The Muster Room

Today on the Podcast we have former Congressman Anthony D'Esposito. Before serving in the 118th Congress, D'Esposito served as a councilman for the Town of Hempstead and as an NYPD Detective in Brooklyn's 73rd Precinct.

Retired NYPD sergeant Paul Linekin sat down with the Muster Room to discuss the benefits of being involved with fraternal organizations and his work with Talk to Me Post Tour.We've joined forces with LEO Weekend! By supporting this show you are now helping our mission to serve the Law Enforcement Community and provide unforgettable experiences for the families of our nation's fallen heroes.

As a police officer, Robyn was initially assigned to patrol duties and plain clothes assignments in Patrol Borough Manhattan South. Later Robyn worked in the Early Intervention Unit, located in Police Headquarters, where she provided peer counseling and training for officers of all ranks. Robyn's responsibilities expanded to include the restructuring of the early warning and monitoring systems and of the Early Intervention Unit's responsibilities. Robyn facilitated conferences on many topics in law enforcement, education, and mental health. Robyn worked as part of a team to initiate an outreach program for peers in the NYPD to utilize peer services.Subsequent to retiring from the NYPD, Robyn became the founding Director of COP CARE, a nonprofit organization that provided services to police officers in the Tri-State area by means of a helpline. Her organization was hosted by the New York Patrolmen's Union and received in-kind services from that organization.Robyn consulted with the New York State Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), leading a feasibility study for a pilot helpline project for the FOP. Robyn acted as a consultant and clinician for Delta Airlines and other commercial carriers and served as the lead mental health professional on the Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) team for the northeastern United States. Robyn has trained pilots and crews on topics including acute stress, post-traumatic stress, anxiety and panic.Currently, Robyn maintains a professional practice as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (L.C.S.W.) who is Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) certified and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) certified. Robyn currently trains individually on “Brainspotting” (a new, highly effective treatment method) technique, with Dr. David Grand. Robyn provides psychotherapy to children and adults. A substantial part of her practice includes law enforcement officers and their families. Robyn's awards include the Police Self Support Group Humanitarian Award and the Brooklyn Union Gas Person of the Year Award. Robyn is a Board Member for several not-for-profit organizations. She is also currently completing research for her doctorate.Robyn and her colleagues recently developed a protocol for trained law enforcement officers to process daily post-tour events that they encounter during their shifts. This protocol of a reverse roll call, facilitated by trained peers, has established a mechanism to diminish police stress and thereby promote the well-being of officers and the communities that they serve.We've joined forces with LEO Weekend! By supporting this show you are now helping our mission to serve the Law Enforcement Community and provide unforgettable experiences for the families of our nation's fallen heroes.

Pat Ryder was named Commissioner of the Nassau County Police Department in February 2018. He has spent 38 years in law enforcement, serving the last 36 years with the Nassau County Police Department. Commissioner Ryder began his law enforcement career with the New York Police Department on January 4, 1984. He joined the NCPD on July 18, 1986, and was assigned to the 3rd Precinct and in 1989 assigned to the Bureau of Special Operations. Promoted to Sergeant in 1995 and assigned to the 5th Precinct, 8th Squad, and the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) as the Deputy Commanding Officer. In 2008 he was designated the Commanding Officer of AFU, where he proactively implemented a number of life-saving programs and initiatives that helped ensure officer and public safety. These include the NCPD's Real-Time Intelligence (RTI) system; the R.E.A.C.H. Program; the Civilian Intelligence Analyst Program; the DNA Collection Initiative; and the creation of the Counter-Terrorism Unit, Think Tank, and the Department's Criminal Intelligence Rapid Response Team (CIRRT). Together these initiatives have brought crime in Nassau County to historic lows, allowing residents to enjoy one of the lowest crime rates in the United States.We've joined forces with LEO Weekend! By supporting this show you are now helping our mission to serve the Law Enforcement Community and provide unforgettable experiences for the families of our nation's fallen heroes.

Bobby Egbert is a retired Port Authority police officer, a 9/11 first responder veteran, and the public information officer for the Port Authority Police Benevolent Association.We've joined forces with LEO Weekend! By supporting this show you are now helping our mission to serve the Law Enforcement Community and provide unforgettable experiences for the families of our nation's fallen heroes.

