The Forward Firefighter

by Dan Retzlaff

Hello and welcome to The Forward Firefighter Podcast. Here, you can listen to discussions with volunteer firefighters in Wisconsin and across the nation - hear their stories, learn about the communities they serve, and what it takes to be a volunteer firefighter. The Forward Firefighter, working tog...

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Insights from recent episode analysis

Audience Interest

Podcast Focus

Categories: education

Publishing Consistency

Frequency: ~Weekly

42 episodes since 2023

Platform Reach

Insights are generated by CastFox AI using publicly available data, episode content, and proprietary models.

Most discussed topics

leadership

emergency response

firefighter training

training

firefighting

fire science

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N/A

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Est. listeners per new episode within ~30 days
N/A
🎙 Weekly cadence·42 episodes·Last published 2mo ago
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Loyal subscribers who consistently listen
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This ShowCategory Avg

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Platform Distribution

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* Data sourced directly from platform APIs and aggregated hourly across all major podcast directories.

On the show

From 13 eps

Host

Dan Retzlaff

13 eps

Recent guests

15 across last 13 eps

Adam Vapnar

1 ep

Beth McCormick

1 ep

Paul Shoemaker

1 ep

Captain Nick Ledin

1 ep

Jordan Crave

1 ep

Leah Crave

1 ep

Ben Cook

1 ep

Matt Boulding

1 ep

Mike Bernard

1 ep

Dr. Chris Frueh

1 ep

Jeff Rothmeier

1 ep

April Hammond

1 ep

Eric Johnson

1 ep

Chief David Rhodes

1 ep

Chief Ron Wegner

1 ep

Recent episodes

Wisconsin Firefighter of the Year: Teamwork and Humility

Jul 2, 2026

51m 42s

43 - Remembering Your "Why" with Chief David Rhodes

Jun 4, 2026

54m 51s

42 - Beyond the Pump Panel with Eric Johnson

May 7, 2026

57m 13s

41 - From High School Cadet to FIre Science Student: Bridging the Gap Between Technical Education and Real World Experience.

Apr 2, 2026

57m 20s

40 - Navigating the Frontlines of HAZMAT with Beth McCormick

Mar 5, 2026

52m 54s

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Social Links & Contact

Official channels & resources

🌐

Official Website

📡

RSS Feed

Episodes

monthly

Avg length

56m 05s

48m 50s – 1h 09m 12s

Range

May 2023 – Apr 2026

Topics

leadership, firefighting +68

Guests

Chief Ron Wegner +14 · last 13 eps

13 of 13

Date	Episode	Topics	Guests	Brands	Places	Keywords	Sponsor	Length
7/2/26	Wisconsin Firefighter of the Year: Teamwork and Humility✨	leadershipfirefighting+4	Chief Ron Wegner	Jefferson, Wisconsin Fire DepartmentWisconsin State Firefighters Association	Wisconsin53 square miles	firefighterleadership+6	—	51m 42s
6/4/26	43 - Remembering Your "Why" with Chief David Rhodes✨	leadershipfirefighting+5	Chief David Rhodes	Georgia Smoke Diver ProgramFire Engineering Magazine	Atlanta	firehouse excellencemastering the basics+5	—	54m 51s
5/7/26	42 - Beyond the Pump Panel with Eric Johnson✨	motor pump operatorfireground safety+3	Eric Johnson	First Due Fire TrainingWisconsin Fire Journal Magazine	WisconsinOconomowoc Fire Department+2	motor pump operatorfire safety+3	—	57m 13s
4/2/26	41 - From High School Cadet to FIre Science Student: Bridging the Gap Between Technical Education and Real World Experience.✨	fire sciencetechnical education+4	Adam Vapnar	Fox Valley Tech	Northern Wisconsin	fire servicecadet+5	—	57m 20s
3/5/26	40 - Navigating the Frontlines of HAZMAT with Beth McCormick✨	HAZMAT cleanupspill response+4	Beth McCormick	WAMRValley Environmental Response	—	HAZMATspill response+6	—	52m 54s
2/5/26	39 - Your EV Fire Playbook: Tactics, Tools, and Lithium-Ion Safety with Paul Shoemaker✨	electric vehiclesfirefighting tactics+4	Paul Shoemaker	Next Level Training NetworkUL+3	—	EV fire tacticslithium-ion batteries+4	—	1h 02m 46s
1/1/26	38 - Challenging Fireground Assumptions with Captain Nick Ledin.✨	fire service journeyfireground operations+4	Captain Nick Ledin	Eau Claire Wisconsin Fire DepartmentFirefighter Rescue Survey+6	—	firefighterfireground+5	—	48m 52s
12/4/25	37 - Volunteer Firefighting: It's a Family Affair✨	volunteer firefightingfamily dynamics+3	Jordan CraveLeah Crave	Columbus Wisconsin Fire Department	—	volunteer firefightingfamily affair+4	—	54m 45s
11/6/25	36 - The Best of Us. Filmmaker Ben Cook and Chief Matt Boulding on the documentary featuring the Cornell Volunteer Fire Department✨	documentaryfire department+4	Ben CookMatt Boulding	Cornell Volunteer Fire Department	Cornell, WI	documentaryfire department+5	—	48m 50s
10/2/25	35 - Masking Up With Your Gloves On: Beyond the Minimum with Captain Mike Bernard from Arbor Vitae Fire and Rescue Department in Wisconsin✨	firefighter trainingvolunteer fire departments+3	Mike Bernard	Arbor Vitae Fire and Rescue DepartmentMidwest Fire Tactics and Training+1	Wisconsin	firefighter trainingvolunteer culture+3	—	1h 02m 12s
9/4/25	34 - Firefighter Syndrome: Dr. Chris Frueh on Understanding the Cost and Finding the Solutions✨	Firefighter Syndromemental health+5	Dr. Chris Frueh	University of Hawai‘i at Hilo	—	Firefighter Syndromemental health+5	—	51m 45s
8/7/25	33 - Mastering the Craft: Jeff Rothmeier on Tactics, Brotherhood, and the Firefighter Mindset✨	firefighter mindsettactics+4	Jeff Rothmeier	Rescue 1Station 23+1	MinnesotaIraq+2	firefightertactics+5	—	1h 09m 12s
7/3/25	32 - We Are All One Team: Assistant Chief April Hammond on Culture, Care, and Administrative Codes✨	firefighter cultureleadership+4	April Hammond	Cottage Grove Fire DepartmentWisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services+1	Madison CollegeDane County	firefightertraining culture+5	—	56m 44s