. Bonanno was recorded in early 2019 at a Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Summit, in Annapolis, Maryland. The event was devoted to the concept of resilience. Other summit guests have been featured on this podcast including: the co-founders of the Mission Critical Teams Institute, NY Times Bestselling authors Lynn Vincent and Sara Vladic, as well as James Roussell, USMC (Ret) and Chicago PD (Ret). To help listeners gain context for each summit conversation, LUF Founder Jason Brezler and podcast host Patti Murphy discussed their reflections shortly after the event, which you will hear prior to the interview.

Remembering FDNY Captain Patrick J. ”Paddy” Brown

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. To mark this anniversary on the Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Podcast, we are honored to tell the valiant story of Captain Patrick J. "Paddy" Brown, compliments of the insight of his family, closest friends and fellow firefighters who were influenced by his leadership, service, and courage. He was one of 343 members of the FDNY who were killed during the attacks on U.S. soil.    Captain Brown’s story of service begins with his enlistment in the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. Brown was one of the tens of thousands of Americans who felt compelled to serve their Nation, but returned home feeling conflicted over the Vietnam experience, and one of a considerable number of FDNY members who had served in Vietnam prior to returning home to join the ranks of the FDNY during New York City’s tumultuous “War Years.” Over the course of his career, Capt Brown grew to be known for his enthusiasm and love for going to fires as well as the boldness and decisiveness that were central to his leadership style. Eventually, Brown made the decision to pursue sobriety with the same zest that he pursued all the activities in his life and it was both his fiercest and most triumphant battle.     Following 9/11, Mayor Giuliani called Captain Brown "a legend in the life of the Fire Department" during a mass honoring him at New York’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral. He was one of the best-known, decorated members of the department and served as a role model for many young firefighters. It has been said that men wanted to work for him because he lived his life so well.   Never Forget.

Revisiting Perseverance with MLB Hitting Coach Anthony Iapoce

The original broadcast date for this episode of the Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Podcast was April 4, 2019. In 2016—after a 108-year wait—the Chicago Cubs finally won the World Series. The Cubs’ journey from being a last place team to one of the most iconic in baseball history is charged with lessons learned on effective leadership, teamwork, culture creation, sacrifice, trust, possibility and character development. So, it seems fitting that in the fall of 2018, the Cubs named Anthony Iapoce as the team’s Hitting Coach. Iapoce began his coaching career in 2006, but prior to that he spent eleven seasons playing in the minor leagues with the Brewers and Marlins organizations. Just as Cubs fans always remained optimistic and steadfast, so has Iapoce. Iapoce, a Queens, NY native, continues to serve as the Cubs’ big league hitting coach.  

Revisiting Career Reflection with FDNY Lt Mickey Conboy

The original broadcast date for this episode of the Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Podcast was January 10, 2019. In 2018, Lieutenant Conboy was recognized with the FDNY’s highest annual award (James Gordon Bennett) for valor he displayed in the rescue of occupants at a fire in the South Bronx. He recently received the FDNY’s most prestigious award for valor – the Dr. Harry Archer Medal. Lieutenant Conboy has more than 35 years with the FDNY. He is presently assigned to Rescue Co. 3 in the Bronx and previously served as a Lieutenant in Squad Co. 41 and a firefighter in Engine Co. 79, Ladder Co. 37 and Rescue Co. 3. Lieutenant Conboy is an Adjunct Instructor at the FDNY Fire Academy and the FDNY’s Technical Rescue School. He was instrumental in the development of the course curriculum for Advanced Firefighter Victim Removal training for FDNY Special Operations Command firefighters and officers. External recognition aside, he’s also experienced quiet moments of accomplishment and fulfillment in the fire service and in his personal life as a father and grandfather.

Resilience in Mission-Critical Teams with Dr. Preston Cline and Coleman Ruiz

Co-founders of the Mission Critical Team Institute, Dr. Preston Cline and Coleman Ruiz, are our guests in this episode of the Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Podcast. The interview you will hear was recorded in early 2019 at a Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Summit, in Annapolis, Maryland. The event was devoted to the concept of resilience - the ability to navigate adversity and absorb failure and loss in high-risk settings. The summit allowed leaders to explore the concept from the individual, team and organizational level as well as from a physical, mental, emotional and moral perspective. Other Resilience Summit guests included FDNY Black Sunday survivor Firefighter Brendan Cawley and Columbia University’s Dr. George Bonanno. To help listeners gain context for each summit conversation, LUF Founder Jason Brezler and podcast host Patti Murphy discussed their reflections shortly after the event. 

LUF Virtual Fireside Chat Series featuring FDNY Lieutenants Danny Murphy & Dennis Gordon (Ret)--Part II

This is the second and final installment of our first Virtual Fireside Chat. The conversation affords seasoned leaders the opportunity to candidly reflect on leadership lessons and human performance principles resulting from the many wins and losses they’ve experienced. This conversation is hosted by LUF Senior Man Jim McNamara and features FDNY retired lieutenants Danny Murphy and Dennis Gordon. If you haven’t listened to Part I, we strongly suggest you go back and listen to it as this conversation picks up from where we left off. 

Freedom with Sebastian Junger

In this episode, we welcome back to the Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Podcast American author, journalist, and filmmaker Sebastian Junger to discuss his latest book, Freedom. In three succinct chapters, Junger takes us on a physical and philosophical journey exploring the concept of Freedom—and the disparities that exist at its core in today’s modern society. While the book is rooted in Junger’s 400-mile journey on foot across the northeastern United States, it branches out across history and geography to dissect competing values between our human spirit longing for individuality and our basic need for community. Junger’s earlier work includes the books: Tribe and The Perfect Storm as well as the Academy Award-nominated film: Restrepo.

LUF Virtual Fireside Chat Series featuring FDNY Lieutenants Danny Murphy & Dennis Gordon (Ret)--Part I

This episode is part one of two. What you’re about to hear is a recording of a live event. The "Fireside Chat" has become a staple of Leadership Under Fire leadership development and human performance resident programs. The conversation affords seasoned leaders the opportunity to candidly reflect on leadership lessons and human performance principles resulting from the many wins and losses they’ve experienced. In 2021, the LUF Team decided to launch a Virtual Fireside Chat series hosted by LUF Senior Man Jim McNamara. LUF’s first Virtual Fireside Chat took place in New York City in early June and featured FDNY retired lieutenants Danny Murphy and Dennis Gordon. Both leaders spent more than three decades serving and leading in the FDNY’s busiest companies. In addition to possessing high levels of tactical expertise, both leaders were highly regarded for their calm demeanor and decisiveness at complex fires and emergencies where members were operating under considerable pressure. Both leaders were instrumental in the development of countless firefighters and young fire officers.

