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Responder Resilience

Lt. David Dachinger (Ret.), Dr. Stacy Raymond, Bonnie Rumilly, LCSW/EMT

The job doesn't stop when the call ends. Neither does this podcast.

RESPONDER RESILIENCE: real conversations with firefighters, police, EMS, dispatch, and the clinicians who serve them. Trauma. Leadership. Culture. Retirement. Our Clinician's Guide series and the book Helping the Helpers, built from over 200 of these conversations, go further: real insight for first responders and the clinicians who serve them. Hosted by Lt. David Dachinger (Ret.), Dr. Stacy Raymond, and Bonnie Rumilly, LCSW/EMT. New episodes weekly.

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  • 30 episodes
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  • Yesterday · 49 min

    S6 E44 Behind The Lines: A 9/11 Story: FDNY Rescue 5 Survivor Bill Spade & Combat Vet Jaymes Poling

    One survived the towers. One went to war because of them. One gave them a sound. Twelve men sat down to breakfast at FDNY Rescue 5 on 9/11. Only Bill Spade came home. Jaymes Poling carried that morning through three combat tours in Afghanistan with the 82nd Airborne. Jazz trumpeter Dominick Farinacci listened to both of them for hours, then wrote the music their stories needed. Together they built Behind the Lines: A 9/11 Story, a live performance of story, music, and light now touring the country. The piano holds a chord when Bill needs an extra breath. The drums bring the North Tower down. And audiences, from New York firehouses to college kids born after 9/11, are walking out ready to talk. We get into how the show came together, the counselor who failed Bill and the one who didn’t, Jaymes’s long road home, and why the band feels like an engine company: everybody’s got your back. GUESTS • Bill Spade: Retired FDNY firefighter (1985 to 2003), former NYPD officer, sole survivor of Rescue Company 5 on 9/11, longtime docent at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, featured in National Geographic’s 9/11: Reunited. • Jaymes Poling: U.S. Army veteran, three tours in Afghanistan with the 82nd Airborne, co-founder of Modern Warrior LIVE. • Dominick Farinacci: Jazz trumpeter, former Global Ambassador to Jazz at Lincoln Center (Doha, Qatar), director of the Tri-C JazzFest Academy, co-founder of Modern Warrior LIVE. Tour dates and tickets: https://modernwarriorlive.org Florida: Nov 8, Arts Garage, Delray Beach | Nov 10, Phillips Center, Gainesville | Nov 11, The Sharon, The Villages Contact Responder Resilience: Phone: +1 844-344-6655 Email: info@respondertv.com Our website with past episodes and more: https://www.respondertv.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ResponderResilience LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/responder-resilience-podcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/responder.tv/ ★ Resources for Responder Wellness ★ • Fitness: FightCamp (code RESILIENCE for 10% off) http://joinfightcamp.com/rr • Free App: CRACKYL http://crackyl.respondertv.com • Book: Helping the Helpers https://a.co/d/dm0VS4Q This show is for educational purposes only and does not provide medical, psychological, or professional treatment. Views expressed are those of the individuals, not any affiliated agency or organization. In an emergency, call 911. For mental health support, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline).

    • Transcript
  • October 28 · 55 min

    S6 E43 Building Resilient First Responder Leadership: Rodger Ruge, Pathfinder Resilience

    You can build the best wellness program in the world, and your department will still say, “The hell I will.” Retired police officer Rodger Ruge knows why. After two decades in law enforcement and a hard-won recovery from complex PTSD, he spent 30 years testing what actually builds resilience. Today, as Chief Resilience Officer at Pathfinder Resilience, he works with first responder leaders on culture change that lasts beyond any one chief. Rodger joins Lt. David Dachinger (Ret.) and Bonnie Rumilly, LCSW/EMT, to talk about: The honest leadership assessment some chiefs throw away Why sharing hard feedback with the whole agency lowers resistance Leadership at every rank, from the line to the top How a clear “why” transformed recruiting for an RCMP communications center Honor the Temple, his new book with Dr. Renee Thornton Contact Rodger Ruge: Website: https://www.rodgerrugeresiliencecoach.com Pathfinder Resilience: https://www.pathfinderresilience.com Pre-order Honor the Temple: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HLLSSB12 Contact Responder Resilience: Phone: +1 844-344-6655 Email: info@respondertv.com Our website with past episodes and more: https://www.respondertv.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ResponderResilience LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/responder-resilience-podcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/responder.tv/ ★ Resources for Responder Wellness ★ • Fitness: FightCamp (code RESILIENCE for 10% off) http://joinfightcamp.com/rr • Free App: CRACKYL http://crackyl.respondertv.com • Book: Helping the Helpers https://a.co/d/dm0VS4Q This show is for educational purposes only and does not provide medical, psychological, or professional treatment. Views expressed are those of the individuals, not any affiliated agency or organization. In an emergency, call 911. For mental health support, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline).

