RCN Podcast 58. The Impact of Technology on Firefighting with Josh Wilkins

In Episode 58 of the RCN Podcast, Fireline Solutions founder Josh Wilkins joins in-studio to talk about bridging innovative solutions in wildlife risk management, utilizing CAD technology in firefighting efforts, and supporting public safety workers through technology. Episode Timeline: 2:05 Josh’s upbringing, background, intermittent stages in fire service, and finding his calling 4:39 Working for the largest fire district in the U.S., and how most firefighters Josh knew came into the field 8:40 The experience and role of a fire captain, Josh’s journey toward it, and continuing his dad’s exact position 11:42 What innovation looked like in Josh’s role, and why he had to do the most dangerous thing possible in a helicopter 16:06 Underutilizing information 18:22 The difficulty of finding reality capture information, and what Matthew learned scanning for so many different industries 20:35 Standardization of data 24:30 The magic of practice, and current roadblocks to more widespread adoption in fire service 27:37 How Matthew sees the future in 20 years, what can be done to expedite its arrival, and the communication needed to gather data 32:34 The extreme difficulty of mapping every building, and why it is progressing 35:57 Breaking down the common reality capture hesitations, and the goal of RCN Committees 38:09 “We don’t know what we don’t know,” and knowing the personality of whom you’re presenting to 40:26 The value of experimentation, and a valuable military metaphor 45:17 Challenges of recruitment in fire service, and comparisons to surveying 48:50 The power of gamification 52:19 Gaps in the technology that Josh has noticed, and not overwhelming people whether they’re grandmas to politicians 58:12 How the technologists could take proactive steps to support fire service, and how the true damage of fire seasons is simply not grasped 1:05:17 The ROI long game 1:07:12 Prioritizing relationship-building, sharing knowledge, and empowerment 1:11:45 Josh’s “Shark Tank” 1:13:38 What brings Matthew much greater joy than scanning & modeling 1:16:23 Your network is your net worth, the wonder of LinkedIn, and why Josh is excited for the future 1:20:08 The advice Josh would give his younger self 1:23:40 The mindset of helping absolutely anybody 1:26:02 How questions can lead to accidental growth, and “aha!” moments 1:27:58 Humility and honesty while being an expert 1:30:35 Micro steps https://realitycapturenetwork.com/podcast/episode-58/ #rcnpodcast #realitycapturenetwork #realitycapture #firefighting