Optimal Performance at Wildfires, Off-road and in the Backcountry

Our guest in this episode is Battalion Chief Thomas Smith from CAL FIRE Nevada Yuba Placer Unit and the Placer County Fire Department. Smith started his career in 2005 as a Firefighter with the North Tahoe Fire Protection District. In 2006, he was hired with CAL FIRE NEU as a Firefighter I and promoted through the ranks of FFII and Engineer working in Battalions 12, 17, and 18 as well as the Grass Valley Air Attack Base. In 2014, Smith promoted to Fire Captain B in the Lassen-Modoc Unit and was assigned as a Fire Crew Captain running Inmate Hand Crews at both Intermountain and Antelope Camps. In 2018, he promoted to Battalion Chief in the San Benito-Monterey Unit assigned as a Field Battalion Chief in the Bear Valley Battalion. He then transferred back to the Nevada Yuba Placer Unit in his current position as a field Battalion Chief in the cooperative fire agreement with Placer County Fire. Chief Smith is a qualified Air Operations Branch Director and is currently assigned to Incident Management Team 1. He has served on numerous Regional and Statewide teaching cadres including S-212, C-234, Air Tanker Base Manager and AOBD/ASGS. Smith graduated from California State University, Chico, with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Liberal Studies and holds an Associate of Science degree from Sierra College in Fire Technology. Smith is a resident of Truckee, California, where he lives with his wife and two children.

From Renegade to Reformer with Capt Gabe Angemi, Camden NJ FD

Gabe Angemi is a second-generation member of the Camden NJ Fire Department. He presently serves as a Captain and is assigned to Squad Company 7. Gabe has spent many years serving in Camden’s Special Operations companies and is a member of NJ-TF1 FEMA USAR since 2008. He completed undergraduate study in Public Safety Administration from Neumann University and holds a master’s degree in Emergency & Disaster Management from Georgetown University. Gabe serves as a tactical leadership advisor for Leadership Under Fire. 

Exploring the Complexities of the FDNY War Years with Joe Flood

Journalist Joe Flood is the founder of n2 Communications and the author of the book The Fires, which examines New York City’s 1970s fire epidemic and fiscal crisis. In The Fires, Flood provides an X-ray of the inner workings of NYC during the ‘70s using the dramatic story of a pair of mayors, an ambitious Fire Commissioner, and an even more ambitious think tank to illuminate the patterns and formulas that are now inextricably woven into the very fabric of the modern urban experience. Joe won the Bronx Recognizes Its Own award from the Bronx Council on the Arts for this work. 

Leading as a Performance Pioneer in Professional Baseball with Rachel Balkovec

Rachel Balkovec is making history this 2021 season as the first woman hired by a major league baseball team to work as a full-time hitting coach. Balkovec currently serves as a minor league hitting coach for the New York Yankees and has worked in professional baseball for seven years. Breaking through in 2014, she was hired as the minor league strength and conditioning coordinator for the St. Louis Cardinals—the first woman to hold that position in professional baseball. A year later she became the Latin American strength and conditioning coordinator for the Houston Astros. Balkovec is a former NCAA Division 1 softball catcher who earned two master’s degrees in sports performance and human movement and has completed five baseball internships.

Battle-Tested: Service and Sacrifice with FDNY Lt Josh Wiener, USMC (Ret)

Josh Wiener is a Lieutenant in the FDNY and is currently assigned to the Rescue Battalion. His previous assignments were to Division 7 as a covering Lieutenant, Squad 252 and Ladder 133 as a firefighter. Josh also spent 20 years in the United States Marine Corps as an Infantry Unit Leader and retired at the rank of Master Sergeant. He is a combat veteran of the war in Iraq. Josh serves as a leadership and human performance advisor for Leadership Under Fire and is a LUF plank owner.

A Historic Human Performance Episode of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

On March 25, 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist Company factory in New York City burned, tragically killing 146 workers. It is remembered as one of the most infamous incidents in American industrial history. The tragedy brought widespread attention to the dangerous sweatshop conditions of factories, spurred the creation of the FDNY’s Bureau of Fire Prevention, and led to the development of a series of laws and regulations that better protected the safety of workers. But what has been curiously absent or understated from the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire narrative is a closer examination of firefighting efforts that took place that day, lessons regarding rescue of people who were trapped, a more detailed understanding of the leadership demonstrated in the wake of the event and the legacy of the fire today—just to name a few topics. In this episode of the Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Podcast, we hope to contribute more broadly to the historical narrative of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire. The depth of this conversation is made possible by the extensive research efforts employed by our guest in this episode, FDNY Lieutenant Matt Connor. 

Better Great Than Never with Olympic Rower and Performance Coach Lindsay Shoop

This episode features Lindsay Dare Shoop. Lindsay is a lifelong athlete turned coach, author, and speaker. She is an Olympic gold medalist, a three-time World Champion, and a National Rowing Hall of Fame inductee. With a focus on performance optimization and longevity throughout sport and life, Lindsay coaches and hosts clinics and workshops for coaches, athletes, and teams of all ages and skill levels. She is a speaker for events at major universities and corporations, presents on various topics across the spectrum of her expertise as an elite athlete, coach, exercise physiologist, and author, and is a commentator for USRowing. Lindsay lives in Florida, where she seeks to motivate and mentor to improve the lives of others by sharing her journey of self-discovery from ultimate defeat, to Olympic gold.

Tactical Leadership with a Midtown (Manhattan) Mentality with FDNY Lt Dan Saalfrank

Dan Saalfrank is our guest in this episode of the Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Podcast. Dan is a FDNY Lieutenant assigned to Ladder Co. 4 in Midtown Manhattan. He previously served with Ladder Companies 169 and 176, both in the borough of Brooklyn. Within the FDNY, Dan is a Battalion Delegate for the Uniformed Fire Officers Association, a member of the FDNY Pipes and Drums and serves as a Performance Leader for the FDNY’s Mental Performance Initiative (MPI). Dan served as a Crash/Rescue Firefighter with the 111th Fighter Wing of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard. He has a Master of Public Administration from John Jay College in New York City. Dan also serves as a Tactical Leadership Advisor for Leadership Under Fire. 

