Today we are honored to sit down with retired DEA Agent and Founder, lead facilitator of Wake Up/Level Up Margaret Bedolla.

Margaret walks us through her journey, growing up the daughter of an Agent, and living abroad and being exposed to true poverty and the excitement of the hidden dangers of her father’s work in a different country.

Starting the DEA at 24 she found herself working on the tragic and high profile case of the kidnapping and murder of DEA Agent Kiki Camarena.

Dedicating her life to the Administration and immersing herself in several long term cases she found a passion and knack for expanding investigations to hunt down the source of the drug trade.

As her career unfolded, she found another unique talent, which her natural compassion and empathy complimented, in working in the DEA EAP program. Like everything she does she puts her heart and soul into helping others on the Trauma Team to help her peers and their families that were struggling with the daily grind of the job and critical incident response.

After leaving the DEA she continued serving to provide education with Wake Up/Level Up leadership courses as she travels the country meeting with different organizations and first responder agencies to help them look at leadership through a different lens.

Margaret and retired DEA SAC, David Downing, are now presenting their unique leadership courses to the Dallas Police Command Staff.

She is extremely humble, extremely fierce, and still after over three decades, still leading with a servant’s heart.

Wake Up Level Up- Facilitated Leadership Conversations

 Investigation discussed:

Enrique "Kiki" Camarena Salazar was a DEA agent who was kidnapped and murdered by the Guadalajara Cartel in Mexico in 1985. His death sparked a major U.S. investigation and strained relations with Mexico. The case has been the subject of various media, including the miniseries "Drug Wars: The Camarena Story" and the docuseries "The Last Narc"

We are honored to sit with the 31st Police Chief in the Dallas Police Departments nearly 150-year history, Chief Daniel Comeaux.

Chief Comeaux is a 33-year law enforcement veteran, currently serving as Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Houston Field Division, overseeing 12 offices throughout Texas, including Houston, San Antonio, and Austin. His jurisdiction covers nearly 16,000,000 residents who live in 114 counties across 118,000 square miles, 645 of which are at the United States-Mexico border. His leadership has focused on intelligence-driven crime reduction, operational efficiency, interagency collaboration, and officer development.  

Chief began his law enforcement career in the Houston PD in 1992 and quickly gained a knack for enforcing narcotic investigations. In 1997 Chief Comeaux took dope chasing to a new level as he joined the United States Drug Enforcement Agency and went to the Compton area to work. He rose through the ranks and showed great innovation in intelligence led enforcement as well as educating the public, notably in the “One Pill Can Kill” campaign to curb the deadly fentanyl overdoses.

Chief Comeaux hung up his federal credentials and returned to his police roots in joining the Dallas Police Department in April of 2025.

Welcome to the ATO: Bridging the Divide stage Chief Daniel Comeaux.

Today we sit with the 18th Fire Chief in the Dallas Fire Departments storied history.

Chief Justin Ball immigrated to the United States from England more than thirty years ago, joining the fire department in 1997.

Chief has a bachelor’s degree in Fire Administration from Texas A&M and maintains certifications as a Master Firefighter, Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF), Fire Officer II, Fire Instructor II, Incident Commander, and Incident Safety Officer. 

We are excited to have the opportunity to have the listener take a small peek into the unique path that Chief Ball took to command the sixth largest fire department in the United States. 

Former broadcast journalist and current Dallas Fire and Rescue Director of Communications Susy Solis sits in to cohost this episode to bring the new Dallas Fire Chief to the listeners. 

Notable Topics Discussed:

2 in/2 out procedure

Medic One Program

Quartermaster Program

Expanding the wellness and peer support program

Today we sit down with three familiar voices to the show to address an ongoing problem in the Dallas Police Department and the first responder profession.

Welcome back on Sgt. Gordon Fulton and newly promoted Major Andre Taylor to have a discussion on the topic of alcohol use in the first responder community.

After some incidents over the last few months the Wellness Unit wanted to reiterate the Departments commitment to helping our own and putting our people in the best position to be the best versions of themselves.

In 2022 the alcohol leave policy was implemented and has been a successful tool to help our DPD family first seek help, then get help and continue their career and grow.

Assistant Chief Teena Schultz, Commander of the Wellness Unit, sits in as a cohost. 

For more information on the Dallas Police Wellness Unit and the Alcohol Leave policy email us at[email protected].

Today we sit down with one of the Dallas Fire Department’s true leaders in Chief Greg Stoy as he enters his 40th year of service in the City of Dallas.  Dallas Fire and Rescue has an amazing national reputation as a world class fire department as it enters into its 153rd year.

DFR is one of the few municipalities in the world to achieve the highest possible IOS rating, demonstrating its high-quality fire protection services.

Chief Stoy, starting his career in 1985, serves at Station 4 and has a reputation as a being a supportive leader in the field and mentor to many. His father spent over three decades himself serving this city and both men have a head full of amazing stories and a combined seventy plus years of firefighting history.  History is exactly what the listener will get in this episode, as well as hearing from a natural true leader that loves his Fire Department family.

We are honored to provide the platform for Chief Greg Stoy.

Critical Incident:

February 16th, 1964, Fire at the Golden Pheasant Restuarant in Dallas

On the morning of February 16, an alarm was transmitted on the Golden Pheasant Restaurant at 1417 Commerce. Ultimately, a fifth alarm was transmitted on the fire, both off-duty shifts were recalled, and four firemen had lost their lives. The first alarm was transmitted at 0233. About 0245, as the first alarm companies were attacking the fire, the first floor collapsed into the basement. James K. Bigham, Jerry T. Henderson, James R. Gresham, and Ronald E. Manley were unable to retreat or escape.

