Behind The Shield

Behind The Shield

by James Geering

Fitness Mental Health

Denise Olsen (Losing her firefighter husband on 9/11, Grief and Healing) - Episode 494

Denise Olsen is a nurse, yoga teacher and the widow of Jeff Olsen, one of the 343 firefighters killed on 9/11. We discuss her entry into healthcare, the genesis of their romance, protecting the WTC, the ripple effect of the attacks, grief, healthy coping mechanisms, growing from trauma, the importance of movement and so much more. On the eve of Sept 11, 2001 my husband kissed me goodbye, left for work at his firehouse in downtown Manhattan and I never saw him again. He left behind 3 small children and made me a 32 year old widow. I felt as if my life came to a complete stop. Not living, not dead. Learning how to navigate this new life was difficult, to say the least. The journey over the past 20+ years has been nothing short of miraculous. When we experience a tremendous loss or trauma, the grief is all encompassing. Trying to find your way out is similar to climbing a mountain. It certainly helps to have an experienced guide. I didn't have anyone nearby who had walked in my shoes. The internet was just beginning to pick up momentum so virtual groups were not popular. My husband was a lover of quotes and one day while going through one of his notebooks (just so I wouldn't forget his handwriting) I found a quote scribbled across the page-”Know Thyself”. It felt like a brick hit me in the head. This was it. Digging my way out of this pile of shit named “Grief” wasn't about getting over him. It was about finding myself. I learned mostly through trial and error.(Lots of error) The closer I came to my own truth, the clearer everything became. I was able to see how my entire life was a series of moments that gave me the tools to survive what was the most debilitating pain I had ever felt. https://denise-olsen.com/

Rudy Reyes II (MARSOC, Masculinity and Mental Health) - Episode 973

Rudy Reyes is an American conservationist, martial arts instructor, actor, and Recon Marine. He is best known for portraying himself in the HBO TV miniseries Generation Kill. In this second conversation we discuss the suicide epidemic, courageous vulnerability, the importance of tribe, hormonal disruption, peptides, emotional TCCC and so much more. Rudy was born in 1971 on Richard’s Gebauer Air Base in Missouri while his father, a US Marine, was fighting in Vietnam. His parents had 2 other sons, all three boys a little over a year apart. After his parents' divorce in 1975, and with his mother unable to look after the boys, Rudy and his brothers were moved around Texas staying with various relatives before eventually settling with his grandmother. Sadly, four years later both grandparents passed away within the same year, leading to Rudy (then aged 7) and his brothers drifting throughout the mid-west, to eventually (at age 11) be saved by the Omaha Home for Boys. Rudy and his brothers would remain at the boys’ home until age 17, when Rudy would then emancipate himself and take formal custody of his brothers by the age of 18. During his younger years (age 11 throughout his youth), Rudy began competing in wrestling and football, as well as developed a deep affection for comic books and heroes. At the age of 18, he then began to study martial arts, training in Kung-Fu, eventually winning the title of International Jing Woo Martial Art College Champion, multiple times. In sum, his martial art achievements are over 20 medals, 14 of which were gold. He worked various jobs, from construction to table bussing, while simultaneously training as a kickboxer, in an effort to provide stability and discipline for himself and his brothers (who he also got into kickboxing.) In 1998, Rudy found himself watching a film covering orphans in Kosovo who’s parents were killed by their own countries snipers. Rudy, at the age of 26, was so compelled to do something to help, decided to enlist in the United States Marine Corps (USMC). Military Career Rudy enlisted in the USMC as a infantryman, and graduated as the honour grad and iron man of Boot Camp and School of Infantry. Rudy, due to his merit and initiative, was granted an opportunity to try out for Recon. The Reconnaissance Marine Community is 300 strong, between 5 units, making it the most prestigious and difficult group in a Marine Corps of 300,000. A group that no man may sign up to join but must be invited and prove their worthiness to earn the title of a United States Recon Marine. After being a special forces operator for three years, during which Rudy became a “schooled-out“ (paratrooper, combat diver, demolitions expert, scout sniper, closed quarter combatant, and SERE trained) Recon Marine, Rudy was called for his first combat reconnaissance mission in 2001 in Pakistan – a preparation mission for USA's Special Ops insertion to Afghanistan. Once the war officially started, his team ran operations that located and destroyed Al Qaeda within Afghanistan. In 2003, Rudy’s dear friend and senior Recon mentor was killed. Later in combat, his team leader was wounded in a horrendous night-time ambush, which lead to Rudy leading his four man team after cas-evac (casualty evacuation), through Baghdad to the Syrian Border and back. These events are what the HBO series Generation Kill was based on, telling their story of the Invasion of Iraq. His last active combat was in The Battle of Fallujah and Ramadi in Iraq in 2004, where he served as Senior Team Leader of his platoon. It was a brutal fight that took the lives, and limbs, of some of his most beloved comrades.

