The 5% Podcast Lab
by Mike Norris
**The 5% Podcast Lab | Leadership, Human Performance & Psychology Under Pressure**Hosted by Fire Captain Mike Norris, The 5% Podcast Lab explores leadership, human performance, decision-making under pressure, firefighter psychology, and the science of human behavior during emergencies.Through candid conversations with fire service leaders, psychologists, researchers, authors, and first responders, we examine what happens when stress, uncertainty, fear, and responsibility collide.From fireground command and tactical decision-making to disaster psychology, mental resilience, team dynamics,
Episodes
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Tradition Isn't Immunity
What does it really mean to be an aggressive firefighter? And where is the line between aggression and recklessness? In this episode of The 5% Podcast Lab, Mike Norris sits down with Chris Fenner of Send Me Culture Co. and Backstep Fire Training for a candid conversation about the fire service,...
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BE THE HOPE
The fastest way to become a stronger firefighter isn’t chasing ego or advanced tactics—it’s mastering the basics, knowing your tools, and training with purpose. Griffin Coiner, founder of StacheSalt and a Utah firefighter and trainer, shares his path from off-road fabrication to the fire service,...
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Command without Micromanaging
The best firefighters are not the ones who memorize the playbook—they’re the ones who can stay calm when the playbook falls apart. Nick Esposito of Truck Tactics joins Mike Norris to explore the mental side of fireground performance, from command decisions and truck positioning to preparing crews...
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The memories dont fade...
EPISODE DESCRIPTION: The fires are the easy part. The real job starts when the calls, the grief, and the pressure follow you home. Grand Prairie Fire Captain Justin Morris opens up about the leadership lessons, mental health realities, and family losses that changed how he leads.Mike Norris and...
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Be Intentional
Being intentional is easy to talk about. What does it actually look like in the firehouse, on the fireground, and in the way we lead? Captain Bobby Reichardt and Battalion Chief Manny Maldonado from the Southwest Fire Conference join me, Mike Norris, on The 5% Podcast Lab for a candid…
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Command Under Pressure: Leadership, Decisions & the Fireground
Interim Deputy Chief Patrick Wirkus joins The 5% Podcast Lab to talk fireground command, leadership, training, and decision-making under pressure. We also get into the Executive Fire Officer Program, self-education, professional growth, and the responsibility to keep becoming the best version of...
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Below Grade: Decisions, Fire Behavior, and the Lessons That Cost Us
In this episode of The 5% Podcast Lab, I sit down with Deputy Chief Jim York for a deep conversation on below-grade fires, tactical decision-making, and the lessons the fire service has learned through experience, tragedy, and research. We talk basement fire hazards, fire behavior, leadership…
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Passion Under Pressure: The Leadership Lessons That Make the Difference
Passion will get you criticized, but it can also make you the person others quietly turn to for real guidance. Chief Frank Viscuso breaks down why leadership, writing, and firefighting all come down to the same thing: intentional action, emotional control, and having the courage to stand for...
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Stay Coachable: Baltimore Fire Culture, Brotherhood & the Basics That Matter
EPISODE DESCRIPTION The fire service rewards the people who stay humble, keep learning, and know when to stop pretending they have all the answers. Ian Horowitz has lived that lesson from volunteer firehouse rookie to Baltimore City veteran to founder of Brotherhood Buffs and - Ian breaks down…
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Mentorship and EV Fires
NEW EPISODE. Steve Orsini and I get into what it really means to mentor the next firefighter—and what the mentors in our own careers gave us. We talk about the wins, the mistakes, the expectations, and the challenge of training a generation that, not that long ago, was us. Then at the 26-minute...
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Thinking Under Pressure with Dr. Gary Klein | Decision-Making, Experience & Leadership
In this episode of The 5% Podcast Lab, I sit down with Dr. Gary Klein, one of the world’s leading researchers on decision-making under pressure and the author of Sources of Power. We talk about how firefighters, first responders, and leaders actually make decisions when time is short and the…
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Leading From the Front: Leadership, Fireground Psychology & Tactical Decision-Making with Deputy Chief Doug Ferrigno
In this episode of The 5% Podcast, I sit down with Deputy Fire Chief Doug Ferrigno for a conversation that goes far beyond fire tactics. We discuss what it really means to lead from the front—building a culture of accountability, developing company officers, and making sound decisions under...
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Leadership Before Rank
In this episode of The 5% Podcast Lab, I sit down with Mike Elhihi to talk leadership, mentorship, promotions, and preparing for the opportunities you say you want. We discuss interview preparation, developing future leaders, difficult conversations, and the mindset required to succeed when the...
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Victim Psychology and the Psychology of search
Episode 1: Why Victims Do What They Do – The Psychology of Search Most firefighters spend countless hours studying fire behavior, building construction, and search techniques. But how often do we study the behavior of the people we're searching for? In this inaugural episode of The 5% Podcast…
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About this show
**The 5% Podcast Lab | Leadership, Human Performance & Psychology Under Pressure**Hosted by Fire Captain Mike Norris, The 5% Podcast Lab explores leadership, human performance, decision-making under pressure, firefighter psychology, and the science of human behavior during emergencies.Through candid conversations with fire service leaders, psychologists, researchers, authors, and first responders, we examine what happens when stress, uncertainty, fear, and responsibility collide.From fireground command and tactical decision-making to disaster psychology, mental resilience, team dynamics,
Hosted by
Mike Norris
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