Dispatched & Dysfunctional

From battlefield to bedside — Navy Corpsman, Paramedic, and Pediatric Emergency PA-C Johnnie L. Gilpen Jr. has seen what survival really costs. He’s answered the call of “Corpsman up!”, treated Marines in the chaos that follows, held dying children in a trauma bay, and fought his own way back from burnout. Now, through The Art of Medicine: A Warrior’s Profession, he’s helping responders, clinician...

Today’s guest knows a thing or two about carrying weight — not just in uniform, but after it comes off. She’s a nurse with more than thirty years in healthcare, most of that in hospice and end-of-life care. She’s an author, a coach, and the creator of The Becoming Method® — a practical framework that helps caregivers stop burning themselves alive for the job. Jenny Lytle has spent decades sitting...

⚠️ PODCAST DISCLAIMER The following content is graphic, emotional, and includes dark humor that may not be suitable for all listeners. Discretion is advised. Explicit content included. Calls are real, providers are real. Names and details changed to protect privacy. Any medical discussion is personal experience — not protocol. Use your damn brain. Follow your guidelines. When in doubt, call med co...

After more than 40 years in law enforcement — from the courtroom to the streets — Pat Welsh has seen what happens when leadership fails… and when it saves lives. In this episode of Dispatched & Dysfunctional, we talk about what it really means to lead with courage, serve with humility, and stay human when the job hardens everyone else. From being abandoned in a Dublin orphanage to commanding t...

After 31 years of service in Western Australia, firefighter Anthony Ajduk had seen it all — until one horrific crash changed everything. In this powerful conversation, Anthony opens up about the night that ended his career, the years that followed, and the war he’s still fighting inside his own mind. This episode dives deep into the reality of PTSD, the importance of involving family in recovery,...

When Leadership Forgets Where They Come From   When leadership forgets what it feels like to be in the trenches, everyone under them feels it first. This episode dives into the burnout that starts at the top — where checklists replace empathy and policy replaces presence. Because real leadership isn’t about titles. It’s about remembering the weight of the gear, the smell of diesel, and the people...

  Guest Episode –  Three Uniforms, One Stroke: Part 3 (Final)     Dispatched & Dysfunctional – Because sometimes the worst calls make the best stories.   This is the final part of our raw, outdoor recording at Susan Crowder’s home — with Susan, her daughter Maizee, her granddaughter Jo, my wife Jordan, and my daughter Sophie. Real conversations, real noise, real life.   🚑 In Part 3, Susan tal...

Description: In this guest episode, I sit down with Brent Colbert — a veteran police officer and doctoral student in leadership who’s passionate about training, mentorship, and fixing the leadership failures he’s seen firsthand.   Brent brings ten years of real-world experience in policing, along with a mission to change the culture from the inside. We talk resilience, bad bosses, and what it take...

  Guest Episode –  Three Uniforms, One Stroke: Part 2     Dispatched & Dysfunctional – Because sometimes the worst calls make the best stories.   This is not a polished studio episode. It’s a raw, outdoor recording at Susan Crowder’s home — with Susan, her daughter Maizee, her granddaughter Jo, my wife Jordan, and my daughter Sophie. Background sounds, interruptions, and unfiltered honesty inc...

  Guest Episode –  Three Uniforms, One Stroke: Part 1     Dispatched & Dysfunctional – Because sometimes the worst calls make the best stories.   This isn’t your normal episode. This is raw, unfiltered, and recorded outdoors at Susan Crowder’s home — with Susan, her daughter Maizee, her granddaughter Jo, my wife Jordan, and my daughter Sophie. You’ll hear laughter, interruptions, and real life...

Compassion Costs You Nothing Dispatched & Dysfunctional – Because sometimes the worst calls make the best stories. Welcome to Dispatched & Dysfunctional — where the darkest moments become stories of resilience. These aren’t polished hero tales. They’re the raw, unfiltered truths of EMS: the calls that scar, the ones that save, and the ones we carry forever. 🚑 Toe pain at 3 a.m.? Another c...

