When The Smoke Clears

Troy Lipp grew up in the fire service.  His father was a volunteer firefighter and so Troy spent his childhood hanging around the firehouse and even occasionally riding with his father on calls.  After reaching adulthood, he attended college and had plans to be an engineer, but eventually decided the fire service was a much better fit.  Throughout his career, Troy did a bit of everything, but he spent a lot of his time doing technical rescue and being part of FEMA's MD Task Force One.  That gave him a front row seat to the Oklahoma City federal building bombing and the Pentagon on 9/11.  Now that he's retired, Troy is enjoying a much more slower pace of life.Troy can be found on Facebook.Support the podcast here:buymeacoffee.com/whenthesmokeclearsBuy When The Smoke Clears Merch here:https://form.jotform.com/241787498388177

Greg Edwards grew up with his dad being a firefighter in the Washington DC Fire Department and a cousin being a volunteer firefighter, so Greg grew up with the fire service all around him.  After graduating college, the fire service finally won him over and he was hired with Montgomery County.  He spent some time assigned to Bethesda fire houses and Rockville station 3 until he transferred down to Takoma Park, where he fell in love with the fast pace of the first battalion.  After promoting to Master Firefighter, Greg eventually settled at Silver Spring station 1, where he worked for many years.  Greg retired a couple years after the COVID 19 pandemic, and he is currently enjoying the retired life.He can be found on Facebook, or at [email protected] the podcast here:buymeacoffee.com/whenthesmokeclearsBuy When The Smoke Clears Merch here:https://form.jotform.com/241787498388177

Assistant Chief Monte Fitch (The original...not to be confused with his son) grew up on the west coast, living in national parks and seeing his father fight the occasional wild fire as part of the National Park Service.  Growing up, he became a wild land firefighter for a few years until moving east and eventually joining the Kensington Volunteer Fire Department.  From there, he got hired by the Hillandale Volunteer Fire Department (back when the corporations hired their own full-time firefighters).  He eventually worked his way up to assistant chief and enjoyed a full career of about 35 years.  After he retired, he was asked to travel to Iraq to help the country build up their fire department towards the end of Saddam Husein's rule.  After returning home, Monte got a job doing background investigations for MCFRS, helping people get into the job he spent so many years giving his life to.Monte can be reached at 301-767-5835Support the podcast here:buymeacoffee.com/whenthesmokeclearsBuy When The Smoke Clears Merch here:https://form.jotform.com/241787498388177

Battalion Chief Jim Resnick is our guest on the podcast as we return from a prolonged break.Jim grew up in Bethesda and, like many of our guests, got exposed to the fire department at an early age.  After seeing many severe car accidents near the intersection by his house as a child, he vowed to be able to do more to help once he got older.  As a teenager, he joined the Bethesda Chevy Chase Rescue Squad where he volunteered for many years until he was hired by the Cabin John Fire Department as a full-time firefighter.  From there, he rose through the ranks, making it all the way up to battalion chief until his retirement 28 years later.Jim still serves with the MCFRS as a civilian contractor, doing fire safety initiatives for the elderly.Jim can be reached at [email protected] the podcast here:buymeacoffee.com/whenthesmokeclearsBuy When The Smoke Clears Merch here:https://form.jotform.com/241787498388177

Corey Smedley was first introduced to the fire service by his sister.  She was hired as a career firefighter in Prince Georges County and Corey decided to follow in her footsteps.  Corey was eventually hired in PG County as well, and he enjoyed a full career there, rising through the ranks and eventually landing at the chief level.From there, various opportunities came Corey's way, including an opportunity to work in the Alexandria Fire Department, where he eventually became their Fire Chief.  After returning to PG to take an Assistant Chief spot, he thought that's where his career would end.  But then Montgomery County Fire and Rescue reached out to him, saying that they were looking for a Fire Chief.  The rest, as they say, is history.Chief Smedley shares about his life growing up in Washington DC, his careers in PG and Alexandria, and what the process looked like when he was being courted by Montgomery County.  We in MCFRS saw what the process was like from the outside...now hear the full story of how the process unfolded from the Chief's perspective.Support the podcast here:buymeacoffee.com/whenthesmokeclearsBuy When The Smoke Clears Merch here:https://form.jotform.com/241787498388177

