Host of The Pipeman Podcast interviews Capt. (Ret.) Jay Comella of the Oakland Fire Department about his impactful career, lessons learned from tragedy, and innovations in engine company operations.
7 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT
Episode 13: Mike Smith (Part 2)
Host Pipemen interview Mike Smith from FDNY Engine 48 about the enduring culture, mentorship, and traditions shaping firefighters today.
22 Aug 2026TRANSCRIPT
Episode 12: Mikey Smith (Part 1)
Host Pipemen interview FDNY Engine 48's Mikey Smith about the vital engine company culture, mentorship, and traditions shaping firefighters today.
4 Jul 2026TRANSCRIPT
Episode 11: West Coast Offense (Part 2)
The Pipemen interview Mark Carcamo, Colin Kelley, and Cameron Monahan about developing seamless engine and truck company relationships for coordinated ventilation and roof member rescue.
22 Jun 2026TRANSCRIPT
Episode 10: West Coast Offense (Part 1)
The Pipemen interview Mark Carcamo, Colin Kelley, and Cameron Monahan about developing seamless engine and truck company relationships for coordinated ventilation and roof rescue support.
26 Nov 2025
Episode 9: Dave McGrail
The Pipemen sit down with Chief (Ret.) Dave McGrail from the Denver Fire Department.
In this podcast we take a look at engine and truck operations and how they continue to be shaped by the work of Chief McGrail, including The Great Debate. We discuss the impact Andy Fredericks had on the American fire service. We also discuss Andy’s writings such as Return of the Solid Stream and Little Drops of Water: 50 Years Later and his FDIC speech, “Don’t Worry About that Nozzle, Kid” that emphasized fundamentals, water application, and a disciplined strategy.
Chief McGrail discusses a few significant high-rise incidents in the American fire service - including One Meridian Plaza, Memphis and Houston NIOSH reports. Additionally, we talk about the Los Angeles First Interstate and San Francisco’s Butler wind-driven fire, all which continue to reinforce the need for strong standpipe, suppression, and high-rise tactics.
The Pipemen go deep with a discussion on standards like NFPA 13E (fire department operations in sprinklered buildings), NFPA 13R (residential sprinkler systems), and NFPA 14 (standpipes). All of these frame today’s best practices and help connect the lessons of the past to the operational readiness demanded today.
9 Jun 2025
Episode 8: Daryl Liggins
Captain Daryl Liggins recounts his experiences transitioning from a suburban to an urban fire department and navigating cultural shifts after a line-of-duty death in this interview with The Pipemen.
26 Apr 2024
Episode 7: Erich Roden
3 Sept 2023
Episode 6: Greg Redmond
The Pipemen sit down with Greg Redmond from the St. Louis Fire Department. Greg talks about the fire attack challenges in a department where engines and trucks (quints) frequently switch roles.
12 May 2023
Episode 5: Adam Maiers
The Pipeman podcast talk with Adam Maiers.
16 May 2022
Episode 4: Mitch Raines
The Pipeman podcast talk with Mitch Raines.
27 Jan 2022
Episode 3: Jonathan Brumley
The Pipeman podcast talk with Jonathan Brumley.
27 Sept 2021
Episode 2: Kiel Samsing
The Pipeman podcast talk with Kiel Samsing. Kiel walks through his decision making process on an engine company utilizing Boyd’s OODA Loop decision making model. He also talks about engine company expectations and how to mentor new members coming on to the company.
Kiel Samsing is a Lieutenant with the Newport News Fire Department and the training coordinator for the West Point Volunteer Fire Department. He is a State of Virginia Instructor 2 and instructor for the Hampton Roads Recruit Fire Academy. Kiel has been an instructor at Andy Fredericks Training Days, Art of Firemanship, and the Chesapeake Firemanship Conference. He has also been a lecture and lead HOT Instructor at FDIC. Kiel is the founder of the Journeyman Fire Conference in Virginia.
3 Aug 2021
Episode 1: Derek Roberts
The Pipeman podcast talk with Derek Robert about the significant change his department made regarding their attack package…and in short time. Derek shares in the experience he gained through his time working as an instructor for the Snohomish County Recruit Training Academy and how he applied it to make change. He shares with the Pipemen his experiences of going about changing a large organization.
Derek Roberts is a Captain with South County Fire (Snohomish County, WA).
Note: in the podcast, the Pipemen refer to this episode as #2. It’s actually #1 because the first episode was Zero.
8 Jul 2021
Episode Zero: Water on the Fire
The very first show of The Pipeman with Jay Bonnifield, James Nisbet, and Kyle Romagus. They will be talking all things water and hose movement.
Inside a recent episode
Episode 14: Jay Comella
Published 5 Oct 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] I did see what I thought was delay of water application compared to what I was used to seeing. Yeah. I would assume that that was pretty frustrating to be able to live through that without full encapsulation and seeing these guys take advantage of their abilities now. Yeah. Because again, not only is it properly timed water application going to make it safer for us, but again, Even more importantly, what's it do to the survivability window for victims? Again, what kills the majority of victims is smoke. If you're delaying getting water on the fire, you're allowing more time for smoke propagation, smoke generation, smoke propagation. […]
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