PODCAST · government
CPF Fire Wire
by California Professional Firefighters
Join CPF President Brian K. Rice and special guests as they discuss a wide range of issues affecting firefighters, their unions, their families and the communities they serve.
Episodes
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Preventing Suicide in the Fire Service
This episode of CPF Fire Wire features a conversation between CPF President Darrell Roberts and CalChiefs President Bernard Molloy II about the importance of a joint labor-management approach to address this ongoing issue and the 2026 Suicide Prevention and Awareness Safety Stand Down from the...
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Firefighter Cancer Risk, Research, and Lifestyle Medicine
On this episode of Fire Wire, CPF President Brian K. Rice speaks to Misha McKinney, VP of Clinical Programs, and Dr. Danielle Mellace, internal medicine physician, both with Kaiser Permanente, about the unique health challenges firefighters face, the importance of primary care and early…
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Special Episode: Brian's Story
In the past 90 days, we have lost four of our members to active-duty suicide. Each of these losses is devastating to their family and to their fire service family. We must come together and take action to open up and support each other. The battle with PTSI, struggles with addiction, struggles…
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Mental Wellness in the Fire Service
On this episode of CPF Fire Wire, President Brian K. Rice sits down with Oxnard Fire Department Chief Alexander Hamilton for a candid and powerful conversation about mental health in the fire service. Together, they break down the challenges firefighters face both on and off the line, and share...
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Insurance We Trust: CPF Insurance Trust
On this episode of CPF Firewire, President Brian K. Rice sits down with CPF Insurance Trust Chair Scott Austin and Director Jason Cervantes. They discuss their work as Board Members of the Insurance Trust, helping ensure CPF members, both active and retired, have access to the best available...
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Navigating the Workers’ Compensation System
On this episode of CPF Firewire, we talk with Brian Abney of Orange County Professional Firefighters, Local 3631, a recently retired Fire Captain/Paramedic and trusted resource on workers’ comp, about what firefighters need to know and why understanding the system is critical to protecting…
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Firefighter Cancer Awareness and Research
On this episode of the Fire Wire, President Rice is joined by Jerry May, President of San Jose Fire Fighters, Local 230, to discuss the California Firefighter Cancer Research and Prevention Program, created by CPF-sponsored AB 700, and how this research will impact firefighters for generations to...
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CPF Fire Wire - Firefighters First Credit Union
On this episode of the Fire Wire, President Rice sits down with Firefighters First Credit Union Senior Vice President of Member Experience David Lillie and Vice President of Tax Services Mike Canny to discuss the credit union’s rich history and the extensive benefits they provide our members.
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CPF Fire Wire - CARE Act
CPF President Brian Rice speaks with Dr. Katherine Warburton, the Medical Director of the California Department of State Hospitals, about the CARE Act and the role firefighters can play in connecting individuals with behavioral health services. Links mentioned in this episode:...
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CPF Fire-Wire - Political Action
On this episode of CPF Fire Wire, CPF President Brian Rice sits with Monterey Firefighters Association, Local 3707 President, Ross Pounds and Chula Vista Firefighters, Local 2180 Political Action Committee Chair, Drew Smith alongside with CPF's very own Deputy Political Director Joe Armenta to...
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CPF Fire-Wire - Fight for CAL FIRE 66-Hour Workweek
For decades, CAL FIRE firefighters have been forced to work 72-hour workweeks despite the standard 56 implemented at many departments around the state. This has led to retention issues for the department and caused harm to CAL FIRE firefighters' families, physical health, and mental health....
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CPF Fire Wire - Proposition 1
CPF Pres. Brian Rice speaks with Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg on Proposition 1 and being part of the solution. For many Californians experiencing homelessness, firefighters, EMTs, and paramedics are the first and only resource they have when they are in crisis. This is an unacceptable and...
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CPF Fire Wire -Assm. Heath Flora
The 2023 legislative session in Sacramento wrapped up with solid wins for California's firefighters, the result of CPF's strong advocacy that works across the partisan aisle. On this edition of CPF Fire Wire, CPF President talks with Republican Assemblyman Heath Flora of Ripon about the…
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California Last Alarm Service Team (Cal-LAST)
Funded by the Department of Justice, the Cal-LAST program is the result of a landmark partnership between the California Fire Foundation and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. This critical team provides comprehensive rapid-response support for local fire departments that lose one of...
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CPF Fire Wire - Suicide Awareness
Firefighters are exposed to stresses on the job that few can contemplate. Sometimes, the job can take its toll. Nationally, firefighter suicides now consistently exceed the number killed in traumatic incidents. As part of the joint fire service Suicide Prevention and Awareness Stand Down in May,...
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CPF Fire Wire - Sacramento Firefighters On Strike, Part 2
CPF President Brian Rice continues his conversation with retired Sacramento Area Firefighters Local 522 President Richard Mayberry about the Sacramento firefighters strike of 1970. Mayberry and over 400 of his fellow firefighters walked off the job in October of 1970 in an action that had broad...
