Enduring The Badge

This novel is a work of fiction, loosely based on some of my experiences as a small-town police officer and firefighter. I have changed the names and personal details of the men and women with whom I served and others with whom I interacted in order to protect their privacy.

Joseph Patrick Fair is a father to college age twins Jenny and Ryan; they are the center of his universe. He lives in West Michigan. Also a retired Police Officer and Firefighter who served his community for over 25 years, after a near fatal on duty accident found his inner-author. His writing is trademark courage and camaraderie with a sprinkling of small-town-ism. On any given day, Joseph can be found writing or championing a philanthropic cause. He is a man of purpose and meaning in life.

I live in Oakland with my wife and three kids.  I grew up in Oakland, California, and I now serve the citizens as a Firefighter. I was hired in 2002 and I have worked in the East end my whole career on 7 Truck and 6 Truck companies.  I am currently the senior Firefighter on the B shift at Station 18. In 2007/2008 I dove deep into CrossFit, and then got lost in the world of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, which I still practice, along with my weekly yoga practice. I am also an Advanced Certified Trainer in The Wim Hof Method.   Since 2007 I have worked with cadre to train all incoming Oakland Fire Department recruits in the areas of physical fitness, mental and physical fortitude and general mind/body connection to improve overall quality of life at work as well as at home. For as long as I can remember, I was passionate about fitness, overall health, wellness, and general optimization and human potential. Over the years, I’ve found myself seeking the unification of mind, body, soul/spirit to achieve peak performance through all aspects of my life.   Through my coaching experience, I’ve been drawn to coach and train others in much of what I’ve learned. I’ve discovered that sharing this, guiding others and helping them grow brings tremendous joy to my life.

A thrilling inside look at the world of smokejumpers, the airborne firefighters who fight nature's blazes in the most remote and rugged areas of the U.S. Discover how Jason got his start in this highly specialized field, the remarkable history of smokejumping, and the erratic, terrifying power of wildfires in this critically-acclaimed book from William Morrow/ Harper Collins.

PRg is a solutions company, dedicated to consultation, evaluation, and assistance in product design for leading companies across the globe. Founder Jason A. Ramos has been working with gear for his entire career, with over three decades of professional experience. PRg calls on the experiences and insights of true professionals in some of the most rigorous fields and tough, real-world conditions. Companies have us evaluate and consult on products ranging from prototypes and cutting-edge models to tried and true classics. We give insight, advice, reviews and solutions for the professional arena.

PRg’s founder and owner, Jason A. Ramos, has been in professional outdoor public service for over three decades. He, along with his PRg cadre, are among the best outdoor professionals in the world and personally evaluates all the gear that PRg recommends. In 2021, PRg is currently evaluating and designing gear for some of finest companies on the planet.

This episode great mix of the work done behind the scenes of wildland firefighting and the role and responsibility of a Forest Service Contracting Officer and Public Information Officer. Sierra has some great tips about fire safety in the forest and how each one of us can help take care of our public lands,

With more than 20 years in human services and public education, Dr. Paul "Paulie" Gavoni has effectively transferred research to practice through the application of evidenced-based strategies aimed at bringing out the best in children and adults. Recognized by many as an authentic leader, Dr. Gavoni has provided organizations and athletes with Deliberate Coaching focused on analyzing and developing behavior and performance management systems to positively impact targeted goals. An expert in human behavior, coaching, and organizational leadership, Dr. Gavoni has passionately and directly supported children and adults in a variety of environments such as businesses, private schools, group homes, secured facilities, day-treatment programs, alternative education facilities, and public schools. Within these settings, Dr. Gavoni has been fortunate enough to wear many hats including VP, COO, professor, counselor, professional developer, case manager, therapist, behavior analyst, project manager, clinical coordinator, and school administrator. Beyond his work in education and human services, Coach "Paulie Gloves" is also a highly successful professional MMA coach. As a former golden gloves heavyweight champion, Paulie successfully applies the science of human behavior to coach multiple fighters to championship titles at varying levels worldwide. With many successful fighters on his resume, Paul has even supported his fighter with reaching the pinnacle of sport when he won and successfully defended the M-1 Global World Heavyweight Title for 3 years. Paulie is a writer for Bloody Elbow and is a featured coach in Ring to Cage: How four former boxers help mold MMA’s finest, and the book, Beast: Blood, Struggle, and Dreams at the Heart of Mixed Martial Art. A frequent presenter at professional conferences, Dr. Gavoni has presented across the country on topics related to coaching, leadership, professional development, and systems improvement in sports and education. Check out his #1 Best Seller Behavioral Karma Behavioral Karma: 5 Scientific Laws of Life & Leadership https://www.amazon.com/dp/173525570X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_mDSjFbDGR26VW .

