Nick Higgins
Nick Higgins is a lieutenant and training officer with more than twenty years in the fire service. He serves with Piscataway Fire District #2 in New Jersey and has built a reputation as a leader who believes the standard starts long before the tones drop. A New Jersey State Fire Instructor, Firehouse Tribune contributor, international speaker, and published author, Nick focuses his work on leadership, performance, and longevity in the fire service. He is the author of The Five Tool Firefighter and is actively working on future projects that continue to challenge how firefighters think about growth, discipline, and identity.
In this conversation, Nick shares his journey and the lessons learned along the way, emphasizing that self leadership is the foundation of everything else. We discuss the importance of setting high personal standards, leading beyond rank, and building an identity that exists outside the firehouse. Nick breaks down why balance is not a weakness, but a requirement for long term success and healthy leadership.
The discussion then moves into training and performance. Nick explains what engaging, effective training really looks like, why check the box drills fail to prepare firefighters for real world challenges, and how creativity and ownership on the drill ground raise the bar for individuals and teams. He also introduces Tactical Fuel Performance, his newest venture focused on fitness, nutrition, and wellness for high performing professionals, and explains why taking care of the body and mind is no longer optional in this profession.
This episode is a direct challenge to lead yourself first, rethink how you train and develop people, and commit to a standard that supports both the job and the person doing it.
https://www.thefirehousetribune.com
https://www.tacticalfuelperformance.com
“Big Jon” Chamberlain
Jon “Big Jon” Chamberlain is a medically retired Fire Captain with over three decades in the fire service and a reputation built on work ethic, culture, and quiet leadership. He entered the fire service at just fifteen years old through a junior firefighter program and never stopped being a student of the craft. Thirty years in, Jon still believes that experience means nothing if you stop listening and learning.
Jon came up the hard way. He learned from the salty and crusty senior firefighters, listened more than he talked, and earned respect by doing the work instead of chasing paper, titles, or attention. His leadership philosophy is simple and unapologetic: let your work ethic speak for you, understand the difference between a firehouse and a fire station, and never confuse friendship with leadership when the job demands accountability.
A passionate advocate for firefighter culture, Jon is deeply invested in mentoring new firefighters while keeping seasoned members sharp and grounded. He believes the strength of the fire service lives in its people, its traditions, and its willingness to take care of one another when the job gets heavy. His approach to tough days is straightforward and real: talk with like-minded people, own what triggers you, find help when needed, and never carry it alone.
Outside the firehouse, Jon is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys hunting, fishing, camping, and spending time with family both in and out of the fire service. Known for his blunt honesty, self-awareness, and no-nonsense humor, Big Jon leaves a mark not through ego or spotlight, but through presence, consistency, and the lives he’s influenced along the way.
Jon Chamberlain represents the kind of firefighter and leader who proves that legacy is not written in rank or certifications, but in culture, character, and the people you leave better than you found them.
The Thomas Family (Relentless Rescue Solutions)
The Thomas Family brings a rare perspective to the fire service. A family connected not only by blood, but by a shared commitment to doing better for the people we are sworn to protect.
Twin brothers Kurt and Ryan Thomas both began their fire service careers as volunteer firefighters. Ryan was driven by the events of 9/11, while Kurt knew from an early age that the fire service was where he belonged. Their paths briefly crossed in the same organization before life took them in different directions. In 2014, Ryan was forced to medically retire after developing job-related cancer, a moment that reshaped the family’s outlook on service, risk, and responsibility. Kurt remains active in the fire service and has served in leadership and acting officer roles since 2015.
Supported by their parents, the Thomas family founded Relentless Rescue Solutions to challenge how the fire service thinks about rescue and victim removal. Their work, including the development of the patented Thomas Life Capsule, is rooted in honest conversation, real-world feedback, and a willingness to invite scrutiny rather than avoid it.
What defines the Thomas family is not a product, but a mindset. Question complacency. Accept accountability. And always do more for them.
Tom Marchiano
Tom Marchiano is the Chief of the Chester Fire Department, a lead contributor to The Firehouse Tribune, and the owner of Tri-State Fire Training, LLC.
Tom has been in the fire service since 2004 and has served at every level of leadership, from line officer to Chief. His career has been defined by one core belief. The future of the fire service is built through strong fundamentals, disciplined leadership, and intentional mentorship.
In addition to his command experience, Tom brings a rare perspective to leadership. He has spent 16 years as a 911 dispatcher, giving him firsthand insight into decision-making, stress, and accountability on both sides of the radio. That dual role shapes how he trains, leads, and develops firefighters.
Tom is a nationally certified fire instructor with experience spanning engine and truck operations, firefighter survival, RIT, vehicle extrication, confined space, structural collapse, and rope rescue. He is deeply committed to officer development and regularly delivers leadership and fundamentals-based training at conferences and departments across the region.
Through his work with The Firehouse Tribune and Tri-State Fire Training, Tom focuses on sharpening firefighters and officers who are serious about the job. His mission is simple. Develop critical thinkers. Build leaders with backbone. Leave the fire service better than he found it.
This conversation cuts straight to leadership, mentorship, fundamentals, and the responsibility that comes with wearing the badge.
https://www.tristatefiretraining.com
Scott Jeanie
Scott Jennie is a retired Fire Captain and Paramedic with more than 35 years of service in the fire service and a nationally recognized advocate for firefighter cancer awareness and prevention.
Scott currently serves as the California State Director and National Training Program Manager for the Firefighter Cancer Support Network, where he leads education, mentorship, and advocacy efforts supporting firefighters, EMS providers, and their families facing occupational cancer. He chairs Firefighter Cancer Awareness Month and works closely with the International Association of Firefighters to deliver impactful prevention and awareness campaigns nationwide.
A contributor to the FCSN white paper Doing It Right: Reducing Cancer in the Fire Service, Scott also co-chairs the FRANTIC committee, addressing tobacco and nicotine use within the fire service. His career began in 1986 and concluded with the Laguna Beach Fire Department, where he served as a company officer and mentor to countless firefighters.
Today, Scott continues to educate, challenge, and push the fire service toward a culture that treats cancer prevention as a professional responsibility, not an afterthought.