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.

On this episode of Project Command, Cpt. Duke Cuneo sits down with Nate Smith, President of Brindlee Mountain Fire Apparatus, to discuss what it takes to lead the largest supplier of used emergency vehicles in the United States.

The conversation explores the operational and logistical challenges of managing fire apparatus sales and fleet operations at a national scale, including procurement, transportation, refurbishment, customer coordination, and project management in the fleet environment.

Duke and Nate also discuss the complexities of doing business internationally, the unique demands of the emergency vehicle market, and how departments can better approach apparatus purchasing and long-term fleet planning.

This episode provides an inside look at a side of the fire service many people rarely see: the massive coordination, logistics, leadership, and operational planning required to move emergency vehicles across the country and around the world.

Whether you are involved in fleet management, apparatus specification, logistics, procurement, or organizational leadership, this episode offers valuable insight into one of the most important support systems behind emergency response.

Captain Peter Younes brings listeners a special episode of Project Command with an exclusive reading of the opening chapter from the new book, Project Management in the Fire Service.

In this episode, Peter reads the first chapter of the book and explores a problem every fire department faces but rarely talks about directly: we are exceptional at emergency response, but often struggle when it comes to managing organizational projects, technology rollouts, apparatus purchases, station construction, policy implementation, and long-term change.

This special preview introduces the core ideas behind the book and explains why project management is becoming one of the most important skill sets in the modern fire service.

This is also the only place to hear this chapter in audio format, as the book is not currently available on Audible.

Whether you are a firefighter, company officer, chief officer, project manager, or someone trying to move your organization forward, this episode provides a practical introduction to the systems, leadership principles, and project management concepts that are reshaping the fire service.

Follow Project Command for more conversations on leadership, technology, organizational change, AI in public safety, and practical project management for emergency services.

Project Command is going global.

Welcome to Project Command International — a new series exploring how fire service and public safety leaders around the world manage complexity, lead organizations, drive innovation, and execute at the highest levels.

From Australia to Europe, the Middle East, and beyond, we'll sit down with some of the most respected voices in emergency services to discuss leadership, decision-making under pressure, technology, organizational culture, and the systems that keep modern public safety moving forward.

This isn't just about tactics. It's about strategy, execution, and global perspective.

Hosted by Captain Duke Cuneo, Project Command International brings international conversations home for leaders at every level of the fire service.

You've heard the names: ChatGPT, Grok, Gemini, and Claude. But which one is actually worth using on the job?

In this episode I put all four head-to-head and give you a straight answer. No sponsored takes, no tech jargon, just an honest breakdown of what each one does well, where each one falls short, and which ones are worth paying for.

Whether you're a firefighter, a chief, an EMS provider, or just someone trying to figure out which AI tool deserves a spot in your life, this episode is for you.

We cover:
• ChatGPT — still the most recognized, but is it still the best?
• Grok — what makes Elon's AI different and who it's actually for
• Gemini — Google's play and whether it lives up to the name
• Claude — the one most people are sleeping on
• Free vs. paid — which subscriptions actually pull their weight
• Best use cases for each tool
• Which one I use and why

n this episode of Project Command, we take a step back and look at what actually moves the needle inside a fire department. We talk about how to get real buy-in on projects and how to build momentum when there is little or no initial support. This is not theory. It is what works when you are trying to move people, resources, and priorities in a complex organization.

This episode is driven by questions from you. I enjoy doing these Q and A and AMA style episodes because they keep me accountable to the topics you actually want to hear about. It also gives me a chance to address what is happening in your departments right now, not just what sounds good on paper.

We break down the characteristics of effective leadership in today's fire service and what separates leaders who create progress from those who stall it out. The conversation also covers common mistakes departments continue to make, especially when it comes to technology decisions, communication breakdowns, and misalignment between leadership and the field.

We spend time on where technology is heading and what it actually means for operations, training, and decision making. That leads into a direct conversation about AI. Is it overhyped, or are departments underestimating how quickly it will impact the job

If you are involved in leading projects, implementing change, or trying to improve how your organization operates, this episode will give you practical insight you can apply immediately