Dear Chiefs Podcast

It takes grit to be a hero. Sometimes that grit requires self sacrifice which sometimes leads to Line of Duty injuries. Our first responders endure both physical and emotional pain everyday for the good of their communities. So, when they need help to overcome a physical injury, they also need people who ultimately understand that all they want to do is get back to work. They  must be at peak performance in order to report for duty. This is where  The 6 Foundation comes in!  In this episode, we sat down with Sonya McVay Straub about how she helps first responders get back to work after they've been injured on the job. 

Sonya is a Sports Rehabilitation Therapist who  had a traumatic experience as a child and  recalls feeling a passion for wanting to help those that helped her.  She started  The 6 Foundation after she witnessed many first responders mental health issues come to a head during the 2017 Firestorm in Sonoma and Napa Counties and then again in 2019.   The 6 Foundation is a non-profit foundation focused on rehabilitation both mentally and physically for veterans, first responders and trauma survivors.  For 8 years Sonya donated her time to help rehabilitate first responders.  She is working on  making it comfortable to say I need help and shifting the culture in EMS. 

Follow along:

The 6 Foundation:
http://www.thesixfoundation.com
http://www.instagram.com/the6foundation
Dear Chiefs Podcast
http://www.dearchiefs.com
http://www.instgram.com/dearchiefspodcast

If you want to connect with us and other listeners in the Heart and Hustle community join our Facebook group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/dearchiefspodcast

Pandemic Whoas got you feeling a bit stressed and unable to self-regulate? Ever feel helpless when you know your first responder has had a bad call? Then this episode is for YOU sis!

We had the immense pleasure of sitting down with fellow fire wife and mother of three kiddos, Kristen  Jensen to get the skinny on how to help ourselves and our first responders!

Kristen is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and founder of Mind Gym. Kristen specializes in providing behavior analytic services to first responders, fire fighters, police officers and hospital staff. She provides training to departments, hospitals and private organizations in addition to creating STRESS SHEETS for hospitals, fire stations, dispatch call centers and police Departments.

More INFO on Kristen:

Instagram: @mindgymonline and @firefighterwifelife

Purchase Stress Sheets HERE

Jenna Hammon + Tori Bradburry believe that "sisterhood is the best hood".  What started out as two fire wives wanting to meet other fire wives in their surrounding community, turned into wanting to meet others from everywhere.  Their goal is to create a community where all women feel welcome. We sat down with these rockstar humans to learn more about what it is that brought them together, how they are building this community and supporting other fire wives, and what they have in the works for the future.

Here's a little bit from the website:

"We want our Fire Wives Club to be a place where ALL women feel welcomed.

After all, we do have that one thing in common... being a fire wife.

BUT, there’s more to each of us than just being a fireman’s wife;

We, often times, are the glue that holds our families together. Some of us are “domestic engineers”, who are at home providing for all of the household while our husbands are providing the income. Some of us work full-time jobs.

Some of us are pursuing our dream of starting a small business.

Some of us have decided to go back to school to pursue a college degree.

Whatever walk of life you’re in, this club is for you!  If you need support or encouragement, this club is for you. If you want to promote your new business, this club is for you. If you’d simply like to make a new friend, this club is for you!

This is why we’re here!"

Join the club  ⇣
Website
Instagram

Jenna and Tori's Other Businesses
All The Wire
Grounded

In this episode we  sat down with Jason Sautel, author of The Rescuer: a Firefighter’s Story of Courage, Darkness, and the Relentless Love That Saved Him. Tune in for the inside scoop on the book, to hear some seriously good advice on how to manage being married to a first responder, and learn more about Jason's story.

A little about the book from his website:

"He helped save people every day—but he had no idea how to save himself.

Jason Sautel had it all. Confident in his abilities and trusted by his fellow firefighters, he was making a name for himself on the streets of Oakland, California. His adrenaline-fueled job even helped him forget the pain of his childhood—until the day he looked into the eyes of a jumper on the Bay Bridge and came face to face with a darkness he knew would take him down as well."

