Home Inspection as a Second Career: Why Firefighters & First Responders Excel feat. Rhyan Miller
The Ride Along: A Home Inspection Podcast
Release Date: 01/27/2026
Home Inspection as a Second Career: Why Firefighters & First Responders Excel feat. Rhyan Miller
The Ride Along: A Home Inspection Podcast
Home inspection is one of the most popular second careers and side businesses for first responders, and for good reason. In this episode of The Ride Along Home Inspection Podcast, we talk with a working firefighter and home inspector about why firefighters, EMTs, and other first responders often excel as home inspectors. We break down how skills from emergency response—risk assessment, situational awareness, building knowledge, and communication under pressure—translate directly into better home inspections. We also discuss how inspection experience can make first responders safer and more...
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Healthy Homes: Air Quality, Moisture & Mold Risks Buyers Miss (w/ Cristina Greenfield)
The Ride Along: A Home Inspection Podcast
Chapters: 00:00:00 Introduction to Healthy Homes 00:03:00 Cristina's Personal Journey 00:09:00 Building Science and Healthy Living 00:15:00 Managing Water and Vapor 00:21:00 The Role of Education in Home Health 00:27:00 Passive House Principles 00:33:00 Proactive Home Maintenance 00:39:00 Understanding Building Materials 00:45:00 Home Inspections and Air Quality Home inspectors have a reputation for being a lot of things: advocates for home buyers, educators, communicators... deal killers. But health experts isn't necessarily the first thing that comes to mind when a home buyer goes to book a...
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The worst home inspection issues we'd be grateful to never find again in 2026! Featuring @duesouthbrad
The Ride Along: A Home Inspection Podcast
It's almost 2026! And as we look back on the year, we've got much to be grateful for. Both here on the show, and in the field. But we see a lot of issues throughout the year as home inspectors... and as such, there's also a few things we'd be grateful to never see again. So, who better to help us wrap up the year than one of the OG TIkTok Inspectors: Brad Zirlott, aka ! We've wanted to get him on the show for a while, and together we talk about the impact of social media on our businesses, the importance of maintaining relationships with realtors, and the challenges of balancing work and...
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How to sell home inspections STRAIGHT to home buyers - featuring Charles Bellefontaine w/ GetSync
The Ride Along: A Home Inspection Podcast
Want to grow your home inspection business quickly in a new city? Charles Bellefontaine, a seasoned home inspector and founder of GetSync, has a few ideas on how it can be done. In one of the last episodes from Inspection Fuel, we sit down with Charles to talk about how inspectors can reach home buyers quickly and directly. We also get into the question of which forms of marketing are most effective: online ads or social media marketing... or both! We explore the importance of thorough inspections, the impact of marketing strategies, and the role of technology in streamlining business...
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What do you do if you fall off a ladder? Brianna Beans started a property rental inspection company!
The Ride Along: A Home Inspection Podcast
Brianna Beans fell off a ladder on a home inspection... and it rocked her career. In fact, it inspired a complete overhaul of her business model and a pivot from home inspections... to rental property inspections. This opened up an entirely new stream of recurring revenue while allowing her to operate within her new safety limits. By focusing on building relationships with property managers and rental companies, she was able to build a snowballing schedule where she was inspecting the same properties on a regular basis every time a new lease was signed. She details the whole story here and...
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Social (Media) Engineering - quality social media management matters featuring Social Saiya
The Ride Along: A Home Inspection Podcast
We've got another episode of The Ride Along this week featuring social media management experts Saiya Patel and Lindsay Freeman... the founders of Social Saiya! Most business owners are too busy to keep up with the latest trends and algorithm changes that can keep your company's social channels relevant and visible... and that's why proper, knowledgable social media management matters so much! Saiya Patel launched her company to help take her father's multiple booming businesses to even greater levels after seeing that social media marketing was the one area where they were truly lacking. And...
