REACT: A First Responder Podcast

In part two I continue the conversation with Dan Mercer and Clint Brooks who are co-authors of Blurred Lines to discuss the realities of policing that often go unspoken.  In this episode, we discuss the calls that come home with you, follow you to the grocery stores, and force you to wrestle with your thoughts. We explore the lasting impact of trauma, moral injury, and life beyond the calls. From...

In part one of this two part conversation, I sit down with police officers, Dan Mercer and Clint Brooks who are co-authors of Blurred Lines to discuss the realities of policing that often go unspoken. We explore the childhood experiences and family influences that draw many of us to this profession, the desire to be a hero, and how unresolved trauma can shape our path.  In this episode, we discuss...

Frank Voce, a Police officer in New York and founder of Reps For Responders joins me to share his story of mental health through the badge and his journey of resilience. In 2018/2019 Frank struggled with his mental health and fortunately found the strength to seek help. This is Frank’s truth of hitting his rock bottom, something we as a culture are afraid of, and quite literally fighting his way b...

Today’s guest, Brian Rogers used to be a patrol deputy for the largest Sheriff's office in Oregon. He was an FTO, combatives instructor, narcotics investigator, on the riot team and more!  PTSD doesn’t just come from one moment. It builds. Call after call. Year after year. Quietly changing the way you think, react and live.  Now add to that department betrayal.  In part one of Brian’s story he...

Today’s guest, Brian Rogers, used to be a patrol deputy for the largest Sheriff's office in Oregon. He was an FTO, combatives instructor, narcotics investigator, on the riot team and more!  PTSD doesn’t just come from one moment. It builds. Call after call. Year after year. Quietly changing the way you think, react and live.  Now add to that department betrayal.  In part one of Brian’s story h...

This episode is not my typical episode, but it is a very important one.  Not only will we be remembering a fallen officer today, but sharing a resource for families should they ever need support in this unfortunate situation.  Two years ago today, April 12, Officer Ross Bartlett was on a routine traffic stop when he was struck by a distracted driver and killed. Leaving behind a family he loved dea...

This episode hits different.  I decided to throw the script away for a more authentic conversation that went where we needed it to go.  I sat down with Dennis Pishok, someone who spent 18 years as a firefighter before transitioning into law enforcement. We talk about what those long shifts really cost you, how the job impacts family, life and why - despite everything - so many first responders fee...

Today’s guest is a Sheriff local to me, Sheriff Rob Tadelman. Sheriff Tadelman began his career in 2004. During his career he has worn several hats within the Sheriff’s office and two deputies have been killed in the line of duty during his time there. While he wasn’t Sheriff at that time, he was able to see how things operated in those unfortunate incidents. Tadelmen has been Sheriff since 2022 a...

What starts as a routine call can quickly change.  In this episode, I sit down with a full time police officer who has built his career around both protecting others and supporting those within this profession. He serves as a peer support officer and a member of the critical incident stress management team. Alongside all the work in law enforcement, he is currently finishing up his masters in clin...

This episode is truly for everyone. Every first responder, leaders and first responder clinicians. Joseph has seen the job from the inside out. He has been on the road, behind the mic in dispatch and in a clinical setting. Joseph spent 35 years as a paramedic. During that time he openly shares that he has lost over 150 colleagues to suicide .. and how he believes he could have been next.  In this...

If you listen to this podcast but haven't yet seen my social media accounts, I don't want you to miss this.  Starting this month I will be hosting a one a month zoom peer meeting for first responders. This is not therapy. There is no pressure to talk . I simply wanted to create a safe space for us to connect.  A place where first responders can show up as they are, whether you want to talk...

In this episode, I sit down with Adam Meyers, a now police captain whose career and life were altered by one incident.  After being involved in a shooting that ended a life, he faced the kind of aftermath that we can never prepare for. Mental health struggles, unhealthy coping, and ultimately termination. Termination from a profession many of us build our identity around. What followed was as an h...

 Dr. Kareem Puranda is a former police officer, clinician, author, and nonprofit founder, whose journey into mental health work was shaped by both service and consequence. In this episode, we explore how critical incidents on and off duty can fundamentally alter our career, identity and life.  Dr. Puranda now works with first responders, drawing from his experience, clinical training and years of...

In this episode, I sat down with Davin Cole, a highly decorated former police officer. Davin responded to critical incidents throughout his career, though explaining that nothing lingered when leaving each one. He believed that he walked away from them without a lasting impact.  After a serious injury and surgery, Davin was prescribed pain medication that later turned to dependence. As he attempte...

In this episode, I sit down with police officer Johnny Snyder as my very first guest. Johnny has had a very active career and is currently a SWAT team member and a gang investigator. He shares what brotherhood looks like and how it’s  different from SWAT to patrol. We talk about the culture shifts and what support really means.  We also dive into the stigma surrounding mental health in the first r...

REACT: A First Responders Podcast is a space for meaningful conversations about the realities of this work—both the visible and the invisible. Our goal: reduce stigma, strengthen peer support, and share the stories that often go unspoken. Whether you’re police, fire, EMS, dispatch, or corrections, this podcast reminds you that what you’re feeling is normal, and that connection is one of our strong...