Trevor Williams is a Firefighter in Los Angeles who created the "Williams Key", a bypass tool for doors. He has a background as an international missionary and commercial carpenter. He shares his amazing story about being in Haiti in 2010 for the 7.2 magnitude earthquake. The skills and knowledge he learned from the LA County explore program made him a valuable asset to the community during the early days of the disaster. 

Links:

Earl Granville served nine years in the Army National Guard as an infantryman, with deployments to Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan. On his final tour, he lost his left leg above the knee to a roadside bomb while on patrol. His teammates, Major Scott Hagerty of Stillwater Oklahoma and Specialist Derek Holland of Wind Gap Pennsylvania died from the blast.

Earl now is pursuing his bachelors degree in Counseling & Human Services at the University of Scranton and works for many non profits such as Operation Enduring Warrior, The Oscar Mike Foundation and WarriorStrong. These 501c3s help keep wounded and disabled veterans and law enforcement physically active after their injuries.

Earl spends most of his time traveling the country as a public speaker of discussing healthy ways to battle adversity from his own experiences and ideas, and after the passing of someone very close to him took their own life while they were serving on active duty back in 2010.

He has received numerous awards for his volunteer work and his speaking, including the 2018 Attorney General Heart So Big Award, the Junior Chamber International (JCI USA) TOYA Award for Personal Improvement and/or Accomplishment under the Class of 2017 and the 2018 Daughters of the American Revolution Veterans Volunteer Award.

Earl retired out of the army as a Staff Sergeant with many awards such as the Combat Infantryman Badge and the Purple Heart.

Tonya is the President of Responder Wipes and Florida PPE Services. Many years ago, while working for an architectural firm that specialized in designing public safety facilities, she became passionate about improving the health and wellness of first responders, specifically firefighters. She worked with researchers and chief officers in the fire service to develop specific design strategies for mitigating exposure to carcinogens and other toxins. Twice yearly she presented these strategies to fire chiefs across the country at a “Public Safety Facility Planning” seminar.

After hearing story after story of firefighters being diagnosed with cancer, Tonya and a fire chief from Texas used this knowledge to start Responder Wipes. The company provides on-scene decontamination wipes and other personal care products to the first responder community.

She has continued pursuing her passion for firefighter health and wellness by consulting with organizations such as “Healthy Firefighters–the Skellefteå Model,” the Swedish collaborative project aimed at preventing occupational health hazards among firefighters. Now adopted as the standard in 17 European countries, Tonya works with the group to bring the “Healthy Firefighters” project’s concise decontamination protocols to U.S. firefighters. She has also presented to groups such as the National Association of State Fire Marshals on “Cancer in the Fire Service.”

Tonya is the co-founder of Carney Strong Initiative, a non-profit dedicated to combatting occupational cancer among firefighters. Carney Strong Initiative donates decontamination supplies monthly to small, rural, and volunteer departments across the United States.

While Tonya is not a firefighter, she is no stranger to the first responder community. She was previously married to an Air Force Special Operations officer and her stepfather was a career law enforcement officer. The brotherhood and camaraderie she found there has served her well in working in the fire service.

Tonya Herbert

President | Responder Wipes

Education: Bachelor of Science, Business Administration; University of Central Florida

My name is Patrick O'Neill and I am 40 years old.  I have been married for close to 10 years to my wife Julie and have two children, Makena 7 and Harrison 5.  I am a Captain Paramedic with the Phoenix Fire Department and have been on the job for 16+ years.  I am currently at Engine 17 A shift and have been a captain at this station for over 5.5 years.