Vanessa DeVries first expressed interest in the fire department at four years old.  Yes, many kids go through their "I want to be a firefighter" phase, but Vanessa never grew out of hers.  She joined a volunteer fire department in Prince Georges County as a teenager, was later hired by the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service, and never looked back.As a female in the fire service at a time when there were even fewer women than there are now, Vanessa had to deal with some very challenging situations.  However, she was also surrounded by plenty of people who supported her and wanted nothing but to see her succeed.  She rose through the ranks and eventually became the youngest person at the time, male or female, to become a battalion chief.Vanessa would eventually retire as an Assistant Chief.  As she was in her final years, she became pregnant with her first daughter.  So a lot of her post-retirement life has been spent raising her daughters with her husband Kevin, a retired firefighter whom we also recently interviewed.Chief DeVries can be found on Facebook, her email is [email protected], and her phone number is 301-452-3778.  She also wants to let any female firefighters know that if they ever need someone to talk to for support or anything else, they can always reach out to her.Support the podcast here:buymeacoffee.com/whenthesmokeclearsBuy When The Smoke Clears Merch here:https://form.jotform.com/241787498388177

Kevin DeVries is a second generation firefighter who was influenced early on by his father and uncle, who were both career firefighters for a time.  Kevin was another one who was hired during the corporation days and saw the department evolve into being run by the county.  Along the way, he worked in Bethesda, Takoma Park and Silver Spring, running "a couple fires along the way," as he put it.Kevin never hesitated to tell you exactly what was on his mind, and that could either motivate you or piss you off.  By and large that worked to his advantage, and he influenced a lot of people along the way, ultimately retiring as a Captain from station 16.  Two of his sons followed in his footsteps, and they are both still on the job to this day.Kevin doesn't do social media, but he can be reached at 301-325-9649.Support the podcast here:buymeacoffee.com/whenthesmokeclearsBuy When The Smoke Clears Merch here:https://form.jotform.com/241787498388177

Battalion Chief Mike Hamilton holds the record of having served the longest in the fire service out of all of the people we have interviewed so far...45 years!  During that time, Mike did A LOT.  From working at the 911 call center, being on the apparatus committee, working in code enforcement, and working in virtually every battalion in one position or another, Mike Hamilton had a very full career.  He was on the scene of several fires that easily could have resulted in line of duty deaths, and they had a profound effect on him.His career came to an abrupt end, but that has not stopped him from living his life on the other side of the fire service.He can be reached at 301-520-7177.Support the podcast here:buymeacoffee.com/whenthesmokeclearsBuy When The Smoke Clears Merch here:https://form.jotform.com/241787498388177

Derrick Anthony joins us to discuss his 30+ year fire service career.  Throughout his time in MCFRS, Derrick was involved in many things, including teaching at the training academy, helping with the Critical Incident Stress Management Team, being the In-Service Training Coordinator at the training academy, helping the department acquire accreditation, and more.Once he retired, he continued working in a variety of jobs, being very thankful for the skills he acquired working for the fire department, and savoring the memories he had riding the fire trucks and serving the citizens of Montgomery County.Derrick can be reached at [email protected] the podcast here:buymeacoffee.com/whenthesmokeclearsBuy When The Smoke Clears Merch here:https://form.jotform.com/241787498388177

Rico Shepherd never grew up with any aspirations to join the fire department.  However, when he saw an advertisement in the newspaper about MCFRS hiring, he applied, got hired, and the rest was history.Rico spent a good part of his career in Cabin John on the swift water rescue team, and another large chunk of it in the fire code enforcement section where he eventually retired as a Master Firefighter.  After retirement, his entrepreneurial spirit kicked in and he started a bulk trash collecting business.Rico can be reached at [email protected] or at 240-429-0968Support the podcast here:buymeacoffee.com/whenthesmokeclearsBuy When The Smoke Clears Merch here:https://form.jotform.com/241787498388177