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  • October 21 · 47 min

    S6 E42 Firefighter Identity & Mental Health: Doug Hexel, Fire Lieutenant & USAR Specialist

    Fire Lieutenant Doug Hexel has spent 13 years running calls, pulling patients out of rubble, and training the next generation of paramedics. He loves the job. He just refuses to let it become his whole identity. Doug is a career fire officer, urban search and rescue specialist, paramedic, and sworn New York State peace officer. He is a fire, EMS, and law enforcement instructor for New York State, sits on the state’s Pediatric EMS Advisory Committee, and holds technician-level certifications in hazmat, rope, confined space, trench, swiftwater, and collapse rescue. Doug joins hosts Lt. David Dachinger (Ret.) and Bonnie Rumilly, LCSW/EMT, to talk about: The line between resilience and suffering in silence Hypervigilance and what years of bad calls do to us “Death by rescue” and why medical comes first in technical rescue How leaders build mental readiness into every shift Telling a crew “it’s not your fault,” and meaning it Training rescuers for outcomes they can’t change Loving the job without living it Contact Doug Hexel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglashexel Don’t miss EMS Fire Pro Expo. October 22 through 24. Mohegan Sun. Register today at https://emspro.org/ Contact Responder Resilience: Phone: +1 844-344-6655 Email: info@respondertv.com Our website with past episodes and more: https://www.respondertv.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ResponderResilience LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/responder-resilience-podcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/responder.tv/ ★ Resources for Responder Wellness ★ • Fitness: FightCamp (code RESILIENCE for 10% off) http://joinfightcamp.com/rr • Free App: CRACKYL http://crackyl.respondertv.com • Book: Helping the Helpers https://a.co/d/dm0VS4Q This show is for educational purposes only and does not provide medical, psychological, or professional treatment. Views expressed are those of the individuals, not any affiliated agency or organization. In an emergency, call 911. For mental health support, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline).

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  • October 14 · 43 min

    S6 E41 Building A Fire Service Wellness Program: Jason Corthell, Asst. Chief

    How do you build a fire service wellness program, and what does it actually cost? In this Visionary Leaders episode of Responder Resilience, Assistant Chief Jason Corthell of Cypress Creek Fire Department explains how his team built a program on three pillars (chaplaincy, peer support, and professional counseling) and why it costs far less than most chiefs assume. A fourth-generation firefighter, U.S. Marine Corps veteran, and founder of Ironclad Wellness, Jason also talks about his new book, Freedom Found: A Mental Health Memoir, and why leaders who own their story build stronger departments. We cover: Leading through change as a new assistant chief Why your social circle shrinks as you promote, and what to do about it How to pick a peer support team that mirrors your department Insurance vs. self-pay for counseling Why women in the fire and police service may be more guarded than men Scaling an embedded clinician model across multiple departments Contact Jason Corthell, Asst. Chief: Freedom Found: A Mental Health Memoir on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Freedom-Found-Mental-Health-Memoir-ebook/dp/B0H1D92RHK Ironclad Wellness: https://ironcladwellness.com Don’t miss EMS Fire Pro Expo. October 22 through 24. Mohegan Sun. Register today at https://emspro.org/ Contact Responder Resilience: Phone: +1 844-344-6655 Email: info@respondertv.com Our website with past episodes and more: https://www.respondertv.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ResponderResilience LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/responder-resilience-podcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/responder.tv/ ★ Resources for Responder Wellness ★ • Fitness: FightCamp (code RESILIENCE for 10% off) http://joinfightcamp.com/rr • Free App: CRACKYL http://crackyl.respondertv.com • Book: Helping the Helpers https://a.co/d/dm0VS4Q This show is for educational purposes only and does not provide medical, psychological, or professional treatment. Views expressed are those of the individuals, not any affiliated agency or organization. In an emergency, call 911. For mental health support, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline).

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  • October 7 · 50 min

    S6 E40 25 Years Of Free, Confidential FDNY Care: Nancy Carbone Hands Off To Chrissy Neafsey

    Twenty-five years ago, Nancy Carbone walked into a Brooklyn firehouse and asked one question: what can I do for you? That question became Friends of Firefighters, a free, confidential, and independent mental health nonprofit for FDNY members and their families, built on trust decades in the making. In this episode, founder Nancy Carbone and incoming Executive Director Chrissy Neafsey talk about why confidentiality and independence from the department remain the organization's core promise, how the Aaron Clark Peer Support Team gets a struggling firefighter a call back within 24 hours, and the new partnership with Livestrong, including this year's 343-mile Ride for Resilience from Boston to Ground Zero and a culturally competent cancer resource guide for first responders facing occupational cancer. Friends of Firefighters marks its 25th Anniversary Resilience Gala on October 15, 2026. Learn more or get help: https://www.friendsoffirefighters.org Follow Friends of Firefighters: @friendsoffirefighters Don’t miss EMS Fire Pro Expo. October 22 through 24. Mohegan Sun. Register today at https://emspro.org/ Contact Friends of Firefighters: Website: http://www.friendsoffirefighters.org/ Gala Link: https://friendsoffirefighters.org/2026-gala Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/friendsoffirefighters Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/friendsoffirefighters/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/friends-of-firefighters/ Contact Responder Resilience: Phone: +1 844-344-6655 Email: info@respondertv.com Our website with past episodes and more: https://www.respondertv.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ResponderResilience LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/responder-resilience-podcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/responder.tv/ ★ Resources for Responder Wellness ★ • Fitness: FightCamp (code RESILIENCE for 10% off) http://joinfightcamp.com/rr • Free App: CRACKYL http://crackyl.respondertv.com • Book: Helping the Helpers https://a.co/d/dm0VS4Q This show is for educational purposes only and does not provide medical, psychological, or professional treatment. Views expressed are those of the individuals, not any affiliated agency or organization. In an emergency, call 911. For mental health support, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline).