We Didn’t All Make It Out Dispatched & Dysfunctional – Because sometimes the worst calls make the best stories. Welcome to Dispatched & Dysfunctional — where the darkest moments become stories of resilience. These aren’t polished hero tales. They’re the raw, unfiltered truths of EMS: the calls that scar, the ones that save, and the ones we carry forever. 🚑 The call came in like any other...

The One Call I Didn’t Want to Hear Dispatched & Dysfunctional – Because sometimes the worst calls make the best stories. Welcome to Dispatched & Dysfunctional — where the darkest moments become stories of resilience. These aren’t polished hero tales. They’re the raw, unfiltered truths of EMS: the calls that scar, the ones that save, and the ones we carry forever. 🚑 Some tones blur togethe...

Naked and Afraid… of the EMT Dispatched & Dysfunctional – Because sometimes the worst calls make the best stories. Welcome to Dispatched & Dysfunctional — where the darkest moments become stories of resilience. These aren’t polished hero tales. They’re the raw, unfiltered truths of EMS: the calls that scar, the ones that save, and the ones we carry forever. 🚑 Some calls are unforgettable...

The Ones Who Hold Us Up Dispatched & Dysfunctional – Because sometimes the worst calls make the best stories. Welcome to Dispatched & Dysfunctional — where the darkest moments become stories of resilience. These aren’t polished hero tales. They’re the raw, unfiltered truths of EMS: the calls that scar, the ones that save, and the ones we carry forever. 🚑 They see the lights. They hear the...

Brains on the Blacktop, Tacos in the Gut Dispatched & Dysfunctional – Because sometimes the worst calls make the best stories. Welcome to Dispatched & Dysfunctional — where the darkest moments become stories of resilience. These aren’t polished hero tales. They’re the raw, unfiltered truths of EMS: the calls that scar, the ones that save, and the ones we carry forever. 🚑 The tones dropped...

Looks Like He’s About to Give Birth Dispatched & Dysfunctional – Because sometimes the worst calls make the best stories. 🚑 A new guy, first hitch offshore. GI symptoms on arrival. His supervisor thought he was faking it. He wasn’t. By the time I found him, his belly was tight, distended, and he could barely breathe. IV fluids. Antibiotics. Foley. Medevac launched. Surgeons later removed two...

First Ride: Carrying the Weight Dispatched & Dysfunctional – Because sometimes the worst calls make the best stories. Welcome to Dispatched & Dysfunctional — where the darkest moments become stories of resilience. These aren’t polished hero tales. They’re the raw, unfiltered truths of EMS: the calls that scar, the ones that save, and the ones we carry forever. 🚑 On my very first EMT ride-...

PTO Pain – The Night the Tractor Won Dispatched & Dysfunctional – Because sometimes the worst calls make the best stories. Welcome to Dispatched & Dysfunctional — where the darkest moments become stories of resilience. These aren’t polished hero tales. They’re the raw, unfiltered truths of EMS: the calls that scar, the ones that save, and the ones we carry forever. 🚑 One night I was out i...

I Opened the Door Dispatched & Dysfunctional – Because sometimes the worst calls make the best stories. Welcome to Dispatched & Dysfunctional — where the darkest moments become stories of resilience. These aren’t polished hero tales. They’re the raw, unfiltered truths of EMS: the calls that scar, the ones that save, and the ones we carry forever. 🚑 Offshore, the bonds we form are closer t...

The Quiet Killer: Complacency in EMS Dispatched & Dysfunctional – Because sometimes the worst calls make the best stories. Welcome to Dispatched & Dysfunctional — where the darkest moments become stories of resilience. These aren’t polished hero tales. They’re the raw, unfiltered truths of EMS: the calls that scar, the ones that save, and the ones we carry forever. 🚑 In EMS, we prepare fo...

The Rules of Three: Gas, a Corpse, and a Machete Dispatched & Dysfunctional – Because sometimes the worst calls make the best stories. Welcome to Dispatched & Dysfunctional — where the darkest moments become stories of resilience. These aren’t polished hero tales. They’re the raw, unfiltered truths of EMS: the calls that scar, the ones that save, and the ones we carry forever. 🚑 It was su...