Living, Leading and Loving in a Messy World with Officer Jon Matthews

Jon Matthews was a police officer in Greensboro, North Carolina, for more than a decade, from 2008 to 2019, before leaving the policing profession to enter ministry with a local church. After a year and a half in ministry, he returned to police work during one of the most challenging times in his department's history in late 2020. He is currently assigned to a Community Resource Team, which is a street-level crimes team tasked with reducing gun violence in the city. During his first run with policing, he spent five years as a detective with the department's Violent Criminal Apprehension Team, a team that utilizes partnerships with local and federal agencies to locate and arrest violent fugitives. During this time, he was also assigned as a Task Force Agent with the Secret Service for three years. In 2017, Jon was promoted to corporal, where he was then assigned to the patrol division before serving as a Corporal Detective on the Family Victims Unit, a team that investigates child victim and sexual assault investigations, among others. In addition to these roles, Jon was also assigned to his department's Special Response Team for seven years, a call-out based team that performs high risk search warrants, as well as responds to barricaded subjects and hostage situations. He is a graduate of the University of South Carolina, is married to his high-school sweetheart, and keeps busy in his off-time by coaching and raising his nine year old twins and one year old daughter.

Jim McNamara's Senior Man Feature Episode with Chief Pat Maloney, CFD (Ret)

Pat Maloney is a retired 39-year member of the Chicago Fire Department, who rose through the ranks to become the Chief of Special Operations. Pat entered the ranks of the Chicago Fire Department in 1981. Prior to his promotion to Battalion Chief, Pat served as the Captain of Squad 2 for eleven years. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Fire Science Management from Southern Illinois University. Pat served as a Staff Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps and is a veteran of the Persian Gulf War. Pat also serves as a Tactical Leadership Advisor for Leadership Under Fire.

"With You" - Combat Leadership with Capt Nick Kalt, USMC (Ret)

Nick Kalt is our guest in this episode of the Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Podcast. Nick serves as a Captain with the Long Beach, California Fire Department. Prior to entering the professional fire service, Nick was a Captain in the United States Marine Corps. He was seriously wounded in the Battle of Fallujah in November 2004 while serving with 1st Combat Engineer Battalion and subsequently medically retired from the USMC. Nick is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis and was a collegiate All-American for the Midshipmen rugby team. He also serves as a Tactical Leadership Advisor for Leadership Under Fire.

2020 Year In Review with Jason Brezler and James McNamara

In this episode, host Patti Murphy is joined by Jason Brezler and Jim McNamara as we look back at a year that was like no other we've experienced in our lifetimes. Against the backdrop of a global Coronavirus pandemic, 2020 catapulted all of us into world-changing events. From the tragic loss of life and economic effects of the pandemic to civil unrest to ongoing wildfires, 2020 has certainly been a defining one. Those who subscribe to the podcast will surely be familiar with both Jason and Jim, but for those who may be tuning in for the first time: Jason is the Founder and President of Leadership Under Fire and currently is a Lieutenant in the FDNY. Prior to becoming a firefighter and creating the Leadership Under Fire Team, Jason began his career as an Officer in the U.S. Marine Corps. He’s led Marines on several deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan where he was decorated for his combat service. Jim serves as a Human Performance Advisor for Leadership Under Fire. He is the author of the LUF Senior Man’s Performance Journal and regularly hosts Senior Man Feature Episodes on this podcast. Jim is an FDNY firefighter who joined the Department in 1994 and currently serves in Ladder Co. 26 in Harlem. 

Gold Medal Mindset with Olympian Erin Cafaro

Erin Cafaro is one of the most decorated female rowers in American history. Cafaro was a star rower at Cal from 2001 to 2006, helping the Golden Bears win the NCAA Championship in both 2005 and 2006. She helped the United States win the gold medal in the Eight boat in both the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing and the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Erin was also a five-time medalist at the World Rowing Championships, including three gold medals. Cafaro is a two-time honoree of the World Rowing Female Crew of the Year and was the 2009 U.S. Rowing Female Athlete of the Year. Cafaro has spent more than a decade coaching in diverse performance communities of athletes, coaches, military, and business professionals. She pivoted into the field of research and psychology in 2018 to dig deeper into health and human behavior and is now a second-year doctoral student in Clinical Psychology at the Wright Institute in Berkeley.

From Vietnam to 9/11: Leading by Learning and Adapting with Commissioner Sal Cassano, FDNY (Ret)

Salvatore Cassano is the former Commissioner of the New York City Fire Department. He was appointed Commissioner by Mayor Michael Bloomberg in January 2010 and retired from the FDNY in 2014. Mr. Cassano became an FDNY member in 1969 and served in every uniformed rank, including the highest—Chief of Department. From 2001 to 2006, he served as Chief of Operations – a position to which he was appointed immediately after September 11, 2001. Both as Chief of Operations and Chief of Department, Cassano played a critical role in rebuilding the FDNY which lost 343 of its members on 9/11. Under his leadership, nearly 7,000 new firefighters were hired, and some 6,000 others were promoted to various officer ranks as the Department went through a difficult but remarkable resurgence. Prior to joining the FDNY, Mr. Cassano served in the U.S. Army from October 1965 through July 1967 and was deployed to Vietnam in September 1966. While a firefighter, he attended John Jay College of Criminal Justice and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Fire Science. Mr. Cassano also received an Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from St. John’s University in May 2013. 

Finding Flow Under Pressure with Dr. Nathaniel Zinsser

Dr. Nathaniel Zinsser has been a sport psychology teacher and trainer for three decades. He has served on the faculties of William Paterson College in New Jersey, East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania, the University of Virginia system, and since 1992, he has directed the nation’s leading mental skills training program at West Point’s Center for Enhanced Performance. This program has been adopted by the U.S. Army for training new recruits, drill sergeants, and tactical units preparing for deployment at twenty-five posts across the country. He has extensive experience advising professional, Olympic and Division 1 collegiate athletes, surgeons, corporate team leaders, first responders and military units. His sport psychology training is complemented by his experience as a state wrestling champion, elite level mountaineer, and lifetime practitioner of Japanese karate and meditative disciplines.

Delivering Critical Care Under Pressure in NYC and Around the World with Chris Summers

Chris Summers is a Physician Assistant, Critical Care Specialist and Quality Assurance and Education Coordinator, who has practiced cardiothoracic surgery and critical care medicine in New York City for the past 14 years. He is a veteran of the US Coast Guard stationed in the North Atlantic and a former New York City Paramedic that has responded to countess catastrophes both on land and at sea. Chris is a co-founder of NYC Medics, a globally recognized disaster response group and serves as a medical provider, clinical supervisor, and logistics coordinator. He has extensive international experience working in remote and austere locations within disaster zones and specializes in emergency medical care, disaster management, systems development, medical, surgical and MCI education, as well as coaching and simulation training. He recently returned from two deployments with NYC Medics to Mosul, Iraq where NYC Medics was running Trauma Stabilization Points on the front lines in the war against Isis. Chris’s unique and diverse experience in public service helped him to develop a high degree of resilience and small unit leadership skills while operating in hostile environments and high-pressure situations. 