“Change the changeable, accept the unchangeable, and remove yourself for the unacceptable”

To further this show’s mission to change culture in the first responder profession in the realm of mental health maintenance, we have a roundtable with some of our highly trained ATO counselors.

Conversations and education are key to normalizing and prioritizing our own mental health, especially in the very hardened world of the first responders. Police and fire are excellent at saving lives and helping others but are historically awful in asking for help for themselves.

Today we sit down with Amanda Noyes of Finding Freedom Therapy, Tempa Sherrill and Sasha Kim of the Brave Fight, and the great Cydney Frizzel.

Each of these hand-picked and highly trauma trained counselors will tell the listeners what to expect if they reach out to them.

Each offer their expertise on the following topics to educate our listeners:

All of our ATO counselors can be located in the Services section at atodallas.org.

If you would like to know more about how the ATO provides these services and who is covered reach out to [email protected] or the Dallas Police Department Wellness Unit at[email protected].

Never forget: You are NOT alone!

https://thebravefight.com

https://findingfreedomtherapy.com

Today we are sitting with one of our East coast brothers in retired Braintree Massachusetts PD and founder of the KITT Foundation, Billy Cushing.

Billy was a 17-year veteran of the Braintree Police Department where he served as a patrol K9 Handler for 10 of those years. He is a two-time recipient of the Geroge Hannah Award for Valor among other honors. In this episode Billy tells the story of his K9 partner, Kitt, and the bond and partnership they shared.

On June 4th, 2021 Billy, Kitt, and backup officers responded to a domestic dispute at an apartment complex on McCusker Drive, in which the suspect fled to a wooded area. Billy and Kitt began their trek to locate the suspect when they were ambushed by the suspect, who was hiding.

Kitt, upon locating the suspect, advanced into the hail of gunfire. Kitt was struck by 3 fatal bullets and Billy was hit 5 times and Officer Donoghue was hit once during this gunfight. The suspect was eliminated during this gunbattle.

Billy was critically injured during this incident but recovered to start a new mission and journey to honor his hero partner Kitt.

In the wake of Kitts death Billy organized a Foundation, named the KITT Foundation, that would connect members of the public interested in providing support to K9 Teams across the country.

Dallas Police K9 Handler, Scott Jay sat in as a cohost.

HTTPS://K9KITTFOUNDATION.COM

On a hot summer day in Dallas Texas, in an upscale Dallas restaurant and bar, a failure of a man would commit the largest mass murder in the City’s history by shooting seven people, killing six. Just after midnight on June 29th, 1984, Abdelkrim Belachheb took six lives at the Iannis Restaurant and Bar as he had an argument with one patron, Marcell Ford, as she turned away his advances. He then would leave the bar and return with a gun and committed an act that would rock Dallas, alter the victim’s families lives forever, and expose a legal loophole in the State of Texas.

This breakdown of these murders will detail the suspect’s life prior to entering the United States on a false Visa and show his lifetime of aggression and violence that would lead him from Morocco to a Dallas Texas nightclub.

In 1984 it was not a capital death penalty crime to murder one of more persons, a huge oversight in Texas State law.

Retired Dallas Police Officer Tom Hall was the first in the door at the club after the shooting and in this episode he gives us a firsthand account.

Fugitive Unit Sgt, Marcell Ford, was the niece of the suspects first victim and she bears her name in her aunt’s honor. Sgt. Ford sat with us to talk about this events impact on her family that would have a ripple effect through generations.

We want to dedicate this episode to the victims that lost their lives in Dallas Texas, 1984.

Sources used:

DPD case file

The novel, Worse than Death, by Gary M. Lavergne

Incident:

June 29th, 1984, 12801 Midway Rd, Dallas Texas

Suspect would enter Ianni’s Restaurant and Club and shot seven patrons, six of that would die.

Welcome back to ATO story time with our Treasurer, Detective Justin Bowen #8522.

Special guest cohost, NLLEO President, Juan Hernandez Jr. #8447 sits in to help tell this story. Juan and Justin rode together for years in the Southeast Division and continue their friendship to this day. This story will detail Detective Bowens career, their partnership and will highlight an awful night in March of 2009 at 700 Cliffview Dallas, Texas.

The very detailed, chilling facts of this case are laid out by both as they responded to a strong-arm takeover over a family in a trailer park in Pleasant Grove. What happened after they arrived on scene has been lost in history but both men still carry these awful memories of what was seen.

We also discuss the very complex financial crime investigations that can take years to solve and do involve true victims, especially the elderly.

Sit back and listen to a very deep behind the scenes look at a very quite and private servant.

Critical Incident:

March 17th, 2009, at Cliffview Dallas Texas when two gunmen took a family hostage during a home invasion robbery that ended in cold blooded murder of two victims.

Dallas Police Sgt. Bronc Mccoy EOW: 11/16/2020

Dallas Police Officer Matt Bacon: EOW: 8/8/2023

Dallas Police Officer Horacio Quiroz: EOW: 4/22/2019

Welcome back for another message from the hosts as we sit down with a BTD alum in Garland ICAC Detective Tony Godwin. Tony is here to talk about an organization that is near and dear to his heart, the National Law Enforcement Officer Hall of Fame. Detective Godwin was inducted himself and now his mission is to give back to this great organization.

This message details this foundations origins and highlights the mission of Megan Stockburger and Adam Davenport to create this platform to honor the many men and women who have dedicated their body, minds, and souls to serving others.

Mark your calendars!

The next Hall of Fame induction is taking place right here in the DFW area on April 11th at the Omni Hotel in Fort Worth Texas.

Fore more information go to the link below. Donations to keep this mission going is greatly welcomed and appreciated.

https://www.nationalleohalloffame.com/