28 years in EMS changes how you see the job.

In this episode of Tales from the Tailboard Podcast, Isaac sits down with Brian Collins — veteran paramedic, instructor, assistant training coordinator, and human trafficking awareness advocate — for a real conversation about what experience teaches that textbooks can’t.

From starting his career in New York City to training providers across the Carolinas, Brian breaks down the gaps in EMS education, the danger of prioritizing numbers over competence, and why scene safety is often more myth than reality.

This episode also dives into human trafficking awareness and why EMS providers are in a unique position to identify victims through observation, compassion, and situational awareness — without putting themselves in danger.

We also discuss:

• EMS training and where it’s failing providers

• The difference between classroom success and street readiness

• Tactical medicine and decision-making under pressure

• Supporting injured and ill EMS providers

• Functional fitness and being capable of doing the job

This isn’t about hot takes or war stories.
It’s about responsibility, awareness, and leaving the profession better than we found it.

Chrissy Gibas is a retired law enforcement officer, former dispatcher, and first responder peer support advocate. In this episode, Chrissy shares her experience surviving an inmate assault, navigating threats during an FBI investigation, losing trust within her own department, and living with long-term PTSD.

We talk about moral injury, silence within the system, compounded trauma, grief, and how she found purpose again through K9 peer support work with her dog Jack. This is an honest conversation about what happens when first responders are forced to carry trauma alone—and what real support actually looks like.

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End of Shift Apparel — built by first responders, for first responders.
Use code TAILBOARD10 for 10% off your order and support the show.
Watch all full episodes on YouTube — just search Tales from the Tailboard Podcast, or click the link in my bio for a Linktree with access to all my socials and the merch shop by End Of Shift Apparel.

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Charlie Vellman is an ER nurse with 18 years of experience and the voice behind My Nurse Friend. In this episode, we talk emergency medicine, MICU lessons, burnout, teaching, and how a TikTok Live turned into a real community for healthcare workers.

This is a no-bullshit conversation about why the ER is harder than ever—and why some of us still can’t walk away from it.

Sponsor:
End of Shift Apparel — use code TFTT10 for 10% off.

Watch all full episodes on YouTube — just search Tales from the Tailboard Podcast, or click the link in my bio for a Linktree with access to all my socials and the merch shop by End Of Shift Apparel.

Keep watching for more content, and be sure to hit all the buttons — like, comment to let me know you’ve seen the video, and share or repost to help spread the word.

Captain Ben Hammond joins Isaac on Tales from the Tailboard Podcast to discuss fire service culture, leadership, and mental health from both the career and volunteer perspectives. From rookie expectations and earning your place to kitchen table culture and processing traumatic calls, this conversation delivers real-world insight every firefighter needs to hear.

Quick shoutout to End of Shift Apparel.
This is quality gear made by people who actually understand the first responder and veteran community.
Tim Snowden, the founder, builds durable apparel, supports veterans, and runs his business the right way.
If you care about who you support and what you wear, check out End of Shift Apparel through the link in my bio.

Watch all full episodes on YouTube, just search Tales from the Tailboard Podcast, or click the link in my bio for a Linktree with access to all my socials and the merch shop by EndOfShiftApparel.

Keep watching for more content, and be sure to hit all the buttons — like, comment to let me know you’ve seen the video, and share or repost to help spread the word.

In episode 14 of the TFTT Podcast, host Isaac Poteet and guest Dennis Carradin Jr., a trauma therapist and founder of the Trauma Survivors Foundation, discuss the unique challenges faced by first responders and healthcare workers. Dennis shares his journey from volunteering in the fire service to becoming a trauma specialist, emphasizing the importance of empathy and compassion in EMS. He highlights the need for specialized trauma therapy for first responders, noting that there are fewer than 500 licensed therapists in the U.S. trained to work with them. Dennis also discusses the impact of secondary trauma and the importance of community support and proper training for therapists. The discussion centers on the psychological impact of trauma, particularly secondary traumatization, which occurs over the first two weeks post-trauma and can lead to cumulative stress. Dennis emphasizes the importance of addressing trauma promptly to prevent long-term effects. Isaac Poteet shares experiences from the field, highlighting the stigma men face when expressing emotions. They discuss the societal pressures on men to conform to toxic masculinity and the need for emotional support. The conversation also touches on the benefits of mental health professionals with first responder backgrounds and the importance of maintaining resilience through experiences and humor.

Sponsor:
End of Shift Apparel — use code TFTT10 for 10% off your first order.

Watch full episodes on YouTube — just search Tales from the Tailboard Podcast, or click the link in my bio for a Linktree with access to all my socials and the merch shop by End Of Shift Apparel.

Keep watching for more content, and be sure to hit all the buttons — like, comment to let me know you’ve seen the video, and share or repost to help spread the word.

Former paramedic turned EMS defense attorney David Givot joins Tales from the Tailboard to break down the legal realities EMS providers face every day.

From abandonment and refusal of care to Good Samaritan laws, AI PCRs, and body cameras, David explains what actually protects your license—and what can end a career fast. This is a must-listen episode for EMTs, paramedics, nurses, and students who want the truth without the legal fluff.

Watch all full episodes on YouTube, just search Tales from the Tailboard Podcast, or click the link in my bio for a Linktree with access to all my socials and the merch shop by End Of Shift Apparel.

Keep watching for more content, and be sure to hit all the buttons — like, comment to let me know you’ve seen the video, and share or repost to help spread the word.

