Behind The Shield

Bethel Cagan lost her firefighter husband to suicide in 2022. We discuss Frank's journey into the fire service, his love of martial arts, becoming a father, the unwraveling she witnessed, the compounding elements of psychiatric meds and holds, processing grief, improving mental health in the fire service and so much more.

Dany Cotton spent over three decades serving with the London Fire Brigade, retiring as Commissioner. We discuss her journey into the fire service, forging diversity through mentoring, the impact of budget cuts on service and health, violence on first responders, heroism at the Grenfell Tower fire, dirty politics and much more.

Ricky Nuttall is a veteran of the London Fire Brigade and was one of the firefighters at the Grenfell Tower fire that claimed 72 lives. We discuss his journey into the fire service, physical fitness, budget cuts, building construction, the inability to save, PTSD, addiction, suicide, community, poetry and much more.

Rashad Evans is the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, Hall of Famer and co-founder of Umbo. We discuss his turbulent childhood, mentorship through wrestling, his journey into MMA, his powerful mental health story, psychedlic therapy, functional mushrooms, entrepreneurship and so much more.Retired professional MMA fighter, UFC Hall of Famer, former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and Ultimate Fighter 2 winner, now living my entrepreneurial dreams. As one of the founders of UMBO, we have developed a full line of potent functional mushroom supplements to help athletes fuel focus, endurance, sleep, and heal their bodies. As the Professional Athlete and Business Ambassador with Naturals2Go, I’m able to help both athletes and business professionals make the transition to the next phase of their lives. Through launching my own healthy vending business, I have harnessed that intense drive I had as a professional fighter and now run a highly successful business. But my true passion really lies in helping others re

Diana Nanopoulos is a former Military Intelligence officer, current Veteran Experience Officer and co-founder of Vetcation.org.In this incredibly powerful episode we discuss losing her father to suicide, her journey into the military, the sexual assaults she endured in uniform, her powerful mental health story, finding love, helping veterans transition, Operation Enduring Warrior and so much more.

Nick Hall is a veteran Police Officer and speaker. In 2000, an armed intruder held Nick and his family hostage. Through a tragic miscommunication, an Orlando PD sniper shot Nick's mother, Andrea. After struggling through both grief and aner, Nick decided to become a law enforcement officer and thus part of the solution.In this second conversation we discuss fatherhood, vascectomies, post traumatic growth, fitness, sefl sufficiency, mentorship and so much more.I was born in Long Island, New York. My parents were divorced at the time, father moved to Florida with my older brother. I then moved to Orlando with my infant sister and mother in 2000. We moved in with my aunt and her family.On a weekend in July at that time, a male entered our residence with a firearm. He was an older white male. It was later revealed that the suspect, Jamie Petron, was fleeing from law enforcement after killing a convenience store clerk in south Florida earlier. Once Petron entered our residence, he then shot my cousin in the face.

Marcos Orozco is a veteran firefighter and the man behind Hard Knox Sunday. We discuss his journey into the fire service, chasing his dream department, firefighter fitness, his powerful sobriety story, organisational stress, Hard Knox Hitters and much more.I have been passionate about fitness since the age of 12 when my Dad bought me my first gym membership. Growing up I played football, baseball, and ran track through high school, and ran track for Arizona State University. I graduated from ASU with a Bachelor's Degree in Exercise Science/Kinesiology. I have been a career fireman for 16 + years, and have been training in gear for 10 + of those. My passion for fitness as it translates to performance on the fire ground is my wheelhouse. I have spent the last decade training "tactical athletes" (firemen, police, military) and helping them become the best version of themselves. Some of my "HARD" accomplishments include completing the Dunes 100 mile Ultra Race, completing the Georgia Smoke Diver Program (at 45 ye

Sean Spencer is a filmakerm whose work includes 'Nguen', 'Grunt' and 'Ranger'. David Waterhouse is the subject of 'Ranger', which tells an essential story of the wars we sent our young men and women to for twenty years and the ripple effect of trauma.We discuss thir journeys into their respective careers, David's path into the Ranger Regiment, retrieving the fallen from Operation Red Wings II, losing Pat Tillman, Ramadi, homecoming, David's powerful mental health story, the military industrial complex, healing and so much more.Ranger is a true tale of war told by Sergeant David Waterhouse recalling his service in Iraq and Afghanistan. Seen through the eyes of a Special Operations soldier, this first hand account documents the brutality of combat, and the raw nature of killing and death. It's a journey of innocence lost and the scars of war etched into the minds of service members. An untold account everyone should hear.