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  • September 30 · 57 min

    S6 E39 Veterans Turned First Responders: A Deeper Dive with Guest Dr. Stacy Raymond

    One of our most-downloaded episodes was our first conversation with Dr. Stacy Raymond, PsyD, on treating veterans who transitioned into first responder roles. This is the deeper dive. In this Clinician's Guide Masterclass, Dr. Raymond returns to go past the overview: distinguishing moral injury from PTSI, working with a veteran's military identity as it collapses or adapts, the real function of hypervigilance, and how to address firearms and suicide risk without breaking the therapeutic alliance.Required listening for clinicians treating this population, and for the veterans sitting in their chairs. Check out Part 1: Clinician's Guide to Working with Veterans (S4 E32): https://www.respondertv.com/s4-e32-clinicians-guide-to-working-with-veterans-with-guest-stacy-raymond-psyd/ Responder ResilienceFull archive: ResponderTV.com Join Thousands of First Responders at the EMS & Fire Pro Expo Oct. 21-24 at Mohegan Sun. https://emspro.org/ Contact Dr. Stacy Raymond: Website: https://www.drstacyraymond.com/ Contact Responder Resilience: Phone: +1 844-344-6655 Email: info@respondertv.com Our website with past episodes and more: https://www.respondertv.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ResponderResilience LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/responder-resilience-podcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/responder.tv/ ★ Resources for Responder Wellness ★ • Fitness: FightCamp (code RESILIENCE for 10% off) http://joinfightcamp.com/rr • Free App: CRACKYL http://crackyl.respondertv.com • Book: Helping the Helpers https://a.co/d/dm0VS4Q This show is for educational purposes only and does not provide medical, psychological, or professional treatment. Views expressed are those of the individuals, not any affiliated agency or organization. In an emergency, call 911. For mental health support, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline).

    • Transcript
  • September 23 · 41 min

    S6 E38 Firefighter AI Spots the Drift Before You Do with Guest Gary Roberts

    Nobody radios in "I'm not okay." You just push through the next call, and the one after that. Gary Roberts has pushed through calls for more than twenty years, as an active firefighter and paramedic in Fort Lauderdale. He's also built an AI company on the side, between shifts, on no sleep, because he got tired of watching guys wait too long to say something. His company is called Neurovus, and the AI agent is NAVI. It doesn't diagnose you. It doesn't talk to your chief. It watches what your wearable already tracks: sleep, heart rate variability, recovery, and tells you when you're drifting from your own baseline. Before you feel it. Before it becomes a problem with a name. We got into it with Gary: Why "resilience" might be the wrong word, and what it's costing us How you sell an AI to a culture that doesn't trust apps, doesn't trust outsiders, and definitely doesn't trust anything that reports up the chain Where a wellness tool stops and a medical device starts, and why that line matters What winning actually looks like in five years, not in dollars Neurovus is a wellness awareness tool. It is not therapy, a diagnosis, or a crisis service. Gary Roberts: Helping fire departments spot burnout before it becomes a crisis | 20 Years, Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue | Founder & CEO, Neurovus | Built NAVI to track each firefighter’s drift from their own baseline Subscribe for more conversations on first responder mental health, leadership, and culture. Contact Gary Roberts: Neurovus: neurovus.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GRoberts.Neurovus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/groberts_neurovus/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neurovus/ Contact Responder Resilience: Phone: +1 844-344-6655 Email: info@respondertv.com Our website with past episodes and more: https://www.respondertv.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ResponderResilience LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/responder-resilience-podcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/responder.tv/ ★ Resources for Responder Wellness ★ • Fitness: FightCamp (code RESILIENCE for 10% off) http://joinfightcamp.com/rr • Free App: CRACKYL http://crackyl.respondertv.com • Book: Helping the Helpers https://a.co/d/dm0VS4Q #FirefighterMentalHealth #ResponderResilience #FirstResponders #Neurovus #FirefighterWellness #FirstResponderWellness #AIinHealthcare #PublicSafety #Firefighter #WearableTech This show is for educational purposes only and does not provide medical, psychological, or professional treatment. Views expressed are those of the individuals, not any affiliated agency or organization. In an emergency, call 911. For mental health support, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline).