James Geering (How to Transition to the 24/72 Firefighter Schedule) - Episode 972

After eight years interviewing the greatest minds in wellness, I decided to record a live Q&A on how to transition to the 24/72 firefighter shift schedule. In this episode, I discuss the immense physical and mental health costs caused by sleep deprivation, the false economy of breaking our first responders, the cost savings of a shorter work week, how to solve the current recruitment crisis and so much more. Podcast Video: https://www.youtube.com/live/nn3PX3Qtq3o?si=oTvbOwQVB6gICGOc Here are the podcast episodes of the true subject matter experts that I reference in the podcast: Departments that have made the change: Chief Hugh Bruder - Episode 854 Dixon Philips - Episode 879 Matthew Harrison/Brian O'Connell - Episode 942 Military Sleep Science Experts: Dr Allison Brager (Army) - Episode 117 Rachel Markwald (Navy) - Episode - 196 Capt. John Cordle (Navy) - Episode 389 Dr Kirk Parsley (Navy Special Warfare) - Episode 6 Lt Col. Jannell MacCaulay (Air Force) - Episode 175 Dr Sara Jahnke (Firefighter Health Researcher) - Episode 928 Dr Stuart McGill (Injuy and Performance) - Episode 95 Prof. Russell Foster (Circadian Neuroscience) - Episode 647 Rob Bilot (PFAS) - Episode 631 The Firefigher Resilience Blue Sky Project: https://www.ihmc.us/BlueSky/20231107BlueSkyFirefighter.pdf Wellness Solutions Mentioned: Transcend - https://transcendcompany.com/schedule-a-consultation/?ls=BehindtheShield Foundation Training - https://www.foundationtraining.com/ One More Light: Life, Death and Humanity Through the Eyes of a Firefighter -https://www.amazon.com/One-More-Light-Humanity-Firefighter/dp/1735586803/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

JP McMichael (9/11, Responding to the Pentagon Attack and Post Traumatic Growth) - Episode 971

JP McMichael is a law enforcement veteran, professional wrestler, MMA fighter and the man behind "Catalyst of Change". We discuss his journey into policing, responding to the Pentagon on 9/11, the kindness of 9/12, his powerful mental health journey, suicide, Operation Enduring Warrior, the Strugglewell program and so much more. J.P. is a veteran First Responder of 20+ years. A responder to the Pentagon on the morning of September 11, 2001, J.P. was later diagnosed with PTSD and in 2003 almost ended is life. Now the owner of Catalyst of Change Associates LLC, a former wrestler and competitve MMA fighter unitl he broke his neck in 2012, J.P. now shares his journey and lessons learned around the world, virtually and on the pages of his books. J.P. has authored three childrens books and is currently working on two adult books, one on the Americans with Disabilites Act in Corrections and Law Enforcement and the other on his Journey and lessons learned form those whose path he has intersected with along the way. J.P. bring the engergy and excitement you would expect from a performer and fighter to the stage and keeps his audiences on the edge of their seats. J.P. Can be reached through his website at www.CatalystofChangeAssociates.com and will soon be seen weekly on his web show The Wayward Path of the Warrior.

Timea Nagy (Overcoming Trauma as a Human Trafficking Survivor) - Episode 304

Timea Nagy is Human Trafficking survivor turned author and victim advocate. We discuss her early life in Hungary, human trafficking myths, how predators target the vulnerable, using fear as a restraint, DeliverFund and much more. Human trafficking survivor, author, speaker, and social advocate Timea Nagy immigrated to Canada in 1998. Her nightmare unfolded in Toronto that same year after arriving from Budapest, Hungary in the hopes of finding meaningful employment. The daughter of a Hungarian police woman, Timea was held in a cheap motel at the hands of traffickers and forced to work in the sex industry. Ten years later, Ms. Nagy founded ‘Walk with Me’, a non-profit organization to assist victims of human trafficking and law enforcement agencies. In 2015, Ms. Nagy closed down her agency: ‘Walk with Me’, a non-profit organization to assist victims of human trafficking and law enforcement agencies due to ongoing financial struggles. As a result she started Canada's first FOR PROFIT Corporation, Timea's Cause Inc. A Social Enterprise to create her own funding and work with victims of Human Trafficking in North America.

Craig Weller (Forging Elite Performance and Longevity in the Tactical Athlete) - Episode 970

Craig Weller is a former USN SWCC (Special Warfare Combatant Crewman) and the co-founder of "Building the Elite". We discuss his journey into the military, fighting extremism in the Phillippines, his transition story, training the tactical athete, sleep and performance, injury prevention, his incredible book and so much more. He is also certified under the Department of State’s Worldwide Personal Protective Service-2, and spent nearly two years on the High-Threat Protection team for the U.S. Ambassador to Baghdad in Iraq. In Special Operations and in subsequent private deployments, Craig held a variety of instructional and diplomatic security roles in locations including Kenya, the Philippines, Central America, South Sudan, and Iraq.

