In this episode of the Triple P Podcast, we welcome a distinguished guest, Dr. Denis Onieal, former Deputy U.S. Fire Administrator and long-time leader at the National Fire Academy (NFA). Dr. Onieal brings decades of experience in fire service education, leadership development, and national fire policy. We dive into the evolution of the NFA, the critical role of professional development in shaping fire service leaders, and how departments of all sizes can leverage NFA resources to build smarter, safer communities. Dr. Onieal also shares his thoughts on the future of the fire service, the importance of lifelong learning, and practical advice for today’s fire chiefs navigating complex leadership challenges. Whether you're a seasoned chief or a new officer, this conversation is packed with insight, inspiration, and actionable takeaways.

OFCA Episode.34.Dr.DenisOnieal.

Andrew Pristach is a 14 year firefighter, currently a Sergeant on a heavy rescue with the City of Spartanburg Fire Department in Upstate South Carolina. He is an instructor with the Mississippi State Fire Academy, a founding member of Dixie Firemanship, the owner of Tradesman Fire & Fabrication, and the co-designer of the Council Tool TD30 halligan bar and FE6 and FE8 axes.

@andrew.tff
@tradesman_fire
@dixiefiremanship

Sponsorship: @southwest_fire_academy 
Editing: @bradshea
Marketing: @m.pletz
Administration: @haileygreenfitness

Partnership: @firefighternationhq

Episode 107 - Andrew Pristach

Marcos Orozco was born and raised in Texas and became passionate about fitness at the age of 12 when his Dad bought him his first gym membership.  He played sports throughout high school and ran track for ASU (400m and 4x400m relay) where he got a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science/Kinesiology.  
Marcos has been a career fireman for 17 years and has been training and working out in gear for about 15 + of those years.  
His passion for fitness as it relates to performance on the fire ground is what he is passionate about and what he is best known for.  He has spent the past decade plus training “tactical athletes” and helping them become the best version of themselves, making them an asset rather than a liability.  
Marcos is the owner of Hardknox Sunday where he has programs designed to help firefighters improve their fitness as it relates to performance on the fire ground.  He is a big believer in “you are either an asset or a liability, there is no in between.”
Marcos is co-founder of The Crucible with John Spera and Logan Broberg.  The Crucible is a 24hr class where the participants will do 12 in full-gear workouts over that 24hr period where a standard must be met under the required time frame.  This class is meant to help build that mental fortitude and resiliency, and to share with the participants what has worked for us, the cadre.  We will be focusing on building the participants up and helping them work through those dark moments.  In addition, The cadre will be doing the workouts with the participants, and embracing the shared suffering. 
 
Marcos is also co-owner of True Grit Training, where they provide realistic “live fire” trainings as well as RIT and Search and Rescue classes in the Denver metropolitan area.  
 
Marcos has been an instructor for over 11 years and travels all over the country teaching HOT classes and giving his lecture “Improving fire ground performance through fitness and mental fortitude” as well as being on several podcasts in the last couple of years.

@hardknoxsunday

Sponsorship: @southwest_fire_academy 
Editing: @bradshea
Marketing: @m.pletz
Administration: @haileygreenfitness

Partnership: @firefighternationhq
Mid-roll Sponsor - @firehumorcompany

Some of his fire conferences include:  
 
Ft Lauderdale Fire Expo (Ft Lauderdale, FL)
Fire Shows West (Reno, NV)
FDIC (Indianapolis, IN)
The Castillo Way, (Houston, TX)
Mile High Fire Conference (Denver, CO)
Mid America Fools OKC Conference (OKC, OK).
 
