Brian Soller has been an active volunteer for the last 30+ years. He currently serves as chief of the Rock Hill Fire Department and for the past 19 years has been a New York state fire instructor assigned to Sullivan County, NY. Soller also served as chief of the Rock Hill Fire Department from 2018 - 2020 and also served as chief of the Monticello …

About our hosts: Brian Soller has been an active volunteer for the last 30+ years. He currently serves as chief of the Rock Hill Fire Department and for the past 19 years has been a New York state fire instructor assigned to Sullivan County, NY. Soller also served as chief of the Rock Hill Fire Department from 2018 - 2020 and also served as chief o…

On todays mutual aid episode we are joined by Rock Hill brothers, Asst. Chief Edward Walsh and Firefighter Chris Filosa of the Rock Hill Fire Department in Rock Hill, NY. We will discuss a recent close call, where Chris fell through the floor upon entering a residential structure fire. We touch on size-up, situational awareness, burn time prior to …

In this episode, we have the pleasure of hosting Lt. John Clarke from the Cazenovia Fire Department. After dedicating a few years to service, John temporarily stepped back to prioritize his family. Now, we delve into his journey as he decided to resume volunteering when the timing was right. About our hosts: Brian Soller has been an active voluntee…

Elections, fitness choices, PPE, facial hair and alcohol. Simply put, sometimes we are our own worst enemy! About our hosts: Brian Soller has been an active volunteer for the last 30+ years. He currently serves as assistant chief of the Rock Hill Fire Department and for the past 19 years has been a New York state fire instructor assigned to Sulliva…

When you're listening to our show, do you find yourself taking things personally? Do you wonder if we are talking about you? On todays episode Brian discusses those that seem to get offended by the content that they are listened too. Those that get pissed off and take things personally? Well my friends, if the shoe fits! About our hosts: Brian Soll…

Are you a fire service leader? Are you out there sharing a message? Are you talking the talk? On todays episode Brian discusses those that seem to have mastered the art of "talking the talk", but when it comes down to it, their NOT "walking the walk". About our hosts: Brian Soller has been an active volunteer for the last 30+ years. He currently se…

About our hosts: Brian Soller has been an active volunteer for the last 30+ years. He currently serves as assistant chief of the Rock Hill Fire Department and for the past 19 years has been a New York state fire instructor assigned to Sullivan County, NY. Soller also served as chief of the Rock Hill Fire Department from 2018 - 2020 and chief of the…

About our hosts: Brian Soller has been an active volunteer for the last 30+ years. He currently serves as assistant chief of the Rock Hill Fire Department and for the past 18 years has been a New York state fire instructor assigned to Sullivan County, NY. Soller also served as chief of the Rock Hill Fire Department from 2018 - 2020 and chief of the…

Kara and Brian talk about Kara’s career as a Fire Life Safety Educator and Juvenile Fire setter Intervention Specialist, the community risk reduction programs she creates and the need for all departments to consider community risk reduction as an integral part of the services they offer. About our hosts: Brian Soller has been an active volunteer fo…

Simple stated, do we appreciate our firefighters? Do we let them know that they are appreciated? About our hosts: Brian Soller has been an active volunteer for the last 30+ years. He currently serves as assistant chief of the Rock Hill Fire Department and for the past 18 years has been a New York state fire instructor assigned to Sullivan County, N…

Are we being hijacked by imposters within the fire service? Who are the leaders that are advocating for change and inspiring the future leaders of the fire service? We can't be hijacked by volunteers that think they know the job, but have never actually done the job! How are you guaranteeing the future success of your organization? About our hosts:…

On today's episode Kara dives into the different types of leadership styles and how to work with leaders that fall into each category. About our hosts: Brian Soller has been an active volunteer for the last 30+ years. He currently serves as assistant chief of the Rock Hill Fire Department and for the past 18 years has been a New York state fire ins…

"Word of Mouth!" Probably one of the best tools that we have in our recruitment tool box, but for some reason, rarely used! About our hosts: Brian Soller has been an active volunteer for the last 30+ years. He currently serves as assistant chief of the Rock Hill Fire Department and for the past 18 years has been a New York state fire instructor ass…

On today's episode Brian discusses "passion" and the volunteer fire service. Tune in and share your thoughts! About our hosts: Brian Soller has been an active volunteer for the last 30+ years. He currently serves as assistant chief of the Rock Hill Fire Department and for the past 17 years has been a New York state fire instructor assigned to Sulli…

Prior to working with and on behalf of first responders, Dee racked up close to 20 years as a marketing professional, specializing in integrated “Experiential” programming (interactive experiences between brands and their consumers), working with clients like PepsiCo, UFC, Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment, BlackBerry, Ford and Reebok. Following h…

On todays episode we are joined by Mike France and Bill Purcell from MacBoston 18 Truck. Mike has been a volunteer firefighter for 33 years, is a past chief (2x) and has been an active member fo MacBoston for the last 10 years. He has been MacBoston's president for the last six. Bill has been a volunteer firefighter for the last 19 years (across th…

