The Firefighters Podcast
The Firefighters Podcast is a global podcast seeking to develop, inspire, connect, motivate, represent & celebrate the world of our emergency services operators through a series of wide-ranging conversations celebrating those within our emergency services family and encouraging the support of this incredible group of people.
Operational UK firefighter Pete Wakefield speaks with individuals from all walks of life who share a connection with, can add value to, or can develop those who choose this life path.
Our driving purpose is to create a legacy resource for the current and future generations of firefighters & first responders
The Firefighters Podcast
#393 Growing Leaders, Building Trust & shaping culture with Mark Baxter CFO Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue
If you’ve followed this show for a while, you’ll know how much of a personal interest I have in leadership. And part of the reason for that is because, like many of you, I carry a fear with me: the fear that I might go through my career having an unintended impact on people. That the way I lead, or fail to lead, could leave a mark I never meant to.
I think very few people really study leadership. Too often, we assume we can just pull it out of our back pocket, lean on a few inspirational quotes, or stick some words up on a wall and call it leadership. But it’s not that simple. Leadership is complex, it’s human, and it shapes the culture of our organisations more than anything else.
And if we want an optimistic future for the UK Fire and Rescue Service, we have to give leadership the attention it deserves. Because whether it’s at station level, on-call, or at chief officer rank, the decisions our leaders make affect trust, confidence, and the very fabric of how we work together.
That’s why I was so keen to sit down with Mark Baxter, Chief Fire Officer of Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue. Together, we explored not just leadership and personal growth, but also the vital role of community engagement through fire cadets, the opportunities and challenges within on-call firefighting, and how apprenticeships can open pathways for the next generation. We talked about the importance of qualifications and standardisation in the sector, the role of Local Resilience Forums in major incidents, and how supporting neurodiversity and different learning styles can strengthen the fire service as a whole.
connect with Mark HERE
Access all episodes, documents, GIVEAWAYS & debriefs HERE
Join me on the United for 9/11: Memorial Stair Climb – Atlanta 2026 HERE
Podcast Apparel, Hoodies, Flags, Mugs HERE
PODCAST GIFT - FREE subscription to essential Firefighting publications HERE
A big thanks to our partners for supporting this episode.
- GORE-TEX Professional Clothing
- MSA The Safety Company
- IDEX
- FIRE & EVACUATION SERVICE LTD
- HAIX Footwear - Get offical podcast discount on HAIX HERE
- Xendurance - to hunt performance & endurance 20% off HERE with code ffp20
- Lyfe Linez - Get Functional Hydration FUEL for FIREFIGHTERS, Clean no sug
***The views expressed in this episode are those of the individual speakers. Our partners are not responsible for the content of this episode and does not warrant its accuracy or completeness.***
Please support the podcast and its future by clicking HERE and joining our Patreon Crew
