Behind The Shield

John Brunacini retired as a Fire Captain from the Phoenix Fire Dept Oct. 2006, where he served 26 years in the positions of Firefighter, Engineer and his last 14 years as a Captain. As a Captain on the department he developed and managed the Phoenix Fire Network, he worked in the field as the Company Officer on Ladder 11 B-shift for 10 years, and his last 3 years on the job he managed the department's Command Training Center. After retiring, John became one the major co-founders of the Blue Card Incident Commander Training and Certification Program (for Type 4 & 5 Incident types) that was released in 2008. The end of 2020, after 14 years of managing Blue Card, John retired from Blue Card, where he has since written and published the textbook "Managing a Fire Company". John is currently in the process of developing a corresponding Company Officer training and certification program that is based on and is supported by his new textbook.

Will Chesney is a Navy SEAL, author and the handler of elite warrior dog, Cairo. We discuss his journey into the military, fighting an unseen enemy, chasing excellence, becoming a dog handler, Cairo's near fatal heroism, the Osama Bin Laden raid, PTSD, TBIs, canine therapy and so much more.Two dozen Navy SEALs descended on Osama bin Laden’s compound in May 2011. After the mission, only one name was made public: Cairo, a Belgian Malinois and military working dog. This is Cairo's story, and that of his handler, Will Chesney, a SEAL Team Operator whose life would be irrevocably tied to Cairo's. Starting in 2008, when Will was introduced to the SEAL canine program, he and Cairo worked side by side, depending on each other for survival on hundreds of critical operations in the war on terrorism. But their bond transcended their service.Then, in 2011, the call came: Pick up your dog and get back to Virginia. Now. What followed were several weeks of training for a secret mission. It soon became clear that this was no

Erik Usher has nearly 30 years of widespread clinical trauma experience and currently serves as a rotor-wing flight nurse/paramedic for Bayflite in Tampa, FL. Erik began his trauma career in 1988 in Connecticut working for a busy hospital-based EMS agency. While continuing to work EMS, Erik obtained his nursing degree at St. Francis Hospital School of Nursing, where he trained in the emergency department of one of Connecticut’s largest and busiest Level I trauma centers. In 1998, Erik began working for the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas. In concert with working in the trauma center, Erik started flight nursing for Mercy Air in 1998, when he became manager and helped establish the current Las Vegas medevac flight program. Erik also worked in the trauma center and in EMS as a Las Vegas street paramedic.Erik is an active speaker at national conventions and a lead instructor/dissector for advanced procedural cadaver labs throughout the country. Erik is an instructor for the Trauma Nursi

Betsy Thibaut Stephenson lost her son Charlie to suicide in 2022. We discuss her work in communications, ethics in public relations, losing her son, her grief journey, writing Blackbird and so much more.Blackbird: A Mother’s Reflections on Grief, Loss, and Life After Suicide, by Betsy Thibaut Stephenson, is a concise and brutally honest memoir about the emotional, physical, and spiritual impact of deep despair. By unflinchingly pulling back the curtain of fear and shame, Betsy’s story inspires important conversations about mental health, grief resilience, and creating a path toward healing.Betsy Stephenson wrote Blackbird after her son Charlie’s death. She lives in Alexandria, Virginia with her husband and Labrador retrievers. When she isn’t visiting her grown daughters in North Carolina and South Carolina, she is helping public affairs clients tell their story to policymakers and the mediahe emotional, physical, and interpersonal toll of grief; and the steps I’ve taken to retrain my body and brain to heal an

Jeff Morefield is 26 year law enforcement veteran and the man behind The On Call Project. We discuss his journey into policing, tornadoes, military service, dive rescue, transitioning out of the first responder professions and so much more.Jeff grew up as an Air Force brat where he graduated high school in Rammstein, Germany. He then attended the University of Central Oklahoma and Air Force ROTC at Oklahoma University. Due to previous medical issues, he was not able to pursue his Air Force dream, but began his career path as a Law Enforcement Officer at the University of Central Oklahoma. He began this journey as a junior in college, specifically Aug 1st, 1997. He spent approximately one year at UCO, before being hired by Yukon Police Department on Jan 19th, 1999. He spent almost 3 years there, before being hired by Edmond Police Department on November 16th of 2001.SGT Morefield found his home and began getting involved heavily within the PD. He served on EPD’s SWAT team for 12 years, EPD’s Under Water Search

Paul De Gelder is and Australian Army veteran, former Navy bomb disposal diver, shark attack survivor and television personality. We discuss bullying, martial arts, rapping, his journey through the military, making peace with death, the adaptive athlete community, plant based diets and much more.Paul de Gelder chased adventure wherever he could find it, from his wild ride as a hoodlum teen and his whirlwind lifestyle working in the music industry & in strip clubs as a bouncer, to hauling his way up to the elite echelons of the Australian Defence Forces as an Army paratrooper and then a Navy bomb disposal diver.But trouble hunted him down in the form of a 9ft bull shark in February 2009 while diving for the Navy. Paul lost two limbs, and his career as a daredevil diver was flung into jeopardy.Drawing on everything his eventful life had taught him, Paul left nothing to chance in his recovery. He fought through excruciating pain, smashing challenge after challenge whilst amazing the medical staff and the Aus

