In this episode of the Maine Responder Podcast, we sit down with Matt Leach — firefighter, social worker, and one of the leaders helping shape the wellness mission at the York County Regional Training Center in Southern Maine.

What starts with a conversation about retirement, identity, and the strange way first responders seem to measure life by “how much time is left” turns into a deeper discussion about what it really means to care for yourself while serving others.

Matt shares his journey from the fire service into social work, how personal loss and years on the job shaped his perspective, and why peer support, therapy, prevention, and post-traumatic growth matter so much in first responder culture. The conversation explores the value of vulnerability, the role families play in recognizing when responders are struggling, and why wellness cannot just be a program — it has to be built into the culture.

Matt serves as the First Responder Wellness & Resiliency Program Administrator at the York County Regional Training Center connect with Matt https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-leach-7b473633/