I'm incredibly honored as I got to sit with Battalion Chief Dena Ali, author of "Hope Out of Darkness." We dove into some of the researched and nuanced details surrounding mental health, leadership, the self, and gratitude for the fire service. A lot was covered in a short amount of time.

From Fire Engineering: Dena Ali is a Battalion Chief with the Raleigh (NC) Fire Department, where she has worked her way up the ranks. She also serves as the program manager of Behavioral Health for the First Responder Center for Excellence. Ali holds a degree from North Carolina State University and an MPA from the University of North Carolina—Pembroke, where her research focused on firefighter suicide. She is an Executive Fire Officer Program graduate through the National Fire Academy. Throughout her career, she has received several awar ...