Paul Conway is a third-generation firefighter having served 31 years in the field, retiring as the Chief of Operations for Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 2012. During his time as Chief, he worked in conjunction with federal, state and local agencies in the Southwest Threat Analysis Center. Chief Conway also partnered with other local fire departments in developing joint operations, enhancing radio interoperability and improving training and response capabilities. He also served with the New Berlin Volunteer Fire Department-WI for seventeen years. In 1985, Chief Conway used his fire service experience and passion to establish Conway Shield. His business strives to be a leading source of protective gear, safety equipment and educational resources in the country.https://www.conwayshield.com/

"I began my journey in the fitness industry over 15 years ago as a personal trainer. From walking the gym floor to earning a degree in Sports Science, I ultimately joined the Royal Marines. There, I specialised as a Royal Marines Physical Training and Exercise Rehabilitation Instructor.After nearly a decade in the Marines, it has become my mission to elevate the standards of aspiring Commandos and anyone with ambitious training goals, ensuring they have built the solid foundations needed to achieve & succeed.I’ve seen too many potential Commandos fall short because they hadn’t built the physical and mental resilience necessary to conquer the challenges ahead.Remember: the bigger the foundation, the taller the tower.If you are interested in working with a military preparation team that has over 40 years of Royal Marines experience and has coached over 1,000 military recruits to earn their Green Beret, we’re here to help you walk the personalised path to becoming a Commando or achieving what you once though

Anthony Longo is a U.S. Marine Corps Combat Veteran who served multiple deployments in Fallujah, Iraq, as an Infantry Communication Specialist. After his military service, he pursued a career in Fire Rescue, earning a degree in Emergency Medical Services (EMS), and certification as a Nationally Registered Paramedic (NRP). His dedication to protecting others led him to serve as a Tactical Medic for the U.S. Department of State, conducting diplomatic security operations in Kabul, Afghanistan. During his service, he was awarded the Department of State’s Medal of Heroism for his actions during an insurgent attack on a U.S. compound that resulted in a mass-casualty incident.​During his time overseas, Anthony developed a passion for canine training and rehabilitation, working alongside world-renowned trainers. He immersed himself in the field, traveling across the country and internationally to refine his expertise. After completing his contracting career in 2017, he fully committed to working with and breeding ser

Dr Michael Greger is a physician, author and internationally recognized nutrition expert. We discuss the causes of chronic disease, plant based diet, carcinogens, disease reversal and much more.Michael Greger, M.D. FACLM is a physician, New York Times bestselling author, and internationally recognized professional speaker on a number of important public health issues. Dr. Greger has lectured at the Conference on World Affairs, the National Institutes of Health, and the International Bird Flu Summit, among countless other symposia and institutions; testified before Congress; has appeared on shows such as The Colbert Report and The Dr. Oz Show; and was invited as an expert witness in defense of Oprah Winfrey at the infamous "meat defamation" trial. In 2017, he was honored with the ACLM Lifestyle Medicine Trailblazer Award.Dr. Greger's most recent scientific publications in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Critical Reviews in Microbiology, Family and Community Health, and the International Journal of

Jeff Nichols has been a strength coach for over 20 years working with athletes of all ages in amateur and professional athletics. Jeff is certified through the NSCA as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and Facilitator both with distinction.Jeff began his career as a graduate assistant at Troy University under Richard Schaughnessy CSCS*D and later as an assistant managing 14 Varsity sports. After earning a double major in Kinesiology and Chemistry in 2002, Jeff joined the navy and spent eleven years as a Navy SEAL. Aside from serving as a SEAL while on active duty, he also worked at a Navel Special Warfare command as the active duty Department Head within the Human Performance Department. Jeff oversaw product development, product assessment, program assessment, and operator delegate within Special Operations Command (SOCOM) for Human Performance.After honorable discharge from Naval service Jeff became the Co-Founder and Co-Owner of Virginia High Performance LLC in Virginia Beach. Jeff oversaw th

Steve Wolf's passion for science and engineering, and his 35-year career in stunts and pyrotechnics have given major Hollywood directors the ability to create and control all manner of fires. Now he's redirecting his skills to give the same abilities to firefighters.Wolf has hosted Discovery TV shows on science on engineering, and holds a B.A. from Columbia University. He's presented at the World Science Festival, The U.S. Science & Engineering Festival, and received Time Warner’s “Science Presenter of the Year” award. Wolf also worked as an EMT, rescue diver, volunteer firefighter and rescue tech.https://www.teamwildfire.com/

Dr. Erik Won is President and Chief Medical Officer of Wave Neuroscience, Inc; a biotechnology company that has innovated breakthrough technologies called Magnetic e-Resonance Therapy (MeRT) and Synchronized Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (sTMS). These technologies utilize computational neuroanalytics and brain imaging to customize treatment protocols with the aim of restoring optimal neurological function. These modalities represent a form of precision-guided medicine that has been researched or is currently being used by premier institutions such as US Special Operations Command, Stanford University School of Medicine, Duke University - Human Performance Opti-Lab, University of Southern California (USC) Center for Neurorestoration, the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) - David Geffen School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Brown University, and the Texas A&M Institute for Bioscience and Technology, among others. Erik joined Wave Neuroscience after serving as the Chief Physician and

