The Things We All Carry

DanSun PhotoArt

This week I had my first international guest. Daniel's a 20 year firefighter paramedic from Western He's also the artist and creative genius behind DanSun Photos. Daniel was diagnosed with PTs in 2014 and his art gave him an outlet to express feelings and emotions associated with PTs. Along the way he decided to share his art and was surprised and heartened by the reaction. We spend an hour or so talking about life and a few pieces of his art that stood out to me. I've linked the five pieces we discuss in the show notes. You can find them at thethingsweallcarry.com/blog. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thethingsweallcarry.substack.com

Rescue1 CBD

I recently had a phone call and a discussion with Jon from Rescue 1 CBD. Jon is a firefighter in south Florida and the founder and owner of Rescue 1. He is on a mission to, as his bio says,  “ improve our first responders’ sleep, mental health and cut back on the amount of medications required to do those things”Jon and I spend about an hour talking CBD, his company’s purpose, the process they use, the guarantee he offers, and the benefits of CBD. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thethingsweallcarry.substack.com

Dr David Griffin--South Carolina

I recently had the privilege of speaking with Dr David Griffin. Many of you will recognize his name as the first in engine driver for the Sofa Superstore Fire that killed 9 firefighters in Charleston SC. Dr Griffin has used his experiences from that day and his entire career for the betterment of the fire service.  The numerous accomplishments he has achieved include a Doctorate of Education in Organizational Leadership, rising to the rank of Assistant Chief in the Charleston Fire Department, and author of four books.  He is also a renowned public speaker shedding light on organizational change in and outside of the fire service. His information can be found on his website at drdavidgriffin.com. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thethingsweallcarry.substack.com

Robbie-TN

Today I'm joined by Robbie from Tennessee.  Robbie reached out to me after I put out an initial call for people interested in telling their stories. We played phone tag for a couple of months and we finally got the chance to sit and record. When I first spoke to Robbie, I found myself confused.  My simple mind assumed if I was speaking to someone from Tennessee, expect a Southern accent. Imagine my surprise. When some dudes sending like a surfer from Cali came on the line, we discuss his decision to move his family from California to Tennessee. Some of his trauma, his therapy and the strides he has made. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thethingsweallcarry.substack.com

Jay-Chicago

This week my conversation is with Jay,  a firefighter/paramedic from a suburban Chicago department. He is a 15 year veteran, including 11 at his current department. I first learned of his story after he  reached out to me via the mystory@thethingsweallcarry.com email. His story stands out to me because of numerous similarities between my life and his and we delve into some of that during the show. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thethingsweallcarry.substack.com

James-@behindtheshield911

Today, I'm joined by James gearing. James is an author, a former firefighter of 14 years, a former stunt man, a husband, and a father, and the founder and host of the behind the shield podcast. He is someone I value as a mentor of sorts in this podcast world. Recently I was in Florida for a vacation and not only did James agree to record with me, but he opened his house What follows is our free flow conversation on a few key topics in the fire service today.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thethingsweallcarry.substack.com

Chris-FLA

Chris is an Orlando area, firefighter with a fascinating story. He shares his experiences as a two time survivor of childhood cancer and as a firefighter. His story highlights a common theme from my guests that none of us are a blank slate when we sign up for the fire service. Chris discusses how the unresolved trauma prior to the fire service and the trauma from the job combined to affect both his professional and personal life. Chris's journey and his recovery make for a very powerful story This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thethingsweallcarry.substack.com

Jason-VA

Joining us today is Jason. He's a retired firefighter from the Northern Virginia area.He has 27 years of total service, 20 as a career firefighter and seven prior to that, as a volunteer, he has a very interesting story. And some of you're gonna recognize parts of his story. Some of you probably relate to a lot of his story This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thethingsweallcarry.substack.com

Loren-VA

This is an episode I recorded a few weeks ago with Lauren. Lauren is a firefighter from Virginia, but more importantly, she is a survivor of a rare form of childhood cancer. Her battle with and victory over the illness is a huge part of who she is as a human, a mom and a firefighter.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thethingsweallcarry.substack.com

Adam Part2

This episode is more of a question and answer style dialogue between Adam and myself. With Jess joining in during a couple of spots. I wanted this episode to be a conversation in which we get a little deeper into the subjects Adam discussed in Part One.  I want to take the time to thank Adam for sharing and being open to a second interview. I appreciated and enjoyed the time he gave so willingly. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thethingsweallcarry.substack.com