I was born and raised in Arizona and to say the least, I had an interesting upbringing.  People often look at my upbringing and are amazed I am on the path I am.  My parents separated before I was 2 years old and I was primarily raised by my Mom until she died when I was 15 during a scuba diving incident.  She never remarried and I was her sole focus.  She worked 4-5 jobs most of the time and instilled in me a set of tools I would later use in life to navigate the difficult times to come.  My dad was a "ladies man" and was married a total of 5 times with my mom being No.3 on the list.  I grew up with some pretty nasty step moms that were prone to alcohol use and were both verbally/physically abusive.  After my mom died, I never lived with my dad because of this.  Instead I moved in with one family for 2.5 years when that relationship dissolved, I then moved in with another family who is the same family I am primarily apart of to this day.  They are incredible people who I love tremendously.

After High School, I went to ASU to fulfil one of my Mom's goals for me, a college education.  My mom had plans for me to join a military academy and become the first person in the family to go to college.  I did not continue her ambitions on that path but created my own path.  I graduated in 4.5 years with a degree in Kinesiology in December of 2003.  During the summer between my freshman and sophomore year in college I worked for a firefighter owned construction company and met some off duty firefighters which set the hook for me to choose firefighting as a career path.  I began testing immediately and didn't get hired until 2005.  My dad died in the spring after graduation after a short battle with long suspected lung cancer.

Within two years of being on the Phoenix Fire Department, I decided to test for Paramedic School.  I have always prided myself on being at busy stations and learning the most I can learn to pass on to others.  I have been blessed in my career to work with some of the greatest individuals who have taught me a ton.  I have also been witness to many terrible things and some things that were miraculous.  This job is not for the weak and it takes a lot to endure years and years of what we are challenged with which leads me to where I am at today.

To be resilient is my story in life.  I was faced with very difficult circumstances and have endured.  I have found support in family and friends which has carried me.  I have used the tools of my parents to withstand.  Now as a parent myself, I can't help but look back and analyze what I have been through and try to make sense of it to possible help others. 

I had my daughter Maddison Lund as my guest for this episode.  We had an amazing talk, it was very emotional and I learned so much from her and about her.  Unfortunately, all but a 10 minute time frame of the audio was lost.  After many, many hours of searching for the rest of the audio, I had no luck. I still felt like what I found needed to be heard by others.  Maddison is a powerful soul.  In this audio clip, she talks about social media and the addiction that most of our world has with it currently.  She talks about overcoming her addiction of social media and gaining back her freedom.  She also goes into some detail of genuine, honest love.  And how we all need to love our children, families, and even strangers, more deeply.  She talks about pride and how it isn't worth losing love for pride.  She talks about how we need to tell the people we love, more.  We need to tell them we love them even if we think they know.  I am grateful for the opportunity that I had to have Maddison on the podcast.  Everyone can benefit to hear this audio clip. 

Gary Lund share's his story about showing up in another state to go to college with no job, $400 in his pocket and a strong faith in Jesus Christ. He joined the Air Force ROTC program that took him from feeling "small" to finishing his 20 year career as a very accomplished Lt. Colonel. He has spent the majority of his life serving others from a young missionary to a leader in the Air Force. His has great leadership advice and discusses why you should serve others. This is great advice no matter what career field you're in and how long you have been in it, and he will tell why it's not always time to lead, and there is a time where you need to be a follower. You don't always have to be at the tip of the sword but a time and place to be on the edge driving it forward.

Guest Eric Petrowski discusses why enlisting in the military service changed his life. He goes into detail about working in the Army drone program and what that looked like while being deployed in Afghanistan. His time in the Army helped him mature and gave him valuable training for life outside the military. Eric is a father of 5 and currently working in the private sector for a large corporation as a project manger for drone programs. 

Stacy Shotwell has lived in the Nashville area since 1998. She is currently in training for 911 Dispatcher at her local police department. Previously, she was an Operations Manager for 15 years at a non profit organization, Marriage Dynamics Institute. Stacy offers some marriage tips she learned while working with marriages in crisis. Marriage Dynamics Institute offers discount to First Responders for their 3 day program.  She will be completing her Master's degree in Criminal Justice Forensic Psychology by the end of 2020. In her limited free time, she enjoys SCUBA diving, photography, and playing with her 3 year old son. 

