Behind The Shield

This week's episode is unique as it's actually the Firehouse Leadership Podcast. I was invited as a guest by host Joshua Chase, but it was his testimony of the impact my book "Kinder" had on him that I wanted to share. I wrote it to put hope in the mental health conversation, to show that we can overcome the trauma we encounter and become better versions of ourselves. You will hear Josh's experience, one that I hope you will have too. I am a husband, father, fireman, author, writer, public speaker, and combat military veteran from Virginia Beach, Virginia. I’ve been in the fire service and have served as a firefighter for fifteen years. For the last two years I have served as the Lieutenant on a ladder company. Though I grew up on an engine company, I much prefer the ladder. I’ve spent most of my career at the informal level of leadership. Meaning I wasn’t always a Lieutenant, but chose to step up, fill the gaps, and lead anyway. My mantra at work is pretty simple, “Do your job.” Do the job you took an oath to do, and its all good.I also obviously write fire service books, and speak on fire service leadership. In 2019 I received the Fire Service Medal of Honor for making a grab during a two alarm apartment fire. I never joined the fire service to get medals, but that was a great moment in my career and something cool for my wife and kids to be apart of. The kid visited the station later that year and made a full recovery. That was better than any medal they could have given me. Last but not least, I am a combat veteran of the United States Army. I was enlisted from 2003-2009. I served as a UH-60 Black Hawk Crew Chief in the US Army for six years. As a UH-60 helicopter repairer, I was primarily responsible for the maintenance of the UH-60 Helicopters. At my end time of service I was honorably discharged at the rank of Sergeant. I go to do some pretty cool stuff while I was deployed during Operation Iraqi Freedom.Jump Seat Leadership: https://jumpseatleadership.org/

Diamond Dallas Page is a retired professional wrestler and founder of the yoga system DDPY. We discuss his early life, combating injury, addiction, discovering yoga and much more.Film and television actor and personality Dallas Page has been entertaining millions of fans for over 20 years. The athletic, 52 year-old Page knew at an early age that he was born to entertain. His grandmother called him “energetic”—truly an understatement. Whether it was barreling through his grandma’s kitchen on his tricycle, swinging from chandeliers at the babysitter’s house, or cannonballs at neighborhood pool parties, Page knew how to grab an audience and have them eat out of the palm of his hand.With his size, strength and natural ability, Page excelled in multiple sports high school and college. After college, Dallas Page followed his calling to entertain, entering the nightclub business and quickly established himself as one of the south’s leading club owners and promoters. But he still had the pro wrestling “itch.” On a whim, Page sent a tape to the AWA (American Wrestling Alliance), one of the country’s premiere professional wrestling organizations. The AWA promoters immediately offered Page a contract to “manage”—escorting and doing all of the ‘over-the-top’ talking—their top stars. With his long, curly hair, conceited manner and ever present “Diamond Dolls,” “Diamond” Dallas Page was a natural at working crowd into a frenzy and became the man fans loved to hate.Word of Page’s talent began to spread throughout the wrestling establishment. Unlike most wrestling managers that could only talk a good game, Page had the size and athleticism to go with it. Established superstars such as Dusty Rhodes and Magnum, T.A. convinced Page to expand his role and learn to be a complete wrestler. At age 35, Page entered the fabled WCW “Power Plant” and soon after became the oldest rookie in pro wrestling historyPage’s incredible work ethic, training regimen and preventative maintenance along with unmatched personal focus and determination, enabled him to battle the hands of time and stay healthy enough to wrestle men half his age for years to come. His uncanny ability to create and re-create his character propelled him to national notoriety and made him one of the hottest merchandising commodities in professional wrestling, first for WCW, then, the WWF which now have merged to become the WWE.During Page’s fourteen year pro wrestling career, he captivated audiences and became a three-time world champion. His matches with wrestling legends such as Hulk Hogan, Randy “Macho Man” Savage, and Bill Goldberg became legendary. And as networks, actors and professional athletes became more interested in the fan base and ratings that professional wrestling was attracting, Diamond Dallas Page became the unlikely tag team partner of late-night talk show host Jay Leno, basketball great Karl Malone and movie star David Arquette. Pay-per-view and charity match appearances versus Hogan and perennial “bad boy” Dennis Rodman are memorable to both fans and non-fans alike.Throughout Page’s wrestling career, Hollywood has recognized his ability to be more than just a pro wrestling icon. Never one to settle for just being “good enough,” Page sought out renowned acting coach and theatre director Howard Fine in order to hone his acting skills. “Diamond Dallas Page is one of the most fearless and intense actors that I have ever taught,” said Fine, whose list of acting students includes Brad Pitt, Michael Chiklis and Salma Hayek. “He throws himself into every performance and never fails to compel attention. He can play a wide range of characters and is actually quite adept at comedy but give him a psychotic killer to play and you can expect fireworks.”

Robert Banghart serves as the Vice President of Community Integration for Shine A Light Foundation and is the Program Manager for CrossRoads. His personal journey from homelessness, which lasted five years above and below ground, took a pivotal turn when he received a scholarship to Freedom House. Now, Robert shines as a beacon of hope, dedicated to helping others find their second chance.In this conversation, we discuss his journey into addiction, the homeless city that dwells in Las Vegas' tunnel system, the rampant crime the homeless are subjected to, surviving a murder attempt, his powerful recovery story, the three sided solution that Shine a Light Foundation provides, success stories and so much more.