When Walter Balma had his first encounter with the fire department, he knew immediately that he wanted to be a firefighter.  Growing up in Prince George's County, MD, he wanted to be a PG firefighter, so he became a PG volunteer.  However, when applying for full-time fire department jobs, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue hired him first.  Walter enjoyed a 20+ year career in Montgomery County before eventually retiring and joining the Prince George's County Fire Department.Walter shares about his time in both departments, as well as his time working in the fire code enforcement offices of Rockville City and Prince George's County.Walter can be reached at [email protected] the podcast here:buymeacoffee.com/whenthesmokeclearsBuy When The Smoke Clears Merch here:https://form.jotform.com/241787498388177

Stacey Jones never had any ambition to join the fire service when he was young, but through various twists and turns of life, he found himself joining  the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service as a member of Recruit Class 6.  Along the way, Stacey never had any formal mentors to teach him about the fire service, and at times he struggled.  But he ultimately forged his own path and ended up retiring as a Captain and as an EMS duty officer.Stacey shares with us the importance of mentorship in the fire service and how it is desperately needed for anyone who seeks to have a full and fulfilling career.Captain Jones can be reached at [email protected] or 240-351-3976.Support the podcast here:buymeacoffee.com/whenthesmokeclearsBuy When The Smoke Clears Merch here:https://form.jotform.com/241787498388177

"Retired" Fire Chief Scott Goldstein joins us on the show to recount his 30+ years in the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service, including eight years as its Fire Chief.  We say "retired" because Chief Goldstein is actually still on the job!  He currently serves as Fire Chief of Cowlitz 2 Fire and Rescue in Kelso, Washington.Chief Goldstein has lots of great insights to share about his time in Montgomery County, and especially about his time as the fire chief.  His mentality towards being the chief was entirely geared toward providing the men and women he led with the tools necessary to be ready to serve the citizens who made the 911 call, and being there to support the families of the firefighters staffing the rigs and working behind the scenes.Being the fire chief of any organization comes with unique challenges...one of which is that you're never truly "off the clock."  Chief Goldstein talks about that and many other tough realities of being THE chief.Scott Goldstein can be reached at [email protected] the podcast here:buymeacoffee.com/whenthesmokeclearsBuy When The Smoke Clears Merch here:https://form.jotform.com/241787498388177

Division Chief Mike Love returns to share with us the rest of his story.  If you haven't listened to part one, please do yourself a favor and do that...otherwise you'll miss out on a lot!Chief Love picks up from where he left off...getting promoted to Sergeant in the Silver Spring Fire Department.  His career then took him through the ranks all the way up to Division Chief.  Along the way, he saw the department change and grow leaps and bounds from what it was when he first started volunteering.Mike Love can be reached at 301-633-8511, [email protected], or on Facebook.Support the podcast here:buymeacoffee.com/whenthesmokeclearsBuy When The Smoke Clears Merch here:https://form.jotform.com/241787498388177

Captain Clifford "Cliff" Billingslea joins us to talk about his career.  Growing up, Cliff met several people in high school who would eventually become his fire department colleagues in the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service.  Once he got into the department, he spent his initial few years in the more rural areas of the county before transferring to Takoma Park.  From there, he spent the rest of his career working in various stations in Battalion 1.Captain Billingslea shares many stories with us, including one powerful experience at station 2 that shaped the rest of his career.Cliff Billingslea can be found on Facebook, or you can email him at [email protected] the podcast here:buymeacoffee.com/whenthesmokeclearsBuy When The Smoke Clears Merch here:https://form.jotform.com/241787498388177

Captain Pete Corte is another individual who wanted to be a firefighter from the very beginning.  He achieved his goal by becoming a volunteer firefighter at first, then getting hired by Montgomery County Fire and Rescue.  Pete worked in Takoma Park, Bethesda, Glen Echo, Glenmont, and Chevy Chase, rising through the ranks.  He also spent some time as a safety officer.After some injuries caught up with him, he knew it was time to hang up his helmet.  He has since moved down south, where he now works for the Georgia State Fire Marshall's office.  Since retiring, he has found a renewed connection with God and a contentment that had eluded him for many many years.Pete can be found on Instagram at @thecaptainskitchen and on Facebook at Pete Corte.If you or anyone you know is struggling with suicide, dial 988 for help.Support the podcast here:buymeacoffee.com/whenthesmokeclearsBuy When The Smoke Clears Merch here:https://form.jotform.com/241787498388177

