Episodes
93
Latest episode
Aug 2026
Language
EN
This podcast features fire chiefs and influencers talking about the latest trends and issues impacting today’s evolving fire service.
Human Resources manager Constance MacDonald joins host Tom DeSorcy to discuss her role working within and supporting fire departments, while also discussing how every people issue is an HR issue.
Chatham-Kent Fire Chief Chris Case joins host Tom DeSorcy to discuss his unconventional rise up the ranks of the fire service through the United Kingdom and now Canada, and his experience dealing with an abandoned gas well incident in 2021 that forced residents out of their homes and mandated his department be on scene for over two years. This episode is brought to you by VFIS of Canada, a division of CVIS Incorporated, Canada’s largest insurer of firefighters since 1991. Fire Chief Chris Case began his career with Merseyside Fire Brigade in Liverpool, UK, in 1991, going on to lead the UK's only joint Police/Fire/Counter Terrorism team and serve in Special Operations across Europe and the US before becoming District Chief in 2010. He joined Chatham-Kent Fire in 2016, rose to Fire Chief in 2020, became a Canadian citizen in 2023, and continues, with 35 years of service under his belt, to champion Community Safety for the citizens and firefighters of his home, Chatham-Kent.
Fire Chief Dallas D'Aoust is a strong advocate for mental health, leading an initiative that secured dedicated mental health funding for his previous department in Yorkton, Sask. In this month’s podcast he discusses the cost of mental health and what that means for today’s firefighters. D’Aoust has spent over 20 years in the fire service after beginning his career in Edmonton. Note: Since recording, D’Aoust has moved into a new role as fire chief for Cochrane, Alta.
Tom DeSorcy sits down for a discussion with CAFC Volunteer Fire Chief of the Year Wayne Power, who has served as the fire chief of the Placentia Fire Department in Newfoundland since 1979. The two discuss how Power began his career as a volunteer firefighter, how his department’s recruitment and staffing strategies are shifting, his fire hall’s close ties to the Placentia municipal government, and why he’s still chief at 72 years old. This episode is brought to you by VFIS of Canada, a division of CVIS Incorporated, Canada’s largest insurer of firefighters since 1991.
Mike Harnett, president of Solaris Fatigue Management, and Steve Farina, a well-known advocate in first responder mental health who served 32 years in B.C.’s fire service, join Tom DeSorcy to discuss B.C.’s decision to permanently shift their clocks forward and the effects that sleep and fatigue have on a firefighters’ physical and mental health. This episode is brought to you by VFIS of Canada, a division of CVIS Incorporated, Canada’s largest insurer of firefighters since 1991.
Brian Hutchinson, superintendent of provincial operations at BC Wildfire Service, joins Tom DeSorcy to discuss his experience in various structural firefighting roles, how the second worst wildfire season affected B.C., how BC Wildfire deployed resources out of province to aid others in 2025, what he thinks is in store for 2026, and more. This episode is brought to you by VFIS of Canada, a division of CVIS Incorporated, Canada’s largest insurers of firefighters since 1991.
Tune in to hear fire Chief Mathew Conte’s harrowing experience fighting the devastating Jasper wildfires of 2024. Conte also touches on how the municipality has pushed past this challenging time, how wildfire fighting is ingrained into his department, and his own start in the fire service. This episode is brought to you by VFIS of Canada, a division of CVIS Incorporated, Canada’s largest insurer of firefighters since 1991.
Fire Chief Jason Cairney takes you inside Surrey Fire Services’ award-winning cancer prevention efforts. The three-part health initiative involves specialized education, cardiac stress testing, and advanced blood and urine screenings to identify risks early. Chief Cairney emphasizes the shift toward clean cab designs and on-scene decon. A critical component of the program’s success is the partnership with the local union, which ensures member privacy and encourages high participation rates. Tune in for details!
Ken McMullen, president of the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs (CAFC), takes listeners inside their annual "Chiefs on the Hill" initiative, where a large delegate of fire chiefs meet with federal officials in early December to address policy implications for fire, emergency, and life safety across Canada. Tune in to find out this year’s hot topics on the Hill.
This episode features Fire Chief Greg Jones of the Amherst Fire Department and president of the Fire Service Association of Nova Scotia. Chief Jones discusses the release of the association's governance study, which is a roadmap for modernizing and strengthening fire service delivery. Chiefs will gain critical insights into key recommendations, including introducing consolidated legislation, implementing provincial training and fire service standards to ensure a minimal training level for every firefighter, establishing a better, sustainable funding model, and enhancing coverage for mental health and cancer prevention.
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