Jim McNamara's Senior Man Feature Episode with Capt Al Hagan, FDNY (Ret)--Part II

This episode is the second and final installment of a two-part interview featuring guest host Jim McNamara and retired FDNY Captain Alexander Hagan. Captain Al began his career in 1973 and served in some of the FDNY's busiest companies. After 35 years of service in the field, he decided to become part of union leadership. Hagan began his union service as the Captain’s Rep, and then the President of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association. Be sure to listen to Part I of the interview which covered leadership, human performance and organized labor. In Part II, Jim and Captain Al continue their exploration of civil unrest and fiscal austerity.

Jim McNamara's Senior Man Feature Episode with Capt Al Hagan, FDNY (Ret)--Part I

This episode is part one of two. Alexander (“Captain Al”) Hagan began his career during the War Years of the FDNY, in 1973, when he was assigned to 36 Engine in Harlem. After several years in Harlem, Al studied and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, and was assigned to 44 Truck in the South Bronx. Al would later promote again, and assume command of 43 Truck in Spanish Harlem. After 35 years of service in the field, in some of the busiest units in the FDNY, Captain Al decided to become a part of union leadership. Al began his union service as the Captain's Rep, and then the President of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association (IAFF Local 854). After 41 years of service to the people of New York City and the Firefighters and Fire Officers of the FDNY, Captain Al retired, leaving behind a career and legacy for the ages. Jim McNamara hosts.

What the USS Indianapolis Tells Us About Resilience with Sara Vladic and Lynn Vincent

Lynn Vincent and Sara Vladic are the NY Times bestselling authors of the book Indianapolis: The True Story of the Worst Sea Disaster in US Naval History and the Fifty-Year Fight to Exonerate an Innocent Man. In early 2019, LUF recorded an interview with them, which you will hear in this episode. This was recorded at a Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Summit, which took place in Annapolis, Maryland. The event was devoted to the concept of resilience, the ability to navigate adversity and absorb failure and loss in high-risk settings. We explored the concept from the individual, team and organizational level as well as from a physical, mental, emotional and moral perspective. Guest presenters included FDNY Black Sunday survivor Firefighter Brendan Cawley, Columbia University's Dr. George Bonano, and  Dr. Preston Cline and Coleman Ruiz of the Mission Critical Team Institute--just to name a few. You can hear audio from the entire Summit by visiting leadershipunderfire.com. To help listeners gain context for each Summit discussion, LUF Founder Jason Brezler and podcast host Patti Murphy discussed their reflections shortly after the event. So, you’re about to hear that conversation and then the live recording of the event. 

Remembering FDNY Captain Timothy M. Stackpole

In this episode of the Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Podcast, we're honored to bring you the inspiring story of FDNY Captain Timothy Stackpole—told by his family, friends and fellow firefighters who were influenced by his leadership. On June 5‚ 1998‚ Timothy Stackpole was severely injured in a fifth alarm fire in Brooklyn. Two of his fellow Firefighters were killed, and more injured in a collapse at the operation. Stackpole spent more than two months in the Burn Center with fourth and fifth degree burns over 30% of his body. He endured many surgeries and years of grueling rehabilitation. During that time, he had two goals: to recover and spend as much time as he could with his family‚ and to return full-duty to the job he loved. Against popular opinion‚ he succeeded. On March 10‚ 2001‚ Stackpole returned to his job as an FDNY Lieutenant. He was promoted to Captain on September 6‚ 2001‚ and was off-duty‚ the morning of September 11th. Of course, he responded. Stackpole was one of the hundreds of FDNY members who answered the call after the World Trade Center was struck by two airplanes — and one of the 343 who were killed when the Twin Towers collapsed. Timothy Stackpole was a devoted husband, loving father and courageous firefighter. It has been said, Stackpole was a hero, not only because of how he died but more importantly‚ because of how he lived.

Revisiting Life As Sport with Dr. Jonathan Fader

The original broadcast date for this episode of the Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Podcast was December 28, 2018, but the conversation is still relevant today. “Life As Sport.” It’s an approach to performance and everyday situations that Dr. Jonathan Fader strongly believes in based on his experience working with top athletes. Dr. Jonathan Fader is a licensed performance psychologist who served two seasons as the Director of Mental Conditioning for the New York Football Giants and also served as the team psychologist for the New York Mets for nine seasons. In this episode, we’ll unpack some of the skills Dr. Fader teaches professional athletes and find out more about how he is influenced by his experience working with high performers in various fields.

Revisiting Love and War with Photojournalist Lynsey Addario

This episode from 2018 is our very first of the Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Podcast. Our guest in this episode has spent two decades traveling to some of the most dangerous and remote areas of the world—masterfully capturing all facets of the human experience. Lynsey Addario is an American photojournalist whose work appears regularly in the New York Times, National Geographic and Time magazine. She’s covered conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Darfur, and the Congo, and has received numerous awards, including the MacAthur Fellowship. In 2009, she was part of the New York Times team that was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting. She’s been kidnapped twice, nearly killed, married and had a son, but still is committed to documenting injustice in the world. Why does she do it? We’ll discuss this and more on the Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Podcast.

Leading with Character and Curiosity: From Combat to Moneyball with Sandy Alderson

Mr. Sandy Alderson has served as an executive in Major League Baseball for four decades. His teams have won six division titles, three American League pennants, one National League pennant and a World Series Championship. He served as a General Manager, Chief Executive Officer and/or President with the Oakland Athletic, San Diego Padres and New York Mets. He was the architect of the Oakland Athletics teams that played in three consecutive World Series from 1988 to 1990 and won the 1989 World Series. Sandy guided the 2015 NY Mets to a National League pennant and the World Series. He has also served as an executive for Major League Baseball on two separate occasions. Sandy presently serves as a Senior Advisor to Baseball Operations for the Oakland Athletics. Prior to his MLB career, Sandy served four years as a US Marine Infantry Officer with a tour of duty in Vietnam. He holds degrees from Dartmouth College and Harvard Law School.

Jim McNamara's Senior Man Feature Episode with Jerry Smith Jr., BCFD--Part II

Welcome to the second part of Jim McNamara's Senior Man Feature Episode with Jerry Smith Jr., BCFD. This episode picks up with guest host James McNamara, who is a senior Firefighter at the FDNY and serves as a Human Performance Advisor for Leadership Under Fire. He's also the principal author of the Leadership Under Fire Senior Man’s Performance Journal. Our guest, Jerry Smith Jr., is a Firefighter with the Baltimore City Fire Department currently assigned to Rescue Company 1 and is a member of the BCFD Dive Team. In the previous episode, they discussed Jerry's early career, the role of the senior Firefighter and lessons learned during Baltimore's periods of civil unrest. Now, they'll discuss Jerry's diving career, optimizing human performance and the value of being lifelong learners.

