Bringing the greatest minds in mental and physical wellness to the men and women who serve our communities.
Tom Datro is a Veteran West Coast Law Enforcement Officer and the host of the Policing in America Podast. We discuss his early life in Chicago, his journey into policing, the negative impact of the 'Defund' movement on his community, drug prohibition, proactive corrections, the recruitment crisis and much more.
Dr BJ Miller is a hospice and palliative care specialist, public speaker, and connector.His interests are in working across disciplines to effect broad-based culture change and in cultivating a civic model for aging and dying. By facilitating open conversations about loss and perspective, he hopes to inspire people to effectively participate in their own care. BJ aims to improve the quality of life for all and compel the healthcare system to adapt to the changing needs of the people it's trying ...
Jake, a former Army Airborne Infantryman, founded In Extremis Performance after his military service. Focused on law enforcement special operations units at all levels, he has spent the last 5 years primarily with federal teams, creating human performance programs to boost effectiveness and longevity. With a Doctorate from Campbell University, Jake designs research- backed fitness tests and shooting assessments for operational units while developing training pipelines. Actively involved in the t...
Jon Vought is a career firefighter/paramedic and the man behind Rescue 1 CBD. We discuss his journey into the fire service, the post op prescription medication that led him to CBD, his journey to find a product that was safe for work place drug testing, sleep deprivation, shift work and so much more. "Rescue 1 CBD was started by Jon Vought, a Firefighter/Paramedic in South Florida who wanted to challenge the status quo of the health and wellness in the fire service. Our mission is to increase th...
Casey Allen is a Special Operations Firefighter, Artist and the man behind Brick City Battle. His wife Shelby is a Nurse Practitioner, Athlete and Coach. We discuss their journeys into service, the impact of shift work and mandatory overtime on their children and marriage, the physical and mental health decay from sleep deprivation, Parkinson's Disease, his firefighter themed fitness fundraiser and so much more. Register for the Brick City Battle Here: https://podium.boxtribe.io/web/?event_id=39...
Zeke Crozier, a medically retired Army Staff Sergeant served nine years with the Chinook Helicopter Unit operating out of the New Century Air Center in Gardner, KS. Zeke was deployed for Humanitarian missions to Pakistan & Africa and two combat deployments to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Then June 25, 2011, as a Crew Chief in Afghanistan, Zeke’s Chinook Helicopter crashed while on a mission. No one died, though Zeke and another soldier were severely injured. Zeke exp...
Jason Schechterle is an Air Force veteran and retired Phoenix Homicide Detective. Jason survived a near fatal wreck after a taxi hit his cruiser at 115mph in 2001. We discuss his early career, mentorship, resilience, the importance of training, gratitude, following your dreams and so much more. Published in 2014, “Burning Shield” tells Jason’s shocking story. It was the first independently published book chosen as the Arizona Republic’s “Pick of the Month”. When a taxi smashed into police office...
Larry Doyle is one of the most respected journalists of our time. He was the first person to interview Nelson Mandela after his release from Robin Island and the first to interview Saddam Hussein. In this second conversation, we discuss Hurricane Ian devestating his home of Sanibel Island, the death of journalism, American healthcare and so much more.
Kevin Housley is a Captain on a career engine company in Ft. Collins, CO. He started his fire service career in 2005 and was the founder of Firefighter Craftsmanship in 2016. We discuss his journey into the fire service, human performance, fitness standards, psychology, mental health, the recruitment crisis, sleep and so much more. Kevin has served in many roles with his fire department including engine, truck & training division assignments, In 2017 Kevin was the lead instructor of the larg...
Brandon Holder, BS, CSCS, is the Strength and Conditioning Coordinator of the a NE County Police Department. He has diverse coaching experience in the private sector, along with stops in the collegiate setting, working with everyone from elite, youth, and tactical athletes to everyday individuals. Along with his coaching experience, Brandon has previously competed in powerlifting and Strongman competitions and holds certifications through U.S. Weightlifting and U.S. Track & Field, among othe...
