Leadership Under Fire

Leadership Under Fire
  • 4.8 (163)
  • Education
  • Updated Semimonthly

The Leadership Under Fire Humanizing the Narrative Podcast provides a platform to prepare performance leaders to navigate the moral, mental, emotional, intellectual and physical rigors in high-risk and ultra-competitive settings by developing strength of mind, body, character and critical thought.

  1. 2d ago

    A Reflection on Service and Resilience with Det Joseph Vigiano, NYPD

    Joseph John Vigiano is a former U.S. Marine and presently serves as a Detective with the NYPD’s Emergency Service Unit where he is assigned to Squad 7 in Brooklyn. Joe is a 2015 graduate of SUNY Maritime College where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Transportation with a Third Mates License Unlimited Tonnage. Upon his college graduation, Joe enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve as an 0352 Antitank Missileman. He served as a Sergeant in Weapons Company 2nd Battalion, 25th Marines. While serving with 2/25, Joe he deployed to Afghanistan in 2018 as part of the Georgian Liaison Team. Joe joined the rank of the NYPD in 2017 and was assigned to the 7-5 Precinct in East New, Brooklyn. The same command where both of his parents started their careers with the NYPD.  While assigned to the 75th Precinct, Joe performed duties as a patrol officer and a member of the Midnight Public 13 Safety Team, the predecessor to Anti-Crime.  Joe graduated from the Emergency Service Unit's Specialized Training School in 2023.  ESU is the NYPDs tactical and technical rescue team which covers down a variety of responsibilities that include high-risk search warrants, barricaded perpetrators, barricaded emotional disturbed persons, rope rescue, weapons of mass destruction/Hazmat, and extrication.  Joe is currently assigned to ESU Squad 7 and was promoted to Detective Specialist 3rd Grade in 2025.  Joe and his wife Jenny, are the parents of Joseph Vincent Vigiano II, named after Joe's father, 9/11 hero Detective Joseph Vincent Vigiano. Joe has two brothers, James and John.  James is also a member of the NYPD, assigned to Brooklyn North’s Community Response Team and is a Marine Corps veteran who served with Weapons Company 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines. Younger brother John is currently serving as a Corporal of Marines with the 3rd Littoral Regiment in Hawaii. Joe is the grandson of the late Captain John Vigiano, FDNY and Mrs. Jan Vigiano who actively honored their sons’ sacrifice through tireless advocacy for our nation’s post-9/11 military veterans. Captain Vigiano served as the principal mentor for Leadership Under Fire from its inception until his passing from 9/11 related cancer in 2018.  This conversation about leadership, risk, and resilience is from an LUF online emerging leaders’ development course. Fall Leadership Development Course on the Farm

    34 min

  2. May 19

    Calm Leadership in Hell’s Hundred Acres with Capt Andrew Serra FDNY (Ret)

    Captain Andrew Serra spent 25 years with the FDNY, beginning his career as a Firefighter in Ladder 131, with rotations in Engine 231 and Engine 155, before moving to Squad 1. He later served as a Lieutenant in Engine 231 and ultimately as Captain of Ladder 20. Beyond the firehouse, Capt Serra is an accomplished writer and author of several books, including Tradition Continuesand Hell’s Hundred Acres. His passion for history, New York City, and cities abroad has deeply influenced both his fire service career and his work as an author, shaping a perspective rooted in tradition, culture, and the enduring character of urban life. Registration is open for our Fall Leadership Development Course on the Farm in western Maryland.

    57 min

  3. May 4

    Leading at the Unit Level with Jerry Smith Jr. BCFD

    Jerry Smith Jr. is a 24-year veteran of the Baltimore City Fire Department.   He is assigned to Truck Co. 5 and presently detailed to Rescue Co. 1.  He was previously assigned to Truck Company 15.  Jerry is a twenty year member of the BCFD’s Dive Team and serves as a public safety scuba instructor. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Loyola University of Maryland. Jerry has been actively involved with Leadership Under Fire since its inception in 2012.  This conversation about leadership at the unit level is from a recent LUF online course session.

    1h 3m

  4. Apr 20

    Exploring Viktor Frankl’s “Man’s Search for Meaning” Part 2 with LtCol Charlie Black USMC (Ret)

    Since our formal inception more than a decade ago, the Leadership Under Fire (LUF) team has championed professional reading as a cornerstone of operational excellence. A close study of history’s most effective, mission-oriented leaders reveals a consistent thread: their success is closely tied to disciplined engagement with literature, reflection, and critical thought. In 2022, LUF launched its inaugural online book club, creating a forum for meaningful dialogue, shared perspective, and the kind of intellectual rigor that sharpens decision-making on the fireground and beyond.   In this week’s episode, LtCol Charlie Black explores Part 2 of Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning—a work forged in the harshest conditions imaginable, yet centered on a simple, enduring truth: even in the worst circumstances, we retain the ability to choose our attitude and find purpose. When conditions are chaotic and outcomes uncertain, purpose becomes the anchor, and how we choose to respond defines both our leadership and our impact.

