Aaron Fields Interview

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In this Episode

In this episode we sit down with Aaron Fields, founder of The Nozzle Forward, for a direct, practical conversation about the job, the craft, and the thinking that shapes both.

Aaron talks through the gaps he’s seen in the fire service over his career: half-understood lessons passed down without context, traditions that help and traditions that get in the way, and the lack of a shared language that makes communication harder than it needs to be. We get into the role of intellectual curiosity, why repetition matters, and how preparation sharpens recognition under pressure.

He explains how timing, mechanics, and context form the backbone of good engine work, and why firefighters should understand the “why” behind what they’re doing, not just the movement itself. Aaron also speaks openly about the generational divide, why it’s often overstated, and how knowledge becomes destructive when it’s hoarded instead of shared.

The conversation moves from hose work and fire behavior into leadership, humility, tradition, and the responsibility senior members have in modelling the right things for new ones. Aaron talks candidly about leaving Seattle Fire after more than 25 years, the culture he values, and the moments that shaped how he thinks about excellence, failure, and legacy.

And finally, we return to the good things — the wins the fire service doesn’t celebrate enough. The saves, the small victories, the moments where the work matters in someone’s life.

[TRANSCRIPT EP4: AARON FIELDS]