Peter Bitwinski spent a full career working for the New York Port Authority. He was present during the 1993 bombing and carried a disabled coworker from the 69th floor on 9/11. We discuss his journey into accounting, what it was like to work in the North Tower, the safety changes after the first attack, the heroism of New York's first responders and civilians, continuing their legacy through storytelling, 9/11 cancer and so much more. "After first working in Pharmacy and in Temporary Accounting ...
Dr João Goulão is Portugal's Director of Addiction Intervention and one of the men who spearheaded the decriminalization of all drug use. We discuss how Portugal had one of the worst drug problems in Europe, how the people pushed the decision to make users patients instead of criminals and the incredible success they have had. João Goulão, M.D., is the Director-General of The General-Directorate for Intervention on Addictive Behaviours and Dependencies (SICAD) in Lisbon, Portugal. SICAD’s main r...
Logan Brogberg is a devoted husband, proud father, 10 year firefighter, smoke diver and the founder of Rogue Firemanship Training. We discuss his journey into the fire service, firefighter fitness, training in gear, the recruitment crisis, the importance of fitness standards, the smoke diver crucible and so much more. https://roguefiremanship.com/
Beth Bowersox is a former firefighter and resident of Paradise CA who was on duty as a dispatcher when the Camp Fire destroyed her community. We discuss her journey into the fire service, physical fitness, sleep deprivation, guilt from the inability to save, mental heath in dispatchers and so much more.
Jon Dalton is a Chief Warrant Officer Four SEAL (Retired) and the President of the Nevada Coalition for Psychedelic Medicines. Jon’s twenty-three-year career as a Navy Seal has been fundamentally grounded on the highest level of personal and team performance. His uniquely demanding job requirements necessitated continual learning, adaptation, and execution in one of the most elite military organizations in history. He continues this same level of high performance in the private sector. In 1995, ...
Dr Ron Rufo is a 22 year veteran of Chicago PD, mental health advocate and the author of multiple books. We discuss his journey into policing at the age of forty, proactive crime prevention, drug prohibition, the recruitment crisis, first responder mental health, sexual predators and much more. "I recently retired as a highly decorated Chicago Police Officer with over 22 years of service that include a Life Saving Award, Department Accommodation, and Unit Meritorious Award. I have 23 Honorable M...
Jason Villeggiante and Christina Dizon are career firefighters and founders of Tactical Sleep Rescue. We discuss their respective journeys into the fire service, the impact of sleep deprivation on acute and chronic health, yoga, breathwork, the firefighter work week, their programme and so much more. Christina is the founder of Biohacked Firefighter and the developer of Tactical Sleep Rescue. She has certifications in Sleep Coaching, Health & Wellness Coaching, and is a Yoga Nidra facilitato...
Tai Geering is a student athlete, JROTC alumn and my son. I couldn't think of a better person to commemorate this thousanth episode. I know this conversation will be of value to children and parents alike. We discuss being part of a firefighter family, the impact of divorce, the importance of sports, lego, academics, the pressures of graduation, the impact of the pandemic, the ripple affect of an abuse of power at his middle school, the healing power of music, the love of a dog and so much more....
Joshua A. Strom is a seasoned emergency responder and Director of First Responder Lifeline, a faith-based nonprofit dedicated to supporting First Responders in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. With an extensive background in firefighting, search-and-rescue, and wilderness medicine, Joshua co-founded First Responder Lifeline with his wife, Jessica H. Strom. Together, they address the mental, physical, and spiritual needs of the first responder community. Married for nearly 15 years, th...
Joshua Rose and Dr Gerad Troutman are part of the Global Medical Response team. We discuss how to reduce EMS responses to low acuity calls, addressing ER overcrowding, proving inexpensive alternatives to EMS transport, creating a three tier 911 system, the GMR response to Hurricane Helene and so much more. Nurse Navigation program provides quick and accurate patient assessments for life- threating conditions and then takes the caller through our proprietary nurse triage protocol to determine the...