Ellizabeth Pol is a current Police Officer of 21 years and the Founder/CEO of Resilient Heroes to present first responders and military personnel with psychoeducation on Trauma and Suicide. We discuss her journey into law enforcement, the first responder mental health crisis, suicide autopsies, forensic psychology, canine therapy and much more."As a mental health professional, my goal is to inform first responders and military personnel of the trauma, triggers, and suicide risk factors that can affect them. By providing the knowledge of stress and adversities to trauma, we can provide them with the tools for self-care and the capacity to advocate mental health resources. This will offer our first responders and military the ability to be more proactive and resilient which reduces the likelihood of being in crisis."https://www.resilient-heroes.com/

Alastair McGregor is the Co-Founder of STEALTH®: A de-escalation tool using Lego® Serious Play®. A preventative tool which stops people dying. It works and it lasts. And it uses Lego® Al is a Preventative Psychologist specialising in subconscious communication. He has researched and worked with personnel from the SBS & Royal Marines through to ballet dancers & police. Al is currently focused on preventing suicide and lowering self harm in prisons (Operation spitfire) across multiple UK Prisons (Category A - C).Josh Williams is a custodial manager within the UK prison service. He joined in 2018 after working as an on call firefighter. Since joining HMPPS Josh has also began a career with a private ambulance service. Josh believes that the STEALTH® De-escalation tool is going to be an amazing addition to prisons across the world not just the UK. The skills that accompany this tool will save countless lives.

Blayne Smith is a West Point graduate, former Green Beret and highly effective business leader across a variety of industries and capacities. For over 25 years, Blayne has built teams and communities through a deep understanding of, and focus on, culture and leadership. Whether serving in corporate, small business, or nonprofit roles, his focus has remained on the people.Inaugural recipient of the George W. Bush Institute Military Service Citation for exemplary leadership both during and beyond serviceFormer President and current board member at GORUCK First Executive Director of Team Red, White and Blue; scaled a hyper inclusive, national community based organization from 3 to 212 cities, delivering 45,000 events per year, enriching the lives of over 150,000 veteransAs a Green Beret (Special Forces Commander), commanded multi-national and inter-agency combat operations Distinguished Honor Graduate from the US Army Ranger SchoolLed over 200 combat missions in Iraq and AfghanistanMBA, University of Floridahttp

Terry, Joe and Dickie were my crew on Truck 1 in California, a true example of a band of brothers. We've helped each other through epic fires, gruesome extrications, divorce, back surgery, COVID and PTSD.This episode gives an insight into the reality of a cohesive team. in the fire service. We discussed everything from creating great leadership, dealing with trauma, the importance of training and much more.Terry Wilson, Joe Aldecoa, Richard (Dickie) Sprout and James Geering served on a Truck Company in California together. This was by far the most cohesive crew I was assigned to. We bought some beer, turned on the microphones and just started talking. This gives the listener an insight of a band of brothers who saw the best and worst life had to offer.

Russell Foster is a professor of circadian neuroscience at the University of Oxford, where he also heads the Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology and the Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute.Foster’s research focuses on both visual and circadian neurobiology, and mainly on the mechanisms whereby light regulates circadian rhythms in humans and other vertebrates and what happens when these systems break down as a result of disease and under abnormal environmental conditions. The Nuffield Laboratory is currently the only research group in Europe, and one of very few in the world, where the dual functions of the eye — as both a receptor organ for vision and for the regulation of sleep and circadian rhythms — are being studied side by side.One of Foster’s most groundbreaking findings was the discovery in mice of a specialized class of photoreceptors within the eye called photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (pRGCs). These pRGCs regulate not only circadian rhythms, but also sleep and arousal states, heart ra

Kona Oliveira is a federal firefighter, professional MMA fighter and big wave surfer who recently went viral for shredding a monster swell at Peahi off Maui. We discuss his childhood in Hawaii, growing up in a martial arts family, his MMA journey, the paradox of surfing and competition, becoming a firefighter and much more.

Matson Browning is an internationally recognized authority on the inner workings of white supremacy groups. As an undercover detective for more than two decades in Arizona, he thought he knew what hate looked like, that is, until he got a front row seat. For more than 25 years, Browning has been infiltrating, documenting, and disrupting White supremacy movements from the inside, gaining and intimate vantage point to the KKK, skinheads, border militias, Proud Boys, and other White power groups, as they organized and grew, their ranks including police force and military veterans. Together with his intrepid wife, Tawni, he adopted fake ids and ideologies, seeking the arrest of its hate groups participants -- none more so than JT Ready, a neo-Nazi who took "hunting trips" for border migrants while gaining mainstream acceptance as a political candidate -- and terrorizing Browning's family. What others dismissed as fringe groups, Browning quickly recognized as large and interconnected organizations permeating every