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ISN Keeps Getting Better! Pt 2. featuring an AI Voice Assistant, improved scheduling, and more
The Ride Along: A Home Inspection Podcast
In part two of our ISN product feature from Inspection Fuel 2025, we hang out with Lindsay Grimm... the Head of Product for ISN. As one of the key product vendors at Inspection Fuel, it was awesome to hear not just what's happening on the software side, but also on the product feature side of ISN. Including things like an AI Voice Assistant and improved online scheduling. The TLDR: - ISN has made the FlexFund fee more transparent, leading to increased adoption among inspection companies. - big update and improvements to Zapier Integration, allowing for more customizable and efficient...
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LIVE FROM INSPECTION FUEL: The latest from ISN, report writer updates, AI features, and more!
The Ride Along: A Home Inspection Podcast
Inspection Fuel 2025 was FIRE! Pun intended. And we have SO much content to share with y'all starting with this episode! We kick off the show reflecting on some Fuel highlights during our time in New Orleans, including networking opportunities we had, engaging presentations we saw, and memorable moments. We also get into the evolution of the show, the concept behind 'The Ride Along,' and the importance of vendor insights in the inspection industry. In fact, the next couple of episodes highlight one of the key vendors at Fuel, ISN. As two inspectors who use ISN daily, we were stoked to hear...
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Between Two Studs - The Inspection Fuel LIVE episode - feat. Travis Jones & Inspector Fletch
The Ride Along: A Home Inspection Podcast
Inspection Fuel 2025 was FIRE... pun intended. And if you were there, we hope you were able to attend the first ever live recording of The Ride Along podcast! But in case you weren't, don't worry. We've got you covered because you can see the entire thing right here. We get into everything from Building Science and the importance of deepening our understanding of homes can be made more durably and efficiently... and we also get into the best ways to present our knowledge as inspectors via social media. Travis Jones and are two guests you DO NOT want to miss. So, watch the whole thing, and be...
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Franchises... and why they work! Featuring Nate Boucher from Mike Holmes Inspections in CA
The Ride Along: A Home Inspection Podcast
Franchises... do they work? Are they better than starting independently? Are they worth the cost? We get into all of that and MORE with Nate Boucher of Mike Holmes Inspections! If you've followed the HGTV/DIY space for the past 20 years, the name Mike Holmes should be familiar to you. Pivoting off of his on-screen success, he launched his home inspection franchise in Canada where inspectors like Nate have been thriving. And Mike Holmes Inspections is one of the largest groups using Home Inspector Pro! There are an abundant amount of franchise options if you've ever considered it as a foot into...
info_outlineHome inspection is one of the most popular second careers and side businesses for first responders, and for good reason. In this episode of The Ride Along Home Inspection Podcast, we talk with a working firefighter and home inspector about why firefighters, EMTs, and other first responders often excel as home inspectors.
We break down how skills from emergency response—risk assessment, situational awareness, building knowledge, and communication under pressure—translate directly into better home inspections. We also discuss how inspection experience can make first responders safer and more effective in their primary careers.
Whether you’re a firefighter, EMT, or police officer exploring home inspection as a second career, or a homebuyer curious why inspectors with first-responder backgrounds bring extra value, this episode explains the crossover skills, challenges, and real-world benefits from both sides of the job.
Chapters:
00:00 Home Inspection Basics: What Inspectors Look for and Why It Matters
05:33 Firefighters as Home Inspectors: Why First Responders Excel in Inspections
11:13 Home Inspection Safety: Identifying Fire, Electrical, and Life-Safety Risks
16:45 How Home Inspectors Explain Safety Hazards to Homebuyers
22:25 Real Fire Hazards Found During Home Inspections (Real-World Examples)
27:50 Home Inspection Takeaways for Buyers, Inspectors, and First Responders
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Key Points:
- Why home inspection works as a second career
- Skills firefighters bring to inspections
- Inspection training vs fire training
- Advice for first responders getting started
- How Ryan Miller integrates his firefighting experience into home inspections
- Effective communication is key in delivering inspection findings
- Home inspectors should educate clients about real hazards
- Fire safety knowledge enhances home inspection practices
- Understanding structural integrity is crucial for both firefighters and inspectors
- Home inspections can reveal hidden dangers in properties
- The importance of addressing common fire hazards like dryer vents
- Inspectors should balance honesty with sensitivity to clients' concerns.
- Real estate agents and buyers must understand the implications of inspection reports
- The role of the home inspector is to inform, not to kill deals.