Jonathan Mark intially entered NYPD as a recruit but it was his gift as a psychic medium that pulled him back into the world of law enforcement. He was called upon in the Gabby Petito case, the Long Island Serial Killer case and many more. We discussed discovering his gift as a child, bringing closure to those who have lost loved ones, the power of meditation and so much more. Jonathan is a highly respected psychic medium that is able to connect his clients with loved ones who have crossed over....
Diane Cotter is a firefighter spouse and the woman who revealed the PFAS manufacturers were using in firefighter turnout gear. We discuss her early life, the Cold Storage Fire in Worcester, her husband's cancer diagnosis, her forever chemicals discovery, the resistance she encountered from trusted corporations and organizations, what needs to change and so much more. Diane Cotter is a self-taught citizen activist whose upright, focused, and determined efforts in support of her husband, Fire Lieu...
.Monty Bynum is a Marine veteran, former LEO, DEA and GBI, and the founder of The Wealthy Servant. We discuss his journey into law enforcement, the war on drugs, leadership, entrepreneurship and so much more.
After eight years interviewing, Dustin's story still remains one of the most powerful I've ever heard. This has been a terrible week for the first responder community so it seems fitting that I repost this episode with the hope that it might reach someone who needs to hear it. Dustin Hawkins has been to hell and back both physically and mentally. We talk about his critical injuries, PTSD, near suicide and the future of mental wellness in first responders: Red Line Rescue.
Dr. Anders Hansen is a Swedish psychiatrist, speaker and international bestselling author with his own TV series exploring the human brain. Dr. Hansen’s books have sold millions of copies globally and topped bestseller lists around the world. He is the winner of the book of the year Big Health Award 2017 and 2019, and Sweden’s Mensa Prize in 2018. We discuss his childhood in Sweden, the importance of play, social media, ADHD, the brain and evolution, the pros and cons of pharmaceuticals, exercis...
Jay Dawes, PhD, CSCS, *D, NSCA-CPT, TSAC-F, FNSCA, is a professor of applied exercise science in the School of Kinesiology, Applied Health and Recreation at OSU. Dr. Dawes has worked as a university athletic performance coordinator, strength/performance coach, personal trainer and educator for over 20 years. His primary research interests is focused on improving the health, fitness and human performance for the tactical athletes and first responders. He is the co-founder and co-director of the O...
Michael McColgan is an Army Veteran, Firefighter, founding member of Dropkick Murphys and the lead vocalist of Street Dogs. We discuss his journey into music, the Invasion of Iraq, his powerful sobriety story, Celtic rock, entering the fire service, some notable calls, becoming part of the mental health solution in Boston and so much more.
Larry Doyle is a Vietnam veteran and one of the most respected journalists of his era. We discuss his journey into journalism, interviewing Nelson Mandela, his experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan, the devolution of American journalism, veteran mental health and so much more.
The moment CHP Officer Kevin Briggs responded to Kevin Berthia's suicide attempt became a picture that touched the world. I have interviewed both of these men independantly but in this episode they joined me together to discuss all things mental health. Kevin Briggs entered the US Army in 1981. In 1987, he became a correctional officer and worked at Soledad and San Quentin State Prisons. In 1990, he graduated from the California Highway Patrol Academy and worked predominantly on the Golden Gate ...
Guy Miles was wrongly convicted of a robbery after eyewitnesses wrongly identified him. The three true perpetrators ultimately admitted to committing the crime and they exculpated Guy Miles in the process. On a day in June 1998, at a Fidelity Financial Institution in Fullerton, California, Trina Gomez and Max Patlan faced a horrifying incident. As they were closing up, two men, Jason Steward and Harold Bailey, knocked on the door, claiming to be there for a payment. Once inside, the situation tu...
