CHATS WITH FIREFIGHTERS

Chat with Craig, former fire captain in Kansas

In this powerful episode of Chats with Firefighters, Craig, a former Fire Captain from Kansas, shares his deeply personal story of service, struggle, and recovery. He opens up about the challenges he faced throughout his fire service career and how seeking help at the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Center of Excellence transformed his life. By sharing his journey, Craig hopes to reach fellow firefighters who may be silently battling PTSD, burnout, addiction, or the weight of the job. Craig also talks about the next chapter of his life, the challenges that come with it, and why, for deeply personal reasons, he has chosen to support the Ronald McDonald House as his charity of choice. Learn more and support their mission here: https://ronaldmcdonaldhouse.org/ [https://ronaldmcdonaldhouse.org/]. This is an honest, inspiring conversation about resilience, recovery, and finding hope after some of life's darkest moments, following Craig's life motto that now guides and motivates him: "The shortcut to having what you want, is to want what you have." If you know a firefighter who may be struggling, please share this episode with them. Sometimes, hearing someone else's story is the first step toward asking for help. Because "it's okay to ask for help". To learn more about the IAFF Center of Excellence, visit: https://www.iaffrecoverycenter.com/ [https://www.iaffrecoverycenter.com/].

Chat with Scott Freitag, former fire chief in Arizona

What a pleasure to chat with former Arizona fire chief, Scott Freitag! Even after an unexpected twist near the end of his career, Scott looks back on a long and successful journey to fire chief with pride, and shares the life motto that keeps him going: “Never give up.” Join us for a really interesting conversation!

Chat with Eric Ackerman, Battalion Chief in Murrieta Fire and Rescue, California

Chat with Eric Ackerman, Battalion Chief in Murrieta, California. Second generation professional firefighter, Eric shares with us about his fascinating and successful journey promoting through the ranks: a courageous path that guided him to be the leader he is today, as a Battalion Chief. A dedicated father and husband, he's been managing a great balance between his career and his family time. Today, he chose a charity very close to his heart to be featured: Blood Cancer United. www.bloodcancerunited.org [http://www.bloodcancerunited.org] Please consider donating, if you can!

Chat with Kim Hood, Fire Captain in Ohio

Kim Hood, Fire Captain in Ohio, is our first female firefighter guest. Kim is a very accomplished fire captain, with a fascinating backgound, a mix of bodybuilding and teaching young children- every journey is unique! And we loved sharing with Kim about hers. Despite a really busy agenda, she manages to have time for scuba diving and traveling as often as possible with her motorcycling club, the Axemen. Kahlo, her dog, pictured here, is a member too. And a great biker! Kim is choosing her chapter of the Axemen, a professional firefighters biking club tightly involved in many charities' initiatives, as her fundraising call. Please consider donating! https://www.paypal.biz/AxemenOhio4 [https://www.paypal.biz/AxemenOhio4]

Chat with David Hall, retired fire chief in Springfield, Missouri

David Hall, retired fire chief from Springfield, Missouri, sharing about his journey into the fire service, his accomplishments, its challenges, and his life then and now, as a very busy retired firefighter, still working full time as a director of facilities management in Missouri State University, with 7 grandchildren, and still finding the time for many more passions. We loved chatting with David. Please listen to his fascinating journey and to all the stories around it! David is choosing the charity "Convoy of Hope" as a fundraising call. Please check about their amazing work, and consider donating on his name, if you can.