Wind The Q Podcast

Send us Fan Mail SEASON 2 PREMIERE — NOW LIVE  What happens when firefighters stop getting better… and don’t even realize it?       In this Season 2 opener of Wind The Q — The Stories Behind The Sirens, Lt. Dodson delivers a raw, unfiltered solo episode breaking down The Gap Nobody Talks About in the Fire Service. This episode dives deep into the reality that many firefighters, officers, and first...

Send us Fan Mail Are you really ready for leadership in the fire service… or just the position? In this Season 1 Finale of Wind The Q — The Stories Behind The Sirens , Lt. Dodson sits down with Lt. Adam Sambor for a raw, unfiltered conversation about fire service leadership, promotion, and the true weight of responsibility . This episode goes beyond rank and title. It dives into what it actually m...

Send us Fan Mail What does it take to come back from a life most people never escape? In this episode of Wind The Q — The Stories Behind The Sirens , Lt. Dodson sits down with Justin Kimball of Crosspoint City Church Compassion Center for one of the most raw and powerful conversations of the season. Justin’s story isn’t easy to hear—but it’s one that needs to be told. From gang involvement and run...

Send us Fan Mail 37 years in the fire service… and standing across from someone just getting started. This episode dives into the reality of the job from two perspectives—what it was , what it became , and what nobody truly understands until they live it. The expectations, the pressure, the lessons learned the hard way… and the things you can’t teach—only experience. If you could go back to your f...

Send us Fan Mail We want to take a moment to acknowledge that this episode had some audio and technical issues. As the podcast continues to grow, we’ve outgrown some of our current equipment and are in the process of upgrading our setup to improve overall quality moving forward. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work through this growth phase and continue to build something bette...

Send us Fan Mail If you’ve been listening and want to help keep this going, you can support the show here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2605628/subscribe Firehouse Rumors – How They Start, Spread, and Destroy Morale In every firehouse, on every shift, there’s one thing that moves faster than the apparatus—and that’s information. But not all information is created equal. Some of it is confirmed, some...

Send us Fan Mail 🎙️ Faith, Pressure, and The Weight of The Job | Wind The Q Podcast In this episode of Wind The Q — The Stories Behind The Sirens , Lt. Derick Dodson sits down with Clay Willis of Crosspoint City Church to have a real conversation about faith in the fire service, mental and emotional pressure, and the weight that comes with working in public safety . Firefighters and first responde...

Send us Fan Mail Wind The Q — The Stories Behind The Sirens This one’s different. Keegan and Piper are on the mic—and we put them to the test. What’s a Halligan tool?  What do we actually use to put out fires?  Who’s cooler— firefighters or police? Then we throw them into real scenarios… and let them run the call. Available now on ALL platforms Comment your answers Tag your crew Let your kids list...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 8 — Rookie Reality: Expectations vs The Job What you think the job is… and what it actually is—are two very different things. In this episode, I sit down with fire recruit Aiden Flanagan, who currently just completed rookie school, to talk about the reality of stepping into the fire service for the first time. We break down what he expected coming in, what hit him the hard...

Send us Fan Mail In just the first 10 minutes of your shift, you set the tone for the entire day. Walk in with confidence, focus, and readiness. Remember, it’s not about what you say; it’s about what you do! This episode Includes dynamic content. If you feel impressed to help support the show, follow the link below. If not, please continue to like, share, follow, and subscribe for more great conte...

Send us Fan Mail Before we get into this episode, we want to take a moment to support one of our own. Retired Battalion Chief Chad Hendrix dedicated 31 years to the fire service. Just one week after retirement, Chad was diagnosed with neuroendocrine cancer. He now faces a long and difficult road ahead. A fundraiser has been started to help Chad and his wife Amanda with the financial burden that co...

Send us Fan Mail Promotion in the fire service is something nearly every firefighter thinks about—but not everyone truly understands. It’s often talked about around the table, debated in the bay, and sometimes criticized as a “circus.” But at the end of the day, the process is what it is—and how you navigate it says a lot about who you are. In this episode of Wind The Q – The Stories Behind The Si...

Send us Fan Mail Most people think they understand the fire service. They hear the sirens, see the trucks, and picture the big moments—but there’s a whole side of the job that doesn’t get talked about nearly as much. In this solo episode of Wind The Q — The Stories Behind The Sirens , Lt. Dodson takes a lighter, more relatable look at the fire service by breaking down the habits, behaviors, and ev...

Send us Fan Mail This job doesn’t just affect the firefighter—it affects the family behind them. I’m Lt. Dodson, and I started Wind The Q to bring real conversations from the fire service to the surface. This is just the beginning—there’s a lot more coming. #FireService #FirefighterLife #FireFamily #FirstResponderLife #FireCulture #BehindTheSirens #WindTheQ #FirefighterSupport #Brotherhood #RealTa...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 4 — The Job Through Their Eyes In this episode of Wind The Q — The Stories Behind The Sirens, we step away from the fireground and into the home to see the job from a different perspective. Joining the show is Mindy Dodson, sharing an honest and real look at life as a firefighter’s wife. With over 12 years of experience living alongside the fire service, she offers insight...

Send us Fan Mail Wind The Q — The Stories Behind The Sirens is a fire service podcast hosted by Derick Dodson, bringing real conversations from the fireground, the firehouse, and the home. Built around the idea that when we “wind the Q,” we’re initiating the response, this podcast extends that same mindset to the conversations firefighters need to have. Some are easy. Some are not. But all of them...