Sharpen Your Axe

Episodes

1. 6

   Chief Hillhouse

   This episode is a lighthearted conversation with the new Fire Chief for the City of Gainesville Chief Joesph Hillhouse. We dive into his orgin story at the department and where he would like to take us. We also discuss some practical advice for the new firefighter and different ideas on how to be...

   Sep 10, 2025

   1h 22m
2. 5

   Lt Joey Gonzalez

   On this episode of Sharpen Your Axe, I was able to sit down with Driver/Operator…soon to be Lt. Joey Gonzalez. Joey has been with Gainesville Fire Rescue for 21 years, spending 20 of them on Tower 1. He has been on Florida Task Force 8 for 16 years, acting as a Rescue Specialist and Heavy Rigger....

   Aug 1, 2024

   1h 09m
3. 4

   Lt Jose Paredes and Lt Colby Perryman

   Lt Jose Paredes has served with GFR for 10 years and is currently assigned to TW1, which is our technical rescue truck. He is a search and medical specialist with Florida Task Force 8, as well as a USAR instructor at the Florida State Fire College. Lt Colby Perryman has also served with GFR for…

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   Jun 23, 2024

   1h 27m
4. 3

   Chief Joe Dixon

   Chief Joe Dixon joined GFR back in March of 2021 after serving as the Fire Chief of the Goldsboro Fire Department out of North Carolina. Prior to that, Chief Dixon served with the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue in Maryland for 25 years, retiring in 2018 as the Assistant Chief in…

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   May 31, 2024

   50m
5. 2

   Setting the Standard with Jason Powell

   Jason Powell has been part of Gainesville Fire Rescue for 28years and a driver operator for 17 years. Jason has contributed to setting the standard for knowledge and skill in the position of driver operator. He leads by example and is widely known throughout our department for building a positive...

   Mar 9, 2021

   1h 08m
6. 1

   Chief Gene Prince: Effective Communication

   In part 2 of our conversation with Chief Prince, we dive into the importance of effective communication when it comes to leadership. Chief Prince joined Gainesville Fire Rescue December 1984 rose through the ranks to become Fire Chief for Gainesville Fire Rescue between 2010 to 2014, after his...

   Feb 3, 2021

   34m
7. Chief Gene Prince: Leading Through a Common Goal

   Chief Prince joined Gainesville Fire Rescue December 1984 rose through the ranks to become Fire Chief for Gainesville Fire Rescue between 2010 to 2014, after his tenure as fire chief for GFR he became the Fire Chief for City of Cocoa. He is an Executive Fire Officer, and Chief Fire Officer...

   Feb 3, 2021

   47m
8. Lieutenant Mike Tringali: Servant Leadership

   Lieutenant Mike Tringali has been with Gainesville Fire Rescue for over 18 years. He’s one of the B-shift Hazmat Lieutenants. He’s recently joined the department’s peer support team and developed a tutorial for individuals that were interested in riding out of class as officers. He is known as...

   Jan 16, 2021

   1h 02m
9. Chief Don Campbell: Leadership is Influence

   Chief Don Campbell has been with Gainesville Fire Rescue for over 19 years. He is currently the senior District Chief, USAR team leader, and lead instructor for fire programs at the Florida State Fire College. Chief Campbell has been integral in the cultural revolution of our fire department,...

   Jan 1, 2021

   55m
10. Sharpen Your Axe Podcast Trailer

    Sharpen Your Axe Podcast is dedicated to sparking a discussion on leadership and professional development. Leadership is the determining factor for success; our goal with this podcast is to instill a culture of leadership at every rank and to give listeners a tool for developing their own...

    Dec 28, 2020

    0m