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  • September 16 · 46 min

    S6 E37 Cultural Empathy vs. Competency: How Chief Manny Almaguer Actually Earns Trust

    Assistant Chief Manny Almaguer draws a distinction most fire departments have never heard: cultural competency and cultural empathy are not the same thing. One checks a box. The other earns trust. In this conversation, he breaks down what that difference actually looks like on the ground. Before he ever put on turnout gear, Almaguer spent years working in psychiatric institutions, and that background shapes everything about how he leads. In 26 years, he's held nearly every role in the Denver Fire Department and spent the last 15 as a national voice on first responder mental health, invited to speak at the White House, the Pentagon, and NATCON. In this conversation, Chief Almaguer covers: Cultural competency vs. cultural empathy, and why the distinction changes how training actually lands His "kick the tires" audit: personally calling 988 and local recovery resources before recommending them to his crew His definition of psychological safety, and how to explain it to someone who's never heard the term How his years as a psychiatric nurse and technician transferred directly into fire service leadership and scene safety The story behind Denver Fire's 2013 mental health training program, and the 1,100+ members it reached What a battalion chief or company officer needs to know at minimum to catch something early Subscribe for more conversations on first responder mental health, leadership, and culture. Don’t miss EMS Fire Pro Expo. October 22 through 24. Mohegan Sun. Register today at https://emspro.org/ Contact Responder Resilience: Phone: +1 844-344-6655 Email: info@respondertv.com Our website with past episodes and more: https://www.respondertv.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ResponderResilience LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/responder-resilience-podcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/responder.tv/ This show is for educational purposes only and does not provide medical, psychological, or professional treatment. Views expressed are those of the individuals, not any affiliated agency or organization. In an emergency, call 911. For mental health support, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline).

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  • September 9 · 41 min

    S6 E36 600+ FDNY Illness Deaths From 9/11 with Guest Ret. Deputy Chief Richard Alles

    Twenty-five years after 9/11, more than 600 FDNY members have died from Ground Zero-related illness, nearly double the number lost in the collapse itself. Retired FDNY Deputy Chief Richard Alles arrived 20 minutes after the second tower fell and spent nine months on-site. Today, as Director of 9/11 Community Affairs for Barasch & McGarry, he works full-time helping first responders and survivors access the WTC Health Program and Victim Compensation Fund. In this conversation, Chief Alles covers: What leadership looked like in the chaos of Ground Zero's first hours How detective James Zadroga's autopsy became the forensic evidence that passed the Zadroga Act The current FDNY and nationwide illness death toll, now surpassing 9,000 across all WTC-related illness Who qualifies for WTC Health Program and VCF benefits, and the exposure-hour requirements by date Why skin cancer, not respiratory illness, is the most common Ground Zero-linked condition His own two cancer diagnoses, and why he tells everyone with 9/11 exposure "it's not if you'll get sick, it's when" Subscribe for more conversations on first responder mental health, leadership, and culture. YouTube: Responder Resilience Facebook: ResponderTV LinkedIn, Apple Podcasts, Spotify: Responder Resilience Full archive: ResponderTV.com Contact Richard Alles: Website: https://www.post911attorneys.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BaraschMcGarry/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/baraschmcgarry/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/barasch-mcgarry/ Contact Responder Resilience: Phone: +1 844-344-6655 Email: info@respondertv.com Our website with past episodes and more: https://www.respondertv.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ResponderResilience LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/responder-resilience-podcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/responder.tv/ This show is for educational purposes only and does not provide medical, psychological, or professional treatment. Views expressed are those of the individuals, not any affiliated agency or organization. In an emergency, call 911. For mental health support, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline).

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  • September 2 · 43 min

    S6 E35 AI Leadership Coaching For Fire Officers: Dr. Johnny Torgeson

    Dr. Johnny Torgeson opened a top-grossing fitness franchise at 25, served as an Army sergeant, and now commands operations at a federal fire department. Along the way he identified a gap most fire officers never get taught: how to actually build a team, not just staff one. He wrote Forging Your Team: Demystifying Team Development for First Responders. Then he built Forging Teams AI, a 24/7 leadership coaching agent trained on his own research and experience, designed to help officers diagnose team dysfunction, low morale, and stalled performance in real time, without the cost of traditional executive coaching. In this conversation, Johnny explains how the tool works, what it catches that emotional decision-making misses, and why he believes the fire service needs to move past outdated 1990s leadership models. Learn more: forgingteams.com Responder Resilience is produced by Mind Health Media, LLC, hosted by Lt. David Dachinger (Ret.), Dr. Stacy Raymond, and Bonnie Rumilly, LCSW/EMT. Subscribe for more conversations with the people building a stronger, more resilient first responder culture. **Resources for Responder Wellness:** • Book: Helping the Helpers https://a.co/d/dm0VS4Q • Free App: CRACKYL http://crackyl.respondertv.com • Fitness: FightCamp (code RESILIENCE for 10% off) http://joinfightcamp.com/rr Contact Johnny Torgeson: Website: forgingteams.com Contact Responder Resilience: Phone: +1 844-344-6655 Email: info@respondertv.com Our website with past episodes and more: https://www.respondertv.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ResponderResilience LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/responder-resilience-podcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/responder.tv/ This show is for educational purposes only and does not provide medical, psychological, or professional treatment. Views expressed are those of the individuals, not any affiliated agency or organization. In an emergency, call 911. For mental health support, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline).

