Behind The Shield

Dave Gallagher began his fire service career when he listened to his Dad’s fire stories and stories about his grandfather who served in the days of the horses. He joined his local volunteer fire department in 1976 as a FF/PM after spending two years as a founding member of a Fire/Rescue Explorer Post in Montgomery County Ohio. Soon after he was hired by the Fairborn, Ohio FD, where he spent a year...

Stefi has an extensive list of achievements in the athletic field but she is also very well accomplished in the academic field. Not only is Stefi a multiple world record holding powerlifter, she is also an exercise physiologist and doctor of physical therapy. In Olympic Weightlifting Stefi was the Florida senior state gold medalist (2015). Illinois senior state gold medalist and record holder (201...

Jason “Jay” Cheney, is a 18-year Air Force veteran and former police officer of 12 years who spent over two decades serving his community and his country — including seven years on a SWAT team. Jay’s been on both sides of the badge: the one that serves and the one that struggles. After hitting rock bottom and finding his way back through faith, fitness, and purpose, he’s here to share what he wish...

Sean Evangelista is a former Tier One Navy SEAL and the founder of "30 Seconds Out". We discuss his traumatic childhood, going through the "Scared Straight" program, climbing, his journey into the Navy, his perspective on war, his transition story, mountaineering, Ski Patrol, entrepreneurship, post traumatic growth and so much more. After retiring from 20 years in the military, Sean (aka E-Van), l...

Richard “DOC” Sprunger is a former U.S. Navy SEAL who served 14 years with five deployments and later spent 24 years as a Firefighter/Paramedic. Across nearly four decades of service, Richard experienced combat, traumatic emergency calls, significant injuries, loss, and the cumulative impact of a career spent running toward other people’s worst days. After losing nine friends and brothers to suici...

I'm sharing this again as I lost my father last month. Dr Richard Geering spent his career as a Veterinary Surgeon in England, practicing on both horses and small animals. During this time he responded with the local fire brigade to many emergencies involving animals.

Samantha Juan is a Filipina-Persian American writer, visual artist, speaker, and U.S. Army veteran whose work examines survival, identity, memory, and the body’s long return to itself. Samantha served in the U.S. Army from 2003 to 2013, including as a signals intelligence analyst and Cultural Support Team leader attached to Joint Special Operations Command in Afghanistan. She is a Bronze Star reci...

Dan Bornstein is a former volunteer firefighter, Health and Performance professor at the Citadel and Chair of the US National Physical Activity Plan. We discuss the childhood injury that led him into the fire service, obesity and national security, the financial impact of the nation's ill health, physical education, physical readiness in the tactical professions and so much more. Daniel B. Bornste...

Judge Gary Sanders is a judge in the Fifth Circuit Court in Florida. He is also known as one of the fairest and most compassionate justices in Marion County. We discuss his journey into law, addiction and mental health, frivolous lawsuits, physical education, running and so much more.

As a Force Recon Marine, Jake Harriman fought terrorists overseas. As the founder of Nuru International, he battled extreme poverty in Africa. Now he's taking on his biggest mission yet. Harriman is founder and chairman of The Brickyard, a national nonprofit that is part of the growing movement to heal our divided nation and forge a better future. In Rescuing the Idea of America, Harriman shares b...

Michael Perry is a New York Times bestselling author, humorist, corporate speaker, volunteer firefighter/first responder, and amateur snowplow driver. A lifelong resident of the rural Midwest, his “reflective roughneck” takes on life in Middle America have left hundreds of thousands of readers and live audiences laughing, nodding, and sometimes misty. The author of over 25 books including Populati...

Sgt Maj Sebastien Lavoie is a commanding officer in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, use of force expert and elite tactical athlete. We discuss his journey into policing, martial arts in law enforcement, the importance of physical training, deescalation, realism in training, hiring practices, psychology and so much more. Sergeant Major Sebastien Lavoie joined the RCMP in 2000. After completing t...

