Operations & Training

Today on Firehouse Podcast – Episode 1: Behind the Fire Scene with John Salka

March 12, 2020

On this podcast, Peter Matthews talks with John Salka about his monthly Firehouse magazine column and his 30-plus year career with FDNY.

Peter Matthews,

John J. Salka Jr.

Firehouse Editor-in-Chief Peter Matthews talks with retired FDNY Battalion Chief John Salka Jr. in the inagural epsidoe of Today on Firehouse.

Matthews and Salka discuss how Salka develops his backpage "The Fire Scene" column each month for Firehouse Magazine, and Salka reflects on some of his most memorable columns.

Salka also shares stories from his 30-plus years with FDNY, including assignments in Squad 1 and Rescue 3, plus his time as a battalion chief in The Bronx. Salka explains how FDNY's rescue companies evolved from firefighting crews to units equipped to handle a variety of technical rescue incidents.

Salka also shares how he switched helmets from the busy FDNY assignments to his small town volunteer fire department, where the goals are the same but the means to carry them out vary greatly.

Find all of Salka's "The Fire Scene" columns and other written pieces for Firehouse here.

About the Author

Peter Matthews | Editor-in-Chief/Conference Director

Peter Matthews is the conference director and editor-in-chief of Firehouse. He has worked at Firehouse since 1999, serving in various roles on both Firehouse Magazine and Firehouse.com staffs. He completed an internship with the Rochester, NY, Fire Department and served with fire departments in Rush, NY, and Laurel, MD, and was a lieutenant with the Glenwood Fire Company in Glenwood, NY. Matthews served as photographer for the St. Paul, MN, Fire Department.

About the Author

John J. Salka Jr. | Battalion Chief

JOHN J. SALKA JR., who is a Firehouse contributing editor, retired as a battalion chief with FDNY, serving as commander of the 18th battalion in the Bronx. Salka has instructed at several FDNY training programs, including the department’s Probationary Firefighters School, Captains Management Program and Battalion Chiefs Command Course. He conducts training programs at national and local conferences and has been recognized for his firefighter survival course, “Get Out Alive.” Salka co-authored the FDNY Engine Company Operations manual and wrote the book "First In, Last Out–Leadership Lessons From the New York Fire Department." He also operates Fire Command Training, which is a New York-based fire service training and consulting firm.