Fire Interview, The Storyteller Podcast

On this episode we sit down with my good friend Josh Ax. Josh has an amazing story about the mental and physical fortitude it took for him to pull himself up from rock bottom and to become the successful man he is today. Josh over came his addiction to alcohol, pills, and heroin. Today he is a husband, father, and very successful businessman who owns dozens of homes across the country. He also just purchased his first Lamborghini earlier this year. Join me in listening to Josh's incredible story!

Today’s guest is Captain Ashely Losch. Ashely is a captain for Glendale fire, she is also a paramedic, public information officer and runs their social media. On this episode we talk about her career in the fire service, being a female firefighter and working her way up to captain, as well as some interesting calls she’s had throughout her career. 

This episode’s sponsors and partners are:

Fit For Fire fitness program by Josh Bridges. Visit www.josh-bridges.com/fitforfire

Xendurance supplements www.xendurance.com use code FIREINTERVIEW for 25% off

Traeger grills www.traeger.com

In this episode we get to talk to Lauren, the face behind the hilarious healthcare and first responder meme page, Thirst Responders. Before she got zucced and had to start Thirst Responders 2.0, Lauren had a following of over 70K. Lauren has been a nurse for over 10 years and has worked on many different specialty hospital floors including Trauma PCU, pediatric med/surg and ortho trauma, surgical ICU, as well as a school nurse. Before becoming a nurse she was an EMT for several years. Join us as we discuss the current state of nursing, how the popular instagram came to be, laugh about random topics, and answer some questions sent in from instagram followers. 

Follow Lauren @thirstresponderss on instagram for hilarious and only slightly inappropriate memes about nursing, firefighting, ems, healthcare, and everything in between. 

Jim Moss is a fire captain and paramedic for the Metro West Fire Protection District in St. Louis County, Missouri. A 16-year veteran of the fire service, his passions include leadership, training, mentorship and fitness. Jim is the bestselling author of Firefighter Success: 20 C’s to Firefighter Excellence, and the co-author of Firefighter Functional Fitness: The Essential Guide to Optimal Firefighter Performance and Longevity. He is also the host of the Firefighter Success Podcast.

Jim is a contributor to multiple fire service publications, including Fire Engineering Magazine and FirefighterToolbox.com. He has shared his message at FDIC International, Firehouse, the International Society of Fire Service Instructors, the National Volunteer Fire Council, International Association of Fire Chiefs, and with fire departments nationwide.

Connect with him personally on Facebook and LinkedIn, and follow Firefighter Success and Firefighter Functional Fitness at the following social media outlets:

Instagram: @FirefighterSuccess and @FirefighterFFit

Facebook: @FirefighterSuccess and @FirefighterFFit

Twitter: @FireSuccessBook and @FirefighterFFit

Rayne Gray has an amazing story to tell! In this episode he talks about his time in the Marines, as well as working his way through the ranks of the Phoenix Fire Department where he is currently a Deputy Chief. Gray is a two-time Iron man competitor, and at 50 years old is still competing. We talk about his upcoming 24 hour mountain bike race and how he has kept his mind and body healthy through the years of firefighting and athletic competitions.

Jess Maney retired from the United States Army after 20 years of service. During his service he was a SAPER and OCS instructor. In this episode Jess talks about being at war in Afghanistan for the last 20 years and stories of having been blown up 3 times. After retiring, Captain Maney started a non-profit organization called VetDrenaline Racing. VetDrenaline helps veterans cope with PTSD and their physical limitations from war injuries by taking them racing in the desert, drag racing, drifting and other forms of adrenaline seeking fun!

Greg Kotsis is a three-time world champion and five-time Canadian champion of the Firefighter Combat Challenge. Greg is currently a captain for Gilbert Fire Department but has also worked as a firefighter in Canada. A citizen of 4 countries, Greg speaks 3 languages, owns several businesses and is a pilot. In this episode Greg tells us about his experiences as a firefighter including stories of victim rescues he has done. He also talks money, healthcare, and other exciting topics. 

Wes Trayner is a retired Battalion Chief who served 37 years with the Phoenix Fire Department. Over the course of his career he was a hazmat technician, technical rescue technician, engineer, Captain, Battalion Chief, Division Chief, a member of AZ task force 1, FEMA, and USAR. He is best known as the godfather of Engineering. He has created written exams, practicals, tacticals, and done interviews for firefighter recruits, engineers tests, Captains tests, and Chief officers for over 30 cities. In this episode, Wes shares stories about the Jason Schechterle incident, as well as the southwest supermarket fire where Bret Tarver called a Mayday and devastatingly lost his life.

Nate Hahn was a chief scout sniper team leader for the US Marines. He was on teams such as Shadow One and Head Hunter Three. In this episode, Nate tells all about bootcamp through sniper school and stories about missions him and his team carried out while serving. After leaving the Marines Nate became a private sniper instructor for the military and law enforcement around the country. Nate now works as a captain paramedic for Gilbert Fire Department in Arizona. 

**DISCLAIMER- Listener discretion advised. This episode contains graphic descriptions of combat**

Dennis Compton was the Fire Chief for the Mesa Fire Department as well as an assistant Chief for the Phoenix Fire Department. He has won multiple Lifetime Achievement Awards, been a chairman and executive board member for too many committees to name. He has worked in Washington, as well as the Pentagon. He was at the Pentagon on September 11th, and was sent to ground zero to help set up their command structure. He was the FEMA and USAR commander and was the first team on scene of the Oklahoma City bombing.  In this Episode we talk about everything from accountability to terminating employees with Chief Compton.