    58 min

  5. Apr 6

    Exploring Viktor Frankl’s “Man's Search for Meaning” with LtCol Charlie Black USMC (Ret)

    Since our formal inception more than a decade ago, the Leadership Under Fire (LUF) team has championed professional reading as a cornerstone of operational excellence. A close study of history’s most effective, mission-oriented leaders reveals a consistent thread: their success is closely tied to disciplined engagement with literature, reflection, and critical thought. In 2022, LUF launched its inaugural online book club, creating a forum for meaningful dialogue, shared perspective, and the kind of intellectual rigor that sharpens decision-making on the fireground and beyond. In this week’s episode, LtCol Charlie Black explores  Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning—a work forged in the harshest conditions imaginable, yet centered on a simple, enduring truth: even in the worst circumstances, we retain the ability to choose our attitude and find purpose. When conditions are chaotic and outcomes uncertain, purpose becomes the anchor, and how we choose to respond defines both our leadership and our impact.

    50 min

  6. Mar 19

    Listening Makes Everyone Better with Lt Mike O'Connell FDNY

    Our guest today is FDNY Lieutenant Mike O’Connell, a 10-year member of the Department. Before being promoted, he served as a firefighter with Engine 202 and Ladder 102 in Brooklyn. Mike is a graduate of St. John’s University and is a member of both the MPI and Leadership Under Fire teams.

    51 min

  7. Mar 5

    Revisiting Jim McNamara’s Senior Man Feature Episode with FF Bob Athanas, FDNY

    This episode is hosted by Jim McNamara. For those tuning in for the first time, Jim is a senior Firefighter at the FDNY and serves as a Human Performance Advisor for Leadership Under Fire. He’s also the principal author of the Leadership Under Fire Senior Man’s Performance Journal. Bob Athanas is our guest in this episode. Bob recently retired after 37 years of service with the FDNY. Bob grew up in Southbridge, MA, and served as a paid firefighter there from 1976-1983. He moved to Brooklyn, New York, in 1983 and served four years as an FDNY fire alarm dispatcher in the Brooklyn Central Office and later the CADO Unit. Bob was appointed as a FDNY firefighter in 1987. He transferred to Rescue 3 in February of 1991 where he would spend the next 29 years of his career. Bob also served as an adjunct instructor at the FDNY Fire Academy and the lead instructor for thermal imager training for many FDNY training programs. He also taught at the FDNY Special Operations Command Technical Rescue School and helped develop the FDNY SOC Advanced Firefighter Rescue Training program. Bob was also a member of the Urban Search and Rescue New York Task Force 1.

    47 min

  8. Feb 19

    Revisiting A Historic Human Performance Episode of the Equitable Building Fire with Lt Matt Connor FDNY

    In this episode, we revisit a conversation between Patti Murphy and FDNY Lt Matt Connor covering the Equitable Building fire on January 9th, 1912.  This event tested the courage and skill of the FDNY in some of the most extreme conditions.  The 10-story building at 120 Broadway in Lower Manhattan was considered “fireproof.” In reality, it was cast iron, full of combustible materials, and lacked automatic fire protection. A discarded match in the basement sparked a fire that quickly spread through open elevator shafts and stairways. FDNY members battled frigid temperatures, high winds, and ice. Six people lost their lives, including Battalion Chief William J. Walsh, who was killed when part of the building collapsed. Despite the danger, firefighters performed several dramatic rescues. The fire led to significant reforms in firefighting, from zoning resolutions and high-pressure hydrants to operational changes. Most notably, it inspired the creation of Rescue Company 1 in March 1915, which quickly fielded Draeger smoke helmets—providing the first rescue company in the United States with a breathing apparatus. The Equitable Building was rebuilt with a steel frame, completed in 1915, and became the largest office building in the world by floor area for a time. Over the past century, it has housed countless commercial tenants, standing as a testament to American resilience and ingenuity. In just a few weeks, FDNY members will return to the Equitable Building for an exercise testing next-generation Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus. Ascending from the lobby to the upper floors in full gear and on air, they’ll connect the storied past of the FDNY with the fire service’s readiness for the future.  This episode originally aired January 13th,  2022.

    57 min
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4.8
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About

The Leadership Under Fire Humanizing the Narrative Podcast provides a platform to prepare performance leaders to navigate the moral, mental, emotional, intellectual and physical rigors in high-risk and ultra-competitive settings by developing strength of mind, body, character and critical thought.

Information

  • Creator
    Leadership Under Fire
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    186
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2023 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Leadership Under Fire

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