Fire Family Collective Podcast

Captain Tami Crudo, coordinator for the Oxnard College Regional Fire Academy, talks about being a female in the fire service, mentoring, stress and resilience, and how to prepare to enter the Academy.  Hosts: Capt. Peter McKenzie (ret.) and Capt. Jason Kay from the Ventura Fire Foundation Guest: Captain Tami Crudo of the Oxnard College Regional Fire Academy Connect with Ventura Fire Foundation on...

American Fire Brigade's John Gary talks about the injury that led him to start AFB, protecting your days off, impact of overtime on mental health and family life,  Mandos, and mullets. Hosts: Capt. Peter McKenzie (ret.) and Capt. Jason Kay from the Ventura Fire Foundation Guest: John Gary of American Fire Brigade Connect with Ventura Fire Foundation on social media: Facebook | Twitter | Insta...

Firefighter Erik Hernandez and his wife, associate marriage and family therapist Maggie Hernandez, talk on a wide range of topics, including the benefits of therapy, finding culturally-competent therapists, peer support, PTSD, complex trauma, bio hacks, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, and how they reconcile different approaches to parenting. Hosts: Capt. Peter McKenzi...

Audra and Chelsi, firefighter spouses and hosts of the Dear Chiefs Podcast, provide unvarnished advice for firefighters and their spouses on how to maintain their relationship while in the fire service. They go toe-to-toe with Peter and Jason on firefighter divorce rate,  balancing a firefighting career with family life, and the generational differences they see in firefighters (Gen X/Millennials/...

Falone Serna, Dean of Undergraduate Admissions and Outreach with California Lutheran University solves the mystery of getting into and paying for college. Dean Serna provides practical advice on deciding if college is the right path after high school, how to choose a school that's a great fit, what schools look for in students, how NOT to pay sticker price, and how to ensure the investment in...

Oxnard Fire Chief Alex Hamilton, considered one of the most forward-thinking chiefs in the country, covers a wide range of important topics, including behavioral health, sleep deprivation, call volume, peer support, the value of networking, Movember, grantwriting, advice for firefighters looking to promote, how the COVID pandemic led to greater collaboration among fire departments,  and his vision...

Roy Schneider and Jessica Villar, attornies with Schneiders & Associates law firm, join the show to talk about what nobody wants to discuss...what happens to your property and family if you die or are incapacited. Bottom line: nothing good unless you take the proper steps now. Learn all about wills versus trusts, avoiding probate, and how to ensure your wishes are carried out. Hosts: Capt. Pet...

Sean Toomey, firefighter with Denver Fire Department and Operations Captain for the Clear Creek Fire Authority, co-founded First Responder Sleep Recovery with his wife Jacqueline to empower the health and wellness of those who serve in the fire, police, and emergency services. Sean joins the show to explain how sleep is connected to heart disease, cancer, and other diseases and to provide easy-to-...

Dr. Mynda Ohs,  marriage and family therapist and author of Fully Involved: A Guide for Being in a Relationship with a Firefighter, talks about her new book When the Calls Stop: Retiring as a First Responder . Drawing on her own family's experience and input from hundreds of first responders, Mynda provides practical advice -- for both spouses -- on how to successfully transition away from th...

Brent and Stephanie Fenton (a.k.a. Firefighter Fenton and Mrs. Firefighter Fenton) discuss how Firefighter Fenton originated, where the character is going, the role of humor in mental health, and building a life outside the fire service. Hosts: Capt. Peter McKenzie (ret.) and Capt. Jason Kay from the Ventura Fire Foundation Guest: Brent Fenton (aka Firefighter Fenton), Daisy Mountain Fire Departme...

Madeline and Erin Hoffman, two of Ventura City Fire Captain Thom Hoffman's children, talk about growing up in a fire family. They swap stories about the "cool" benefits of having a firefighter dad as well as the additional stress the fire service added to their family. Madeline and Erin provide practical advice for younger fire kids, including how to deal with "Captain Mode.&qu...

Ventura City Fire Captain Kyle Tong joins the show to talk about how he went from teaching snowboarding to five-year-olds to becoming one of the youngest fire captains in Ventura City history. Tong, a.k.a. the "G.O.A.T. of Grants", also talks about his success in securing nearly $8 million in funding for the Ventura City Fire Department.   Hosts: Capt. Peter McKenzie (ret.) and Capt. Jas...

Aaron Foster has been a firefighter for 24 years, the last 19 of those with the District of Columbia Fire Department. Not only that, Aaron has been successfully investing in real estate for 20 years, hosts the First Responder Financial Freedom podcast, and owns a small woodworking company in College Park, Maryland. Aaron shares his story, why he started investing in real estate, strategies for suc...

