Nicholas A. Palumbo is a fire service professional, fire investigator, instructor, author, and founder of The Outside Vent Training & Consulting, LLC. With more than two decades of experience in the fire service and fire investigation field, Nick has built his career around operational readiness, leadership development, fireground decision-making, and helping firefighters better understand the impact their actions have long after the fire is extinguished.

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Nick began his fire service journey as a Fire Explorer in 1999 and entered the volunteer fire service in the early 2000s. A third-generation firefighter, he has served in municipal, federal, instructional, investigative, and consulting roles throughout his career. In 2009, he began his career as a civilian firefighter with the United States Department of Defense, serving at multiple federal installations including Fort Monmouth, Picatinny Arsenal, Naval Weapons Station Earle, and the Philadelphia Navy Yard. During his federal service, he worked as a Firefighter/EMT, Hazardous Materials Technician, apparatus operator, technical rescue responder, and frequently served in acting company officer positions.

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His professional fire investigation career spans more than 20 years and includes hundreds of origin-and-cause investigations involving residential, commercial, industrial, vehicle, electrical, mechanical, and complex loss incidents. Nick currently serves as a Senior Investigator II with J.S. Held, providing fire and explosion origin-and-cause investigative services throughout the region. He holds the IAAI Certified Fire Investigator (IAAI-CFI) credential and is a NAFI Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator (CFEI).

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Nick is also an experienced fire service instructor with a broad background in firefighter operations, company officer development, hazardous materials, fire investigation, marine firefighting, technical rescue, thermal imaging, ventilation, and leadership. His instructional philosophy focuses on practical application, realistic expectations, professional responsibility, and preparing firefighters to make better decisions under difficult conditions.

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In 2018, Nick founded The Outside Vent Training & Consulting, LLC, providing fire service training, professional development, consulting, and educational programs to departments and organizations throughout the fire service. He has presented at conferences, departments, and training programs on topics including fireground leadership, fire investigation considerations, marine firefighting, ventilation, community risk reduction, and firefighter development.

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Nick is the author of Firehouse Sergeants: Earning Your Stripes, a leadership and professional development book focused on the informal leaders who shape firehouse culture every day. The principles behind the book also serve as the foundation of the Firehouse Sergeants Podcast, where Nick speaks with firefighters, officers, chiefs, authors, instructors, and industry leaders about leadership, mentorship, training, culture, and professional growth.

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His work has also appeared in major fire service publications, including Fire Engineering and FirefighterNation, where he writes about fire investigation, firefighter readiness, leadership, marine emergencies, training, and the evolving challenges facing today’s fire service.

Throughout his career, Nick has remained committed to one central belief: leadership is not defined solely by rank. It is earned through preparation, credibility, consistency, service, and the willingness to invest in the people around you.

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Lead with purpose. Serve with honor. Earn your stripes.