In Episode 12 of Tales from the Tailboard Podcast, Isaac Poteet talks with firefighter-paramedic Josh Forbis of the Through the Smoke Podcast. They break down fire vs EMS separation, staffing shortages, seniority myths, Mayday realities, training fundamentals, and the hard truths about fitness and accountability in the fire service.

A no-BS conversation about culture, competence, and doing the job right.

Sponsor:
End of Shift Apparel — use code TFT10 for 10% off.

Watch full episodes on YouTube — just search Tales from the Tailboard Podcast, or click the link in my bio for a Linktree with access to all my socials and the merch shop by End Of Shift Apparel.

Keep watching for more content, and be sure to hit all the buttons — like, comment to let me know you’ve seen the video, and share or repost to help spread the word.

Is EMS headed for collapse?

Nurse Andrea Law, an RN in Las Vegas who currently works in home health, joins Isaac Poteet to break down what’s pushing 911 toward the edge: pay vs demand, mandatory overtime, reimbursement problems, hospital overcrowding, rushed discharges, and the growing strain on patient handoffs between EMS and the ER.

We also talk culture, why misunderstanding and disrespect creates a nurse vs EMS divide, and what real solutions could look like.

Sponsor: End of Shift Apparel, use code TFTT10 for 10% off.

Watch full episodes on YouTube, just search Tales from the Tailboard Podcast, or click the link in my bio for a Linktree with access to all my socials and the merch shop by End Of Shift Apparel.

Keep watching for more content, and be sure to hit all the buttons - like, comment to let me know you’ve seen the video, and share or repost to help spread the word.

Gary is an ER nurse, former EMT, and the host of Beyond the Call Light. His career spans prehospital care, emergency nursing, broadcasting, and volunteer service — all driven by one thing: helping people where they are, when they need it most.In this episode, Gary shares his journey from working as an EMT to stepping away from first response, becoming a radio host and broadcaster, and ultimately returning to healthcare as a nurse. We talk about what it really takes to make that leap, the support it requires, and how perspective changes when you see the system from both the ambulance and the bedside.We dive into how nursing and EMS intersect, how communication skills translate across roles, and why asking better questions, whether with patients or podcast guests, leads to better outcomes. Gary opens up about moments that reaffirm why he stays in healthcare, including a patient encounter that left a lasting emotional impact on him and the entire care team.We also discuss mindset shifts, burnout, purpose, podcasting as an extension of healthcare, and why telling these stories matters, not for money, but because voices in this profession need to be heard.This conversation is about growth, humility, service, and staying connected to the reason you started.---🎧 Listen & Watch Full EpisodesYouTube: Tales from the Tailboard PodcastTikTok: Tales from the Tailboard Pod!Linktree: https://linktr.ee/talesfromthetailboard---🤝 Sponsored ByEnd of Shift ApparelReal apparel for real first responders.Shop at: https://endofshiftapparel.comUse code TFTT10 for 10% off your order.---🎵 Music CreditOutro: “Figure It Out” — Royal Blood---📘 FAIR USE NOTICEThis episode may include references to third-party content used under Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act for purposes of commentary, criticism, education, and discussion. No copyright infringement is intended.

Craig Evans, known across social media as The Paramedic Professor, is a 30-year Lieutenant/Paramedic, educator, and lifelong student of the craft.He joins the show to talk about identity in EMS, leadership, culture, training, fire/EMS integration, survival mindset, and why the profession desperately needs people willing to tell the truth — even when it pisses people off.Craig’s experience runs deep:Volunteering at 16, Shock Trauma Technician, fire service veteran, medic, instructor, and now an outspoken voice pushing EMS into the future.This episode is sharp, uncomfortable at times, and absolutely necessary.---Craig Evans — The Paramedic Professor:Instagram: instagram.com/theparamedicprofessor---🔥 Topics We Cover in This Episode• The early years — volunteering at 16How a house fire at 15 and an EMS recruiter at school changed his life.• EMS identity crisisWhy EMS has titles instead of rank, and why the public can’t tell an EMT-B from a medic when we walk into the ER.• Fire vs EMS separationWhy combining the professions diluted standards — and why one person can’t master two different career paths.• The medic pipeline problemChasing pensions, schedules, and pay raises without wanting to be a paramedic — and how that destroys quality of care.• The culture of the firehouseComplaining vs actually fixing systemic problems. The tradition mindset holding progress back.• Teaching, mentorship & legacyWhy “those who can’t do teach” is a lie — and why if you can’t teach, you probably never mastered the job in the first place.• Physical fitness + mental fitnessThe uncomfortable truth: your crew shouldn’t have to save you before you save the patient.• Firehouse politics & controversyWhy Craig intentionally drops “heat” online — and why sparking debate is sometimes the only way to create change.• Survival mindsetLessons from Deep Survival, SCBA vibra-alert realities, and why knowing your gear intimately can save your life in a down-firefighter situation.• The future of EMSWhy standards need to rise — not fall — and why leadership must be earned, not aged into.---🎧 Listen & Watch Full Episodes:YouTube: Tales from the Tailboard PodcastTikTok: TalesFromTheTailboardPodLinktree (all links & merch): linktr.ee/talesfromthetailboard---👕 Sponsored By — End of Shift ApparelReal apparel for real first responders.Shop: endofshiftapparel.com(Discount code coming soon)---🎵 Music CreditIntro: “Serotonin” — NormandieOutro: “Figure It Out” — Royal Blood---⚖️ FAIR USE NOTICEThis episode may reference third-party material strictly for purposes of commentary, education, criticism, or discussion, in accordance with Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act.No copyright infringement is intended.