In this powerful Veterans Day episode, Brian, Doug, and Freddy honor the veterans who serve both our country and our firehouses. From shoutouts to community heroes like The Salty Paramedic to emotional reflections on fallen brothers, this one hits deep.

🚒 Topics Covered:

• 🇺🇸 Why Veterans Thrive in the Fire Service
  The guys dive into how military experience—discipline, work ethic, service mindset—translates into being a top-tier firefighter.

• 🔁 Lateral Transfers vs. Green Recruits
  Freddy shares a personal story about transitioning departments and the personality conflicts that followed. The crew weighs the pros and cons of bringing in seasoned laterals vs. molding fresh rookies.

• 💬 Trust, Tone & Timing
  What does it really mean to build trust? Brian unpacks Stephen Covey’s “Speed of Trust” and the importance of how we communicate in the firehouse.

• 🧂 Merch Drop!
  The Cool Fireman Podcast officially launches its new merch store with stickers, mugs, hoodies, and more!

  🛒 Merch: https://notoriousfireshops.com/cool_fireman_podcast/shop/home
  🎁 Use code TCFP for 15% OFF through November!

• 💬 Snail Mail & Appetizer Draft Results
  Listener comments pour in for the Fantasy Football Appetizer Snake Draft. Deviled eggs drama. Boneless wings betrayal. Who won the snack war? (Still up for debate...)

• 🕊️ Moment of Silence
  A heartfelt tribute to veterans and a somber farewell to a fallen firefighter from Doug's department.

📢 Call to Action:
Drop a comment telling us how many veterans serve in your department—and give them a shoutout!

🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your shows.

This week’s episode has it all — snacks, sarcasm, shout-outs, and snail mail. The guys take a break from the heavy topics and go full-on firehouse fun mode in this Fantasy Appetizer Draft episode. Who picked the best three-game day snacks? That’s up to YOU to decide!

Plus:
🚨 A big-time merch announcement
📬 New messages from listeners in our Snail Mail segment
👨‍🚒 Tips for new recruits starting the Fire Academy
🧂 Unkie’s Seasonings update
🔥 A call to action that’ll get your stomach growling

🥨 Pigskin Appetizer Draft:

5 firemen. 3 rounds. Snake-style draft.
Game Day Food Showdown.

Pick Highlights:

• Freddy: Pulled pork nachos, jalapeño poppers, cheeseburger egg rolls

• Matt: Spinach artichoke dip (in a bread bowl), sliders, pigs in a blanket

• Unkie: Classic meatballs, buffalo chicken dip, deviled eggs

• Brian: Boneless wings (or chicken nuggets 🤔), queso dip, cheeseburger sliders

• Doug: Traditional wings, pizza, bacon-wrapped little smokies

🎯 You decide who won — vote on Instagram or Spotify!

🧢 Merch Announcement:

We’ve officially partnered with Notorious Fire Company for all Cool Fireman Podcast gear!
👕 Hoodies, shirts, hats — it’s all coming.
👉 Check thecoolfireman.com and our Instagram bio for updates.
Spoiler: It may already be live!

📬 Snail Mail Highlights:

• Don’t Kick My Dog 34 asked about fire academies — the crew drops major tips on mindset, heat acclimation, fitness, and claustrophobia training.

• Jacob Quartarella reached out about finding a mentor in the fire service. The team shares ideas for making connections when you don’t have firehouse contacts.

• Kenny Mitchell remains undefeated in the “Who Listens First?” challenge… can YOU beat him?

💬 Notable Quotes:

“Spinach artichoke dip… and you eat the bowl too!” – Matt
“Boneless wings are chicken nuggets with an ego.” – Doug
“That garlic and herb seasoning? Almost sold out.” – Unkie
“Every day in the academy is a job interview.” – Brian
“Respectful discourse? Always. Disrespect? No time for it.” – Doug
“We haven’t made a dime… but the brotherhood we’ve built? Worth it.” – Matt

🧠 Tips for Fire Academy Recruits:

• Acclimate to heat by wearing turnouts around the house

• Practice wearing a facepiece to build comfort and prevent panic

• Get your textbook early and start studying

• Tie knots and practice skills now — don’t wait

• Treat every day like a job interview

• Ask meaningful questions and stay humble

🎯 Call to Action:

🗳️ Vote for your favorite draft lineup!
Drop the name of the host whose appetizer picks you think are unbeatable.
🔥 BONUS: Try to beat Kenny Mitchell by being the first comment on our Friday episode post for a chance at a prize pack.

🎧 Listen Now On:

Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube
📅 New episodes drop every Friday at midnight PT

This episode is half Halloween chaos, half serious kitchen-table mentorship talk — with a little FD candy in between.