Ventura City Fire Chief David Endaya discusses the Department's future, changes in the fire service over the last 20 years, the role of first responders, and firefighters' mental health. Hosts: Capt. Peter McKenzie (ret.) and Capt. Jason Kay from the Ventura Fire Foundation Guest: Chief David Endaya, Ventura City Fire Department Connect with Ventura Fire Foundation on social media: Faceb...

Physical Therapist Jim Magnusson, Dr. Phil Long, and Coach Justin Reading of Performance Wellness and Injury Prevention have worked with firefighters for many years. Their motto is "Trust, Commitment to Excellence, and Care," and that's exactly what these guys do. They discuss the unique considerations when working with firefighters, preventing injuries, increasing mobility, prepari...

As a military spouse, Lizann Lightfoot can relate to the daily challenges and trials that most firefighter spouses go through. She's the author of "Open When: Letters of Encouragement for Military Spouses" and the "Seasoned Spouse" blog. Lizann discusses the importance of practicing self-care, building a support network, learning to adjust to your spouse's absence, an...

Ventura City Fire has a therapy dog, Hope, to help firefighters work through the emotional stress of their jobs. Hope's handler, EMS Coordinator Heather Ellis, and trainer, VIP Dog Team Owner Nancy Mitchell join the show to talk all about Hope and lift the curtain on what it takes to be a therapy dog for firefighters. Hosts: Capt. Peter McKenzie (ret.) and Capt. Jason Kay from the Ventura Fir...

Retired firefighter Steve Peterson has successfully purchased and managed rental properties in Ventura for over 30 years. Starting while he was an active firefighter, Steve looked for ways to invest his money and, while it hasn't always been easy, he's now been retired for 20 years and is financially secure. Steve provides advice on a wide range of topics, from managing your finances to...

Dr. Ryan Sharma, contract psychologist with Oxnard Fire Department and Associate Professor/Director of Clinical Training at Cal Lutheran University, joins the show to talk about his work helping firefighters, discuss firefighter sleep deprivation, and provide practical advice on how firefighters can spot a colleague in need.  Hosts: Capt. Peter McKenzie (ret.) and Capt. Jason Kay from the Ventura...

Ashley Iverson talks about losing her husband, Corey Iverson, in the Thomas Fire and how she uses the Iverson Foundation for Active Awareness to advocate for, and provide, mental health support for firefighters and their families. Hosts: Capt. Peter McKenzie (ret.) and Capt. Jason Kay from the Ventura Fire Foundation Guest: Ashley Iverson, Iverson Foundation for Active Awareness Link: Iverson Foun...

Tiffany Atalla, licensed marriage and family therapist AND fire wife, talks about how to improve first responder family life and connectedness among first responder families. Tiffany also talks about the trained peer support program for spouses that she helped create at her husband's fire department, as well as an upcoming (2/9/2023) training she will be conducting for Ventura area fire spous...

The Thomas Fire was the largest wildfire in California history, when it broke out on December 4, 2017. Four Ventura City firefighters who battled the blaze that first night--Battalion Chief Douglas Miser, Captain Luke Mitchell, Captain Mark Neilsen, and Captain Chris Plessner (ret.)--join the Firehouse Roundtable to talk about their experiences, the difficulty of battling a wildfire that threatens...

Captain Myles Smith (ret.) and Engineer Austin Foulke talk about being a firefighter family and the accident that forced Myles' retirement. Myles also tells a few stories from the 1980s, '90s, and 2000s, and reveals his legendary halibut recipe! Listen in... Hosts: Capt. Peter McKenzie (ret.) and Capt. Jason Kay from the Ventura Fire Foundation Guests: Captain Myles Smith (ret.) and Engi...

Flying Embers founder and CEO Bill Moses talks about his harrowing experience in the Thomas Fire and how it led to the Flying Embers organic alcohol brand. For 3 nights, Bill witnessed the power of nature, as well as firefighters' skill and determination in battling it. In that moment (and in gratitude to them), Bill dedicated himself and Flying Embers to supporting firefighters by giving bac...

Ventura City Fire Engineer/Paramedic Will Nackers discusses his military service, being wounded in action, PTSD, and creating a legacy. Will also discusses the September 11th Memorial Stair Climb, which he organized. Listen in... Hosts: Capt. Peter McKenzie (ret.) and Capt. Jason Kay from the Ventura Fire Foundation Guest: Will Nackers of the Ventura City Fire Department Connect with Ventura Fire...