The official First Due podcast

In the premiere episode of Table Talk, Eddie Buchanan speaks with Craig Weinschenk, Director of Research at the Fire Safety Research Institute, about NERIS, its impact on fire departments, and how agencies can prepare for a successful transition.

Join us to discuss the state of Fire & EMS training, records management systems, and learning management systems. We dig into the real-world challenges training officers face when building training programs and documenting performance. We look at how artificial intelligence will inform training focus in the future.

What is ISO and why does it matter to fire departments and the communities they serve? In this episode of First Due Table Talk, Mike Morash explains how ISO Public Protection Classification (PPC) ratings are calculated and how they influence insurance rates, fire department operations, training, water supply, and communications systems. Learn how departments can improve their ISO score and why ISO is truly a community-wide effort.

Fire Chief Darrel Donatto shares how Jupiter Fire Rescue built a modern department from the ground up—covering culture, hiring, leadership, and accountability. A practical look at creating a strong, service-driven team from day one.

Keeping up with advancements in technology is no longer optional for the fire service. In this episode of First Due TableTalk, Battalion Chief Chad Crouse breaks down how artificial intelligence, data, and emerging tools are actively reshaping fire and EMS operations.

First Due CEO Andreas Huber shares how a line-of-duty death helped shape a mission to put better information in the hands of responders before they arrive. The conversation connects innovation, customer listening, and domain expertise to one operational goal: helping crews make better decisions faster.

Rachael Stabell reframes inclusion, PPE fit, station design, mentorship, and advocacy as readiness issues, not side conversations. This episode shows how removing unnecessary barriers helps every responder show up safer, healthier, and better prepared to do the job.

Jeremy Maners of Carmel (IN) Fire Department walks through a major school explosion that could have become a mass-casualty incident and shows what happens when command, preplans, accountability, and communications are tested in real time. This episode is a hard look at why preparation matters before the bells go off.

Jonah Smith brings an operational lens to the intersection of fireground tactics, research, staffing realities, accreditation, and data. The episode challenges leaders and front-line crews to use evidence without losing the aggressive, mission-focused mindset required to solve real incidents.

Johnny Torgeson explains why leadership is not the finish line - building a real team is. For company officers, supervisors, and crew members, this episode digs into identity, trust, peer accountability, and the daily habits that turn a group of responders into a high-performing unit.

Matt Mullen, Vice President for AI Strategy at First Due, gives public safety leaders a practical starting point for artificial intelligence: policy, risk management, training, and disciplined use. The episode frames AI as another tool in the toolbox - useful only when responders understand its limits, guardrails, and operational purpose.

Erin McGruder challenges the old lecture-heavy model and makes the case for realistic, hands-on, adult learning built around the work crews actually do. This episode is a practical reminder that every rep either builds capability or creates a training scar.