🎃 Costumes? Check.
😷 Smelling like sweaty Cheetos? Sadly, also check.
💥 Real firehouse talk about mentorship, generational shifts, and showing up for your crew? Absolutely.

We pick up where Episode 129 left off — answering listener comments, tackling social media backlash, and diving deep into what mentorship really means in today’s fire service.

💬 In This Episode:

• 🎃 Halloween Vibes:
  Doug's dressed as a nun. Brian rocks the Scream mask. Matt's just sweating in a USA tee.
  Spoiler: We're not as funny as we think we are, but we try.

• 🚨 Snail Mail Reactions:
  The clip heard around the firehouse — we clarify the “your time isn't more important than mine” statement.
  → It’s not about sick leave. It’s about respect and doing the right thing.

• 🔥 Mentorship Talk – Part 2:

  • Are rookies today really “soft” — or just different?

  • Why the way you were taught might not work anymore.

  • Creating an environment where rookies feel safe asking questions.

  • Holding onto accountability while ditching the unnecessary ego.

• 👶 New Firefighters & Generational Shifts:

  • Lateral hires, job-hopping, and the shift from fear-based leadership

  • The power of appreciation and how simple gratitude builds trust

  • Let rookies learn the why — not just memorize the what

• 🚒 Real-Life Training & Tactics:

  • Using tech (YouTube, IG) as modern-day tabletop drills

  • Changing hose loads, nozzle pressure debates, and field-tested feedback

  • “If you're not doing something better or safer… why not?”

• 📣 Shoutout Time:

  • Kenny Mitchell: Still undefeated in the “first to listen” challenge

  • Quinn a.k.a. “Little Firefighter”: Our newest (and possibly youngest) superfan

  • Rebecca: The mystery commenter finally revealed

  • Andrew: Your RIT team question is on deck — we want more info!

• 🎁 Giveaway Alert:
  Think you can beat Kenny? Be the first to comment on our Friday episode drop (Spotify or Instagram) and win a firehouse prize box!

  🧠 Notable Quotes:

“We’re not saying don’t use sick leave. We’re saying don’t screw your buddy to save your Saturday.” – Matt
“Your time isn’t more valuable than mine.” – Brian
“Mentorship means creating a space where rookies feel safe to fail — and strong enough to ask questions.” – Freddy
“Tradition isn’t bad… but don’t let it stop progress.” – Doug
“You’re not better than anyone — this job will humble you.” – Unkie

👻 Halloween PSA:

Parents — be the adult. Firefighters don’t want to respond to tragic calls on Halloween night. Keep your kids safe, stay visible, and don’t be “that house.”

📫 Snail Mail Segment:

We’re loving the DMs, comments, and questions. Keep them coming!
Want to be featured in Snail Mail? Hit us up at thecoolfireman@gmail.com or DM us on TikTok / Instagram.

🎧 Listen Now On:

Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube
📅 New episodes drop every Friday at midnight PT

This week on The Cool Fireman Podcast, we dive into something every firefighter—rookie or salty vet—should care about: mentorship. From the old kitchen table talks to today’s struggles with phones and generational disconnect, the crew gets honest about how mentorship has evolved, what makes a good mentor, and why it matters now more than ever.

Expect a little banter, some real talk, and plenty of heart.

💬 EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

• “Can You Beat Kenny?” Competition:
  Who’s the first to listen every Friday? Kenny thinks he is. If you think you’ve got what it takes, drop a comment on our Friday Instagram post for a chance to win!

• What Is Housekeeping?:
  We explain our opening segment: sponsor shoutouts, community love, and updates from past episodes.

• Mentorship Then vs. Now:

  • Why kitchen table talks mattered.

  • Is the “sink or swim” culture gone for good?

  • The dangers of soft feedback culture.

• Truth vs. Kindness:

  • Why good mentors aren’t always the nicest—but they are honest.

  • Don’t confuse gentle coaching with sugarcoating.

• Being a Mentee (and a Mentor):

  • The importance of having someone to trust, confide in, and learn from.

  • How a good mentor shapes not just your firehouse skills, but your character.

  • Pro tip: You don’t stop needing a mentor once you promote.

• Why Firehouse Culture Matters:

  • Phones vs. fellowship.

  • Why captains need to lead the crew off the couch and back to connection.

  • Shift trades, respect, and why “screwing your buddy” should never be okay.

🚒 SNAIL MAIL SHOUTOUTS:

• Rebecca: Proud Cool Fireman Podcast Addict—and yeah, we say “f*ck” a lot.

• Internal Inferno: 14 years old and wants to be a paramedic. Our advice? Be a kid, stay out of trouble, and find someone to look up to.

• Zach Brown & Station 2 Crew: That steak and eggs smell was 🔥

• Little Firefighter (on TikTok): Spartan rig updates and truck spec talk continues.