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  • August 26 · 51 min

    S6 E34 Rising From Ground Zero: FDNY's 9/11 Path To Transformation

    The response to Ground Zero didn't end in 2001. For the FDNY, it became a 25 year path through recovery, transformation, and choices most agencies will never have to make.5 Fewer than 600 of the 11,500 FDNY firefighters who were at the World Trade Center on September 11 remain on the job. In addition to the 343 members lost on 9/11, more than 400 additional members have since died from World Trade Center related illnesses. In this episode of Responder Resilience, retired FDNY Captain Paul Brown and executive coach Andre Kotzé join hosts Lt. David Dachinger (Ret.) to discuss their new book, Rising from Ground Zero: 9/11 and the FDNY's Path Through Crisis and Transformation. Built from 90 hours of raw testimony, the book documents the day of the collapse, the recovery, and the institutional transformation that followed, co-authored with Dr. Gregory P. Shea and Lauren Starkey. Paul, a third-generation FDNY firefighter, and Andre, a former mountain rescue operator and organizational development expert, discuss what it took to rebuild command, culture, and mental health support inside the busiest fire department in the world, and why they believe institutions can experience their own version of post-traumatic growth. The authors have committed 51% of the book's net profits to charities supporting FDNY members and their families. **Resources for Responder Wellness:** • Book: Helping the Helpers https://a.co/d/dm0VS4Q • Free App: CRACKYL http://crackyl.respondertv.com • Fitness: FightCamp (code RESILIENCE for 10% off) http://joinfightcamp.com/rr Learn more about the book: https://www.risingfromgroundzero.org/ André Kotzé: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andre-kotze-b38a3617b/ Paul Brown: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-brown-54079b124/ Contact Responder Resilience: Phone: +1 844-344-6655 Email: info@respondertv.com Our website with past episodes and more: https://www.respondertv.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ResponderResilience LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/responder-resilience-podcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/responder.tv/

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  • August 19 · 36 min

    S6 E33 How New York Built First Responder Wellness Policy — Terry Hastings

    Terry Hastings didn't set out to become New York State's first Chief Wellness Officer. He built the case for the role one needs assessment, one training module, one hard conversation at a time. He partnered with the Institute for Disaster Mental Health and the Benjamin Center at SUNY New Paltz to survey over 6,000 first responders statewide, the first assessment of its kind in New York. What they found: 16% reported suicidal ideation, four times the general population. Among dispatchers, it was 21%. Now Terry's leveraging that data to lead the largest state-level wellness effort in the country. In this episode, Terry breaks down: Why dispatchers reported the highest rates of suicidal ideation at 21% The gap in culturally competent mental health care and what New York is doing to close it Why Brazilian jiu-jitsu became central to his own wellness practice, and the new course he's launching for public safety professionals What a Wellness Officer Roundtable actually accomplishes Guest: Terry Hastings, Chief Wellness Officer, New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Hosted by Lt. David Dachinger (Ret.), Dr. Stacy Raymond, and Bonnie Rumilly, LCSW/EMT **Resources for Responder Wellness:** • Book: Helping the Helpers https://a.co/d/dm0VS4Q • Free App: CRACKYL http://crackyl.respondertv.com • Fitness: FightCamp (code RESILIENCE for 10% off) http://joinfightcamp.com/rr Contact Terry Hastings: Website: https://www.dhses.ny.gov/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/terry.hastings.12 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terry-hastings-8686b215/ Contact Responder Resilience: Phone: +1 844-344-6655 Email: info@respondertv.com Our website with past episodes and more: https://www.respondertv.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ResponderResilience LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/responder-resilience-podcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/responder.tv/

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  • August 12 · 54 min

    S6 E32 Why First Responder Workers' Comp Fails — David Picone and Ramsey Ali

    The injury gets treated. The claim gets filed. The responder gets lost in between. Retired Battalion Chief David Picone spent years inside a system that's supposed to cover everything: prevention, behavioral health, cancer, rehab, the claim itself, and watched it fail at the seams. So he rebuilt it. Thirty-four integrated policies. Injury rates down. A wellness center built like a Division I athletic program. Now, as CEO of the Health & Safety Leadership Alliance, he's taking that blueprint national. Dr. Ramsey Ali sees what happens when the system fails. As Director of the First Responder Institute and PTSD IOP at Institutes of Health, he treats the complex cases: PTSD tangled with chronic pain and substance use, that siloed care left behind. One built the system. One treats its casualties. In this episode, they expose where first responder wellness actually breaks down and what it takes to fix it at the system level, not just at the individual level. In this episode: Where individual resilience ends, and organizational failure begins What workers' comp gets wrong about mental health claims What a department doing this right actually looks like The one thing Picone and Ali would change about how employers approach responder health **Resources for Responder Wellness:** • Book: Helping the Helpers https://a.co/d/dm0VS4Q • Free App: CRACKYL http://crackyl.respondertv.com • Fitness: FightCamp (code RESILIENCE for 10% off) http://joinfightcamp.com/rr Contact David Picone and Ramsey Ali: Learn more about HSLA: http://hslalliance.org First Responder Institute at Institutes of Health: https://institutesofhealth.org Contact Responder Resilience: Phone: +1 844-344-6655 Email: info@respondertv.com Our website with past episodes and more: https://www.respondertv.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ResponderResilience LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/responder-resilience-podcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/responder.tv/