John Hudson is the UK Military's Chief Survival Instructor and author of "How to Survive". We discuss flying helicopters, surviving a plane crash, SERE school, extreme temperatures, resiliency and much more. John is the UK military’s chief survival instructor, designing and implementing the training of instructors in Land, Sea, and Extreme Environment Survival. Prior to joining the RAF as a helico...

Blake Richardson is a veteran, brain injury advocate, and founder of Help Our Heroes, a nonprofit focused on expanding access to treatments for traumatic brain injury, PTSD, and post-concussive syndrome. After living with an undiagnosed traumatic brain injury for more than a decade, Blake experienced firsthand how difficult it can be to find treatments that address the underlying brain injury rath...

Jim Burneka is a firefighter, podcaster co-founder of the 'Brothers Helping Brothers' conference and the author of 'Overcoming Tuesday'. In this third conversation, Jim discusses his powerful healing journey through psychedelics, The Brave Program, Project Sanctuary and so much more. Overcoming Tuesday: As a first responder, firefighter paramedic Jim Burneka encounters traumatic events the average...

Brooke Bartlett is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and the founder of The Center for Trauma, Anxiety and Stress. We discuss her journey into psychology, youth athletes, her work in the VA, working with the tacical professions, the unique challenges facing wildland firefighters, post traumatic growth and so much more. Dr. Bartlett is highly specialized in working with first responders and military...

Scott Caulfield is the Director of Strength and Conditioning for Colorado College and NSCA committee member. We discuss his journey into coaching, training the tactical athlete, the importance of recovery, annual testing, nutrition, sleep and much more. Scott was named director of strength and conditioning at Colorado College on Sept. 18, 2019. He comes to CC from the National Strength and Conditi...

Guy Stephens is a nationally recognized expert on restraint and seclusion and the founder and executive director of the Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint (AASR), a national nonprofit working to transform school discipline and create safer, more equitable schools for all students and staff. Through AASR and a national partnership with the Crisis Prevention Institute, Guy helped develop Refra...

Chris Binch is a British Army 2 Para veteran, private Contractor, firefighter and the host of The Old Paratrooper Podcast. Chris joined the Parachute Regiment at the age of 17. Serving 7 years with 2PARA, and completing 3 tours of Northern Ireland and exercises in Macedonia & Sierra Leone, Chris decided to move onto the Close Protection and Private Security Circuit. Some kinetic taskings and c...

Brian Bushway has been described as "probably the world's best completely bind mountain biker". In this incredible conversation we discuss losing his vision at 14 years old, the mental health impact, redefining his identity, how hearing is underutilized by so many, echo location, the power of active listening, how his company Acoustic Athletics can help the tactical communities and so much more. B...

Eric Colby is a Coast Guard Veteran turned financial consultant. Eric was assigned to the Port of New York and responded to the attacks on 9/11. We discuss the mass evacuation of Manhattan, the importance of preplanning, mental trauma, homelessness, financial wellness and much more. Eric is a loving family man, Financial Coach/Consultant, and a proud US Coast Guard Veteran. He is very passionate a...

Roberto Ortiz is a Mexican law enforcement professional and Intelligence Coordinator from Chihuahua, Mexico, whose life changed forever on April 15, 2022, when he was critically injured during an operation and lost both of his legs above the knee. After approximately seven days in a coma, months in the hospital, a year in a wheelchair, and years of rehabilitation and prosthetic training, Roberto r...

Jo Terry is a recently retired licensed physical therapist who owned her own outpatient physical therapy clinic for over 20 years. She was married to Assistant Chief Alan “Chip” Terry, (ret) from the City of Covington Fire Department for 31 years who completed suicide in 2017 after being misdiagnosed. Since his death in 2017, Jo has spent her time working with first responders and their families a...

Zar Horton is a retired Albuquerque Battalion Chief and a StrongFirst Master Kettlebell trainer. We discuss his transition out of the fire service, BMX racing, glycolytic training, exercise and the nervous system, fostering longevity, the importance of sleep and so much more. Zar has been training others in the use of kettlebells since 2004. For the last 16 years he has devoted himself to bringing...

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. Dany retired as the Commissioner of the London Fire Brigade following a...