Jim McNamara's Senior Man Feature Episode with Jerry Smith Jr., BCFD--Part I

Jim McNamara hosts this episode of the Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Podcast. Jim is a senior Firefighter at the FDNY and serves as a Human Performance Advisor for LUF. He's also the principal author of the Leadership Under Fire Senior Man’s Performance Journal. Our guest in this episode, Jerry Smith Jr., is a Firefighter with the Baltimore City Fire Department (BCFD) currently assigned to Rescue Company 1. He was previously assigned to Truck Company 15 and entered the fire department in 2004. Jerry grew up in suburban Philadelphia, which is where his fire service career began as a volunteer. He is a member of the BCFD Dive Team and serves as the public safety scuba instructor. Jerry was also a member of the Central Maryland Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 2. He holds a Bachelor's Degree from Loyola University of Maryland. Currently, Jerry is involved with the UL Firefighter Safety Research Institute in their three year study of Fire Service Residential Home Size-up and Search and Rescue Operations serving as a member of the technical panel. Jerry has been actively involved with Leadership Under Fire since its inception in 2012.

A Competitor's Mindset with Chicago Cubs Slugger Kyle Schwarber

When faced with a career-halting injury, our guest in this episode, used the challenge as an opportunity to hone his skills in a way that ultimately helped the Chicago Cubs break the Curse of the Billy Goat and capture the World Series in 2016. Kyle Schwarber played baseball for Indiana University where he was an All-American for the Hoosiers. During the summer, he played for the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod Baseball League. Kyle was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the first round of the 2014 Major League Baseball draft. He signed on June 11th and made his professional debut with the Boise Hawks just three days later, going 3-4 with a home run and three RBIs. In his first year of professional baseball Kyle played several levels of Class A ball as well as Double-A. The Cubs promoted Kyle to the Major Leagues in June of 2015 after having played just one year in the Cubs Minor League system. Kyle finished his rookie season having played 69 games, with a .246 batting average, 16 home runs, 52 runs scored, and 43 RBIs in just 273 plate appearances. At just 22 years old, Kyle hit several epic home runs for the Cubs in the 2015 National League playoffs. The Cubs and Kyle entered the 2016 with high hopes though Kyle’s season certainly did not go as planned. Last season, Kyle hit 38 home runs and 92 RBIs while batting .250. In addition to being a World Series Champion slugger for the Cubs, Kyle is a leader in the community where he is incredibly passionate about supporting first responders with his charity Schwarber's Neighborhood Heroes. The campaign is designed to recognize first responders by honoring their heroism, courage and devotion to duty. 

Risk, Restraint and Resilience in Lethal Environments with James Roussell, USMC (Ret) & Chicago PD (Ret)

The conversation you will hear in this episode was recorded in early 2019 at a Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Summit, which took place in Annapolis, Maryland. The event was devoted to the concept of resilience, the ability to navigate adversity and absorb failure and loss in high-risk settings. We explored the concept from the individual, team and organizational level as well as from a physical, mental, emotional and moral perspective. Guest presenters included FDNY Black Sunday survivor Firefighter Brendan Cawley, Dr. Preston Cline and Coleman Ruiz of the Mission Critical Team Institute and Lynn Vincent and Sara Vladic—the NY Times bestselling authors of Indianapolis: The True Story of the Worst Sea Disaster in US Naval History and the Fifty-Year Fight to Exonerate an Innocent Man. That’s just to name a few. You can hear audio from the entire Summit by visiting leadershipunderfire.com. To help listeners gain context for each Summit discussion, LUF Founder Jason Brezler and podcast host Patti Murphy discussed their reflections shortly after the event. So, you’re about to hear that conversation and then an introduction to Jim Roussell, followed his contribution at the Summit.

USMC Top Shooter's Perspective on Optimal Performance with J. Carlson, USMC (Ret)

What is going on inside of the mind of one of the USMC's top marksman? Joining us in the latest episode of the Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Podcast is Julia Carlson. Among many other accomplishments, she was the first female to graduate the Small Arms Weapons Instructor School. Her marksmanship and Marine Corps highlights include: over 15 Interservice awards, five International awards of which two were Combat Precision against all militaries in the world, over 40 National titles and awards to include four history making championships by being the first woman to ever win since the induction of the competition in 1902. She was named the Female Athlete of the Year for the Marine Corps in 1998 and has held three National Service Rifle records. She earned her Distinguished Rifleman Badge in 1997 and her Distinguished Pistol Shot 2014 and is one of four known female Marines to become double distinguished. During her time as a member of the Marine Corps Shooting Teams (both active and reserve), she has taught marksmanship skills to active and reserves around the country, youth, civilian groups, law enforcement, and other branches of the military as well. She retired from the US Marines as a Master Sergeant in 2016 with twenty-two years of service.

Revisiting Tribe (with a Pandemic Epilogue) with Sebastian Junger

In this episode, Leadership Under Fire welcomes back to the Optimizing Human Performance Podcast American journalist, author and filmmaker Sebastian Junger. Sebastian was featured on the show in March of 2019, but that conversation seems even more relevant as our entire society is navigating a deadly pandemic that has brought with it great uncertainty while disrupting many of our social norms and economy. And so, it seems fitting to follow up with Sebastian and pose a few questions to him that are specific to the crisis that is the COVID-19 pandemic. The original conversation will follow after the latest interview.

Embracing Extreme Adversity with LCDR Justin Legg, USN SEAL (Ret)

In this episode of the Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Podcast, we'll unpack Justin Legg's unprecedented story of resilience. In 2006, Justin experienced a major medical setback, but as discussed, his mental fortitude has carried him through every challenge in life. Justin is a retired Navy SEAL Officer who graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 2000 with a B.S. in Systems Engineering. He was a member of Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL Training (or BUD/S) Class 234 and became a plank owner of SEAL Team SEVEN. While with SEAL Team SEVEN he deployed to the Middle East twice and participated in combat operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. After returning from Iraq, he transferred to Special Boat Team TWENTY-TWO in Mississippi, where he served as a Task Unit Commander and the Team Training Officer. Justin medically retired from the Navy in 2012. He completed his master’s degree in International Relations from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Washington D.C. He works in Energy Resilience as a consultant to the Department of Defense. 

