Behind The Shield

Kate Casey is an author, film maker and the host of the Reality Life Podcast. We discuss parenting, unscripted television, her powerful 9/11 story, the power of storytelling, terrorism, documentaries, reality television and much more.

Matt Fiorenza and Jared Cheselske are veteran firefighters and suicide survivors. We discuss their traumatic childhoods, their journeys into the fire service, suicide ideation, the treatments that did not work, the Save a Warrior program and much more. Get a glimpse into the before and after treatment in this powerful two part episode.

Al Benjamin spent 35 years as an FDNY firefighter, mostly on the revered Rescue 1. We discuss his early life in Brooklyn, the impact of mentorship on his career, the role of the senior man, his heartbreaking 9/11 story, the human under the uniform and so much more.

Todd Robinson is an actor, writer, director and Save a Warrior alum. We discuss his journey into acting, the power of storytelling, his mental health battle, the warrior's journey, making "The Last Full Measure" and so much more.

Steven Sashen is a former elite gymnast, comedian and current tech guru and founder of Xero Shoes. We discuss the coach who changed his life, enjoying the journey of physical excellence, overcoming injury, barefoot training, creating minimalist shoes and much more.

Jules and Gédéon Naudet are the French brothers behind the documentaries 9/11, November 13 and Notre Dame to name a few. We discuss their childhood in Paris, studying film in NYU, what took them to the FDNY, their accounts of September 11, the heroism at the 2015 Paris attacks, saving Paris' most treasured landmark and so much more.

Jonathan Montgomery is a musician, retired firefighter and co-founder of First In Nutrition. We discuss the rock and roll lifestyle, overcoming his own chronic ill health, fitness vs wellness, training the tactical professions, the power of nutrition, jiu jitsu and so much more.

Yousef Badou is a former Marine Infantryman with multiple combat tours, and an industry leading expert in the areas of Situational Awareness and Behavioral Analysis. We discuss his childhood in Kuwait, joining the US Marines, the power of communication, threat assessment, EDC and much more.

Sara Jahnke is the director and a senior scientist with the Center for Fire, Rescue & EMS Health Research at the National Development & Research Institutes. In this second conversation, we discuss COVID-19 and first responders, the science behind vaccinations, the impact on the special needs community, the importance of overall wellness and so much more.

Terry, Joe and Rich were my Truck Crew at Anaheim FD. To celebrate this 400th episode, we sat down for the second time. In this episode, we discussed Joe's COVID-19 hospitalisation, leadership, dealing with loss, hiring standards, mental health and more.

Scott Geiselhart is a mechanic, veteran firefighter and peer support counselor. Scott survived both Meth addiction and a suicide attempt. We discuss childhood trauma, dealing with tragedy, unhealthy coping mechanisms, divine intervention, EMDR and much more.

Matthew Pollard is an internationally-recognized business consultant, speaker, blogger and the author of "The Introvert's Edge". We discuss his challenging childhood, understanding personality types, the power of storytelling, entrepreneurship, business success, mental health and much more.

Todd Edwards is a 38 year veteran of the fire service. Among other projects, he is the co-founder of Mission Resurrection with fellow Georgia firefighter Danny Dwyer. We discuss firefighter fitness, realism in training, the current pandemic, the power of mentorship, leadership and much more.

Alex Jabr is a veteran Paramedic, Grief and Death Educator and founder of Emergency Resilience. We discuss her childhood in Lebanon, entering EMS in the US, terminating lifesaving attempts on a cardiac arrest, death notifications, moral injury, her own powerful mental health journey and much more.

Travis Wade is a Marine, actor, producer and Save A Warrior alum. We discuss his traumatic childhood, military service, the craft of acting, exposing Hollywood predators, making "The Last Full Measure", heroism in Vietnam and much more.

Dr. Ballard is a board-certified orthopedic and sport clinical physical therapist specializing in assisting first responders, military personnel and athletes. We discuss the benefits of multi sport athletes, screening candidates, injury prevention, rehabilitation, rotational training, tactical footwear, sleep and so much more.

Jason Gardner is a former Navy SEAL, combat leader and member of Echelon Front. Iris is a former EMT, horse wrangler and author. In this second conversation, we discuss living off the grid, foraging, the healing power of horses, children and hunting, the health of the nation and so much more.

Davis Odell is a retired firefighter and special operations Lieutenant. He was also the officer at Orlando Station 5 when the Pulse Nightclub attacks occurred only a block from his station. We discuss his journey into the fire service, overcoming addiction, forging diversity, responding to Pulse, mental health and much more.

Raul Rivas is a veteran law enforcement officer and member of the SWAT team that responded to the Pulse Nightclub attack. We discuss his journey into law enforcement, the importance of training standards, tactical medicine, hostage rescue, killing the Pulse shooter and much more.

