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S6 E21 Pups, Cups & The Quiet EMS Crisis
They respond to the worst moments of people's lives — every single shift. Then they clear the call, restock the rig, and do it again. Nobody asks if they're okay. The system just keeps moving.
In this episode of Responder Resilience, we sit down with two people who decided that wasn't good enough.
Whitney Wilkerson (MDiv, BCC, NBC-HWC) is a board-certified chaplain, ordained interfaith minister, and trauma-informed wellness coach with 25+ years of experience supporting people through crisis — from pediatric hospitals to trauma centers to military burnout. Lucas Isola is a 15-year EMS veteran and Chief of the Irvington Volunteer Ambulance Corps in New York, who got tired of waiting for someone else to fix the problem.
Together, they built Pups and Cups — a resilience initiative that brings therapy dogs, coffee, games, and stress-relief tools directly to EMS stations. No pressure. No clinical setting. Just real support, on the crew's terms.
We get into why suburban EMS agencies are more psychologically vulnerable than most people assume, why spiritual care has nothing to do with religion, why the simplest interventions often land the hardest — and what happens to patient care, team culture, and retention when you actually invest in the people doing the job.
This one hits different.
🎙️ Responder Resilience is built for first responders, mental health professionals, and anyone committed to the long-term health of those who serve.
Contact Whitney Wilkerson and Lucas Isola:
Website: https://www.irvingtonvac.org/
Website: http://pupsandcupsproject.com/
Website: https://reverendwhitney.com/
Website: https://whitneywilkerson.com/
Contact Responder Resilience:
Phone: +1 844-344-6655
Email: [email protected]
Our website with past episodes and more: https://www.respondertv.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ResponderResilience
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/responder-resilience-podcast/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/responder.tv/
★ Resources for Responder Wellness ★
• Fitness: FightCamp (code RR10 for 10% off) http://joinfightcamp.com/rr
• Free App: CRACKYL http://crackyl.respondertv.com
• Book: Helping the Helpers https://a.co/d/dm0VS4Q
View all episodes
By Lt. David Dachinger (Ret.), Dr. Stacy Raymond, Bonnie Rumilly, LCSW/EMT
4.5
66 ratings
They respond to the worst moments of people's lives — every single shift. Then they clear the call, restock the rig, and do it again. Nobody asks if they're okay. The system just keeps moving.
In this episode of Responder Resilience, we sit down with two people who decided that wasn't good enough.
Whitney Wilkerson (MDiv, BCC, NBC-HWC) is a board-certified chaplain, ordained interfaith minister, and trauma-informed wellness coach with 25+ years of experience supporting people through crisis — from pediatric hospitals to trauma centers to military burnout. Lucas Isola is a 15-year EMS veteran and Chief of the Irvington Volunteer Ambulance Corps in New York, who got tired of waiting for someone else to fix the problem.
Together, they built Pups and Cups — a resilience initiative that brings therapy dogs, coffee, games, and stress-relief tools directly to EMS stations. No pressure. No clinical setting. Just real support, on the crew's terms.
We get into why suburban EMS agencies are more psychologically vulnerable than most people assume, why spiritual care has nothing to do with religion, why the simplest interventions often land the hardest — and what happens to patient care, team culture, and retention when you actually invest in the people doing the job.
This one hits different.
🎙️ Responder Resilience is built for first responders, mental health professionals, and anyone committed to the long-term health of those who serve.
Contact Whitney Wilkerson and Lucas Isola:
Website: https://www.irvingtonvac.org/
Website: http://pupsandcupsproject.com/
Website: https://reverendwhitney.com/
Website: https://whitneywilkerson.com/
Contact Responder Resilience:
Phone: +1 844-344-6655
Email: [email protected]
Our website with past episodes and more: https://www.respondertv.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ResponderResilience
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/responder-resilience-podcast/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/responder.tv/
★ Resources for Responder Wellness ★
• Fitness: FightCamp (code RR10 for 10% off) http://joinfightcamp.com/rr
• Free App: CRACKYL http://crackyl.respondertv.com
• Book: Helping the Helpers https://a.co/d/dm0VS4Q
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