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  • August 5 · 47 min

    S6 E31 Inside the 343-Mile Ride for 9/11 First Responders — Suzanne Stone, Livestrong CEO

    Twenty-five years later, 343 still means something. It's the number of FDNY members lost on 9/11. Now it's also the number of miles a five-day ride will cover, from Boston to the 9/11 Memorial in New York City. Suzanne Stone, President and CEO of Livestrong, joins Responder Resilience to talk about the First Responder Ride for Resilience: why it exists, who's riding, and what it means for a first responder community still absorbing the cost of that day, and every day since. Livestrong has spent almost 30 years working the "soft side" of survivorship, the part that isn't clinical. For first responders, that means occupational cancer risk baked into the job itself, families left without a playbook, and a culture that doesn't always know how to ask for help. Suzanne breaks down what Livestrong is building specifically for fire, police, and EMS. That includes a culturally competent survivor's guide, Ellis (their AI-powered survivorship companion), and a fertility preservation discount network covering 150+ clinics nationwide. The ride itself runs September 6 to 10, 2026, gathering in Boston and finishing at the 9/11 Memorial and Battery Park in New York. It arrives September 10 so active-duty riders can be back at their firehouses on the anniversary itself. **Resources for Responder Wellness:** • Book: Helping the Helpers https://a.co/d/dm0VS4Q • Free App: CRACKYL http://crackyl.respondertv.com • Fitness: FightCamp (code RESILIENCE for 10% off) http://joinfightcamp.com/rr Contact Responder Resilience: Phone: +1 844-344-6655 Email: info@respondertv.com Our website with past episodes and more: https://www.respondertv.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ResponderResilience LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/responder-resilience-podcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/responder.tv/ LIVESTRONG: 🔗 Ride details & registration: https://911ride.org 🔗 Learn more about Livestrong's work: https://livestrong.org 📫 Questions or want to get involved: 911Ride@livestrong.org

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  • July 29 · 41 min

    S6 E30 Clinicians Guide to Cultural Fluency and Moral Injury with Dr. Brooke Bartlett

    "Cultural competence" gets thrown around a lot in mental health circles. Dr. Brooke Bartlett has a harder definition: specialized, ongoing training paired with hands-on experience- not a one-hour class, not having an uncle who's a firefighter, not a personality trait you either have or don't. Bartlett, licensed clinical psychologist and founder of the Center for Trauma, Anxiety, and Stress, joins Responder Resilience to unpack what it actually takes for a clinician to earn - not perform - fluency with the first responder population. She breaks down the fastest ways clinicians lose trust in a first session, why overcompensating with jargon backfires faster than admitting what you don't know, and why leading with curiosity beats leading with credentials every time. To ground the conversation, she uses moral injury as the case study - walking through its three pathways (acts of commission, omission, and institutional betrayal), the neuroscience that separates it from PTSD, and why "should have, could have" is the phrase she hears most from first responders. It's a clear example of why cultural fluency isn't optional: you can't treat what you don't understand. Dr. Bartlett offers live and on-demand continuing education courses for clinicians on cultural competency for first responders and on assessing and treating moral injury - details at centertas.com/events. Subscribe for more conversations with the people building a stronger, more resilient first responder culture. 🚒 YouTube: Responder Resilience 📱 Facebook: ResponderTV 💼 LinkedIn, Apple Podcasts, Spotify 🌐 respondertv.com Connect with us: 📘 Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram ★ Resources for Responder Wellness ★ • Fitness: FightCamp (code RESILIENCE for 10% off) http://joinfightcamp.com/rr • Free App: CRACKYL http://crackyl.respondertv.com • Book: Helping the Helpers https://a.co/d/dm0VS4Q CONNECT WITH RESPONDER RESILIENCE Phone: +1 844-344-6655 Email: info@respondertv.com 🔔 Subscribe for new episodes every week. https://www.youtube.com/c/ResponderResilience 📩 Sign up for our newsletter: https://ResponderTV.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/responder.tv/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/responderTV/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/responder-resilience-podcast/ DR. BROOKE BARTLETT 🔹 Website: centertas.com 🔹 Instagram: @doctorbrookephd

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  • July 22 · 56 min

    S6 E29 Ibogaine Treatment for First Responder Addiction — Carmine Fiore & Candace Maisel, LCSW

