About this episode

Mike Gagliano shares insights on leadership and resilience for firefighters.

Retired Seattle Fire Department Captain and 2008 FDIC International keynote speaker Mike Gagliano brings decades of fireground leadership and life-earned wisdom to the show. As president of the Firefighter Air Coalition and co-author of Air Management for the Fire Service and Challenges of the Firefighter Marriage , he shares a powerful message for today’s firefighters: expect challenges, don’t quit, and remember—no one is stopping you from becoming the best firefighter you ever wanted to be. Lead with gratitude, stay disciplined, and don’t forget to have fun along the way.

People in this episode

Host: Berlin Maza

Guest: Mike Gagliano

Topics covered

• fireground leadership
• firefighter challenges
• personal development
• gratitude in leadership
• discipline
• teamwork

Keywords

• firefighter
• leadership
• challenges
• gratitude
• discipline
• teamwork
• personal development

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Firefighter Air Coalition

Books & works: Air Management for the Fire Service, Challenges of the Firefighter Marriage

Places: Seattle

More episodes of Leadership Conversations @ The Kitchen Table

• Ep. 96: Trisha Wolford, Fire Chief - Perspective & Gratitude · April 12, 2026 · 1h 12m
• Ep. 95: Mike Dugan, Captain (ret.) - It's Your Turn · March 24, 2026 · 1h 10m
• Ep. 94: Chuck DeSmith, Deputy Fire Chief (ret.) - Resiliency & Peer Support · March 17, 2026 · 1h 29m
• Ep. 93: Paul Conway, Assistant Chief (ret.) - A Life Full of Mistakes · February 22, 2026 · 1h 21m
• Ep. 91: Tyrral Quinn, Captain - Vulnerability & Failures · January 30, 2026 · 1h 6m
• Ep. 90: Randy Chevalier, Fire Chief - Leading thru Crisis · January 22, 2026 · 1h 13m

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