Ed Monroe is a veteran firefighter, speaker and soon to be author. He was first on scene after the horrific Murder/Suicide at LA County's Station 81 in 2021. We discuss his journey into the fire service, mentorship programs, inmate wildland crews, the horrendous events at station 81, the physical and mental health ripple effects, post traumatic growth, warning signs and so much more. I am a 53-year-old Fire Captain for Los Angeles County Fire Department. Born in Del Rio Texas, the son of an Air Force pilot, I grew up on Air Force Bases in states such as North Dakota, Washington, California and internationally in Japan. I refer to Huntington Beach Ca as my hometown as I graduated from high school there, and I am a graduate of Cal State University Northridge with a degree in Mathematics - Applied. I was married in 1995 and have 3 children that are currently 22, 18, and 15. I have been a member of LACoFD for 16 years and a fire Captain for the past 4. I have been directly involved in a very notable, significant

In her new hour standup special Big Guy, which premieres on Netflix May 21st, Comedian and Actor Rachel Feinstein invites us into her delightfully chaotic life as the wife of a firefighter, a mother, and a comedian. In the words of her 3-year-old daughter, “my daddy’s a hero and my mommy’s sarcastic.” Rachel explores her marriage to a first responder who is also married to his firehouse family and unpacks what it’s like to navigate emotional intimacy with someone whose job it is to save people’s lives. Chock full of her signature “amazing impersonations” (Vulture), Big Guy endears us to the loveable hodgepodge of characters in Rachel’s world including a sea of fellow fire wives named Gina, her aggressively liberal mother, and her father with a never-ending sinus infection. Rachel is happily hop-scotching through all of the mayhem and inviting us along for the ride.Rachel is a favorite among fans and fellow comedians alike. She appeared on Comedy Central’s hit series Inside Amy Schumer and she won a WGA Award

Darren Pallatina is a British Military Veteran seving in both the Army and Navy. He deployed on multiple tours during the GWOT.We discuss his journey into the military, the role of a Combat Engineer, the trauma of war, his powerful mental health journey, his Decision of Power project and so much more.

After marrying her high school sweetheart turned Air Force hubby, Monica Fullerton quickly learned that the military community was ripe with creators, makers and entrepreneurs. Many of her fellow spouses were pursuing their passions in between deployments and even as full-time businesses, but there wasn’t a central location to shop and support these deserving entrepreneurs within the military community – therefore Monica launched Spouse-ly!She is a twin mom on a mission to provide more career flexibility and stability no matter where the military life takes you. Monica is a firm believer that anything is possible if you just put your mind to it. She hopes that this platform helps provide a place where everyone can come together and support each other! When you shop small you are truly making a big impact.

Frank Wright was one of the original Marine Raiders who fought on both Guam and Iwo Jima in WWII. We discuss his journey into the Marines, special forces selection, hand to hand combat, facing banzai attacks, his powerful mental health story, writing his book and so much more.I fought like mad as the Japanese stormed down the hill yelling "Malians you die, Malians you die." I emptied my rifle magazine, twice. Out of ammo I slashed and plunged my bayonet into as many as I could until...Battles in the Pacific is Wright's autobiographical account of his four years of enlistment in World War II, including two years in the South Pacific. On January 21, 1942, Wright entered the U.S. Marine Corps by lying about his age. His was Sixteen at the time and living in Little Rock, Arkansas. He reported to boot camp on January 24, 1942 at the 12th Recruit Battalion, Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Platoon 150, in San Diego, California.Like many war veterans, Wright's traumatic experience in war left him in a battle with Post-tr

Mark Pfeifer is a former Canadian soldier, firefighter and the founder of Ronin Rescue. We discuss his journey into the military, his exposure to rope rescue, firefighter fitness, rope redundency, cancer, mental health, chasing innovation, the importance of humility, knowledge sharing and so much more.