Deep Survival with Author Laurence Gonzales

Laurence Gonzales is the author of three novels and five books of nonfiction. His bestselling book Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why has been published in six languages and was followed by Surviving Survival: The Art and Science of Resilience. His other works include Flight 232, Lucy and House of Pain. Gonzales has received numerous awards including two National Magazine Awards and the Distinguished Service Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. In 2015 he received a Journalism Fellowship from the Santa Fe Institute (SFI) and in 2016 was given an appointment as a Miller Scholar there. His appointment as an SFI Miller Scholar was renewed for 2017, 2018, and 2019. He is our guest on this episode of the Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Performance Podcast. 

Jim McNamara's Senior Man Feature Episode with Bob Athanas, FDNY

This episode is hosted by Jim McNamara. For those tuning in for the first time, Jim is a senior Firefighter at the FDNY and serves as a Human Performance Advisor for Leadership Under Fire. He's also the principal author of the Leadership Under Fire Senior Man’s Performance Journal. Bob Athanas is our guest in this episode. Bob recently retired after 37 years of service with the FDNY. Bob grew up in Southbridge, MA, and served as a paid firefighter there from 1976-1983. He moved to Brooklyn, New York, in 1983 and served four years as an FDNY fire alarm dispatcher in the Brooklyn Central Office and later the CADO Unit. Bob was appointed as a FDNY firefighter in 1987. He transferred to Rescue 3 in February of 1991 where he would spend the next 29 years of his career. Bob also served as an adjunct instructor at the FDNY Fire Academy and the lead instructor for thermal imager training for many FDNY training programs. He also taught at the FDNY Special Operations Command Technical Rescue School and helped develop the FDNY SOC Advanced Firefighter Rescue Training program. Bob was also a member of the Urban Search and Rescue New York Task Force 1.

Managing Risk and Morality as a Paramedic with Jacob Dutton

Jake Dutton is a firefighter with the FDNY currently assigned to Ladder Company 102 in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn. He was previously assigned to Engine Company 235 and has worked as a paramedic in the New York City Emergency Medical Services system since 2006. A native of Northern California, Jake grew up as a competitive skier and avid outdoorsman. He began his career in the fire service working as a seasonal firefighter for California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, now CAL FIRE, and North Tahoe Fire District in North Lake Tahoe. Jake is a member of the FDNY’s Incident Management Team and serves with a NYC-based disaster relief organization where he regularly responds to disasters and humanitarian crises around the world. He holds a Master of Art degree in Emergency and Disaster Management from American Military University and a bachelor’s degree in Fire Science from Columbia Southern University. Jake serves as a Human Performance Analyst for Leadership Under Fire.

Mental Skills Coaching with Ben Oliva

Ben Oliva is a certified mental performance consultant and mental health counselor. He is a member of the SportStrata team, which utilizes the most recent innovations in sport and performance psychology to coach individuals and teams to reach their maximum potential. He specializes in training athletes and elite performers using evidence-based mental skills training. Ben is the mental performance coach for Fordham University and New York University Athletics. He has works with the Baylor Football program and other NCAA teams. Beyond athletics, Ben is a mental performance coach for the New York City Fire Department’s Mental Performance Initiative and delivers leadership and mental performance workshops for business organizations across the country. Ben’s experience includes working for the mental skills group of the Boston Red Sox and serving as an assistant coach at Williams College for the baseball and football programs, where he was also a two-sport varsity athlete. He received his master’s degree in sport and performance counseling from Boston University and his undergraduate degree in psychology and astrophysics from Williams College. Ben serves as a human performance advisor for Leadership Under Fire.

Leading in a Rapidly Changing World with LtCol Charlie Black, USMC

Charlie Black is a retired Marine Corps Officer with diverse experiences that span over three decades of service on four continents with conventional and special operations forces. His mission-focused leadership consistently enabled success in the most demanding and uncertain environments by building resilient and adaptive teams. For close to a decade since active service, he has pursued a range of endeavors from executive leadership in a non-profit and commercial business, laboratory research to graduate teaching. He regularly speaks and writes on the disruptive, turbulent and unpredictable nature of our world and what is required to successfully navigate the fog of uncertainty, especially those in leadership positions. He is the Co-Founder and a Managing Partner at Xundis Global—a niche trans-disciplinary consultancy focused on organizational change and plural futures.He also is a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Joint Special Operations University, US Special Operations Command. Charlie serves an Operational Leadership Advisor for Leadership Under Fire.

Leading as a Fire Company Commander with FDNY Captain Michele Fitzsimmons

Captain Michele Fitzsimmons is an 18-year veteran of the New York City Fire Department. She currently is the Department’s highest-ranking, senior woman in fire operations as the Company Commander of Ladder 12 in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. From 2002 through 2004, she was the president of FireFLAG, the FDNY’s Gay and Lesbian organization. In 2007, she co-founded Phoenix Firecamp, a weeklong sleep away camp that introduces teenage girls to the fire service. She continued as a camp instructor for seven years at the annual program. Then, from 2013-2015, she was an instructor at FDNY's Probationary Firefighter School. She is a graduate of the FDNY Officers Management Institute—a program offered by Columbia Business School Executive Education. She has been a Guest Lecturer at Fire Service Women of Ontario, University of Pennsylvania's Wharton Business School and Graduate School of Education. She has presented on holding a position of leadership in a male dominated field as well as decision making while working with Mission Critical Teams. Prior to joining the FDNY, Michele worked at GMHC from 1993-2001. GMHC is the world’s first and leading provider of HIV/AIDS prevention, care and advocacy. Her last three years there were spent as a coordinator of the Lesbian AIDS Project. 

Reflections of a Senior Marine General Officer with Lieutenant General Lawrence Nicholson, USMC (Ret)

In this episode, we're honored to have U.S. Marine Lieutenant General Lawrence Nicholson as our guest. General Nicholson served as the Commanding General of III Marine Expeditionary Force, leading 30,000 Marines and Sailors in the Asia-Pacific region, from 2015 to 2018. He retired in August of 2018 after 39 years of dedicated service. During his career, he commanded at every level in USMC infantry units and commanded Marines in both Anbar Province, Iraq and Helmand Province, Afghanistan during critical periods of military campaigns. General Nicholson is the first General Officer to be interviewed on our show.

2019 Year in Review with Jason Brezler and James McNamara--Part II

Welcome to the second part of our 2019 Year In Review. This episode picks up with podcast host Patti Murphy, Leadership Under Fire Founder and President Jason Brezler and FDNY Senior Firefighter James McNamara. In the previous episode, we discussed the LUF team's accomplishments and focused efforts during 2019. Now, we'll dive deeper into some of the lessons Jason and Jim learned firsthand during the year that impacted their views on human performance and leadership.

