Episode 52: Backstage with Sabrina Cohen-Hatton, Chief Fire Officer

From sleeping rough at 15 to becoming one of the UK’s youngest female Chief Fire Officers, Sabrina Cohen-Hatton’s story is extraordinary- but this episode goes far beyond inspiration.

This is a masterclass in high-stakes leadership, cognitive bias, psychological safety, and refusing to let your childhood define your ceiling.

We explore what it really means to lead when decisions carry life-or-death consequences - and why the most powerful leadership lessons often come from outside healthcare.

If you care about resilience, systems thinking, and building braver organisations, this conversation is unmissable.

⏱ What we cover

04:00 – Growing up, early trauma, and becoming homeless at 15 09:00 – Survival mode: what rough sleeping really does to your mindset 14:00 – “Homelessness is an experience, not your identity” 20:00 – Joining the fire service and choosing a different future 27:00 – Decision-making under extreme pressure 33:00 – Cognitive bias in high-stakes environments 41:00 – Psychological safety: why it’s built in relationships, not policy 49:00 – Failure, imposter syndrome, and redesigning systems instead of blaming people

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