Jason Blasi is a 23-year veteran with the Miami-Dade Fire Department, where he serves as a member of IAFF Local 1403. In addition to his role within the department, Jason is also a member of the department’s peer support team and is dedicated to fostering a resilient and supportive culture within his department and beyond. Outside of his professional responsibilities, Jason is also a person in recovery who is committed to overcoming life’s challenges and becoming the best version of himself. Jason is passionate about spreading awareness on the disease of addiction and wants to help other fire fighters develop adaptive strategies for coping with occupational related stressors, as well as the pressures that come with day-to-day life. In collaboration with Hannah Elmore, MSW and Clinical Outreach Coordinator at the IAFF Center of Excellence, Jason will provide attendees with a comprehensive discussion on what is takes to recognize the warning signs of addiction, how to connect with helpful resources, and why maintain hope is a crucial key to recovery. Jason will share his transformative journey of recovery, aims to diminish stigma surrounding addiction, and ultimately contribute to the collective well-being of fire service members.

Tom Datro is a Veteran West Coast Law Enforcement Officer and the host of the Policing in America Podast. We discuss his early life in Chicago, his journey into policing, the negative impact of the 'Defund' movement on his community, drug prohibition, proactive corrections, the recruitment crisis and much more.

Dr BJ Miller is a hospice and palliative care specialist, public speaker, and connector.His interests are in working across disciplines to effect broad-based culture change and in cultivating a civic model for aging and dying. By facilitating open conversations about loss and perspective, he hopes to inspire people to effectively participate in their own care. BJ aims to improve the quality of life for all and compel the healthcare system to adapt to the changing needs of the people it's trying to serve.We talk about his own journey through palliative care after a near fatal accident, the Zen Hospice Project, hospice, death, how to live a fulfilling life and much more.

Jake, a former Army Airborne Infantryman, founded In Extremis Performance after his military service. Focused on law enforcement special operations units at all levels, he has spent the last 5 years primarily with federal teams, creating human performance programs to boost effectiveness and longevity. With a Doctorate from Campbell University, Jake designs research- backed fitness tests and shooting assessments for operational units while developing training pipelines. Actively involved in the tactical and human performance industries, Jake serves on the TTPOA board and spearheads a health and wellness initiative for Texas law enforcement.https://inextremisperformance.com/

Jon Vought is a career firefighter/paramedic and the man behind Rescue 1 CBD. We discuss his journey into the fire service, the post op prescription medication that led him to CBD, his journey to find a product that was safe for work place drug testing, sleep deprivation, shift work and so much more. "Rescue 1 CBD was started by Jon Vought, a Firefighter/Paramedic in South Florida who wanted to challenge the status quo of the health and wellness in the fire service. Our mission is to increase the longevity of firefighters during their careers and after their retirement as well. If we can improve our first responders’ sleep, mental health and cut back on the amount of medications required to do those things, then we’ve accomplished our mission."https://rescue1cbd.com/

Casey Allen is a Special Operations Firefighter, Artist and the man behind Brick City Battle. His wife Shelby is a Nurse Practitioner, Athlete and Coach. We discuss their journeys into service, the impact of shift work and mandatory overtime on their children and marriage, the physical and mental health decay from sleep deprivation, Parkinson's Disease, his firefighter themed fitness fundraiser and so much more.Register for the Brick City Battle Here: https://podium.boxtribe.io/web/?event_id=3986

Zeke Crozier, a medically retired Army Staff Sergeant served nine years with the Chinook Helicopter Unit operating out of the New Century Air Center in Gardner, KS. Zeke was deployed for Humanitarian missions to Pakistan & Africa and two combat deployments to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Then June 25, 2011, as a Crew Chief in Afghanistan, Zeke’s Chinook Helicopter crashed while on a mission. No one died, though Zeke and another soldier were severely injured. Zeke experienced a traumatic brain injury. In a coma for two weeks, he was expected to suffer from severe disabilities for the rest of his life. Doctors were unsure if Zeke would ever walk or talk again. (Kansas City Star Video Interview).However, a miracle happened. Zeke woke up. Because the left side of his body including his face was paralyzed, he had to learn everything over again. With support from his wife, Lacy, he progressed from a wheelchair to relearning how to walk and talk. Zeke gained a second chance at life. While Zeke was in the hospital, members of his unit died in another crash shot down in August 2011. It is the worst loss of American lives in a single incident in the Afghan War, and it made international headlines. In 2013, Zeke was awarded the Purple Heart and medically retired from the Army. Struggling to find a new purpose, Zeke found a therapeutic outlet in creating unique pieces of art using bottle caps. This hobby became a thriving business. Art gave Zeke a new lease on life and he wanted other veterans and people of many diverse backgrounds to experience the joy of making things with their hands but more importantly, connecting with the community through art. Handy-Cappin’ is dedicated to helping individuals who suffer from mental health issues, disabilities, and PTSD. Handy-Cappin’s mission is to make a difference as a fundraising partner with other organizations to benefit people with disabilities, veterans, and their families.Handy-Cappin's vision is to make possible one-of-a-kind and meaningful experiences to honor those who survive, thrive, and overcome adversity– to honor those that have served in the military and those that have fallen, to support and encourage people with diverse abilities.