In this episode:
In this episode of the Firefighter After Action Review Podcast, Kansas City Fire Department leaders—including Chief of Department Ross Grunden, Chief Ted Henry, and Battalion Chief Mike Hopkins—reflect on the 1959 Southwest Boulevard Fire that claimed the lives of five firefighters. Retired Firefighter John Sirna, the grandson of one of the fallen, shares how the tragedy shaped his family, his career, and the deep bonds within the fire service. Together, they explore how the incident led to lasting changes in tactics, equipment, and remembrance.
Firefighter After Action Review Podcast: Kansas City reaches back through more than 75 years of pivotal moments to explore how the Kansas City, Missouri Fire Department (KCMO) has transformed tragedy into progress. Through the lens of significant line-of-duty death (LODD) events, this series highlights how KCMO has consistently taken proactive steps to improve firefighter safety—not just for their department, but for the entire fire service.
From leading efforts to move gasoline storage tanks underground to developing systems for sharing hazardous materials data across agencies, KCMO has laid the groundwork for policies and practices that many departments rely on today. Each episode examines how the department’s response to loss has driven innovation and changed the course of fire service history.
A typical fire service career spans about 25 years. The stories told in this series span three full generations of service. As seasoned personnel retire and new firefighters take their place, these lessons must not be forgotten. Firefighter After Action Review Podcast: Kansas City honors those who came before by passing on their hard-earned knowledge—ensuring that every generation builds on the legacy of the last.
The definition of family goes beyond blood. When you become a fireman, that is now your family—as important to you as your blood family. And people don't realize that. We have a community and a bond together. That family is more than just a word.
Remembering
So, if there’s a message out there for the fire service, it’s: make sure you don’t forget your fallen. And it’s more than just an anniversary, the day of the memorial. It’s more than just an announcement. We’re talking about somebody—your father—who, from his 16th year on this earth until the day he died, had to deal with losing his father. And how much that changed his life, and so on.