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CPF Fire Wire - Sacramento Firefighters On Strike
At a time when firefighters were underpaid, disrespected and subject to the whims of their employers, the firefighter union movement asserted itself in the early 1970s with an unprecedented wave of strikes. On this edition of CPF Fire Wire, we present Part One of a two-part episode that tells the...
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CPF Fire Wire - Federal Firefighters Cancer Presumption
Civilian federal firefighters have finally won a protection that state and local firefighters in California have had for 40 years -- a workers' compensation presumption for firefighter cancer. The victory, part of the federal defense authorization passed last year, caps a decades-long fight that...
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CPF Fire Wire - CA Firefighters Memorial
The California Firefighters Memorial is a touchstone of remembrance for frontline firefighters and their families. The centerpiece of this tribute -- the Memorial Wall that carries the names of more than 1,500 fallen firefighters -- is running out of space. CPF President Brian Rice talks with...
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Legislative Update
On this edition of CPF Fire Wire, CPF President Brian Rice discusses CPF’s legislative wins, the legislative process and the importance of building relationships at the local political level with CPF Director of Governmental Affairs, Doug Subers and CPF Governmental Advocate, Meagan Subers. CPF...
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CPF Fire Wire - Firefighter Cancer
Cancer remains the leading cause of job-related illness and death among active firefighters. Now, a worldwide scientific panel -- the International Agency for Research on Cancer -- has said it more plainly than ever -- being a firefighter can cause cancer. On this edition of CPF Fire Wire, CPF...
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CPF Fire Wire - Forward Together, Union Strong
The cause of protecting the lives and livelihoods of firefighters must be defended every day. Nothing is forever. On this edition of CPF Fire Wire, CPF President Brian Rice talks with Dave Coker, president of the Professional Firefighters of Greensboro (NC) Local 947. A longtime labor leader who...
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CPF Fire Wire -- California’s USAR Teams.
Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams are an indispensable part of major disaster response. California is the birthplace of USAR, and firefighters form the foundation of the state's eight USAR Task Forces. CPF President Brian Rice talks with one of the founders of USAR, Cal-OES Director Mark...
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CPF Fire Wire - Firefighter Peer Support
As the behavioral health challenges faced by firefighters come out of the shadows, peer support has become an important way for firefighters to comfortably share their struggles. CPF’s sponsored legislation signed in 2019 — AB 1116 — is designed to bring peer support into every fire department,...
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CPF Fire Wire - CPF Update
CPF President Brian Rice provides an update on CPF's work in Sacramento to protect its 32,000 front line firefighter members. Among the issues CPF is working on at the Capitol include: -- Workers' Comp Presumptions -- Firefighters are facing months, and sometimes years of needless battles…
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CPF Fire Wire - Building and Protecting California
Fighting side-by-side in the halls of power, CPF and the building trades have formed a united front that has won many battles for working people, from retirement security to stopping contracting out services to low-wage, undertrained workers. This month on CPF Fire Wire, CPF President Brian Rice...
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CPF Fire Wire - San Diego Ship Fire Aftermath
This past July marked the one-year anniversary of the dramatic and devastating fire aboard the U.S.S. Bonhomme Richard, an amphibious assault ship docked in San Diego. In this edition of CPF Fire Wire, CPF President Brian Rice talks with San Diego Federal Firefighters Local F-33 President Ian...
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CPF Fire Wire -- A Firefighter's Journey
Every day, firefighters are exposed to events and scenes few can imagine, and sometimes they can push men and women to the brink ... and beyond. In 2021, firefighters are more likely to die from suicide than from traumatic line of duty death. In this edition of CPF Fire Wire, we hear the story of...
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CPF Fire Wire - Senate President Toni Atkins
The challenges facing California remain as daunting as ever, from catastrophic wildfire to housing to COVID-19. The California Legislature is at the center of these challenges. In the latest edition of CPF Fire Wire, President Brian Rice talks with the top leader in the California State Senate --...
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CPF Fire Wire - San Diego Pension Victory
A January California Superior Court ruling will, if upheld, permanently strike down the most draconian pension-slashing initiative in California history: San Diego’s Proposition B. The 2012 pension grab in San Diego, which wiped out secure pensions for all city workers except police officers, has...
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CPF Fire Wire - Gov. Gavin Newsom
In the past 12 months, California has experienced the teeth of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as record-shattering wildfires. The man charged with guiding the state through the crises of 2020 is Gov. Gavin Newsom. As he did a year ago, Gov. Newsom again sits down for a conversation with CPF...
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CPF Fire Wire - The COVID Vaccines
The first ray of hope in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic has come with the release of two vaccines for emergency use. The remarkable and highly effective vaccines are being distributed beginning this month, with frontline health care workers – including firefighter-paramedics and...