Ryan and Maria are veterans of a Central Florida fire department. They were also one of the initial crews that transported multiple critically injured patients during the Pulse Nightclub attack. We discuss growing up in Romania, fire service family, the murder of a deputy, pulse through a responder's eyes, the aftermath and much more.

Captain John Cordle is a Navy veteran and Human Factors Engineer. We discuss his journey into the military, the USS Cole, Operation Iraqi Freedom, the human cost of shift work, notorious disasters and sleep deprivation and much more.

Josh Stuart Shor is a Green Beret Veteran, O2X lead instructor and Boston firefighter. We discuss his journey into the military, overcoming injury, TBI, the THOR3 program, O2X's impact on first responder wellness, becoming a firefighter and much more.

Dan Cerrillo is a Navy SEAL veteran and Chief of Staff of the American Addiction Centers. We discuss his journey into special operations, witnessing atrocities, polarizing leadership styles, trauma, addiction, Ibogaine treatment, addressing mental health in the SEAL community and much more.

Frankie Edgar is the former UFC Lightweight Champion and current Bantamweight contender. We discuss his journey into wrestling, team loyalty, forging longevity, grit, overcoming injury, parenting and much more.

Josh Brolin is a former wildland firefighter, actor and writer. In this second interview, we discuss social media, fame, family, kindness, trolls, adventure, writing and much more.

Curtis is a retired Bull Rider, traumatic brain injury survivor and speaker. We discuss his journey into rodeo, concussion protocol, the metamorphosis of head protection in bull riding, his incredible physical and mental rehabilitation, the importance of gratitude, triathlons, public speaking and much more.

Chief Rob Fisher is a veteran of both career and volunteer fire departments, fire instructor and previous FOOLS chair. We discuss his journey into the fire service, the importance of realism in training, mental health, firefighter fitness, his work with the FOOLS and much more.

Dr. Chris Colvin is an ER physician, EMS medical director and author. We discuss his tragic high school years, the event that led him to medicine, treating the Fort Hood terror attack victims, COVID-19 through an ER physician's eyes, mental health, writing catharsis, his new books and much more.

Josh Clemente is a former Space X and Hyperloop engineer and the founder of Levels. We discuss learning the lessons from NASA's tragedies, innovation efficiency, continuous glucose monitoring, fasting, Crossfit, sleep and much more.

Janel Norton is a veteran, photojournalist and yoga teacher. Ray is a veteran firefighter and martial artist. We discuss capturing the horrors of war, burnout, flight medicine, Krav Maga, hypervigilance, the healing power of yoga, mobility and much more.

Nimsdai is a former Ghurka, member of the British SBS, record breaking mountaineer and author. We discuss his powerful journey into the special forces, Project Possible, mountain rescues, his new book "Beyond Possible",, environmentalism, forging an indomitable spirit and so much more.

James, Jo and Sam are British police officers and the team behind the Surfwell Project. We discuss their journeys into law enforcement, rural policing, defensive tactics, surf therapy, cold water immersion and much more.

Will McCamy has spent his career in the supplementation industry and is now the President of Thorne Research. We discuss the rock star life, his journey into supplements, biological age testing, concussion research, brain health, efficacy, fueling the world's most elite athletes and more.

Robert Sweetman is a former Navy SEAL and founder of Existential Technologies Inc. We discuss selling hot dogs, his journey into the military, heart, losing a brother SEAL to suicide, sleep medicine, entrepreneurship, sleep pods and much more.

Tom Eberhardt is the Superintendent of Bastøy Prison in Norway. Cyrus Ahalt is the Chief Program Officer at AMEND. We discuss the genesis of the current prison model, violence in prisons, sensory deprivation and mental health, addiction, AMEND's work, Norway's recidivism success and much more.

Sean Wyman is a veteran, career law enforcement officer and author. We discuss the impact of childhood trauma, the foster system, military service, ownership, trauma in first responders, counselling, community policing and much more.

Mike Glover is a Green Beret veteran and the man behind Fieldcraft Survival. We discuss his journey into special forces, martial arts, the psychology of killing, drug prohibition, training standards, ownership and much more.

MSgts Matt Wilson and Ben Perry are Air Force firefighters and the men behind The FireDawg Podcast. We discuss their journeys into the military, DOD Fire Academy, international firefighting, fire protection in combat, wildland, aircraft rescue and much more.

Kevin Briggs, nicknamed "The Guardian of the Golden Gate Bridge" is a retired CHP officer and mental health advocate. We discuss his journey into law enforcement, battling cancer as a young man, communicating with people in crisis, common denominators and much more.

Jason Vale aka "The Juice Master" is an author, filmmaker and creator of the Juicy Retreats. We discuss childhood trauma, owning your history, how he reclaimed his health, disease reversal, addiction, forging resilience and much more.

Don Tran and Prime Hall are Marine Raiders and the men behind Deep End Fitness and the Underwater Torpedo League. We discuss their journeys into the military, aquatic training, water and mental health, opium and terrorism and so much more.