Jason spent much of his early adulthood as a decorated firefighter in one of the toughest firehouses in the country and today shares  stories and lessons from his time there to his 600,000+ Facebook followers. He loves his wife of sixteen years, Kristie, his four two-legged children, his two four-legged children, and appreciates the blessings of donuts, surfing, and Maui.

If you enjoyed the episode and want to learn more or purchase Jason's book, please visit the following:

Jason's website: http://www.rescuerbook.com
Jason's instagram: @author_jasonsautel
Jason's facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GracefullyRescued/

Our teens are facing something that we have never faced ourselves and it is hard to know how to support and encourage them through this time. Teen suicide is on the rise and as parents we are constantly worried that our child will be next. So, we sat down with Shannon a high school counselor to get the 4-1-1 on teaching resilience, supporting and encouraging our teens through the pandemic.

Shannon is a happily married fire wife of 21 years. Her professional role is a High School Counselor and her husband is a Fire Captain in their hometown. They both share a strong love and desire to give back to their hometown which is why they live and work locally. 

Shannon has a special place in her heart for all things social justice and believes in the power that we all have to make a difference in someone’s life. In their free time, she and her husband like to spend time as a family, go to the beach and exercise. 

Audra & Chelsi are back in Season 2 with more on fire family life and giving their unabashed opinions on many topics.

Welcome back fam, this season is going to be FIRE!

Ever wonder what you should put in an emergency evacuation kit? Tommy Flames has the answer today, but that's not all we talked about. We got to talk about what made Chris Metala start Tommy Flames, what his goals are for the future, and what he thinks makes a true hero.

You and your child can also join Tommy Flames on his awesome educational adventures on youtube. Tommy's fun educational videos for children will teach kids about colors, shapes, numbers, and many more. During all videos you will also get to join Tommy & his Jr Firefighters on an emergency call.

For all your Tommy Flames gear go to Tommyflames.com

Most of us in the the California fire service community have heard of From The Ground Up and the work they have been doing for Hold Your Horses, California Fire Foundation and California Benevolent Foundation. What we know little about is who started it and what their mission truly is. Today, we sit down with Kyle Baker and talk about the heart behind the foundation and what they have planned for the future.

Kyle Baker is the founder and owner of From The Ground Up. Being raised by parents who have journeyed into multiple family businesses throughout his life, entrepreneurship, hard work, and giving back to the community have always been a part of his life. With two children and a family of his own now, he wanted to move embark on his own journey. After a family friend went through a terrible tragedy, he witnessed the love and support of the community coming together in a time of need and knew he wanted to recreate that into a movement. That came to fruition in 2020 with From The Ground Up, family based organization dedicated to connecting communities in times of need. They bring attention to victims of tragedy and natural disasters through thoughtfully designed products that aid in the financial burden of loss. The Wildfire Project is there first of what they hope to be many.

Being California natives, their hearts break year after year watching fires ravage the state, displacing and taking the lives of our neighbors and wildlife. They created hats made from retired fire hose depicting the CA bear and their brand. 100% proceeds go back to the organizations they are partnered with: California Benevolent Foundation, Hold Your Horses and California Fire Foundation. They plan to pursue different projects throughout the years in hopes of building up their communities and rebuild them from the ground up. You can find them on Instagram @fromthegroundup.store or visit their website fromthegroundup.store to learn more and make a purchase.

We are so excited to introduce today’s guest to you all! Today we are sitting down with Abi Rogers of Confessions of a Firefighter Wife Foundation (CFFW)! Abi gives us an update on what is happening with the foundation, their plans for the future, and gives us a few relationship pointers too!

Abi is married to a California firefighter and started a lifestyle blog about the highs and lows of being married to a career firefighter and all that California’s fire seasons bring while trying to maintain a relationship and raise kids. Through blogging, Abi discovered that there was a whole community of women silently holding down the fort and supporting their firefighters, just like her. This prompted her to transform her blog into CFFW Foundation. CFFW offers education and awareness of important subjects such as mental health, firefighter cancer, and maintaining the home and marriage. CFFW also offers financial support to fire families in need on a case by case basis.

Join us as we check-in with each other now that fire season is winding down, talk about our holiday plans, and what is in store for Dear Chiefs Podcast in the coming months.