Stories From the Road: First Responder Stories

“It was fortunate for both of us – as a department and for me personally – because if I would’ve pulled up with just 500 gallons of water and a 500-gallon pump, and one single 21⁄2” supply line on the only hydrant that was available, we probably would’ve burned that building down.” – Chief Bob

In the heat of the moment, it’s critical that those in the fire service make sound, strategic decisions and then execute them flawlessly. Yet sometimes, it’s the choices made well before a call is received that can truly make all the difference. With three of his township’s four stations participating in a demonstration for the insurance service office (ISO) rating, Bob is left with the oldest engine in the area to run all fire and EMS calls. His request for an additional engine from a neighboring town is reluctantly granted by his chief, but neither of them has any idea how Bob’s foresight will impact his crew's ability to save an old three-story balloon frame tavern from complete destruction.

Join former firefighter/paramedic and host Phil Klein as he sits down with Chief Bob who shares a story out of his collection from a 40-year career in the fire service. Bob vividly details his familial ties to the fire service, the parade ride in a 1918 Ahrens-Fox fire engine that cemented his career aspirations at the age of six, and the unforeseen complications that accompanied the burning of Bevis Tavern.

Are you a first responder who has a story from the road you’d like to share? Email [email protected], and you could be featured in an upcoming episode.

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"You have these deputies who are screaming on the radio, ‘Bring more quick clot, bring more quick clot!’ So, it dawns on me, as I’m walking up to the house... these are the same deputies that were screaming, ‘Bring more fire extinguishers!’ last night."

Every first responder has a call that sticks with them long after the final flame is extinguished or the last chest compression is performed. While the circumstances and details vary, every story is an integral piece of the puzzle of what it means to be in public service. Sometimes that picture is happy and sometimes it’s heart-wrenching, but each is framed by the foundational role mental health plays in first responders’ experiences individually and collectively.

Join former firefighter/paramedic and host Phil Klein as he sits down with Lt. Drew, a nearly 29-year veteran of law enforcement, to discuss the re-emerging topic of mental health. A frequent contributor to law enforcement-related podcasts, Drew shares both personal and professional events that have made him a fierce advocate for ensuring first responders receive the mental and emotional support they need.

Are you a first responder who has a story from the road you’d like to share? Email [email protected], and you could be featured in an upcoming episode.
https://linktr.ee/DrewBreasy

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“We meet so many people in a single shift and, after a while, it does accumulate, but we may be the only first responders someone sees, let alone the last person they see or the last voice they hear on this earth.” - Paramedic Alexis
Flower petals and stems lay strewn about the seats of the car Alexis was photographing – along with brain matter and blood. Her eyes scanned the car’s mangled interior, and she wondered how the call, dispatched as a low-level trauma, could’ve ended up being this: a man fighting for his life, his car wrapped inextricably around a light pole after being clipped and spun by another driver who fled the scene. Upon learning the flight team would be unable to fly because of weather, Alexis headed to help her team transport the man to the hospital – but not before noticing a small card that had been dislodged from the bouquet and plucking it from the wreckage.
Join former paramedic/firefighter and host Phil Klein as he welcomes returning guest Paramedic Alexis. She recalls the rainy day in rural Louisiana nearly a year ago, when she and her partner were blindsided by the severity of an accident that they initially believed could be no more than a fender bender. She shares the heartbreaking note scrawled on the bouquet’s card, her endeavor to find and share the message with its intended recipient, and how its sentiments prompted Alexis to share a very important message of her own with her husband.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this story from Alexis, be sure to listen to her other episode, “Two Floors Up” from season four! Please take a moment to give Stories From the Road a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or whichever platform you use to listen. Visit www.storiesfromtheroadpodcast.com for more content.

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“I can remember when he said, ‘Turn the machine off,’ things got really bad for me about that time, because I’ve always had a fantastic relationship with our fire department. In fact, I would say they’re the best in the nation. I wouldn’t want anybody else touching me except for them. But when that decision was made, I was not good with that decision. I said, ‘You’re not turning it off, you’re gonna leave it on until we can get her, you know, until we can get her back. I’m not leaving her.’” – Officer Ernie

It looked like a yard sale of car parts when Officer Ernie arrived, as mangled pieces of metal and plastic lay strewn about the Texas highway. The smells of radiator fluid and hot engine steam hung in the air, and Ernie’s attention went from the dazed young man pacing the scene to the young woman lying motionless on the ground and gasping for air. It was Father’s Day and, despite first responders’ best efforts, Ernie knew the woman’s father would be receiving a knock on his door that would mar the holiday forever.

In the final episode of season three, join former firefighter/paramedic and host Phil Klein as he sits down with author and mental health advocate Officer Ernie. In this seldom-shared story, Ernie reveals the call that impacted him unlike any other during his 28-year career and, although it's been more than six years since he was the first to reach the scene of that devastating rollover accident, he remembers every detail as if it were yesterday. He discusses how retirement allowed him to process thoughts and feelings he had carried on the job and realize just how heavy the weight of that emotional burden was.

To learn more about Ernie’s work and his best-selling book, Mental Health & De-escalation: A Guide for Law Enforcement Professionals, visit his website, erneststevens.com or buy now: Mental health & De-escalation: A guide for law enforcement professionals.

Thank you for listening to season three! Please take a moment to give us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or whichever platform you use to listen. We look forward to sharing more of your Stories From the Road in season four. Check out all available episodes on www.storiesfromtheroadpodcast.com.

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“We take strange calls, we take funny calls, suicidal calls. Hearing gunshots over the phone – that’s so frustrating, because like I said, you beg them not to do it, and it doesn’t work. They do it anyway. The stress experienced by 911 dispatchers is what develops with listening to someone else’s absolute worst day every day. We listen to it every day, because people don’t call 911 when they’re having a good day.” – Dispatcher Justine

Before anyone can reach the front line, someone must answer a phone line. The “first” first responders, dispatchers serve as audial witnesses who have to listen carefully and question pointedly to ascertain the true status of a scene. Not only is the person on the other end of the phone relying on the dispatcher, but so are the police officers, firefighters, and paramedics who want to respond to a call effectively and safely.

Join former firefighter/paramedic Phil Klein as he sits down with Justine who, during her 27-year career in dispatch, heard everything from the humorous to the horrific. The daughter of first responders, Justine grew up more familiar than most with the critical role dispatchers play in assisting callers in an emergency until help arrives. She discusses the impact that hearing a baby’s first cry or a mother’s last breath has on dispatchers’ mental health and the importance of allowing them the time to step back and process what they’ve heard.

Are you a fan of Stories From the Road? Please take a moment to support this podcast on Patreon, and give it a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or whichever platform you use to listen.

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