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Meet Scott Herbert, a retired CAL FIRE Captain with a 22 year career and a lifelong passion for training the next generation of firefighters. Today he works with Seek Thermal, helping departments across the country put life saving technology into the hands of firefighters. In this episode, Scott shares his journey, his philosophy on developing people, and why thermal imaging is changing the fire service.
Scott started as a paid call firefighter at 18, with the fire station sitting right next to his high school. He spent seven years there, worked as a roofer, joined a wildland hotshot crew, and eventually landed a full time career with CAL FIRE out of Riverside County, where he spent the bulk of his 22 years.
Some of Scott's proudest work was running a fire explorer program for roughly 14 years, training somewhere between 350 and 400 young firefighters ages 14 to 21. He says that's where he truly learned how to teach, because you can't rely on life experience with a 14 year old. You have to find what makes each person tick. His belief is simple: work ethic and confidence can beat raw talent every time.
The heart of this episode is thermal imaging. Scott explains how these cameras give firefighters the ability to see through smoke, find the seat of the fire faster, locate victims, and find their way out when disoriented. As he says, we don't send our military into battle without eyes, so why send firefighters into a burning building without them? What used to be one expensive camera per battalion is now affordable enough to put on every single firefighter. In Scott's words, it's cheaper than a set of turnouts, and it saves lives.
Scott is also honest that even the best technology can hinder you if you don't train with it. Like a set of irons, a thermal camera in the hands of someone who never practices won't help when it counts. His crawl, walk, run philosophy applies to everything: master the basics, then add the tools.
Whether you're a firefighter or someone who leads and develops people, Scott's wisdom on mentorship, work ethic, and using the right tools the right way is one worth hearing.
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