2019 Year in Review with Jason Brezler and James McNamara--Part I

In this episode, host Patti Murphy is joined by Leadership Under Fire Founder and President Jason Brezler and FDNY Senior Firefighter James McNamara. Together they discuss the LUF Team's 2019 accomplishments and focused efforts which included the rigorous examination of resilience--most specifically, exploring the question of "what happens when we play to win and lose?" Jason and Jim also share as some of the lessons that they learned firsthand during 2019 that impacted their views on human performance and leadership, as well as events and resources that shaped their professional development. This is the first of a two-part series.  

Measuring Rigor: From the Ironman to the Fireground with Tim Clarke

Timothy Clarke is an FDNY Firefighter in Ladder Company 12 in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan and an International Association of Firefighters Peer Certified Fitness instructor (which is a personal trainer for firefighters). He spent three years racing professionally in the sport of triathlon and is a QT2 systems level 3 certified triathlon coach. As both an athlete and a coach, Tim has spent the last 10 years using biometric heart rate data as a tool for training and racing. His experience has given him a unique insight into what happens inside the human body at real world fires and emergencies as well as during workouts and recovery.

Developing Mission-Oriented Leaders with Eric Nurnberg

In this episode, listeners will hear from a guest who you may recognize from an episode we published in the spring of 2019 on Risk and Resilience. Please welcome back Deputy Chief Eric Nurnberg who currently serves as our team’s Leadership Director. Eric is a Deputy Chief with the Iowa City Fire Department and is a second generation firefighter. He’s a veteran of the United States Marine Corps and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English from the University of Iowa. In 2013, Eric graduated from the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program. His research during the four-year program focused on rapid tactical decision-making under stress and the psychological and physiological effects of stress on tactical performance. He continues to research human factors related to tactical performance and is the co-author of “FirePsyche: Mental Toughness and the VALOR Mindset for the Fireground.”

Tactical Science and Lethal Threats with Charles “Sid” Heal

Charles “Sid” Heal retired as a Commander from the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department in 2008 after nearly 33 years of service, more than half of which was spent in units charged with handling law enforcement special and emergency operations. He was present for emergency operations at the Oklahoma City Bombing, the 1992 Los Angeles Riots, the 1994 Northridge Earthquake, and the 2001 attacks. Sid also dedicated 35 years to the US Marine Corps Reserve and served four combat tours. He is the author of Sound Doctrineand Field Command, as well as more than 180 articles on law enforcement subjects. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Police Science from California State University, a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Southern California and a master’s degree in management from California Polytechnic University. He is also a graduate of the FBI’s National Academy and the California Command College. He is the President of the California Association of Tactical Officers and the national chairman for Strategy Development for the National Tactical Officers Association. He is a frequent teacher at the U.S. military war colleges and has taught throughout the world.

Mental Sweat with Mental Performance Coach Hannah Huesman

Hannah Huesman is a Mental Performance Coach with the Philadelphia Phillies. She earned a Master of Science degree in Sport Psychology and Motor Behavior from The University of Tennessee, focusing on improving performance amongst athletes of all ages. Throughout her career she’s worked with business executives, actors, and members of the FDNY. She is also the host of #MentalSweatMonday on social media. This one-minute video, posted every Monday, offers tips and tricks to help you work on your mental game. She’s a former two-sport Division I student-athlete, in both basketball and softball and serves as a human performance advisor for Leadership Under Fire. 

Remembering FDNY Captain John T. Vigiano--Part II

This is the second and final installment in a series dedicated to Remembering FDNY Captain John T. Vigiano. Captain Vigiano passed away on July 8, 2018, after a long battle with cancer—leaving behind an indelible impression on those who knew him best. Captain Vigiano was a resilient leader, dedicated to a life of service. Aside from his impressive professional record, Captain Vigiano was most proud of his family and the paths his two sons chose: John Jr., an FDNY firefighter, and Joe, an NYPD detective. Captain Vigiano and his wife, Jan, lost both their sons on the morning of September 11, 2001. In this episode, we’ll take a closer look at his personal life and the support he and his wife provided our nation’s post-9/11 military veterans. You’ll hear from almost a dozen people who were impacted by his leadership, as well as from Captain Vigiano himself. In 2015, he sat on a panel at a Leadership Under Fire Conference reflecting on risk and resilience which we’ll play for you throughout the episode. 

Remembering FDNY Captain John T. Vigiano--Part I

FDNY Captain John T. Vigiano was a resilient leader, dedicated to a life of service. On July 8, 2018, he passed away after a long battle with cancer, but left behind a far-reaching legacy. 

Captain Vigiano was a former Sergeant in the US Marine Corps. Prior to his enlistment in the Marines, he enlisted in the New York National Guard at the young age of fifteen. He eventually joined the FDNY in 1962, working his way up to Captain at Ladder Co. 176. He retired one of the Department’s most decorated fire Captains after 36 years on the job.

Aside from his impressive professional record, Captain Vigiano was most proud of his family and the paths his two sons chose: John Jr., an FDNY firefighter, and Joe, an NYPD detective. Captain Vigiano and his wife, Jan, lost both their sons on the morning of September 11, 2001—an unthinkable tragedy which they were able to transform into continued service. To honor their sons, they worked tirelessly donating their time and resources to improving the lives of Gold Star Families and our nation’s post-9/11 military veterans.

In the fall of 2015, Captain Vigiano sat on a Risk and Resilience panel in Bowie, Maryland at a Leadership Under Fire Conference and spent the evening candidly reflecting on risk and resilience. In this first episode of a two-part series, you’ll hear some of that discussion as well as from nearly a dozen people who knew him best and were impacted by his leadership.

2019 Summer Recap with Patti Murphy

This summer, we took a hiatus from publishing new episodes. But thanks to the brief pause, the Leadership Under Fire team accomplished a lot. In this episode, listeners are brought up to speed and get a glimpse of what's to come. 

Capturing the Moment with NFL Defensive End Romeo Okwara

Romeo Okwara currently is a Defensive End for the NFL’s Detroit Lions. Prior to this, he played college football at Notre Dame and signed with the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2016. Born June 17, 1995, Romeo stands 6’4” and weighs 275 pounds. But as we’ll discuss in this episode, when it comes to Okwara, there’s more than meets the eye. He moved to the United States from Nigeria with his family in 2005, and he played organized football for the first time a year later, but his lack of experience resulted in him being cut from the team. During his childhood, Romeo’s parents stressed the importance of education to him and his siblings so much so that during the recruiting process he would not entertain interest from colleges whose academic reputations did not meet his standards. And the one thing he rarely leaves home without is his camera. Off the field, he indulges his creative side and enjoys traveling the world.