From the time he was first introduced to the fire service in high school, Marshall Moneymaker knew this was what he wanted to do with his life.  However, the road to get there definitely was not easy.Eventually he did manage to get hired by the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service, and made his way to station six in Bethesda...working in the high rise district of southern Montgomery County.  It was there he got to drive and tiller Truck 706, a position he greatly enjoyed for many years.Unfortunately an injury cut his career short, and what followed was a very difficult battle with the county over retirement benefits.  Marshall's story is raw, real, and powerful, and he credits his wife and the memory of his shift mates with helping him get through some of the darker times.Marshall is also known as "The Pink Fireman" for his involvement with For Three Sisters, an organization he helped to establish which aims to support people going through cancer.  You can find more information about For Three Sisters at F3S.orgMarshall can be reached at [email protected] the podcast here:buymeacoffee.com/whenthesmokeclearsBuy When The Smoke Clears Merch here:https://form.jotform.com/241787498388177

Alex Aquino has always had a heart yearning for adventure, and all of his immediate family members were the same.  So it was no surprise (kind of) that he ended up in the fire department.After an almost 30-year career, all of his adventures, both on the job and off, caught up to him physically.  It was his desire to continue having adventures with his family that led him to hang up his turn out gear.Alex can be reached at [email protected] the podcast here:buymeacoffee.com/whenthesmokeclearsBuy When The Smoke Clears Merch here:https://form.jotform.com/241787498388177

Retired Division Chief Mike Love sits down with us for part 1 of a two-part interview.  Chief Love is a treasure trove of valuable historic information on the early days of the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service.  He talks about his upbringing in the 50s and 60s...how he first got involved with the Kensington Volunteer Fire Department as a young kid, spending lots of time at station 18, and how that led him to become a volunteer firefighter and eventually a career firefighter.  Chief Love then tells us about some significant fires that he got to run, all the way up to his eventual promotion to Sergeant in 1982.Support the podcast here:buymeacoffee.com/whenthesmokeclearsBuy When The Smoke Clears Merch here:https://form.jotform.com/241787498388177

Retired Captain Marc Worton was destined to be in the fire service.  Having two parents deeply involved in volunteer fire departments, he was practically born into it.  Marc shares his story of becoming a volunteer firefighter as a teenager, eventually getting hired as a full-time career firefighter in Montgomery County, and having a robust career that took him from the fields of Sandy Spring to the high-rises of Bethesda.  He answered calls at the 911 center, joined the county's technical rescue team, and so much more.In retirement, Marc helped to found the Montgomery County Career Firefighters Charitable Foundation, which serves to help firefighters when they have needs that are not immediately job-related.  He currently serves as president of the foundation.Marc can be reached at 240-281-7241.  Call or text.Support the podcast here:buymeacoffee.com/whenthesmokeclearsBuy When The Smoke Clears Merch here:https://form.jotform.com/241787498388177

From the time he was a six-year-old boy hearing the fire house sirens sound near his home in Montgomery Village, MD, David Steckel knew he wanted to be a firefighter.  When he was finally old enough to join the fire cadet program in high school, his love for the fire service was confirmed and there was no looking back.After he was hired as a career firefighter in Montgomery County, Maryland, Dave quickly rose through the ranks, becoming one of the youngest officers the department had at the time.  After eventually promoting to Battalion Chief, he took an administrative position where he put his skills as a lawyer (!) to work.  He continued to rise through the ranks, serving the men and women working in the field from behind the scenes, doing a lot of important administrative and policy work.Chief Steckel can be reached at [email protected] the podcast here:buymeacoffee.com/whenthesmokeclearsBuy When The Smoke Clears Merch here:https://form.jotform.com/241787498388177