Donna Brown spent 26 years with the Tallahassee (FL) PD and retired in 2006 as a sergeant. She received the department's award for bravery and the Inagural Commander and Chiefs Award. She graduated from Florida State University in 1979 with a Bachelor of Science in Criminology and she was hired at TPD in 1979. She was one of only 5 women at the time at the department. Donna worked patrol, was a Field Training Officer (FTO), worked in the Department's Training Unit, promoted to Sergeant from there, went back to the streets, and then became an FTO Sergeant. She later transferred to the Criminal Investigation Division where she spent 15 years. During that time she supervised the Property Unit, Sex Crimes Unit and the Homicide Unit (10 years). While supervising the Homicide Unit, she was also responsible for the Victim Advocate Unit and for 18 months, the Robbery Task Force (joint task force with TPD and their sister agency the Leon County Sheriff's Office). She was a certified State of Florida law enforcement instructor and at times, taught at their academy. She taught every Citizen's Police Academy for the department from its inception up until her retirement. That was one of her favorite things to do. Website: www.behindandbeyondthebadge.com. (there are links to purchase the books on the website) Amazon Author Page (books can be purchased through here as well)   https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B072J9QGX5 Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/BehindAndBeyondTheBadge. Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/behindandbeyondthebadge/ Twitter:  https://twitter.com/donnab213. 

Rebecca is a police wife of 13 years, writer, author and influencer. She also has a Master’s in Education and is a former Kindergarten teacher. Rebecca Lynn is the owner of Proud Police Wife, a website dedicated to providing support and resources to law enforcement families and author of The Peacemaker’s Wife: A journal for encouragement and reflection for police wives and girlfriends which is available on Amazon. Her second book, a devotional for the women behind the badge, will be out in mid-2021. She started Proud Police Wife to help fellow police wives and girlfriends navigate police wife life and feel less alone. When this journey started for her, she felt alone and she quickly watched this become a lifestyle that her non law enforcement families did not understand. For years, the idea of building a community for police wives/girlfriends was on her heart. She finally decided to take the leap four years ago and set out to provide support, resources and a community for the heart behind the badge. Proud Police Wife Website Facebook Instagram The Peacemaker's Wife on Amazon. 

Micah Booze has been fighting wildland fires for 15 years all over the U.S. and for the past five years he has been working as an assistant captain on a suppression module in Alaska where he lives with his family. He is a firm believer and practitioner of networking, and the art of it.

You can find him and his fire photography on instagram @booze_and_fire

He also founded The Anti-Surface Shitting Movement aka The A.S.S. Movement in early 2020 to help with the Surface-Shitting and Tissue-Issue crisis on our Public Lands. The aim of the A.S.S. Movement is to spread awareness, education, and cleanup of this irresponsible act. He is currently working on an illustrated children's book to help educate the younger generations.

You can find The A.S.S. Movement on Instagram @the_a_s_s_movement

Hear from the CEO Paul Clarke on what makes Fire Grounds Coffee more that a coffee company and why they have teamed up with a non profit foundation called Next Rung. Paul tells his personal story about struggles with mental health and why coffee plays an important role in dealing with it. As an added bonus Paul gives us a little education about the different types of roasted coffee beans and why they taste they way they do.

Paul's idea came at 2 o'clock in the morning with sirens roaring and lights flashing as they arrived at a call riding the ambulance. It was the thirteenth call of the night, there was no sleep in sight, and only mediocre coffee waiting for them back at the station. They poised themselves for action and then someone interjected, “Someone should start a coffee company for first responders." His colleague quickly agreed, they unloaded and went on to their patient, and that was the end of the discussion.

The idea followed founder, Paul Clarke, to Iraq where he deployed in 2018 for 9 months. While serving overseas, he met fellow minded service members who wanted to help make his idea a reality. Brainstorming the business soon became one of their favorite pastimes. Over a year later, Fire Grounds Coffee Co. was officially established. Through the help of his best friend, dad, a fellow Marine Captain, and two Air Force Captains, he was able to gain the funding he needed to provide delicious, fresh coffee to first responders and friends.