For years as an award-winning war reporter, Sebastian Junger traveled to many front lines and frequently put his life at risk. And yet the closest he ever came to death was the summer of 2020 while spending a quiet afternoon at the New England home he shared with his wife and two young children. Crippled by abdominal pain, Junger was rushed to the hospital by ambulance. Once there, he began slipping away. As blackness encroached, he was visited by his dead father, inviting Junger to join him. “It’s okay,” his father said. “There’s nothing to be scared of. I’ll take care of you.” That was the last thing Junger remembered until he came to the next day when he was told he had suffered a ruptured aneurysm that he should not have survived.This experience spurred Junger—a confirmed atheist raised by his physicist father to respect the empirical—to undertake a scientific, philosophical, and deeply personal examination of mortality and what happens after we die. How do we begin to process the brutal fact that any of

Ben Jenkin is a Parkour champion, stuntman and most recently one of Ryan Gosling's stunt doubles in 'The Fall Guy'.We discuss the daredevil influences in his childhood, finding Parkour, his journey into the stunt industry, recognising the stunt community, set safety, MMA, some behind the scenes stories and so much more.Ben Jenkin was born in Germany, raised in Blackburn, England, Ben spent his early childhood in many different schools due to his dad being in the military. At the age of 4 Ben moved back to his hometown of Blackburn. Throughout primary and secondary school Ben was heavily involved in all sports. In 2003, at age 12, Ben was scouted to play basketball at a national level for his local team, Preston Pride, which went on to win the northwest division for the 4th year running. Ben discovered Parkour and Freerunning in 2005 when he watched a documentary called "Jump Britain". He was immediately drawn in, went out with his friends the next day and began his journey in the adventure of Parkour. During

Sara Jahnke is one of the most respected researchers in firefighter health. In this third conversation we focused solely on the acute and chronic impact of sleep deprivation and how more rest is imperative for our firefighters.We discuss the alarming rise in childhood diseases amongst first responder parents, hormonal disruption, sleep deprivation and mental health, weight gain, how shift work is a known carcinigen and how the 24/72 shift would revolutionise firefighter health.Dr. Sara Jahnke is a prominent figure in firefighter health research. She is known for her dedication to translating scientific findings into practical solutions that improve the well-being of firefighters and emergency responders. With a diverse background in psychology and epidemiology, Dr. Jahnke has made significant contributions to understanding and addressing the unique health challenges individuals face in the fire service.In 2011, Dr. Jahnke became the Director of the Center for Fire, Rescue & EMS Health Research at NDRI USA

MIck Southall was only 16 years old when he joined the Junior Paratrooper programme in the British Army. In 1982, at the age of 17, Mick volunteered to fight alongside his fellow Paras against the Argentinians in the Falklands war. We discuss his early life, the mentors he found in the military, the courage of the Falklands, taking Mount Longdon, his homecoming story, Northern Ireland, Sudan, his journey int EMS and much more.

Summer of 2022 is one we will never forget. We received a call that our 16-year-old daughter, Layla, was being trauma hawked after an ATV crash. We didn’t know much about brain injury then, but we were about to get a firsthand look. Layla was in a coma. She had multiple brain bleeds, a dissected carotid artery and a broken jaw. They explained her type of injury was typically fatal, a grade 3 DAI. They said at best, she would survive but potentially remain unconscious or be severely disabled the rest of her life. We sat bedside watching our little girl fight for her life. Day by day we prayed for another day with her and clung to the hope she wouldn’t leave us. During the next 20 days, she remained stable enough to get tracheotomy surgery, her jaw wired and a stomach PEG. Finally, the day came that the hospital could do no more for us. We had Layla med flighted to a hospital in Georgia. She was admitted under the disorders of consciousness program. They prepare you that each step may be the most you get, and w

Jim Burneka is a firefighter, podcaster and the author of 'Overcoming Tuesday.In this second conversation, we discuss his powerful mental health story, the Save a Warrior program, his time in the IAFF's Center of Excellence, catharsis through writing, his conference 'Brothers helping Brothers' and so much more.As a first responder, firefighter paramedic Jim Burneka encounters traumatic events the average person will likely never experience, but to him, it’s just another day—it’s Tuesday. In spite of being the wellness coordinator for the local fire department, Jim falls victim to Tuesday, the trauma he encounters daily, and finds himself spiraling down a dark and hopeless path including post-tramatic stress, anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation.Finally, Jim must make the choice between succumbing to Tuesday or asking for the help he so desperately needs.Hawkins and Burneka recount a story of healing and resilience to empower others to seek help, and to encourage them to replace despair with hope. This b