About our hosts: Brian Soller has been an active volunteer for the last 30+ years. He currently serves as assistant chief of the Rock Hill Fire Department and for the past 17 years has been a New York state fire instructor assigned to Sullivan County, NY. Soller also served as chief of the Rock Hill Fire Department from 2018 - 2020 and chief of the…

**Listener Request** Aaron, who's a volunteer firefighter in the mid-west emailed us and asked the following: "I've decided to throw my name in the hat this year and run for line office. My friends, who all seemed very supportive in the beginning now seem like they are turning on me in support of the other guy. What should I do?" Listen in as Brian…

Fire Prevention Week is here! This week Kara discusses thinking beyond “Dalmatian Education” and how fire prevention is the “Unseen Grab” in firefighting. Be aggressive with ALL your tactics, including community risk reduction. About our hosts: Brian Soller has been an active volunteer for the last 30+ years. He currently serves as assistant chief …

You're a volunteer firefighter and you have goals, but sometimes you think that those goals are only achievable if you're "on the job". You have heard us say it before, NOBODY CARES if you're career or volunteer, so why are you letting your volunteer status hold you back. Got goals? Awesome! Get out there and GO FOR IT! About our hosts: Brian Solle…

On today's episode Kara and Brian discuss the "brotherhood". Are we paying attention to our team? Do we recognize when a brother or sister is going through a tough time? Are we checking in on them? Are we truly behaving like a brother or are we just tossing that word around like it doesn't mean anything? About our hosts: Brian Soller has been an ac…

On Friday, July 29, 2022 I had the opportunity to be a guest on WRCR’s “Who Wants to be a Volunteer?” Thank you Chris Kear and Gordon Wren for having me on the show and thank you for all you do for the fire service. The interview begins at approximately the 25.00 mark. About our hosts: Brian Soller has been an active volunteer for the last 30+ year…

At one of our recent seminars a student asked me, "Why do so many career firefighters hate volunteers?" It's not the first time I've been asked this question, but it's a topic I have always chosen not to address on the show for various reasons. After pondering my own personal feelings and beliefs along with the input of others, I feel like we've fi…

Have you ever heard a volunteer firefighter refer to themself as "just a volunteer" or maybe you've even referred to yourself in such a way at some point in your career. On today's episode, Brian dives into the "just a volunteer" mindset. Listen in with an open mind, because this one may sting a bit. About our hosts: Brian Soller has been an active…

On today's episode Brian and Kara take a trip to rural small town American with lieutenant Bill Smith and firefighter Evan Spaulding from the Erieville (NY) Fire Department. Small town volunteer fire departments face even greater challenges to when it comes to the recruitment and retention of members and the ability to respond to all types of emerg…

On Tuesday, March 8, 2022, the Liberty Fire Department (Sullivan County, NY) was dispatched to an activated alarm at Buckley Garden Apartments. While en-route command was notified of a smoke condition with the possibility of victims entrapped on the upper floors. The incident quickly changed from "just another AFA"! On today's episode Brian and Kar…

Let's take a moment to discuss two works that can defeat you before your even try.... "I can't!" About our hosts: Brian Soller has been an active volunteer for the last 30+ years. He currently serves as assistant chief of the Rock Hill Fire Department and for the past 17 years has been a New York state fire instructor assigned to Sullivan County, N…

On today's episode Brian and Kara discuss the recent "Join Sullivan Fire" event in Sullivan County, NY and the future of the podcast. Tune in and check it out! About our hosts: Brian Soller has been an active volunteer for the last 30+ years. He currently serves as assistant chief of the Rock Hill Fire Department and for the past 17 years has been …

Think the unthinkable can never happen to you, your agency or your mutual aid? Think again, because "it can"! **we apologize for the sound quality of this episode. About our hosts: Brian Soller has been an active volunteer for the last 30+ years. He currently serves as assistant chief of the Rock Hill Fire Department and for the past 17 years has b…

On today's episode Brian and Kara are joined by members of the Sullivan County (NY) Recruitment and Retention Task Force. In early spring of 2021, the Sullivan County Bureau of Fire created the recruitment and retention task force Their mission is twofold - inspire more of our friends and neighbors to join the fire service and to ensure the success…

Is your organization failing? Who's to blame for that failure? On today's episode, Brian discusses organizational mindset, leadership, and the treatment of our membership! About our hosts: Brian Soller has been an active volunteer for the last 30+ years. He currently serves as assistant chief of the Rock Hill Fire Department and for the past 17 yea…

Todays episode is sponsored by @daddymacdyes Get your custom disc golf discs at daddymacdyes.com and use promo code brotherhood20 On todays episode Brian and Kara dive back into volunteer fire department elections. Topics discussed are setting our officers up for success, commitment, job requirements, disagreeing with others and attempting to have …

Who's responsible for helping to ensure a firefighters success? Is it on the leadership to follow up and make sure that he/she/they have all the tools necessary and follow up regularly, or is it on the firefighter to chase down the leadership to ensure they own success? Join Brian, Kara and guests deputy chief Heath Pannell and Lt. Cecil Hunter as …

