Martin Grube joins the National Fire Training Podcast to talk about a 34-year fire service career, his work behind the scenes at FDIC, and how that experience ultimately led to the creation of FireRescueTV.live.Martin shares practical lessons every firefighter and fire officer can use—from the importance of simply wearing your seatbelt and arriving safely, to slowing down when approaching the fireground and giving crews time to read the scene.The conversation also dives into one of the biggest challenges facing the fire service: recruitment and retention. Martin discusses the value of cadet, explorer and junior firefighter programs, along with creative ways departments can keep both younger and more experienced members involved.Martin also explains how FireRescueTV evolved from digital signage in fire stations into a streaming platform designed to bring training, podcasts, breaking news and other fire service content together in one place.Plus, hear the incredible story of how Martin’s fire service and media experience put him on the scene of an F/A-18 crash in Virginia Beach, where he captured footage that would ultimately be distributed around the world.Topics include:Firefighter seatbelt and apparatus safetySafer emergency responseVolunteer firefighter recruitment and retentionCadet and explorer programsOnline and blended firefighter trainingFireRescueTV.livePreserving fire department historyFire service photography and mediaMartin’s experience at FDICThe Virginia Beach F/A-18 crash🔥 National Fire TrainingTraining, conversations and resources for today’s fire service.

On this episode of the National Fire Training Podcast, Mark Haugh, Frank Ricci, and PJ Norwood sit down with Bryce Long for a powerful conversation on leadership, decision-making, training, communication, and what the fire service can learn from high-performing organizations.Bryce is the Chief Operating Officer at Montfort Group, previously served as COO at O2X Human Performance, and earlier in his career worked closely with former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.This conversation covers leadership lessons from Rumsfeld, the importance of questioning assumptions, decision-making with imperfect information, fire service training models, communication under pressure, and why tough bosses and high expectations can make us better.Whether you’re a firefighter, company officer, chief, instructor, or anyone interested in leadership under pressure, this episode has a lot to take away.

In this episode of the National Fire Training Podcast, we sit down with fire service leader PJ Norwood to discuss the release of his new book, The Evolving Fireground – 2nd Edition.PJ shares how modern fireground tactics have evolved through research and real-world experience, and why understanding fire behavior is critical for today’s firefighters. From basement fire strategies to ventilation timing and the concept of “fastest water wins,” this conversation breaks down how science is reshaping the way we operate on the fireground.We also dive into:How fireground research from UL Fire Safety Research Institute is influencing tacticsWhy controlling flow paths is critical for firefighter and civilian survivalThe importance of coordinating ventilation with fire attackLessons learned from line-of-duty deaths and how they shape modern SOPsHow this new book goes beyond theory—serving as a training tool, study guide, and operational blueprintWhether you're a firefighter, officer, or instructor, this episode delivers practical, real-world insights you can apply on your next call.🔥 Key Takeaway: The sooner you get water on the fire, the sooner everything gets better.nationalfiretraining.com