Tag, You're It: The Urgency of Succession Planning in the Fire Service

In this candid and compelling episode of the Heat of Command podcast, Kyle and Kerry tackle a growing crisis in the fire service: the lack of effective succession and continuity planning. With departments across the country getting younger and leadership pipelines growing thinner, they reflect on the challenges of preparing the next generation of leaders—before it’s too late.From rapid promotions to understaffed specialty positions, they explore the hard truths about what happens when roles are filled by default instead of merit. Through personal experiences, organizational insights, and a few well-earned rants, they offer practical strategies for building leaders faster, smarter, and more intentionally—while empowering current officers to take ownership of their crew's development.If you're navigating turnover, overwhelmed by training gaps, or just wondering how to keep your department from falling behind, this episode is a must-listen. It’s real talk for real leaders.