Some of his podcasts include:
 
Behind The Shield Podcast
Tailboard Misfits Podcast
Fit to Fight Fire Podcast
Student of the Game Podcast
Undisclosed Agents Podcast
The Sheepdog Society Podcast 
 
Some of his “HARD” accomplishes include completing the Dunes 100-mile Ultra Race (2019-FL), completing the Georgia Smoke Diver Program at age 45 (2022-GA), running Pikes Peak Ascent (13.3 miles up to 14,115ft of elevation) in bunker coat/pants (2023-CO), and completing OBT 6 (2024-FL).
Challenging himself and others is what Marcos is passionate about, and he enjoys showing others what is possible. 
Marcos moved from South Florida to Colorado in January of 2023 and has been working for Brighton Fire District where he was in the Training Division for all of 2024 teaching at The North Area Fire Academy (NAFA 14 & 15), sharing his knowledge and passion. 
Marcos believes you must do HARD things you do not want to do daily; you are only as good as what you are currently doing, and what are you currently doing to make people around you better.
 
“It is our responsibility to show them what is possible.”

Episode 108 - Marcos Orozco

Black firefighter awarded $275,000 in Portland discrimination lawsuit, exposing Bureau's racial harassment and retaliation. Case highlights national firefighter discrimination challenges.

Portland Fire Discrimination Case Exposes Systemic Pain

Jacob is a Lieutenant with the Cibolo Fire Department and has been proudly serving in the fire service for over 10 years. He’s passionate about leading with strong values, building deep relationships, and helping firefighters find purpose in their work. Jacob has been married for 7 years and is a proud dad of two kids. 
His family plays a huge role in shaping who he is—both at home and at the firehouse. He brings that same sense of connection and care into his leadership, believing that when you set clear expectations, build trust, and truly care about your team, great things happen. Based in the fast-growing I-35 corridor in Texas between San Antonio and Austin, Jacob is proud to serve a community that’s expanding quickly—and he’s just as committed to growing the people around him. At the heart of everything he does is one simple belief: firefighters are here to serve, and we do it best when we serve each other first.

Sponsorship: @southwest_fire_academy 
Editing: @bradshea
Marketing: @m.pletz
Administration: @haileygreenfitness

Partnership: @firefighternationhq

Episode 110 - Jacob Hillhouse

Julie, LPC, PhD is a licensed professional counselor and professor of Clinical Mental Health Counseling at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. She specializes in treating trauma, substance use disorders, and resilience-building. She has a special interest in the mental health and well-being of first responders. She is a critical incident stress debriefing facilitator with the Chippewa Valley Emergency Support Service and has conducted numerous trainings on the impact of traumatic stress throughout the Midwest.

Sponsorship: @southwest_fire_academy 
Editing: @bradshea
Marketing: @m.pletz
Administration: @haileygreenfitness

Partnership: @firefighternationhq

Episode 111 - Julie Bates-Maves

Fighting wildland fires by air at night is especially hazardous. NASA’s ACERO Project aims to make firefighting safer – day or night – with drones and smarter airspace management.

As wildland fires grow more intense and unpredictable, NASA is helping first responders gain the upper hand. In this episode, we explore the ACERO Project, the team developing an airspace management system to enable drones and other aircraft to safely monitor and suppress wildland fires 24 hours a day. The system will increase aerial response capabilities for responders during low-visibility conditions in a way that is not currently possible. Firefighters in California are already using this technology. We speak with Patrick Hill, chief of uncrewed aircraft systems training at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Virginia.

Small Steps, Giant Leaps: Episode 157: Fighting Wildland Fires with Drones

Mitch is a 3rd generation firefighter from Ontario, Canada.He has been on the job for over a decade and has merged my passion for fitness and firefighting to found Everyday Heroes, a platform that allows first responders to realize their true potential and prioritize their physical and mental health.

He has felt firsthand how the job and life can pile up, and it’s his learned experience that he leverages to motivate others to make the shifts that have been so transformative for him

Helping the public in acute, high-stress situations is something he is proud of, but helping the helpers, coaching those on the front lines, is his passion. 