For our first female guest on the podcast, we have none other than retired Division Chief Diane Zuspan.Chief Zuspan originally had no desire to join the fire department.  However, she entered the EMS world as a young adult and fell in love with it.  Her journey as a paramedic took her from the west coast, to the middle of the country, and finally to the east coast, where she became a full time career firefighter and never looked back.Diane shares about what it was like to be a woman in the fire service, and the ups and downs that came with that.  Fortunately, at every stage of her career, she was surrounded by good men who never made her gender an issue.  She was able to rise through the ranks of her department, eventually ending up at the division chief level...one step below chief of the department.Post retirement, she and her husband (also a retired firefighter) have traveled the world and are fully enjoying living the retired life.Chief Zuspan can be reached at [email protected] the podcast here:buymeacoffee.com/whenthesmokeclearsBuy When The Smoke Clears Merch here:https://form.jotform.com/241787498388177

Captain Tony Rankin is another firefighter that both Russ and Tony have personal experience working with.  When Tony Rankin was a captain in Hillandale, Tony Bencosme was his lieutenant and Russ was one of his firefighters.Tony shares with us about his upbringing growing up in Montgomery County, how a chance encounter with a former schoolmate-turned firefighter led him to become a volunteer firefighter and eventually a career firefighter, and how his desire to seek adventure led him to a very unusual hobby.Tony also shares about a struggle he had once he stepped away from the fire service, and how he came to reinvent himself by parlaying a hobby into a whole new career.Support the podcast here:buymeacoffee.com/whenthesmokeclearsBuy When The Smoke Clears Merch here:https://form.jotform.com/241787498388177

Adrian Lacey joins us to discuss his career with the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service.  Adrian was a collegiate soccer player before discovering the fire service.  The majority of his 20+ year career was spent primarily at a single firehouse...Hillandale Station 12, and primarily on a single shift...A shift.Adrian shares about his passion for soccer, how he spent many years as the primary tiller man on Truck 12, and the importance of taking care of your mental health if you are struggling with anything.He can be reached at [email protected] the podcast here:buymeacoffee.com/whenthesmokeclearsBuy When The Smoke Clears Merch here:https://form.jotform.com/241787498388177

From volunteering at the Sandy Spring Volunteer Fire Department to getting hired by Montgomery County Fire and Rescue, working his way up to be the primary driver of Truck 25, retiring because of various injuries, and having to deal with some mental health struggles, retired Master Firefighter Eric Fessenden's story is incredibly powerful.  He holds nothing back as he shares about the dark place he found himself in after retiring, and he has since become a strong advocate for firefighter's seeking peer support if they are ever in need because of trauma incurred on the job or life difficulties faced off the job. Eric can be reached at [email protected] or 410-310-3085Support the podcast here:buymeacoffee.com/whenthesmokeclearsBuy When The Smoke Clears Merch here:https://form.jotform.com/241787498388177

Assistant Chief Michael Clemens dedicated more than 40 years of service to the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service.  Starting out as a teenage volunteer with the Silver Spring Volunteer Fire Department, and eventually getting hired by that corporation, Mike served the majority of his career in the Silver Spring area, before promoting to chief and eventually becoming the training chief at the Public Safety Training Academy.Chief Clemens was in charge of designing and building Montgomery County's current training academy...and even though he has been retired now for several years, he still continues to fight to get more buildings added to the academy grounds.Chief Clemens can be reached at [email protected] the podcast here:buymeacoffee.com/whenthesmokeclearsBuy When The Smoke Clears Merch here:https://form.jotform.com/241787498388177

Assistant Chief Michael Prete joins us on the podcast today.  Listen in as he talks about:- The very unusual way he got into the fire department- What it was like as a volunteer/casual labor employee before the county took over the fire department- How he influenced the department bring in the 24/48 work schedule- What he believes was his most influential rankMike Prete can be reached at [email protected] or 301-318-9755Support the podcast here:buymeacoffee.com/whenthesmokeclearsBuy When The Smoke Clears Merch here:https://form.jotform.com/241787498388177