High Performance in Tower Climbing with Troy Ryan

Renewable energy offers many benefits to the environment and its workforce. But while these are often great jobs, they can also be dangerous. Renewable energy workers are exposed to hazards that can result in fatalities and serious injuries. Many incidents involving falls, severe burns from electrical shocks and fires, and crushing injuries have been reported to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Our guest in this episode, Troy Ryan, is the Director of Operations for Leeward Renewable Energy—an industry leader in North America. Prior to joining the private sector, Ryan served in the US Marine Corps. His experience in these two seemingly different, yet similarly high-risk industries is the impetus of this interview.

Enhancing Evidence-Based Practice Among Nurses with Stacy Shilling

Stacy Shilling has dedicated the last 21 years to educating patients and families about health and wellness as a Registered Nurse. After obtaining her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from West Virginia Wesleyan College, Stacy was awarded a grant from Stevenson University for her Master of Science in Nursing with a focus in Population Based Care Coordination. Stacy’s career has included caring for patients in Neuroscience Critical Care, Medical Oncology Critical Care, Interventional Radiology, and as an Organ Procurement Coordinator for transplant. In her current role, as the Coordinator for Nursing Clinical Standards at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Stacy assures that nursing policy and practice implement current evidence-based practice for all 3,800 nurses.

Leading Your Peers with FDNY Senior Firefighter James McNamara

The Senior Firefighter is one of the most significant roles in the fire service. A member who carries this informal position can be a valuable source of experience, knowledge and leadership. Often their actions dictate the level of success that members of a company will achieve both individually and as a whole. James McNamara is a dedicated member of the FDNY who embodies the true characteristics of a senior firefighter. Jim joined the FDNY in 1994 and eventually was assigned to Engine 37. He currently serves in Ladder Co. 26 in Harlem. Jim is a long-standing member of the Division 3 Safety Committee and a Company and Battalion Delegate for the Uniformed Firefighters Association. He serves on the strategic committee for the FDNY's Mental Performance Initiative and has developed the operational research component in partnership with Columbia University. He attended Thomas College in Waterville, Maine where he played basketball.

Mission-Oriented Reform with Colonel Michael Wyly, USMC (Ret)

Colonel Michael Wyly was a principal author of the FMFM 1 – Warfighting manual, a seminal doctrinal publication that cemented the USMC’s adoption of maneuver warfare under the leadership of Commandant Al Gray. Following his retirement in 1992, Colonel Wyly founded the Bossov Ballet Theatre in Maine. He has continued to actively publish in professional journals on modern war and lead intellectual efforts designed to improve the US military’s operational and strategic capability set.

Tactical Fitness with FDNY Firefighter James Lopez

James Lopez joined the FDNY in 1997 and currently is assigned to Rescue Company 2 in Brooklyn. He also serves as a tactical fitness advisor for both Leadership Under Fire and the FDNY’s Mental Performance Initiative.

Perseverance with MLB Hitting Coach Anthony Iapoce

In the fall of 2018, the Cubs named Anthony Iapoce as the team’s Hitting Coach. Iapoce began his coaching career in 2006, but prior to that he spent eleven seasons playing in the minor leagues with the Brewers and Marlins organizations. Just as Cubs fans always remained steadfast, so has Iapoce.

Risk and Resilience With a Navy SEAL Commander

In 2014, the Leadership Under Fire team hosted the 3rd Annual Making Yourself Hard to Kill Conference. During this event, a Navy SEAL Commander with extensive operational experience shared his thoughts on navigating risk, mutual trust, decision-making among SEAL teams and more. This conversation was moderated by the LUF team’s Leadership Director, Eric Nurnberg, who joins us in this episode. Nurnberg is a Deputy Chief with the Iowa City Fire Department and a veteran of the United States Marine Corps.

Tribe with Journalist, Author and Filmmaker Sebastian Junger

Sebastian Junger is an American journalist, author and filmmaker whose work demands contemplation regarding what history, science and experience tells us about the ability to endure hardship and how to navigate our current cultural terrain. Junger’s work includes the books: Tribe and The Perfect Storm as well as the Academy Award-nominated film: Restrepo, which he co-directed with Tim Hetherington.

Ultra-Competitive Settings with Brendan and Danny Fowler

Brendan Fowler was a two-time NCAA Champion during his days of playing lacrosse at Duke, the NCAA Championship most outstanding player in 2013, and the single-season leader all-time in face-offs won in the same year. Also on the football team at Duke, Fowler was a part of the Blue Devils squad that made its first bowl since 1994. After graduating, Fowler spent half a season with the Charlotte Hounds of Major League Lacrosse. Fowler then made his way onto the wrestling mat for a final season of NCAA eligibility. His professional lacrosse career has been spent with the Vancouver Stealth and New York Lizards. Danny Fowler was named an Under Armor All American in 2013 as the Chaminade High School star lacrosse goalie. That year he also helped pin down the Catholic State Championship in wrestling. He followed his older brother’s footsteps to Duke where he too played on the lacrosse and football teams.

Leadership Under Fire with FDNY FF and USMC Major Jason Brezler

Jason Brezler is the Founder and President of Leadership Under Fire (or LUF). In this episode, we’ll get to share how Leadership Under Fire came to be and how the LUF endeavor has evolved over time. We’ll also learn how Jason’s personal experiences have influenced his views on how to develop leaders and optimize human performance.

Breathing to Support Peak Performance with Dr. Belisa Vranich

In this episode, Dr. Belisa Vranich will tell us some surprising information about breathing and walk us through the simple, revolutionary program she developed to improve mental and physical heath through breath work.

Career Reflection with FDNY Lt. Mickey Conboy

In 2018, the FDNY’s highest honor for the most outstanding act of heroism was awarded to Lieutenant Mickey Conboy. Lt. Conboy has more than 30 years with the FDNY. External recognition aside, he's also experienced quiet moments of accomplishment and fulfillment in the fire service and in his personal life. 

Life As Sport with Dr. Jonathan Fader

"Life As Sport.” It’s an approach to performance and everyday situations that Dr. Jonathan Fader strongly believes in based on his experience working with top athletes. 

Love and War with Photojournalist Lynsey Addario

Our guest in this episode has spent two decades traveling to some of the most dangerous and remote areas of the world. Lynsey Addario is an American photojournalist whose work appears regularly in the New York Times, National Geographic and Time magazine. Patti Murphy hosts.