• Chief Joey Webb: Major love for Ben Hooper & Ben’s Backdraft BBQ.

💥 QUOTES TO REMEMBER:

“You need someone who tells you what you need to hear, not just what you want to hear.” – Matt
“Don’t take it personal. Take it serious.” – Brian
“Every generation says the next one has it easier. What if we just stopped teaching them the way we were taught?” – Adam (a.k.a. Unkie)
“Not on my watch, bro. Not on my watch.” – Matt

🎧 LISTEN ON:
Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube
📲 Follow us on Instagram @coolfiremanpodcast
🔔 New episodes drop every Friday at midnight (PT)

This week’s episode is an absolute rollercoaster—from serious community risk reduction to Doug being attacked by a rhino on safari, and even an amazing question from a 14-year-old future paramedic in our SNAIL MAIL segment 🐌.

We talk about what it means to truly serve your community, not just during emergencies, but through prevention, education, and compassion. It’s a mix of kitchen table laughs, deep leadership insight, and real-world firehouse experience—just the way we like it.

🔥 Episode Highlights:

• 🦏 Doug couldn’t make it… he’s hanging with giraffes and dodging rhinos in Africa

• 🚒 Why we haven’t seen a heroin overdose in a while—“Closed borders!”

• 📢 Community Risk Reduction (CRR): What it really means and how to do it right

• 🧠 The obligation to speak up when something in the community isn’t right

• 🧯 Public programs that work: CPR classes, fall prevention, Trunk or Treat, CERT

• 💸 How fire departments can create low-cost, high-impact community outreach

• ❤️ Why it's your responsibility to carry on the fire service legacy

• 🗣️ Brian’s town orientation and communicating mission/vision to new hires

• 🤯 PSA: Don't be the salty firefighter that refuses to give a kid candy

• 📈 Should you measure program success by saves? Or by outreach?

  
  

  🐌 Snail Mail Segment Returns!

• 💬 A 14-year-old future paramedic asks: “What can I do to prepare?”
  ➤ Our answer: BE A KID. Have fun. Stay out of trouble. Learn and grow.
  ➤ Take EMT in high school, do ride-alongs, and don’t forget to enjoy life.

• 🍖 Zach on BBQ sauce: “If it needs sauce, it's bad BBQ.”

• 🐖 Ben Hooper shoutouts and whole-hog debates spark more Backdraft BBQ talk

• 👏 Shoutout to James (Station 3 Leather) for listening at 5:40 AM

  
  

  💬 Call to Action:

• What programs does your department offer the community?

• What’s something you can do—big or small—to reduce risk before the call?

• Have you ever started a community program from scratch? Let us know!

  🧂 Sponsors:

• Unkie’s Seasonings – The firehouse favorite. Available at unkiesseasoning.com

• The Burn Box – FD Collectors Club: Monthly firehouse-themed gear & goodies

• FD Collectors Club – Show off your challenge coin. If you don’t have it at the bar, you’re buying the round 🍻

🎧 Available on:

Spotify (Video), YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music
📬 Snail Mail comments? Drop them on Spotify Q&A or YouTube!

In this flavorful and heartfelt episode of The Cool Fireman Podcast, the crew sits down with Ben Hooper, firefighter-turned-pitmaster and owner of Ben’s Backdraft BBQ in Waynesville, NC.

Ben shares his journey from firehouse kitchens to launching two food trailers and a thriving brick-and-mortar restaurant—all while staying rooted in faith, community, and first responder culture. He opens up about Hurricane Helene, how his business helped feed the community during the aftermath, and why consistency of greatness matters more than chasing perfection.

From whole hog mop sauce to Dave Ramsey discipline and the power of saying “no,” Ben drops serious knowledge (and makes us very hungry along the way).

• Ben’s fire service journey from Cherokee to Asheville

• How Texas-style BBQ changed his life (yes, Franklin BBQ is worth the hype)

• Starting Ben’s Backdraft BBQ with $10K and a dream

• Serving during and after Hurricane Helene

• Lessons in leadership, boundaries, and staying true to your values

• Why “being consistently good” matters more than being the best

• Dave Ramsey's influence on business & debt-free goals

• The BBQ rub recipe: simple, classic, no sugar

• Turnout Drill: favorite skills, vacation dreams & cornbread revelations 🍗

“Don’t let anyone dictate how you should or shouldn’t run your business—or your life.” – Ben Hooper

• Unkie’s Seasoning – Two years strong. Fire Marshall is still the fan favorite.