On today's episode Brian discusses the career / volunteer comparison game! Why can't we just focus on being the best firefighter that we can be? Why do we feel the need to compare ourselves to others? Why do some of us spend so much time on social media feeding into the negativity? About our host: Brian Soller has been an active volunteer for the l…

On todays episode Brian discusses "priorities". Is the volunteer fire service a priority in our life? Is our training a priority? Is our desire to be a professional a priority? About our host: Brian Soller has been an active volunteer for the last 30+ years. He currently serves as assistant chief of the Rock Hill Fire Department and for the past 17…

On todays episode Brian discusses two of his favorite topics, passion and professionalism and why they are both vital to your success in the volunteer fire service. About our host: Brian Soller has been an active volunteer for the last 30+ years. He currently serves as assistant chief of the Rock Hill Fire Department and for the past 17 years has b…

It was an honor to spend some time with Jim Moss on his podcast "Firefighter Success". Jim is the author of "Firefighter Success" and the co-author of "Firefighter Functional Fitness". Jim is a friend of the "Professional Brotherhood" and has been our our show multiple times. We hope you enjoy listening to episode 32 of "Firefighter Success" as muc…

On today's episode Brian and Kara discuss a few traits that are key to becoming and remaining a successful, professional volunteer firefighter. Inspiration - and how it relates to our fitness journey. Hydration - an extremely important part of our overall preparation. Dedication - a key element to our overall success in the fire service and life. A…

Yes!! We are still here and we don' t plan on going anywhere soon. On today's episode, Brian discusses what's been going on over the past few weeks, the podcast, our platform and the future. About our host: Brian Soller has been an active volunteer for the last 30+ years. He currently serves as assistant chief of the Rock Hill Fire Department and f…

Mutual aid, automatic aid, staffing your apparatus, knowing who to call for specific situations or specialties, it's all about setting yourself and your company up for success and not getting caught with our pants down! About our host: Brian Soller has been an active volunteer for the last 30+ years. He currently serves as assistant chief of the Ro…

It's hard to believe, 100 episodes! We celebrate this podcasting milestone with none other than Jeremy Sanders from the Crew 1st Culture podcast. Jeremy is also celebrating his 100th episode. We could not have gotten this far without the support of our loyal listeners! We thank you for your continued support. About our hosts: Brian Soller has been …

On today's episode Brian discusses being the "senior firefighter" and the responsibility that comes along with that position as well as how our "attitude" can impact others. About our host: Brian Soller has been an active volunteer for the last 30+ years. He currently serves as assistant chief of the Rock Hill Fire Department and for the past 17 ye…

On today's episode Brian is joined by friend and co-creator of "Setting Our Volunteers Up For Success", Assistant Chief Tom Andryshak. Tom is a career firefighter with the Arlington Fire District in Dutchess County, NY and a volunteer firefighter / assistant chief with the Florida Fire District in Orange County, NY. He is also an NYS Paramedic as w…

Listener Request On todays mutual aid episode Brian discusses the "rekindle". Why are they so common in the volunteer fire service and why aren't we taking the time needed to conduct a proper overhaul and utilize the tools at our disposal. About our host: Brian Soller has been an active volunteer for the last 30+ years. He currently serves as assis…

About our Guest: Tim Ahern is a Principal and Founder of Ahern, Murphy & Associates. Tim is the Past Chairman of the Greater Syracuse Chamber of Commerce, Past President of the Syracuse University Football Letterman’s Club, Past Chairman of Beacon Federal Bank, Board Member of Byrne Dairy and The Fulton Group and a former trustee at Cazenovia Colle…

About Our Guest: Sean Eagen started with the Buffalo, NY Fire Department in 1998. He has split time into engines and truck companies throughout his career with a 1-year stint on Rescue 1. He was promoted to Lieutenant in 2014 and then Captain in 2018. Sean is currently the Captain of Truck 7. Sean started working for the NYS Department of Homeland …

Chief Soller shares his thoughts on the "textbook" video post that originated on IG via @boogiedowntruckwork. This is the audio version of Monday's post on our IGTV. About our host: Brian Soller has been an active volunteer for the last 30+ years. He currently serves as assistant chief of the Rock Hill Fire Department and for the past 17 years has …

Lieutenant Paul Haynes is assigned to Rescue Company 1 of the Syracuse (NY) Fire Department. He has been a member of the department for 19 years, and also has volunteered with the East Syracuse Fire Department. Paul is a NYS fire instructor in Onondaga County and at the New York State Academy of Fire Science. He also serves as a NYS Association of …

On todays episode we are joined by Aaron Quinn. Aaron has been a firefighter in Oakland, California for 20 years. He has worked most of his career in the east end of Oakland on a truck company. In 2007, Aaron became the head physical trainer for all new recruits. Since then he has trained over over fifty percent of the department. Aaron blends the …