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What does it take to come back from a life most people never escape?

In this episode of Wind The Q — The Stories Behind The Sirens, Lt. Dodson sits down with Justin Kimball of Crosspoint City Church Compassion Center for one of the most raw and powerful conversations of the season.

Justin’s story isn’t easy to hear—but it’s one that needs to be told.

From gang involvement and running drugs, to prison time and addiction, Justin walks through the reality of a life headed in the wrong direction—and what it took to turn it around. Now, he serves on the front lines in a different way, working with the unsheltered, addicted, and broken members of the community, helping people find a way out when it feels like there isn’t one.

This episode dives deep into addiction, redemption, mental health, trauma, and second chances—topics that directly impact the fire service more than we often admit.

Because as firefighters and first responders, we don’t just fight fire—we see people on the worst days of their lives. And sometimes, those stories don’t end on scene.

Topics Covered:

• Addiction and substance abuse in real life
• Gang involvement and life before prison
• The impact of incarceration and life after prison
• Mental health and trauma
• Redemption and second chances
• Serving the homeless and addicted population
• Fire service exposure to addiction and community crisis
• Compassion vs. burnout in first responders

This episode challenges the way we look at people we encounter on calls—and reminds us that every person has a story, and some are still being written.

This isn’t just a conversation—it’s perspective.

Wind The Q — Real conversations about the fire service, life, leadership, and the stories behind the sirens.

Apple

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wind-the-q-podcast/id1890605910

Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/show/2NwJHtyLmDdv4rrAssRJUY?si=vd600rTcSn-k2WEJUgnbbA

YouTube

https://youtube.com/@windtheqpodcast?si=qtbDcvImIf50Xpd7

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This episode Includes dynamic content. If you feel impressed to help support the show, follow the link below. If not, please continue to like, share, follow, and subscribe for more great content!

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2605628/support

This episode Includes dynamic content. If you feel impressed to help support the show, follow the link below. If not, please continue to like, share, follow, and subscribe for more great content!

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2605628/support

Support the show