Does the fire service have an ego problem?

Matt, Brian, and Adam get into the difference between confidence and ego and what happens when rank, experience, reputation, and pride start getting in the way of good leadership.

Matt shares a story about reconnecting with a chief who knew him years ago when Matt was a young volunteer—and the first thing the chief did was apologize for how he treated younger firefighters back then. That kicks off a bigger conversation about self-awareness, owning your mistakes, and whether rank changes people or simply multiplies who they already are.

The guys talk about leading with love, praising in public and correcting in private, firehouse banter versus tearing people down, developing younger firefighters instead of waiting for them to fail, and why some departments mistake treating people poorly for maintaining a “standard.”

They also tackle the fire service’s social media culture. Are keyboard warriors and firefighter-bashing pages holding people accountable—or is some of it just ego hiding behind a screen?

Plus, Patreon updates, the September Prize Box, an incredible message from a listener, some classic firehouse stories, recruitment vs. retention, and a little Snail Mail to finish things off.

One question to think about after this episode:

Do you treat people the way you wanted to be treated when you were coming up—or are you becoming the firefighter you used to complain about?

Listen, follow, and share the episode with another firefighter.

🔥 The Cool Fireman Podcast