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What happens when the very skills that keep an officer alive on the street start quietly dismantling the rest of their life?
In this episode, Conrad Weaver sits down with Dr. Kevin Gilmartin—one of the pioneering voices in police psychology—to unpack the hidden physiology of the job: hypervigilance, distrust, adrenaline, cortisol, and the “biological roller coaster” that first responders ride every day. Gilmartin traces the evolution of wellness in public safety—from the early days of operational psychology to the modern shift toward peer support as the true trust-bridge into a resistant culture.
But the conversation doesn’t stay theoretical. It gets painfully practical: why officers gain weight even without “donuts,” how chronic stress pushes insulin resistance and heart disease, why many departments still treat wellness as optional, and what changes when leadership stops asking for permission and starts building wellness into the job itself. Gilmartin argues that the goal isn’t just surviving the career—it’s earning a retirement you can actually live.
If you lead, serve, or love someone in public safety, this episode will reframe wellness as leadership responsibility—and as a life-or-death commitment to what happens after the shift ends.
Dr. Kevin Gilmartin is a veteran police psychologist whose career spans the evolution of modern public safety wellness. Mentored early by one of the field’s pioneers, he went on to serve agencies across all 50 states and internationally, bringing a rare combination of operational credibility and deep clinical insight. Over decades, he has consulted with departments of every size—from major metropolitan agencies with robust wellness infrastructure to smaller organizations still battling stigma and outdated beliefs.
Gilmartin’s signature contribution is translating the lived reality of the job into understandable biology: hypervigilance, distrust as officer-safety training, cortisol and glucose cycling, and why off-duty disengagement becomes a slow-moving threat to families, health, and identity. He is also a vocal advocate for peer-driven wellness models and leadership practices that make health unavoidable—because the goal is not simply making it to retirement, but actually being well enough to enjoy it.
ABOUT FIRST RESPONDER WELLNESS SOLUTIONS
First Responder Wellness Solutions (FRWS) is on a mission to transform the health and culture of leadership within first responder agencies. We believe that healthy agencies begin with healthy leaders. Our integrated suite of services is designed to meet leaders where they are and elevate them through practical, scalable tools that build resilience, confidence, and clarity.
Leadership Development Pathway – A system combining live training, mastermind groups, and peer coaching for continuous leadership growth.
Individual & Team Coaching – Confidential coaching solutions that address unique agency challenges and elevate team performance.
Digital Wellness Toolkit – On-demand, self-paced resources, including training modules and leadership tools accessible agency-wide.
National Leadership Summit – A flagship annual event that recharges, equips, and connects leaders from across the country.
FRWS Media Platform – A global reach platform featuring the First Responder Wellness Podcast and future publications, delivering ongoing insights and inspiration.
Through this clear, connected approach, FRWS helps create stronger leaders, healthier agencies, and more resilient communities.
FIRST RESPONDER WELLNESS PODCAST
Register for the First Responder Leadership Mastermind here: https://firstresponderwellness.co/masterclass/
Order the PTSD911 Film and Educational Toolkit here: https://ptsd911movie.com/toolkit/
Web site: https://ptsd911movie.com/
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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClQ8jxjxYqHgFQixBK4Bl0Q
Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/first-responder-wellness-podcast/id1535675703
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2wW72dLZOKkO1QYUPzL2ih
Purchase the PTSD911 film for your public safety agency or organization:
https://ptsd911movie.com/toolkit/
The First Responder Wellness Podcast is a production of First Responder Wellness Solutions, LLC
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