Paul is a husband, father, Dallas Firefighter and Paramedic, an Officer in the Marine Corps Reserves, and an Iraq Veteran. When he isn’t roasting coffee, working at the fire station or at drill, he can be found working out, playing fetch with his dog, hanging out with his son in the sandbox or smoking his own barbeque. He loves being outside with his family and traveling with his wife.

Paul started Fire Grounds Coffee Co. because he wanted first responders to enjoy quality coffee and give back to a group of men and women he is proud to represent. The dream is becoming a reality and he is ready to deliver a product to everyone that represents his passion and commitment.

Paul Clarke (CEO and Founder) 214-718-0265

My guest Mia Barron's goal in life is to inspire others. She is a helper at heart which made it only natural to pursue the career of a Police Officer at the age of 21. She is now a mother of twins, a former Police Officer for the past 11 years, and was featured on the TLC show "Police Women of Dallas." She has some amazing insight on what it takes to be a good Police Officer and build a bond with the community. 

You can find Mia on Facebook @AskALittleTellALittle, Instagram at @mia_shagena and her podcast Ask A Little, Tell A Little on any of the podcast platforms.

Ian Palmer is a 4th generation firefighter and works at the Ridge Culver Fire Department in Irondequoit, New York. He also is an Air Force Veteran with two deployments to the Middle East. Ian had a wake up call about his physical fitness when his uncle passed away at a young age and Ian proceeded to lose 120 pounds in a very unhealthy way. His fitness journey has now come full circle to where he is today. He is a personal trainer, IAFF Peer Fitness Trainer, and the owner of Thin Line Fitness. Ian is a fitness instructor at the New York State Fire Academy where he lead the way bringing functional fitness to recruits, and a fitness instructor for Monroe County Firefighter Recruits. He has been a firefighter for a combined 12 years between volunteer and career. He strongly believes that good physical and mental fitness is the foundation to build a great firefighter.  Ian discusses why it is important to take physical fitness seriously throughout your career and  how it will help you get the most out of your retirement.

Firefighter/Paramedic Brooke Ames from Wisconsin is a rookie firefighter who came from the corporate world where she worked as a project manager for a Fortune 200 company. She spent 5 years as a volunteer firefighter and EMT where she lost over 100 lbs. Brooke uses a simplistic tool from the corporate world called DMAC, which stands for define, measure, analyze, and continues improvement. She continues to use this tool in here everyday life to achieve success both at work and home. She secured the required certifications, passed the CPAT and secured a full time job as a career firefighter/paramedic in South Central Wisconsin. Passionate about continuous improvement and evidence based problem solving, Brooke brings to life the simplicity of successful corporate tools and translates them into the symbolic 451 F link to implore others to be better than yesterday.  

Nayi Partridge is a Trainer and Resilience Development Director for the Partridge Group in Riverton, Utah. She has created the Utah POST certified Peer Support curriculum, and is the only Trainer in Utah approved to certify both Law Enforcement and Fire Professional peer support . Along with holding national certifications in Trauma Studies and as a Mindfulness Practitioner, she is  a DOJ-certified trainer in Law Enforcement Peer Support and Suicide Prevention. Nayi has assisted numerous organizations in Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho and Texas to develop, train, cultivate, and improve mental health resources, and establish and maintain peer support units. She specializes in building and maintaining resilience and psychological health in first responders. Nayi is an experienced trainer and advocate for public safety personnel, families, and their agencies, and has been invited to present and train various organizations and events including The Utah Governor's Safety Summit, The Utah Chiefs of Police Association, The Utah Chapter of the FBI National Academy Associates, Police Wives of Utah, International Association of Chiefs of Police, Utah Public Information Officer's Association and other city and state agencies. 

On this episode, we talk to assistant fire chief Kyle Hunt about his story of PTSD and how he realized he was struggling with it, and the strain it put  on the relationships in his life. He talks about the different treatment options for mental health, and groups you can reach out to in times of need.  He also shares his desire and his feelings of wanting to serve others around him.  He talks about working and serving in a smaller community and the struggles that come with that, and responding to familiar people and how difficult that can be.   

He is passionate about sharing with others that they can get through their struggles with PTSD and come out a stronger, better, person.