@everydayheroes.fitness

Sponsorship: @southwest_fire_academy 
Editing: @bradshea
Marketing: @m.pletz
Administration: @haileygreenfitness

Partnership: @firefighternationhq


Episode 112 - Mitch Gourley

Car into the Woods with Entrapment - Westbound SSP East of Exit 28 Wantagh Avenue - August 10, 2025

Wantagh Fire Department working fire (Signal 10) @ 828 Bruce Drive, Wantagh, NY, on the evening of August 12, 2025. Engine 692 and Levittown Tiller 626 first due 1&1.

Wantagh Fire Department - Signal 10 (Working Fire) - 828 Bruce Dr - August 12 2025

The OFCA is your premier training, professional networking and proactive advocacy partner.
 
Mission Statement: "The Ohio Fire Chiefs' Association exists to improve the safety of Ohio by leading, representing, educating and supporting Ohio's emergency services".

The Ohio Fire Chiefs' Association is a statewide organization supporting the interests of Ohio's fire chief officers. Through a variety of programs and services, the Association provides education and professional development, legislative advocacy, communication and information exchange and peer networking opportunities throughout the year.

Through the work of its dedicated board of directors and committee volunteers and professional staff, the Ohio Fire Chiefs' Association continually focuses on being the premier fire and emergency services organization in the state of Ohio.

Hello, we’re NASA. You may have seen our astronauts, rocket launches, or Mars rovers — but have you heard our sounds? From interviews with astronauts and engineers to stories that take you on a tour of the galaxy, NASA’s audio offerings let you experience the thrill of space exploration without ever leaving Earth.

Find out what Firefighters are made of!

This podcast pulls back the curtain and shows you what goes into the making of a Firefighter. 

We talk about the how and why of each guest's journey to the job, what challenges they have faced overall and how they made it through them, the struggles they see for our service and their ideas on how each of us can help progress in the job, as well as what keeps them inspired and motivated. You will be getting to know your family better. 

'Multiple Calls' is a phrase that catches a Firefighter's attention because it signifies that there is a strong possibility that what we are responding to is legitimate and will require us to be at our best. It is also what experience is made of. We're going to be at our best to capture your attention with legitimate stories and enrich our experience of this unique and amazing job.

I'm a 25-year second-generation Firefighter working for a Department in Southern Ontario, Canada, with around 400 suppression personnel, 13 stations and 26 apparatus. I spent the first half of my career at a Technical Rescue station, six years working as a primary care medic, 3 years instructing as a Fire Training Officer, and had the honour and pleasure of co-leading our Peer Support Team for over a decade.

When I first joined, we were a lot smaller and the Senior Firefighter on the truck with me for my first shift had been on longer than I had been alive. Outside of what he and many others taught me about the job, he recommended that I start a journal of all the calls and happenings around the hall so that one day I'd have the makings of a book. He was right, but unfortunately, of all the things I heeded and applied, that wasn't one of them. The point being, there are stories to tell and we all carry them; about us as individuals, as crews, as platoons, and as a Department. The wisdom and instruction about how to do the job are crucial, but the experiences and stories also help to shape our character and our Fire Family as a whole. Stories are important. Through story-telling, we find comfort in what connects us and expand our minds through our differences. 

I've come late to the party when it comes to podcasts. A move in the summer of 2017 that involves an hour plus commute, opened up the opportunity to fill that time with some quality content. I've been inspired by a number of podcasts and listed the fire-related ones on the Multiple Calls Website in the Resources section along with books, Facebook pages, websites, literature, and videos. You can also find a running list of those in the Fire Service at large that deserve our respect and acknowledgment for their efforts to keep us grounded and progressing, in the Credits section. Please message me if you want me to add someone. 

We get to know each other very well in this line of work. From all that we experience together, we create strong bonds, and we use deeply meaningful words like Family and Brotherhood to describe them. As shift schedules, generations, where we choose to live, our societal norms, and the size of our departments change, our view of the importance and tradition of the Fire Service Family and Brotherhood can be challenged, strained and at risk of being lost. This would be incredibly sad, tragic, and detrimental. We need to continue to invest in each other and learn and participate in each other's stories. 

Much Love,

Scott

New tracks tagged #firefighting