What does it take to lead change in a profession built on tradition? In this episode of Project Command, I sit down with retired Dallas Fire Department Deputy Chief Daniel DeYear to discuss leadership, organizational change, and the realities of implementing large-scale initiatives in the fire service.

Drawing on decades of experience, Chief Deyear shares his perspective on how the fire service has evolved, what leadership lessons remain timeless, and why successfully managing change requires far more than simply issuing orders. We explore how leaders can build momentum, gain buy-in, navigate resistance, and move complex projects from concept to completion.

Whether you're leading a station-level initiative, implementing new technology, managing a major organizational change, or trying to move your department forward, this conversation offers practical lessons from a leader who has successfully guided large organizations through significant transformation.

Topics include:
• How the fire service has changed over the past several decades
• Leadership lessons that stand the test of time
• Managing organizational change in a paramilitary environment
• Building support for large initiatives
• Overcoming resistance and pushback
• Leading complex projects and strategic efforts
• Communicating vision and maintaining momentum
• Developing future leaders within the organization

If you're interested in leadership, project management, organizational effectiveness, and the future of the fire service, this is an episode you won't want to miss.

https://youtu.be/hX3O1NTwVak?si=znbR1NPUDz0DL8q8

In the debut episode of Project Command International, Duke Cuneo sits down with Deputy Commissioner Mick Morris of Fire and Rescue New South Wales for a powerful conversation on leadership, systems thinking, and the future of modern emergency services.

With nearly 36 years in one of the world's largest urban fire services, Mick shares lessons learned from frontline operations, executive leadership, operational improvement, and international collaboration. The discussion explores how large organizations manage complexity, build high-performing systems, and align strategy with frontline execution at scale.

The conversation also takes a deeply personal turn as Mick discusses the life-changing drowning accident involving his son Samuel, and how that tragedy led him into international healthcare advocacy, drowning prevention initiatives, and systems-level thinking that would ultimately reshape his leadership philosophy.

Other topics include:

• Organizational culture and change management
• Community risk reduction and prevention-focused leadership
• Strategic alignment inside large fire departments
• Decision-making under uncertainty
• Global collaboration in the fire service
• AI, technology, and the future of emergency response
• Why leaders must "stay curious" in complex environments

This episode sets the tone for the entire international series — bringing global perspectives on strategy, execution, leadership, and public safety innovation to the fire service community worldwide.

Hosted by Duke Cuneo. Featuring Deputy Commissioner Mick Morris, Fire and Rescue New South Wales.

Learn more about the Memorial Stair Climb UK team here and how you can support this historic project:

https://memorialstairclimb.co.uk/

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/memorial-stair-climb1

On this episode of Project Command, I sit down with Barnaby Long to discuss one of the most historic firefighter memorial projects ever attempted.

Barnaby serves as the Managing Director of the Memorial Stair Climb UK team, which is organizing an unprecedented effort to bring 343 firefighters from across the United Kingdom and Ireland to Atlanta, Georgia, for the 2026 Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund Patriot Day Memorial Climb at Truist Park. Together, these firefighters will climb in honor of the 343 FDNY firefighters who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.

We discuss the culture of the UK Fire Service, the international brotherhood shared throughout the fire service, and the enormous project management effort required to coordinate travel, fundraising, logistics, staffing, and operations for a team of this size. Barnaby shares the story behind the mission, why this event matters so deeply to the firefighters involved, and how the project has grown into a historic undertaking that represents far more than just a stair climb.

This episode highlights the incredible work being done by the Memorial Stair Climb UK organization and the firefighters dedicating themselves to honoring the legacy of the fallen through service, sacrifice, remembrance, and international unity.