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Surviving COVID-19: Firefighters and Families Share Their Stories
Anaheim Fire Captains David Baker and Joe Aldecoa experienced the real risks of COVID-19 the hard way. Both men -- healthy, experienced firefighters -- spent close to a month in the hospital fighting for their every breath after contracting the deadly virus. Baker spent 11 days on a ventilator in…
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COVID19: The Hidden Toll on Firefighters and Families
The outbreak of SARS-Cov 2 (COVID-19) has once again placed firefighters on the front lines of a disaster. But unlike a wildfire or a normal EMS call, the pandemic has created unique stresses on firefighters and, more importantly, their families. On a special CPF Fire Wire, President Brian Rice...
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San Jose Firefighters: First In on COVID-19
When the coronavirus COVID-19 hit the shores of the U.S, one of its first landing spots was San Jose. It's now clear that the members of San Jose Firefighters Local 230 were being exposed to COCID-19 on calls for weeks without knowing, and they were the first to feel its effects. On this episode…
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COVID-19: Fire and EMS Update
The outbreak of coronavirus COVID-19 has become a major public health issue worldwide. Fire and EMS personnel are on the front lines of the epidemic, and exposures of our personnel have already had an impact. On a special CPF Fire Wire, CPF President Brian Rice is joined by CPF's Health and…
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Protecting You and Your Family: CPF Personal Exposure Reporting
On this edition of CPF Fire Wire, CPF President Brian Rice talks with two firefighters who have faced death from illnesses caused by their jobs. Contra Costa Fire Captain Michael Lacy and Alameda Co. Firefighter Alex Mengell talk with President Rice about their life-and-death experiences dealing...
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The Power of Solidarity: Firefighters Unite to Fight Back
In this episode, CPF President, Brian K. Rice is joined by Stockton Firefighters Local 456 President, Mario Gardea and Tracy City Firefighters Local 3355 President, Paul O’Neal to discuss their EMS dispatch and ALS services battle in San Joaquin County. Emergency medical response is a central…
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Governor Newsom & Fire Service Priorities
Brian and Governor Newsom discuss the Governor's first year in office and his commitment to firefighters across the state. As his first act in office, Governor Newsom invested over $400 million in wildfire response and preparedness. He created the California Rises benefit concert and raised...
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Do you know JAC?
This episode features CPF President Brian K. Rice and California Firefighter Joint Apprenticeship Committee(Cal-JAC) Executive Director Yvonne de la Peña. The careers of all California firefighters have been impacted by the Cal-JAC, from apprenticeship to journeylevel training and safety...
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Historic Legislative Wins
This was a historic legislative session for California firefighters. Listen in as CPF President Brian K. Rice shares testimony from members across the state that helped CPF-sponsored bills become law. Governor Newsom signed the landmark behavioral health bill package, an important step towards...
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Special Episode: Loss and Healing ft. Ashley Iverson
This episode features CPF President Brian K. Rice and Ashley Iverson. Ashley's husband Cory was a CAL FIRE engineer and member of CAL Fire Local 2881. On December 14, 2017 Cory lost his life battling the Thomas Fire. Cory's sacrifice was honored at last year's California Firefighters Memorial....
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Suicide Awareness and Prevention in the Fire Service
This episode features CPF President Brian K. Rice and Assistant Chief, Oxnard Fire Department and Suicide Intervention Counselor Alex Hamilton. They discuss the impacts of the job on behavioral health, the need to break the stigma and the vital role peer support plays in getting firefighters the...
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Personal Politics and Union Values
This episode features CPF President Brian K. Rice, Sacramento Area Firefighters Local 522 Mike Feyh, LA County Firefighters Local 1014 Jason Cervantes and Kurt Kobler. All four come from very different points of view on the political spectrum and each are actively involved in their union. Brian,...
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Taking Stock and Looking Ahead
CPF President Brian K. Rice and Secretary – Treasurer Mike Lopez discuss the accomplishments of their first year in office and their vision for the future. From directly connecting to members in the field, to prioritizing Post-Traumatic Stress Injury legislation and providing trainings to locals....
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Legislative Priorities 2019
President Brian K. Rice and CPF Director of Governmental Affairs Christy Bouma discuss legislative priorities.
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Communications Strategy
President Brian K. Rice is joined by CPF Communications Director, Carroll Wills, and Deputy Communications Director, Fera Dayani to discuss the future of labor and tips to activate your membership.
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Union Activism
Episode one is hosted by CPF President Brian Rice with special guests Nick Gracia, President of Daly City Firefighters Local 1879, and Brian Ursettie, President of Arcadia Firefighters Local 3440. The three leaders will discuss why each CPF member made the choice to get active in our union and…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Join CPF President Brian K. Rice and special guests as they discuss a wide range of issues affecting firefighters, their unions, their families and the communities they serve.
HOSTED BY
California Professional Firefighters
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does CPF Fire Wire have?
CPF Fire Wire currently has 48 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is CPF Fire Wire about?
Join CPF President Brian K. Rice and special guests as they discuss a wide range of issues affecting firefighters, their unions, their families and the communities they serve.
How often does CPF Fire Wire release new episodes?
CPF Fire Wire has 48 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to CPF Fire Wire?
You can listen to CPF Fire Wire on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts CPF Fire Wire?
CPF Fire Wire is created and hosted by California Professional Firefighters.
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