The Firefighter Deconstructed

Former Dispatcher Ryan Dedmon sits down with the Firefighter Deconstructed and talks about his co-worker’s suicide and his own downward spiral. And most importantly, how he climbed back out of it. Ryan is a great speaker and has important information that will help all first responders. He now trains dispatchers and is the Outreach Director for the 9-1-1 Institute, The 9-1-1 institute works to bridge dispatchers with qualified local mental health professionals to be sure they get the help they need. The Institute now includes a team of experts who create uniquely qualified 911 education and consulting services to support the health and performance of our Very First Responders here in North America and abroad.
https://www.911training.net/

Sue M, all the way from Ireland. Sue M is an extraordinary person. She served as a paramedic and then a police officer in the United Kingdom for 14 years and experienced PTSD and several personal hardships and now she devotes her life to helping others get help when they are hit with PTSD. She’s written a book, started a support network, and answers phone calls all day from first responders and their agencies needing help. It’s worth listening to just for the Irish accent. Hear her inspiring story and how she got to where she is now.
Overcoming Trauma on the frontlines, by Sue M.
Universal link: https://books2read.com/u/47lV68
Carlisle Support Network -
Email: [email protected]
Carlisle Support Network Forum:
Laptop or PC :https://forums.carlislesupportnetwork.net
For Phone App - search for DiscourseHub then add the following link and if given the option add it as homepage

Retired Police Officer, Christopher Hoyer is a protector, survivor and advocate for mental, physical and emotional wellness. After 20+ years as a street cop, having been faced with the worst horrors imaginable, he has turned his focus to sharing his story with others, helping the law enforcement community prepare for the trauma that comes with the job. He has spoken to thousands, including first responders, mental health professionals and various professional entities, sharing his story in hopes of saving lives. His book, When That Day Comes, was written to honor the memory of all fallen Law Enforcement Officers, one in particular, and to pass on what time on the street taught him about survival ... mental, physical and emotional.
www.linkedin.com/in/chris-hoyer-25398192/
www.facebook.com/lovenotes68/

Today we have Fire District Chief Jason Corthell. Another amazing guy from Texas. Jason is another guy who feel into that dark hole and found a way out. Then he built an incredible peer support team that he shares all over the country. This guy is a 4th generation firefighter and started his firefighting career as a volunteer with Cypress Creek Fire Department in 2004. Jason served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2006-2010. Chief Corthell serves as the wellness/fitness initiative director for his department as well as many works within the department’s public relation roles. Jason has a great passion and drive for progressing mental wellness in the fire service through both personal and professional battles and experiences. He has implemented and influenced many others in the pursuit of providing first responders the help that they need. This is a good listen for any department/organization looking to build or improve their peer support team. Chief Corthell also works part-time instructor at Lonestar College Fire Academy. The Corthell Family resides in Hockley, Texas where he is happily married with three children and enjoys woodworking, sports, traveling to breweries, and grilling.
email: [email protected]

Josh’s 13 year firefighting career was cut short by PTSD and department betrayal. His attitude and resilience is nothing short of inspiring. No matter how tough everything became he just kept putting one foot in front of the other. If you listen to this episode you will find yourself rooting for him. And if you can root for Josh, you should be rooting for yourself! Department leadership can learn from this episode too, because this department blew it. They lost a valuable member and treated a human being like a piece of equipment.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-concepcion-828389144/

I love Texas!! Police Chief Gary R. McHone, from Texas, shares how to truly be strong on both sides of the job, as a subordinate and management. He believes the people are the most important resource of an organization, so it will pay great dividends to take care of them both physically and mentally. He talks about how to truly change the culture of a department so talking and investing in mental health happens on a department wide basis. This guy most definitely walks the walk and talks the talk. Leadership of all departments and organizations take notice, the power of vulnerability is real.

http://linkedin.com/in/garymc0919
Facebook.com/gary.mchone.1675

This is an episode of discovery and hope. Dr. Lorie Hood joins The Firefighter Deconstructed and shares her incredible breadth of knowledge of trauma. Dr. Lorie Hood is a leading expert in trauma, PTSD, Neuroscience, and human potential. She has focused her research and clinical work on first responders, victims of mass trauma and high performers. She is the host of the podcast, “The Traumatic States of America” that is incredible. She is board certified in Forensic Traumatology, Domestic Violence, and Emergency Crisis Response (Diplomate Credential). She is trained and well versed in mind body medicine and dance therapy and uses a somatic approach to her work. Lorie has connected her research on intelligence with her research on stress, resilience, trauma and post traumatic growth and has created trainings, programs and curricula that inform human potential and performance on both individual and system levels. Dr. Hood is crazy smart and super caring.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-traumatic-states-of-america/id1508193692
www.loriehoodphd.com
www.thehoodgroupllc.com
www.linkedin.com/in/loriehoodphd
www.respondersfirstllc.com
https://www.facebook.com/LorieHoodPhD

This week Police Chief Daniel Smith shares his story with the firefighter deconstructed. He talks about his childhood and coming to the point in his life that he could go either way, positive or negative. He chose positive and accomplished some amazing things. He also talks about the importance of taking care of yourself on the job and not talking about what bothers you is a road straight to self-destruction. By the way, he is only under thirty but has the wisdom of a 70 year old.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-smith-4b80217a/
[email protected]

Battalion Chief Jacob Johnson shows true leadership by talking about the tough stuff, showing vulnerability as a leader. Chief Johnson discusses how important it is for agency leadership to start and continue on the conversation that we are all just human beings, and that vulnerability is the key to true connection and brother/sisterhood. He also talks about building a successful Peer Support Program. Chief Johnson is a Battalion Chief for the Pearland Fire Department in Texas. He has been in the business since he was 15.
Pearland Peer Support Firefighter Hotline- (281)997-HOPE (4673)
Jacob Johnson- 713-560-3729
Twitter- @BCJohnson1012
LinkedIn- Jacob Johnson
https://www.facebook.com/jacob.johnson.3192
https://www.facebook.com/FDtacticstraining/

Retired Captain Brenda Berkman of the FDNY sat down with The Firefighter Deconstructed and discussed healing from the job and 9/11 and the added trauma of working in a hostile working environment. Brenda is known as the leader of the first women firefighters for FDNY. In 1982 she was hired with 40 other women but was the sole named plaintiff in the lawsuit against the city of New York and FDNY to give women an equal opportunity to become a firefighter. She became a lightening rod for all the anger and hostility towards women becoming firefighters. Despite taking the brunt of the backlash, she continued to champion for women in the fire service and women in general, as she still does today. Captain Berkman spent 25 years on the job. It was an absolute honor to have her on the show.

www.brendaberkmanartworks.com
monumentalwomen.org
www.pbs.org/independentlens/takingtheheat
"Taking the Heat" on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6l56ShNMAE