    What happens when every traditional treatment fails — and a first responder is still drowning? Retired FDNY-EMS paramedic and Army combat medic Carmine Fiore survived 30 treatment centers and 15 heroin overdoses before trying something the first responder world rarely talks about: Ibogaine-assisted treatment at Ambio Life Sciences in Tijuana, Mexico. In this episode, Carmine joins host David Dachinger and psychedelic-assisted therapy provider Candace Maisel, LCSW, for a candid, deeply personal conversation about what it took to finally heal — and what that healing actually looks like. In this episode: What cumulative trauma looks like when it's been suppressed for years — and why it doesn't just disappear Carmine's Ibogaine journey: the childhood memories, the generational trauma, and the moment Ibogaine delivered a message about his late father The neuroscience behind psychedelic healing — BDNF, GDNF, neuroplasticity, and why the brain's post-treatment window matters Why psilocybin's 6-8 hour duration gives it an edge over ketamine for deep trauma work What integration really looks like — and why the medicine is only the beginning What Carmine would say to the first responder white-knuckling it right now, afraid to ask for help The Casey Skudin 343 Fund — and how it's helping first responders access treatment they couldn't otherwise afford Responder Resilience is an informational podcast. The experiences and perspectives shared in this episode are not a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Psychedelic-assisted therapies carry real risks and are not appropriate for everyone. Please consult your physician or a licensed mental health professional before pursuing any treatment options discussed here. Subscribe to Responder Resilience: 🎧 Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube Connect with us: 🌐 ResponderTV.com 📘 Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram ★ Resources for Responder Wellness ★ • Fitness: FightCamp (code RESILIENCE for 10% off) http://joinfightcamp.com/rr • Free App: CRACKYL http://crackyl.respondertv.com • Book: Helping the Helpers https://a.co/d/dm0VS4Q Contact Candace Maisel, LCSW https://ct-psych.com/candace-maisel-lcsw https://www.linkedin.com/in/candacemaisellcsw Contact Carmine Fiore https://www.linkedin.com/in/carmine-fiore-241a701a8/ https://www.instagram.com/carmine12285 https://www.thetravelagency.co/ Contact Responder Resilience: Phone: +1 844-344-6655 Email: info@respondertv.com Our website with past episodes and more: https://www.respondertv.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ResponderResilience LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/responder-resilience-podcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/responder.tv/

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  • July 15 · 44 min

    S6 E28 Grief and Suicide Loss in Law Enforcement — Dr. Erie Crawford

    She lost him. Then she found a way through. Lt. James Crawford (Ret.) of the Chicago Police Department was a pastor, a mentor, and the man everyone leaned on. Months after retiring, he died by suicide. His wife, Erie S. Crawford, LSW, PhD — a licensed social worker who saw the signs — made a decision in her darkest hour: this loss would not take her too. She buried him on a Saturday. By Monday, she was in therapy, fighting for her own healing. What she built from that fight is now helping suicide-loss families across the country find their way back to life. In this episode, Dr. Crawford joins hosts Lt. David Dachinger (ret.) and guest co-host Lynette Shaw-Butler for a conversation about loss, love, and the long road back. In this episode: ▪ Why the "strong ones" carry pain silently — and how families can gently open that door ▪ The warning signs she saw, and what she wants other spouses to know ▪ The retirement transition: why a plan for what's next matters as much as the pension ▪ What suicide-loss families need after the funeral, when the initial support fades ▪ The S.U.N.R.I.S.E. Healing Journey: Surrender, Understand, Nurture, Reconcile, Integrate, Strengthen, Engage ▪ Her guiding truth: when night ends, the sun rises If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline). Healing is possible — and you don't have to walk it alone. Watch on YouTube | LinkedIn | Facebook | Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Full archive: ResponderTV.com 🔔 Subscribe for new episodes every week. https://www.youtube.com/c/ResponderResilience ★ Resources for Responder Wellness ★ • Fitness: FightCamp (code RESILIENCE for 10% off) http://joinfightcamp.com/rr • Free App: CRACKYL http://crackyl.respondertv.com • Book: Helping the Helpers https://a.co/d/dm0VS4Q

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  • July 8 · 40 min

    S6 E27 A Retired FBI Agent on Why First Responders Should Tell Their Story — Jerri Williams

