Retired Sergent Surgue has 20+ years experience in the military and law enforcement. Michael tells his compelling story of having to face a police officer’s nightmare and the debilitating mental health struggle that ensued. Michael demonstrates the strength and resiliency in order to survive and recover, even when it feels like all is lost and there is no hope. He has become a national keynote speaker and dedicated advocate for awareness, prevention, education, training on Post Traumatic Stress Injury (PTSI), Resiliency, and First Responder Suicide Prevention. He also volunteers at the West Coast Post Trauma Retreat.
You can find Mike Surgue at
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sgtmichaelsugrue

Ellen Kirschman is known as the “Cop Doc”. She has 30 years as a clinical psychologist specializing in law enforcement and first responders. Today Ellen and I talk about the importance for first responders to see a therapist who understands the police and first responder culture. We also talk about the differences in the culture of cops and firefighters, and tools for self-care that apply to everyone and anyone. She has written several books including Counseling Cops: what Clinicians need to know, I Love a Cop: What Police Families Need to Know, I love a firefighter: What the families need to know. She has also written fiction including The Right Wrong Thing, Burying Ben, and The Fifth Reflection. Those three books make up the Dot Meyerhoff Police Psychologist Series. Ellen also writes a blog for the magazine Psychology Today. She is a clinician at the West Coast Post Trauma Retreat. Ellen has traveled the world teaching, researching and sharing her expertise in police psychology. Ellen is a treasure chest full of information and doesn’t beat around the bush. This is a great episode for first responders, clinicians, and the general public.
Ellen can be found at:
www.ellenkirschman.com
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/cop-doc

We have former dispatcher Sue Faria who also happens to be the president of the First Responder Support Network. Sue tells her story of dispatching many years for the CHP and then the sheriff’s office. We talk about her struggles with PTSD and her recovery. Sue is also a chaplain at WCPR and SOS. She talks about the spiritual side of recovery and how that can look like anything that fits you. Dispatchers absolutely are first responders and are the vital link for those in the field.

Jon began his fire career with the Peoria Illinois fire department. He left the department to pursue his true calling, serving God. He and his wife moved to South Dakota and founded a small rural church and he became its Pastor. Some time later the itch to be in the fire service came back. He joined the Sioux Falls Fire Department. Jon serves has served as a first responder for over 20 years and is also on the peer support team at his department. His podcast has been on the air for several years and has reached and given hope to so many people. I highly recommend it. You can find him many places.
Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fire-inside-podcast-peer-support-for-first-responder/id1383580454?i=1000470094988
[email protected]
Author of the book: Rural Church RESCUE

On this episode we talk to James and Angelica Hendrix. James is a former CHP Officer diagnosed with PTSD and came very close to suicide. He went through hell. But so did his wife Angelica. Spouses are often forgotten about as so much focus is on the first responder and their injury. First James tells his story of struggle with PTSD. Then we hear the story of his wife and her ordeal being in a relationship with James. This is a longer episode but worth it to hear each story of one person’s PTSD.

You know him as the firefighter cradling the bloody baby in the iconic photo from the Oklahoma City Bombing. We will get to know the human inside the uniform as Chris Fields who just went to work that day as a regular guy and had his world turned upside down. Chris shares his story with a great deal of honesty and openness. We are fortunate to have Chris on the show just a few days before April 19th, the 25th anniversary of that bombing.
Chris is now retired and doing well. He travels the nation telling his story in order to help others. He is the vice president of the www.healthyhirehealthyretire.org organization that provides a variety of assistance to fire responders in need.

Where to find Chris Fields
www.chrisfields.org
Twitter: @ff4ou
Instagram: ff4ou
Facebook: Chris Cheryl Rosales Fields

Ret. Police Officer Nathan Schlitz experience's any police officer's worst nightmare. He shares his story of what happened, the toll it took on his well being, and his recovery. He also talks about his work for the non-profit Disaster Responder Assets Network, https://dranetwork.org This organization provides crisis support for first responders and healthcare workers.

We call them our better half, but what is it like to be the other half of someone suffering from PTSD? Diana Banuelos tells her story of being the wife of a Narcotics officer with PTSD. This is a show for anyone who has a partner who is struggling with anything.

What happens when a paramedic responds on his own family? Paramedic Anthony Hendricks tells his story of being a first responder and a husband at the same exact time.

Meet Dr. Joel Fay who has 32 years as a police officer and his doctorate in psychology. He is also a leading and nationally known first responder psychologist and one the co-founders of the West Coast Post Trauma Retreat. We discuss his career, the development of WCPR, and his dedicated work in helping first responders get their lives back.