In this episode, Pete Wakefield is joined by Las Fallon to explore one of the most extraordinary and misunderstood fires in European fire service history: the Great Dublin Whiskey Fire of 1875. This was not simply a large urban fire. It was an incident where tens of thousands of gallons of high-proof whiskey escaped bonded warehouses, flowed through the streets of Dublin, ignited, and turned parts of the city into rivers of fire. More people died from human behaviour and misunderstanding of risk than from flames themselves, making this feel less like a Victorian era blaze and more like an early hazardous materials incident played out with nineteenth-century tools, leadership, and limitations.

Together, Pete and Las unpack the fire’s wider context, from the structure of the Irish fire service and leadership under pressure, to crowd behaviour, media portrayal, and the forgotten victims whose stories faded from public memory. They explore whiskey’s central role in Dublin’s economy, the cultural stereotypes of the time, and how tribalism, misinformation, and curiosity turned a disaster into a secondary tragedy. This is not a nostalgic retelling. It is a professional case study in leadership, public safety, and human behaviour, with uncomfortable lessons that still resonate in modern firefighting, crisis management, and community response today.

Get the book HERE

Access all episodes, documents, GIVEAWAYS & debriefs HERE

Podcast Apparel, Hoodies, Flags, Mugs HERE

our partners supporting this episode.

• GORE-TEX Professional Clothing
• FIRST TACTICAL- tactical gear for elite operators
• MSA The Safety Company
• JAFCO
• IDEX
• FIRE & EVACUATION SERVICE LTD
• HAIX Footwear - Get offical podcast discount on HAIX HERE
• Xendurance - to hunt performance & endurance 20% off HERE with code ffp20

Send us a text

Support the show

***The views expressed in this episode are those of the individual speakers. Our partners are not responsible for the content of this episode and does not warrant its accuracy or completeness.***

Please support the podcast and its future by clicking HERE and joining our Patreon Crew

In this episode, we take a deep, minute-by-minute debrief of the Station nightclub fire in West Warwick, Rhode Island. A small ignition during a live music performance led to rapid smoke production, catastrophic loss of tenability, and the deaths of 100 people in less than six minutes. Drawing on investigation findings and eyewitness accounts, this episode focuses not on spectacle, but on how smoke, time, and human behaviour combined to turn a familiar venue into a fatal trap.

This is not a story of slow response or obvious mistakes. Fire crews arrived quickly and in force, yet the outcome was largely decided in the first minute. The episode explores the uncomfortable lessons around exit blindness, crowd behaviour, sprinklers, and prevention, and reflects on what this incident still teaches us today including how relevant those lessons remain for the UK fire service and beyond.

Access all episodes, documents, GIVEAWAYS & debriefs HERE

Podcast Apparel, Hoodies, Flags, Mugs HERE

our partners supporting this episode.

• GORE-TEX Professional Clothing
• FIRST TACTICAL- tactical gear for elite operators
• MSA The Safety Company
• JAFCO
• IDEX
• FIRE & EVACUATION SERVICE LTD
• HAIX Footwear - Get offical podcast discount on HAIX HERE
• Xendurance - to hunt performance & endurance 20% off HERE with code ffp20

Send us a text

Support the show

***The views expressed in this episode are those of the individual speakers. Our partners are not responsible for the content of this episode and does not warrant its accuracy or completeness.***

Please support the podcast and its future by clicking HERE and joining our Patreon Crew

In this episode, I’m joined by Lucy Macleod for an honest conversation about identity, resilience, and what it really takes to sustain a long career in the fire service. We talk about being more than one thing, how busyness can become a coping mechanism, and why balance looks different for everyone. Drawing on Lucy’s experience across operational firefighting, trauma excellence, leadership, and academia, this conversation cuts past surface level wellbeing talk and gets into what actually helps people stay human under pressure.

We also explore Lucy’s work around connection and psychological safety through her book Lucy and Blue. Blue is not just a wellbeing dog, but a bridge, helping lower barriers and create space for honest conversations without pressure. Lucy shares what working alongside Blue has taught her about presence, trust, and meeting people where they are. This episode is about purpose, belonging, and the quiet influence that comes from showing up consistently, human to human.

Access all episodes, documents, GIVEAWAYS & debriefs HERE

Podcast Apparel, Hoodies, Flags, Mugs HERE

our partners supporting this episode.

• GORE-TEX Professional Clothing
• FIRST TACTICAL- tactical gear for elite operators
• MSA The Safety Company
• JAFCO
• IDEX
• FIRE & EVACUATION SERVICE LTD
• HAIX Footwear - Get offical podcast discount on HAIX HERE
• Xendurance - to hunt performance & endurance 20% off HERE with code ffp20

Send us a text

Support the show

***The views expressed in this episode are those of the individual speakers. Our partners are not responsible for the content of this episode and does not warrant its accuracy or completeness.***

Please support the podcast and its future by clicking HERE and joining our Patreon Crew