• The Burn Box – Firefighter-curated gear, tools & parody shirts. Use code COOLFIRE for your discount 🔥

Sauce or No Sauce?
Drop a comment below or on our socials—how do you like your BBQ? 🍖👇

• IG: @bensbackdraftbbq1

• FB & TikTok: Ben’s Backdraft BBQ

🎧 Listen & Watch on:
Spotify (video), YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music
📬 Got feedback or snail mail? DM us or comment below!

🧢 Merch & updates: thecoolfiremanpodcast.com

💥 Topics Covered:🚒 Firehouse Wisdom:🛠️ Sponsors:🧯 Call to Action:📍Follow Ben:

This week, we dive deep into the heart of the fire service—family, legacy, and what it means to really love this job. From laughing about Brian's new acting role as the Genie in Aladdin, to sharing emotional stories about our kids following in our footsteps, this episode blends heartfelt moments with hard firehouse truths.

And yes… Snail Mail is back, and it’s fire. 🐌🔥

• 🎭 Brian the Genie – We’re STILL milking the “Bird Cage” joke, and now he’s blue. Literally.

• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Firefighting as a Family Legacy – The crew gets personal about what it means when your kids (or YOU) choose the fire service.

• 🧠 Mental Health & Mass Casualty Incidents – Honoring recent tragedies in Southport, NC and Michigan; the lasting impact on responders.

• 🧂 Unkie's Seasonings & Burn Box Shoutouts – Chipotle in chili wins competitions, Freddy's cooking for 30+ football players, and we drool over firehouse recipes.

• 💬 The Family You Find in the Firehouse – Why the fire service truly becomes your family, even if you didn't grow up in it.

• 🛠️ Apparatus Crisis Continued – The national fire truck shortage isn’t going away. We talk:

  • The real reason rigs take 3+ years to deliver

  • $10 milkshakes vs. $2 milkshakes 🍨 (yes, it makes sense)

  • Federal funding, industry monopolies, and departments customizing themselves into a corner

• 🐌 Snail Mail Segment – Listener shoutouts, Spotify comments, and TikTok feedback about fire truck pricing, manufacturer mergers, and the struggle to plan for replacements

• Unkie’s Seasonings – From the firehouse to your house. Use it on everything. 🔥

• The Burn Box – FD Collectors Club = thick challenge coins, rad patches, and firehouse vibes shipped monthly.

• Drop a comment if you like how we handle sponsors—more banter, or keep it tight?

• Do you have family in the fire service? Tag them.

• What would YOU remove from a fire engine spec sheet to speed up delivery?

🎧 Now streaming on: Spotify | Apple | Amazon | YouTube
📲 Follow us on TikTok & Instagram for clips, behind the scenes, and to submit your own Snail Mail!

🔥 Key Topics Covered:🧂 Sponsors of the Week:💬 Calls to Action:

In this episode, Matt, Unkie, and Brian get sidetracked (as usual) with shirts, stickers, Sasquatch soap, and a whole lot of firehouse banter. But don’t worry—we also dive deep into important fire service topics like shift bids, specialty teams, station culture, and the rising cost of fire apparatus. PLUS… it’s time for another edition of SNAIL MAIL 🐌✉️ with some of the best listener comments yet!

🔥 Highlights:

• [00:01] Dr. Squatch, Air Show shirts, and why it takes 2 hours to record a 45-min episode 🤦‍♂️

• [03:00] Moment of silence for Officer John Coutchie and recent LODDs

• [07:00] Do you hang after shift? Matt loves staying late for coffee and crew talk ☕

• [13:00] 24/72 schedules are coming—departments experimenting with shorter work weeks

• [20:00] The Weegie tradition: Station bidding Laguna-style (crowns, staffs, and all) 👑

• [23:00] Do you really need all that specialty gear? A discussion on hazmat, USAR, and regional teams

• [33:00] Matt reflects on choosing Laguna Beach FD over bigger agencies—“Sometimes the department chooses you.”

• [37:00] Call to Action: What’s your post-shift routine? Do you hang? Comment and let us know!

• [38:00] 🐌 SNAIL MAIL segment: Listener feedback on fire apparatus costs, maintenance, and manufacturer monopolies

• [44:00] Brian fires back with real costs: $5K oil changes and $15K in fuel!

• [48:00] Shoutout to volunteer listener Courtney for an awesome comment on planning, training, and NOT relying on luck

  🧂 Sponsors:

• Unkie’s Seasonings – From the firehouse to your house. Grab yours at unkieseasoning.com

• The Burn Box – FD-inspired wellness and gear, brought to you by Tom

  📢 Call to Action:

• Do you stay late after shift for coffee and pass-downs?

• What's your station bidding process like?

• What specialty teams does your department support (or wish they had)?

• Drop your answers in the comments on Spotify, TikTok, or Instagram. We love hearing from you in Snail Mail!

  🎧 Listen on:

Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music
🎥 Watch full video episodes on YouTube and Spotify Video!