Listen in on this episode as my wife Annie and I recap the first season of Enduring the Badge podcast, and give our thoughts on each one of the episodes and guests that were on.  It was an amazing first season and we had some incredible guests on the podcast to share their stories!  We also talk a little bit about our current situation with COVID-19 and the effects it is having on our family, and give some sneak peaks of season 2, and the guests that will be on this season.  We are so excited to share it with you all!  It's going to be another great season!  

Fire Captain Chuck Shepherd has been a firefighter/paramedic for over 20 years in Utah. In this episode he reflects on the ups and downs during some of those difficult and dark times in his career.  During some of those times he felt alone and was unwilling to reach out to others for help. He learned a lot about his self going through those hard times. 

He shares some details about calls that he's had to respond on and how difficult it was to deal with what he had too see. One of those calls just happened to be with his now girlfriend Misty. Chuck wanted to protect her from what she was about to see. Misty shares why she just had to see the scene if she was going to be a firefighter/EMT. That terrible scene still lives in their memories and still effects them to this day.  Not all the memories are bad and he shares some of those as well. It's the save's and making a difference in peoples lives that call 911 that keep him going.

Chuck looks back over his lifetime and shares what really matters to him on and off the job. That number one thing is building meaningful relationships. You can definitely hear the love they have for each other during this episode. It was very touching to see how they looked at each other and talked to each other throughout the recording of the podcast. They have some great advice on how to keeping open and honest communication in relationships, even in the most difficult times.

Please help me make this podcast have even more value and impact by leaving a review and rating the episodes. Don't forget to subscribe and get notified of the last episode. Here on Anchor you can leave me a voice message that I will respond to or use in the episodes.

Chris Verkerk wanted to be a firefighter since he was 3 years old. He was able to get into an explorer program at age 15. He stayed on the path to become a professional firefighter/paramedic and has been working the last 14 years for Meridian Fire Department. He is not only passionate about the fire service, but is a bee keeper  as well.  He has been through some struggles during his career and has learned a lot through the process. Recently he checked into a 30 day treatment center to learn how to deal with PTSD from responding to those difficult calls. Living with PTSD took it's toll not only on him, but his family as well. PTSD affects not only mentally, but physically too. Chris tells his story in hopes of helping other First Responders with theirs. He has formed a collaborative in Idaho for police, fire, EMS and dispatchers that focuses on mental health, cancer, health and nutrition and safety items. Chris offers to personally help any First Responder in need and gives a lot a great resources for anyone that needs help.  

Please help me make this podcast have even more value and impact by leaving a review and rating the episodes. Don't forget to subscribe and get notified of the last episode. Here on Anchor you can leave me a voice message that I will respond to or use in the episodes.

Alia discusses daily impact on a firefighter's spouse and his family while on duty. Many First Responders tend work an incredible amount of hours compared to those working 8 to 5 schedule. Far to often a direct link between the hours worked by a First Reponder and the quality of relationships with loved ones. Being away from home for extended periods often create a divide in personal relationship outside of the work family. She has some great tips on taking for First Responder and taking care of yourself. Self care is import to for everyone but even more so for those that see so much trauma. We are unable to perform at our best when we are out of balance in what Alia describe as the 4 quadrants of life.  When one or more of these are out of balance we must engage in self care to fix it which take time. If we don't take the time for self care our bodies, mind, spirit and soul  will start to breakdown and which deeply effects our everyday lives. The more demands we put on our bodies the more we must up level out care to stay in balance.

Guest: Alia Bate

As you can imagine, it takes a great deal of strength to be a police officers wife and have a incredible marriage. Ashley met Sean over 12 years ago and also took on the job of being a step mom to his three girls. She explains what the effects are on her and their family when her husband Sean is off to work each day. 

Sean has worked his way up to Sargent and recently lost one his brother's in blue that he supervised. Officer Joseph Shinners was gunned down while trying to arrest a threatening fugitive this last January. The link the story is listed below. Ashley discusses how they're getting through this incredibly difficult time and offers some great advice to others that may be struggling with something similar. 

