The Things We All Carry

This week my conversation is with Jay,  a firefighter/paramedic from a suburban Chicago department. He is a 15 year veteran, including 11 at his current department. I first learned of his story after he  reached out to me via the mystory@thethingsweallcarry.com email. His story stands out to me because of numerous similarities between my life and his and we delve into some of that during the show....

Today, I'm joined by James gearing. James is an author, a former firefighter of 14 years, a former stunt man, a husband, and a father, and the founder and host of the behind the shield podcast. He is someone I value as a mentor of sorts in this podcast world.  Recently I was in Florida for a vacation and not only did James agree to record with me, but he opened his house What follows is our free f...

Chris is an Orlando area, firefighter with a fascinating story. He shares his experiences as a two time survivor of childhood cancer and as a firefighter.  His story highlights a common theme from my guests that none of us are a blank slate when we sign up for the fire service. Chris discusses how the unresolved trauma prior to the fire service and the trauma from the job combined to affect both h...

Joining us today is Jason. He's a retired firefighter from the Northern Virginia area. He has 27 years of total service, 20 as a career firefighter and seven prior to that, as a volunteer, he has a very interesting story. And some of you're gonna recognize parts of his story. Some of you probably relate to a lot of his story This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other su...

This is an episode I recorded a few weeks ago with Lauren. Lauren is a firefighter from Virginia, but more importantly, she is a survivor of a rare form of childhood cancer. Her battle with and victory over the illness is a huge part of who she is as a human, a mom and a firefighter.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes...

This episode is more of a question and answer style dialogue between Adam and myself. With Jess joining in during a couple of spots. I wanted this episode to be a conversation in which we get a little deeper into the subjects Adam discussed in Part One.  I want to take the time to thank Adam for sharing and being open to a second interview. I appreciated and enjoyed the time he gave so willingly....

Adam is a fire service mentor and a former coworker and someone I've respected my entire career. He had a 20 plus year career that ended prematurely. Today's part one of a two part episode. Part two will be released tomorrow and it will be a conversation between Adam, Jess from episode five and myself. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access...

I'm joined today by Alexx, a firefighter from a jurisdiction close to my own.  He reached out to me and expressed a desire to share a story so that someone else might learn from it. Alexx sat down with me one afternoon and discussed his upbringing, his time in the Air Force, his fire service career, his legal battles, and his recovery. He's made great strides and the future is bright for Alexx.  T...

Welcome to another Bonus episode of The Things We All Carry. I’m joined today by Kristie of Sweary Therapy. I first heard of Sweary Therapy and Kristie vis The Unusual Buddha podcast. A friend and fellow firefighter Jim Martin runs that page and podcast, y’all go check him out. ….@theunusualbuddha on Instagram. You can also find Kristie on Instagram, she’s @swearytherapy with the best tagline ever...

Today’s episode is my conversation with Jose. Not only is he a friend and coworker but he is also one of the most genuine and caring human beings I know. He’s a firefighter and a medic as well as a damned good realtor. Jose shares his early life experiences of growing up in Honduras and his family’s escape to the United States. He also discusses his struggles as a young man finding his way, losing...

Today's episode is a deviation from the norm. I've identified a few people or groups I think would bring benefit to the audience. This is a first in a series of bonus episodes. I'll record and release randomly. Today, I'm joined by Courtney. She's a nurse practitioner in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Courtney's recently opened a business focused on medical marijuana certificates here in Virginia. ...

Kevin is a Volunteer from the Eastern Shore of Maryland.  He sheds a different light on mental health from a Volunteer perspective. Kevin discusses family life, some calls, his trauma, and life today. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thethingsweallcarry.substack.com

Today's episode is a conversation I had with Shawn out of Virginia. He started his career as a volunteer in the Buffalo area, spending 12 years as volunteer before embarking on a journey. As a career firefighter,  he is currently assigned to a ladder truck, as he approaches his 30th year in the fire service.  Shawn shares his thoughts on and experiences with trauma, PTSD, and recovery.   This is a...

This week I’m joined by Dan for a discussion about the traumas he’s seen and experienced, the effect of the traumas, and his battle to defeat his demons. Originally from New York, Dan moved to Virginia for the job in 2015. He's been with his present department for seven years. He's got 16 years total experience. Dan speaks about his family history, his fire service history, some of the calls he's...

Greg is a young firefighter with a few years of EMT service and Fire experience under his belt. He has just started a new rookie year after completing another fire academy. Greg was gracious enough to spend some time with me to share his story. He opens up about his childhood, his background and experiences in fire and EMS, as well as the work he’s put in to overcome struggles. This is a public ep...

 This week I sit down with Brian. Brian has been in the Fire Service for a total of 19 years between Volunteer and Career service. He’s currently a Lieutenant in his department. My first contact Brian was about 18 months ago when I reached out to him after a tragedy and he’s been a friend and supporter ever since. Sharing your personal history doesn’t come easy and as You’ll hear in the show, Bria...

I'm proud to call Marshall both a friend and a brother.... we work in the same Fire Department. I've known Marshall for a number of years but this conversation is deeper than anything I'd known previously. Marshall discusses his battle with cancer, life after cancer, losing a crew member, and his personal struggles at home. I can't thank him enough for the time and investment he gave. This is a pu...

Matt made the short drive to sit down and have this conversation. We discuss the trauma he's experienced and the road he has taken to recovery. Be aware this episode has discussion of pediatric death. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thethingsweallcarry.substack.com

Jess sat down and discussed childhood, the fire service, trauma, and recovery. I have to thank her for her openness and her willingness to be vulnerable. Be aware that this show has themes related to abuse and childhood trauma. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thethingsweallcarry.substack.com

TJ of @tj_leather joined me for a conversation surrounding the LODD (Line of Duty Death) of his shift mate in 2018. You can find TJ on Instagram @tj_leather This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thethingsweallcarry.substack.com

Chad is a Career and Volunteer firefighter from Central NJ. He called and spoke about his experiences in the fire service and with mental health. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thethingsweallcarry.substack.com

Chris joined me via phone from his home in Utah. His story is impactful and at times disturbing. Please exercise caution if themes of death, suicide, and violence are triggers for you. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thethingsweallcarry.substack.com

My interview with Robert from Skulls For Hope This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thethingsweallcarry.substack.com