Bonus Episode - Sara Weston - “911der Women”

Explicit content warning

07/12/22 • 41 min

Stories From the Road: First Responder Stories

“Coming together to fight this whole, like, “we eat our young” concept, and [...] to support trainees that are coming in – even though they are a lot different than the folks who have been doing it for 20 years – you know instead of trying to beat them down. All of these things are small but are gonna have huge results if we keep going with it.” -Sara Weston

It was the desire to make a difference, the unwavering belief of a friend, and a leap of faith that led Sara Weston to create a Facebook group for women in the 911 community. She hoped it would be a place for them to find what she discovered to be lacking during her college and initial professional experiences: mentorship, support, “camaraderie and confidence.” As one of just seven females in her college’s IT program, Sara quickly realized her journey would be anything but typical. That realization deepened when she began her career in a firm where young professionals – especially young women – were few and far between. Consulting on 911 technology embedded her in the public service community's important work, and she recognized the opportunity to embolden and empower other women in 911.

Join former paramedic/firefighter and host Phil Klein as he turns the mic over to Sara, 911der Women’s founder and executive director. Through workshops, mentorships, scholarships, and even yoga, the nonprofit’s programming aims to strengthen connections and offer tools and resources to help the women of the 911 community be successful. To learn more about this inspiring work, visit 911derwomen.com.

If you’re enjoying Stories From the Road, please take a minute to give us a five star review on Apple Podcasts or whatever platform you use to listen. Visit www.storiesfromtheroadpodcast.com for more bonus content and to stay up to date on the upcoming release of Season 3!

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Previous Episode

Advanced EMT Sean - "The Band"

“Years later, the fellow I was telling you about that I actually knew personally reached out to me, because he had gotten word that I had responded in and helped out at the scene. To be fair, I helped extricate, I took some vital signs – you know this was a giant team effort.” – Advanced EMT Sean

It’s important for first responders to have an outlet outside of their job that allows them to decompress and take care of their physical and mental well-being. For Advanced EMT Sean, that outlet is music, and his love of it predates his 10-year career as a first responder. Separate, but important parts of his life, his music and EMT careers unexpectedly collide when he arrives on the scene of a mass casualty incident involving a van wreck with 11 potential patients – a few of whom he's surprised to find he recognizes.

Join former firefighter/paramedic and host Phil Klein as he sits down in studio with Sean, who also serves as the lead singer and lead guitarist for the Georgia-native band Soniq Armada. Sean shares how he got his start as a first responder and identifies the parallels he finds between his work in music and as an Advanced EMT.

Self-described as mixing “the brutal elements of death and black metal with industrial synth and atmosphere,” you can learn more about Sean's band, Soniq Armada, by visiting their Facebook, Soniq Armada | Facebook, or catching them live at their next performance on July 15, 2022 at Reno’s Chop Shop in Dallas, TX!

Please take a moment to give Stories From the Road a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or whatever platform you use to listen. Consider supporting Stories From the Road on Patreon as we prepare for Season 3!

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Next Episode

Paramedic Supervisor Laney - "Balance"

“I got cleaned up, and I’m like I still have a job to do. And that’s the crazy thing about EMS, is the next patient that you get doesn’t care what you just did. They don’t understand what you just did, they don’t understand that you’re upset, and they don’t understand that you are trying to process what you’ve just gone through. All they know is they called you for help, and they want you to be on your game.” – PMDC Supervisor Laney

“Why do I keep doing this to myself?” It’s a question all first responders might ask themselves and, while sliding down a trauma center wall and covered in blood, Laney finds herself wondering the same thing. After she and her partner respond to an incident involving a teenage boy with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Laney has little time to process the incident before she must respond to the next call...and the next. Later that day, when she hears tires screeching in her direction at one of the hospital’s ambulance bays, she fears the worst – until she finds herself covered in blood for a very different reason.

Join former firefighter/paramedic and host Phil Klein as he sits down with his first guest of Season 3, Supervisor Laney. After achieving a high score on the public safety portion of an aptitude test in high school and participating in subsequent exploratory programs, Laney unquestionably knew she wanted to work in EMS. She discusses the difficulty in forging ahead amidst the compounding effects of responding to trauma after trauma and the incident that gave her the very important answer to exactly why she keeps doing “this” 12 years into her career.

Excited about Season 3 of Stories From the Road? So are we! We can’t wait to share with you 10 new first responder stories, and we appreciate your support. Please take a moment to give us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or whichever platform you use to listen.

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