LINKS

It wasn't until later in life that Todd was "bitten by the fire bug" and decided to pursue a firefighting career. Todd Stanley was a volunteer firefighter in his small hometown of  Blanding, Utah for 3.5 year and shares some of his memories fighting fire with his dad. He just started volunteering again at Cedar Valley Fire Department and is working his certifications to test for a full-time position next year. He talks about the how important it is to have the support of his wife as he pursues his passion. He is juggling his family life, work and firefighting training and creating balance between all of them. Todd describe what it feels like to be a "hero" and to be humble.  

Please help me make this podcast have even more value and impact by leaving a review and rating the episodes. Don't forget to subscribe and get notified of the last episode. Here on Anchor you can leave me a voice message that I will respond to or use in the episodes.

Part two of this episode you will get to know me, your show host Jerry Dean Lund. I will be interviewed by my fiance Annie on my career as a firefighter and police officer.  There have been many lessons along the way including the one that changed my life when I grabbed a handful of pills bottles and wanted to commit suicide. I will discuss what the things were that lead up to feeling like there was nothing to live for and then how I was able to overcome these thoughts.  Over the last few years I have done the deep work to look at myself and rediscovered my passion for being a First Responder.  My personal philosophy and why it the guides me through my life:  Committed to supporting  others in living up to their greatest potential, uplift, and assist in self-discovery, creating true connections, and personal growth through personal coaching. My Vision Statement: Dedicated to creating personal insight, discovery of inner wisdom, motivation, and growth to empower people to reach their true potential. This is a 2 part episode  and you will want to listen to them both. 

 Please help me make this podcast have even more value and impact by leaving a review and rating the episodes. Don't forget to subscribe and get notified of the last episode. Here on Anchor you can leave me a voice message that I will respond to or use in the episodes.

On this episode you will get to know me, your show host Jerry Dean Lund. I will be interviewed by my fiance Annie on my career as a firefighter and police officer.  There have been many lessons along the way including the one that changed my life when I grabbed a handful of pills bottles and wanted to commit suicide. I will discuss what the things were that lead up to feeling like there was nothing to live for and then how I was able to overcome these thoughts.  Over the last few years I have done the deep work to look at myself and rediscovered my passion for being a First Responder. 

My personal philosophy and why it the guides me through my life: 

Committed to supporting  others in living up to their greatest potential, uplift, and assist in self-discovery, creating true connections, and personal growth through personal coaching.

My Vision Statement:

Dedicated to creating personal insight, discovery of inner wisdom, motivation, and growth to empower people to reach their true potential.

This is a 2 part episode  and you will want to listen to them both. 

Please help me make this podcast have even more value and impact by leaving a review and rating the episodes. Don't forget to subscribe and get notified of the last episode. Here on Anchor you can leave me a voice message that I will respond to or use in the episodes. 

JC Holt has been a police officer for 18 years.   He talks about the challenges that come with being in law enforcement and the effects it has had on his work life and home life.  He has found some solutions that work for him and gives us some insight on those.  His has a vault of memories, good and bad, and he talks about how he deals with those.  Listen to the message he shares and his wise insight. 

Please help me make this podcast have even more value and impact by leaving a review and rating the episodes. Don't forget to subscribe and get notified of the last episode. Here on Anchor you can leave me a voice message that I will respond to or use in the episodes.

Firefighter Lieutenant Wes Scott is from Colorado.  He is passionate about mental health, not only for himself but also for his crew members and other first responders.  He has been working in the fire service for 22 years.  Listen to his insight and wisdom about preparation, mindset awareness,  and mental health and how it has helped him in his career as a firefighter. 

Please help me make this podcast have even more value and impact by leaving a review and rating the episodes. Don't forget to subscribe and get notified of the last episode. Here on Anchor you can leave me a voice message that I will respond to or use in the episodes.

Retired Fire Chief Andy Butler started his fire service at the young age of 19 years old.  He shares his story about how being a full time firefighter has affected his life, both personally and professionally.  He gives some insight of what he wished he would have learned earlier in his career and some of the changes that he would have made.  He has a strong love of serving others and continues to encourage and help those seeking the fire service as a career in any way that he can. 

Please help me make this podcast have even more value and impact by leaving a review and rating the episodes. Don't forget to subscribe and get notified of the last episode. Here on Anchor you can leave me a voice message that I will respond to or use in the episodes.