08/17/2026
Hi everyone,
I’ve decided to revisit a project designed for firefighters who are interested in learning more about the job and sharpening their fireground decision-making.
Officers and members of volunteer departments are absolutely welcome. Experience, rank, and department size don’t determine whether someone has something valuable to contribute.
This is completely voluntary and non-compensated. I am speaking only on behalf of myself, and any views I express are solely my own, not those of any department or organization.
Every morning on shift, my crew and I watch a short fireground video together. We walk through what we’re seeing, pause the video, discuss tactics, and connect book knowledge to real-world decisions. It keeps everyone mentally engaged, expecting fire and victims, and thinking through how we would operate today, not someday.
I’d like to bring that same approach online and create a space for firefighters who want to learn through shared experience.
I’m calling it The Educated Firefighter.
The plan is to host short Google Meet sessions where we watch real incident videos, discuss what we see, talk through tactical decisions and possible alternatives, and then share the conversation on YouTube so others can learn from it as well.
Next Session
Sunday, August 30, 2026 at 2100 hours
The time is 2100 mainly because when I’m home, I want to put my kids to bed first.
Sessions will be held every other Sunday at 2100 hours. The Google Meet link will be sent directly to those who sign up using the form below.
Looking for firefighters who:
Care about the craft
Are interested in learning from real incidents
Are comfortable with open, constructive discussion
Are willing to participate in recorded sessions
You can remain anonymous. Your displayed name can simply be Firefighter, and your camera can remain off.
The goal is learning, not criticism.
Fire experience is limited, and opportunities to get realistic repetitions are even more limited. Studying real incidents gives us another way to sharpen our decision-making, recognize conditions, discuss tactics, and learn from what other firefighters have encountered.
Hopefully, these conversations help someone on the fireground, in the firehouse, or later during a promotional process.
Reference Links
The Educated Firefighter – YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/
FSRI Fireground Playbook
https://fsri.org/resource/evidence-based-considerations-your-fireground-playbook
Firefighter Rescue Survey
https://firefighterrescuesurvey.com
Project Mayday
https://firefightermaydayproject.com
Interested?
Sign up here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScTVJ1qCqB39WsWpC6hvJG_3CK6ORpZocMb_mqVs-uoIAI_5w/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=100663317394504394044
Thanks for considering it.
Stay safe,
Captain Harris
Station 12A
"If you're reading this, you obviously care. Do what you can, no matter what your level, to be the change you want to see in your department, regardless of what others think or say."
– Chief John Sullivan