In this episode our guest David Dachinger talks with host Derek O. Hanley about the many ways he endeavors to strengthen the resilience of first responders since retiring from the fire service. From his "Responder Resilience" and "Igniting The Shift Within" podcasts, his books "Helping the Helpers" and "Live Calm With Cancer (...and Beyond), to his work as a peer coach for 22Zero, and organization that works to eliminate Veteran and first responder suicide.
David Dachinger is a retired Fire Lieutenant/EMT who has dedicated over 21 years to leading emergency services. As a company officer, he often held critical roles, including Shift Commander and Incident Commander. Today, David hosts the podcasts "Responder Resilience" and "Igniting The Shift Within," where he engages with experts on first responder mental health, wellness, leadership, and post-traumatic growth.
David also serves as a peer coach for 22Zero (https://22zero.org/), continuing his commitment to supporting first responders. He is co-author of "Helping the Helpers", a guide to first responder mental wellness.
A Grammy Award® nominee, David's career in the music industry included collaborations with legendary artists such as Roberta Flack, Usher, Celine Dion, and The Isley Brothers as a mixing engineer and producer.
David's journey as a stage IV cancer survivor since 2014 has fueled his passion for advocating firefighter wellness. His transformative experience with cancer led him to become an international bestselling co-author of the book "Live Calm With Cancer (...and Beyond)."
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About The DOHP Signal
The DOHP Signal is a long-form conversation platform exploring operational life, leadership, authenticity, systems, storytelling, and meaningful work. Host Derek O. Hanley sits down with founders, educators, first responders, veterans, creatives, and leaders to uncover the experiences and ideas that shape how people build trust, navigate complexity, and perform under pressure.
Signal over noise.
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