Retired Battalion Chief Bill Kang joins us on the pod today.  He shares about his life growing up in a traditional Asian family, and his parent's reaction to him joining the fire service.Chief Kang's career took him all over Montgomery County...from the urban streets of Silver Spring to the rural landscapes of Damascus and (at the time) Germantown.  He finished his career as a chief officer, but even after he left the fire service behind, he still stayed in the emergency services world.Chief Kang shares what he treasured most about his time in the fire department, and shares the wisdom he acquired from 21 years of service.He can be reached at [email protected] the podcast here:buymeacoffee.com/whenthesmokeclearsBuy When The Smoke Clears Merch here:https://form.jotform.com/241787498388177

MFF Darren Carter sits down with us to talk about his career.  He walks us through his early volunteer days at the Burntonsville Volunteer Fire Department, getting hired by the county, working at stations all over Montgomery County, and his final assignment as the C shift scheduler.Darren then breaks down his life after he stepped away, his perspective on the job now that he's retired, and the things that bring him the most joy in life.Darren can be reached at [email protected] the podcast here:buymeacoffee.com/whenthesmokeclearsBuy When The Smoke Clears Merch here:https://form.jotform.com/241787498388177

We speak with retired Battalion Chief Tony Coleman about his career with MCFRS.  Tony shares with us about his upbringing as a native Montgomery County kid, what drew him into the fire service, his career spanning several decades leading to his final rank of battalion chief, and how he approaches life on the retired side of the fire service.Tony shares some great information about things he learned as the chief in charge of FROMS (Fire Rescue Occupational Medical Section) and how those lessons continue to serve him well in retirement.Chief Coleman can be reached at [email protected] the podcast here:buymeacoffee.com/whenthesmokeclearsBuy When The Smoke Clears Merch here:https://form.jotform.com/241787498388177

Retired Chief John Tippett joins us to talk about his career...how he started out as a volunteer firefighter and the became a career firefighter not too long after.Chief Tippett worked many years for the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service, ultimately retiring as a battalion chief.  However, his career did not stop there.  After retiring from MCFRS, he was hired by the Charleston Fire Department as a deputy chief.  This was not long after the tragic Sopa Super Store fire that resulted in the line of duty deaths of nine of Charleston's bravest.Hear how Chief Tippett helped the Charleston FD rebuild after such a terrible tragedy, and what he started doing after retiring from Charleston.Chief Tippett can be reached at [email protected] or [email protected] the podcast here:buymeacoffee.com/whenthesmokeclearsBuy When The Smoke Clears Merch here:https://form.jotform.com/241787498388177

In this episode we speak with retired Captain Pedro Meneses Jr..  From coming to the United States from his home country of Nicaragua, to his eventually joining the fire department, Pedro shares about all of the twists and turns his life took to eventually lead him to the career that he fell in love with.Pedro also shares about his leaving the fire department sooner than he thought he would, and the struggles that came along with that.  Now "fully involved" in a successful real estate career, Pedro shares how he's trying to reconnect with the fire department in his own way and fully enjoy the next chapters of his life.Captain Menesses can be reached on Instagram and Facebook @pedromenesesjrSupport the podcast here:buymeacoffee.com/whenthesmokeclearsBuy When The Smoke Clears Merch here:https://form.jotform.com/241787498388177

For our very first interview, we speak with retired Battalion Chief Kelvin Thomas.  Kelvin walks us through his upbringing, what led him to pursue a career in the fire service, the assignments that made the most impact on his career, and how transitioning to the retired life has had an impact on him.Chief Thomas can be reached at [email protected] the podcast here:buymeacoffee.com/whenthesmokeclearsBuy When The Smoke Clears Merch here:https://form.jotform.com/241787498388177

Welcome to When The Smoke Clears!  In this introductory episode, Tony and Russ introduce themselves and explain what this podcast is all about.Support the podcast here:buymeacoffee.com/whenthesmokeclearsBuy When The Smoke Clears Merch here:https://form.jotform.com/241787498388177