Robb Milano (Telehealth, Addiction and the Power of Community) - Episode 969

Robb Milano is 30 year veteran of the Fire Service. He is currently the Division Chief of EMS for the Vancouver (WA) Fire Department. We discuss his journey into the fire service, the impact addiction had on his family, the progressive solutions his department has in place to combat the opiod crisis, the innovative 911 Telehealth integration they've employed to reduce non-emergent calls, leadership, shift work and so much more. He has had the privilege of serving in multiple departments as a high school fire explorer, volunteer firefighter, career firefighter, Engineer, Captain, Battalion Chief and Division Chief. This journey has afforded him the opportunity to gain multiple experiences and education. In his home life, he and his wife have blended four bio kids and foster/adopted four additional kids. The trauma from addiction in all of their kids lives has led his passion to battle the opioid crisis in his local community thru innovations of leave behind narcan and medication assisted treatments in the field. As the EMS Chief of an urban fire department he has worked to find alternatives to lower acuity medical calls thru response changes, BLS ambulance response and nurse navigation / tele health at the 911 dispatch center. Thus allowing ALS resources to be available for life critical calls. Thru these innovations his department has ALS treatment and transport within 9mins 90% of the time.

Travis Gribble (Law Enforcement, Child Abuse and Healing) - Episode 968

Travis Gribble is a 24 year veteran of Law Enforcement, SWAT commander and the man behind "My Arena" We discuss his journey into policing, fitness standards, his officer involved shooting, the child abuse call that almost broke him, the damage a mismatched counselor can do, his healing journey, the Strugglewell program and so much more. My name is Travis Gribble and I am a retired 24 year law enforcement veteran. I spent 11 years in Michigan where I worked as a deputy, deputy sergeant, and SWAT team commander. In 2008 I made a lateral move to Mesa Police Department in Arizona. Mesa is a city of 520,000 and 850 sworn police officers. In Mesa I worked as a patrol officer, patrol sergeant, SWAT assistant team leader, and SWAT sergeant team leader. During the course of my career I was a part of countless critical incidents and I always thought none of the calls were affecting me. In 2016 I experienced what I now know to be a life-changing call. For five years after the call I never sought appropriate help and I was slowly self-destructing within. As the years and calls went by my cup was reaching capacity and in 2021 I was brought to my knees. Thankfully I was put in touch with a therapist who specializes in first responder care and I began the journey of healing. It was then I learned to live life in a much better way, but due to the extent of the trauma I decided I would seek retirement. In 2022 I was awarded a post-traumatic stress injury retirement and my current journey began. Only one short month after my retirement and through unplanned circumstances, I was given the opportunity to share my story with a leadership group of SWAT operators. The response to my raw story while sharing lessons learned by me and my agency was nothing short of amazing. From that day forward I continued sharing my story on podcasts, at law enforcement conferences, for first responder organizations and through a social media platform. This path has now turned into creating a community and advocating for first responders mental health well-being. I have created the organization “My Arena” where we are dedicated to provide training for individual first responders, their families, and agencies. This community will stand for one very specific concept: you’re not alone! I am working with like-minded organizations and providers to smash the stigma of getting help while providing a landing spot for those who need to see they are not alone. I now live in the mountains of Montana with my wife Emily where we are establishing roots and chasing our dreams.

Tom Eberhardt (Norwegian Prisons, Community Safety and Reducing Recidivism) - Episode 73

Tom Eberhardt is a Senior Adviser for the Norwegian Correctional Service (KDI) and Amend Norwegian Director. He was educated at the Correctional Service of Norway Staff Academy as a prison officer and has higher education in economics and crisis management. Tom worked 26 years in different prisons in Norway and held several management positions. Tom was the Warden at Bastøy Prison for six years. Since February 2020, he has worked full time for Amend. We talk crime, guns, healthcare, prison models and much more.

Dr Jena Casas (Mental Health in First Responders, School Psychology and Retirees) - Episode 967

Dr. Casas is a Clinical and Police and Public Safety Psychologist in the State of Nevada. She also holds a PSYPACT Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Psychology license that allows for the practice of virtual practice in 32 additional states. We discuss her experience in EMT school, clinical psychology, first responder mental health, entrance testing, dispatchers, retirees and so much more. Dr. Jena Casas, Ph.D. is a Licensed Clinical and Police and Public Safety Psychologist who owns and operates a private practice in Northern Nevada. She holds a master's degree in Criminal Justice and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Nevada, Reno, and is a certified emergency responder and public safety clinician. She specializes in providing mental health services to first responders and their families and organizational consultation to agencies interested in developing wellness programming for their staff. Dr. Casas is an accomplished researcher, having published dozens of peer-reviewed publications and book chapters on topics related to the intersection of culture, psychology, and law; her most recent publications are related to the mental health of first responders. Dr. Casas is also a member of key organizations for providers that practice in police and public safety psychology, including APA’s division 18, the IACP psychological services section, the national sheriffs association, and the society for police and criminal psychology.

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