    After 26 years as an FBI Special Agent — investigating fraud, corruption, and the schemes that cost people everything — Jerri Williams could have walked away quietly. She didn't. She entered the Bureau in 1982 as one of the first Black female agents in FBI history. She worked the cases. She learned the truth. And when Hollywood started telling a different story, she wrote the book to correct it — literally. Now she hosts FBI Case File Review, a true crime podcast with over 10 million downloads, and she's on a mission to preserve the real stories of the men and women who served. In this episode, Jerri, David, and Stacy sit down to talk about something every first responder needs to hear: why your story matters, why telling it protects the profession, and why silence is the real threat to your legacy. In this episode: Why Jerri has spent 10 years sharing FBI stories — and what she's learned How authentic storytelling shapes public trust in law enforcement What gets lost when first responders don't preserve their experience Why your personal legacy deserves to be told — on your terms The cases that changed how she sees the mission of storytelling itself Watch on YouTube | LinkedIn | Facebook | Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Full archive: ResponderTV.com 🔔 Subscribe for new episodes every week. https://www.youtube.com/c/ResponderResilience ★ Resources for Responder Wellness ★ • Fitness: FightCamp (code RR10 for 10% off) http://joinfightcamp.com/rr • Free App: CRACKYL http://crackyl.respondertv.com • Book: Helping the Helpers https://a.co/d/dm0VS4Q Connect with Jerri Williams: 🌐 jerriwilliams.com 📘 facebook.com/JerriWilliamsAuthor 📸 instagram.com/fbicasereview 💼 linkedin.com/in/jerriwilliamsauthor 📚 FBI Myths and Misconceptions: jerriwilliams.com/books Contact Responder Resilience: Phone: +1 844-344-6655 Email: info@respondertv.com Our website with past episodes and more: https://www.respondertv.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ResponderResilience LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/responder-resilience-podcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/responder.tv/ #ResponderResilience #FirstResponders #LawEnforcement #FBI #MentalHealth #Storytelling #FirstResponderWellness #TrueCrime #Leadership #LegacyBuilding 🎙️ Responder Resilience is built for first responders, mental health professionals, and anyone committed to the long-term health of those who serve.

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  • July 1 · 43 min

    S6 E26 The Truth About American Fire Culture — Dr. Burton Clark, Fire Service Educator

    The United States has one of the highest fire death rates in the industrialized world. Not because the firefighters aren't good enough. Not because the apparatus isn't fast enough. Because of culture. Dr. Burton Clark has been saying that since 1970. He became a volunteer firefighter that year, a career firefighter two years later, and spent the next fifty-five years working at every level of the fire service — from neighborhood firehouses to the National Fire Academy to the halls of Johns Hopkins University. He has studied more firefighter fatalities than most people have had shifts. And the conclusion he keeps reaching is the same one nobody wants to write in the after-action report. Something went wrong. It always does. And most of the time, it didn't have to. In this episode of Responder Resilience, Dr. Clark gets into the culture behind the casualty. Why America emphasizes suppression over prevention while other countries do the opposite — and why that choice shows up in the death toll. Why fire deaths are still treated as inevitable when the data says they aren't. What the social, political, economic, and technological forces shaping fire culture actually look like from the inside. And what it's going to take — at the company level, the chief level, and the community level — for anything to actually change. This is not a comfortable episode. It's not supposed to be. If you wear a badge, lead a department, or care about bringing every firefighter home — this conversation is for you **Resources for Responder Wellness:** • Book: Helping the Helpers https://a.co/d/dm0VS4Q • Free App: CRACKYL http://crackyl.respondertv.com • Fitness: FightCamp (code RR10 for 10% off) http://joinfightcamp.com/rr Contact Dr. Clark: americanfireculture.com Contact Responder Resilience: Phone: +1 844-344-6655 Email: info@respondertv.com Our website with past episodes and more: https://www.respondertv.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ResponderResilience LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/responder-resilience-podcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/responder.tv/

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  • June 24 · 48 min

    S6 E25 Spiritual Survival for Law Enforcement — Chaplain Cary Friedman, FBI Behavioral Science Consultant

    A senior FBI agent heard Chaplain Cary Friedman deliver a eulogy. He was struck by something he couldn't quite name — the message was spiritual, but it wasn't religious. Universal without being hollow. A week later, Chaplain Friedman was at the FBI Academy in Quantico. He's been consulting to the Behavioral Science Unit ever since. For more than two decades, Chaplain Friedman has been working with law enforcement officers across the country on something the behavioral sciences triad left out: the soul. Not religion. Not doctrine. The deeper thing that gets a person out of bed and into a patrol car every morning, and the thing that quietly erodes when the job takes more than it gives back. In this episode of Responder Resilience, we get into all of it. The distinction between spirituality and religion, and why it matters more than most cops think. Moral injury. The inner critic that replays every call with the word "should." The nobility of policing and what happens when officers lose sight of it. The interconnectedness principle. The personal mission statement that changes everything when you actually write it down. And yes, Batman. Chaplain Friedman is the world's foremost authority on the Dark Knight, and he uses that to powerful effect with law enforcement audiences. The adverse childhood experiences. The pain turned into mission. The "What Would Batman Do?" exercise that lands differently than you'd expect in a room full of cops. If you wear a badge, work with people who do, or care about what this profession does to the human beings inside it — this episode is for you. **Resources for Responder Wellness:** • Book: Helping the Helpers https://a.co/d/dm0VS4Q • Free App: CRACKYL http://crackyl.respondertv.com • Fitness: FightCamp (code RR10 for 10% off) http://joinfightcamp.com/rr Contact Chaplain Cary A. Friedman: Website: http://spiritualsurvivalforlawenforcement.com/ Contact Responder Resilience: Phone: +1 844-344-6655 Email: info@respondertv.com Our website with past episodes and more: https://www.respondertv.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ResponderResilience LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/responder-resilience-podcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/responder.tv/

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