Timothy Jaccard is the Founder and President of the AMT Children of Hope Foundation. A full-time paramedic for the Nassau County Police Department, Long Island, NY, he works endlessly and passionately to educate and prevent the abandonment of infants.We've joined forces with LEO Weekend! By supporting this show you are now helping our mission to serve the Law Enforcement Community and provide unforgettable experiences for the families of our nation's fallen heroes.

Prior to founding Fires & Drums, Bobby Tolley was a US Army Staff Sergeant, assigned to a Special Missions Unit in Fort Bragg, NC. He completed my service and returned to New York in May 2016. Although he is proud of the accomplishments of his team during multiple combat deployments, he missed my family greatly. Eleven months later, his brother, FDNY Firefighter William Tolley, was tragically killed while fighting a fire in Brooklyn. Having learned how to deal with tremendous grief, he found a new purpose in life. His next mission would be to ensure that the world knew who William Tolley was and to support the first responder community. This is when Fires & Drums Foundation was born. Since its inception, the Foundation has provided direct financial support to many first responder families, sponsored a local park rehabilitation in Billy's name, provided aid to families in Kentucky, and provided transportation services for first responder families with our foundation van. As always, we cannot succeed in our mission without the generous support of others. The foundation has minimal overhead, 99% of proceeds go to those directly in need. Please consider joining us in our mission, and donate today at firesanddrums.org. We've joined forces with LEO Weekend! By supporting this show you are now helping our mission to serve the Law Enforcement Community and provide unforgettable experiences for the families of our nation's fallen heroes.

Nikki Stonaker is a Sheriff's deputy in Louisiana and has a personal & professional connection to a severe officer-involved incident that sent her into a dark place. Over the course of time, with the support of those around her, she's recovered and continues her law enforcement career. We've joined forces with LEO Weekend! By supporting this show you are now helping our mission to serve the Law Enforcement Community and provide unforgettable experiences for the families of our nation's fallen heroes.

Chris Wolff is a United States Airforce veteran.  Wolff is well known for his involvement in organizations such as Operation Enduring Warrior (OEW), the Adaptive Training Foundation (ATF), his athletic accomplishments, and his support of wounded veterans.  In October 2008, while state-side, Chris received a flu vaccination, which caused a reaction that resulted in him becoming a C-4 quadriplegic.  Determined to get his life back, Chris has worked to beat the odds and he is recovering from paralysis and thriving. Chris Wolff is a beacon of hope and provides a map to move forward for those adapting to significant struggles.  To help support Chris on his journey to walk again please donate to his GoFundMe link below:https://www.gofundme.com/f/get-christopher-walkin?utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1&utm_content=undefined&utm_location=undefined&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer&utm_term=undefinedWe've joined forces with LEO Weekend! By supporting this show you are now helping our mission to serve the Law Enforcement Community and provide unforgettable experiences for the families of our nation's fallen heroes.

Jeremy Scharlow is a public speaker, advocate for military and law enforcement veterans, and author of the book, “My Brother's Keeper: Relearning to Live with PTSD.” He served as a patrol officer for Mahomet Police Department for ten years, nine of those as a METRO SWAT member, until he medically retired after his on-duty shooting incident. Jeremy completed his Master of Arts in Legal Studies at the University of Illinois at Springfield and founded Relearningtolive.com. In addition to advocating for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Suicide Awareness in the law enforcement community, he is currently an honoree with Operation Enduring Warrior. He serves as the Program Manager for their Warrior Voice and Scuba programs.We've joined forces with LEO Weekend! By supporting this show you are now helping our mission to serve the Law Enforcement Community and provide unforgettable experiences for the families of our nation's fallen heroes.

Diane & Rochelle Holland join us in the Muster Room in honor of their husband & father, NYPD Police Officer, Richard Holland. Richard was a member of the NYPD and responded to the attacks on the World Trade Center and the months & years following for the cleanup efforts. Richard was diagnosed with 9/11 cancer and quickly succumbed to his illness on March 23rd, 2012. Diane and Rochelle keep Richards's memory alive thanks to their nonprofit organization, Quilt4Cops. Join us for this beautiful memorial episode as we learn of Richard's story and pay our respects to all those we've lost to 9/11 illnesses.

After a gunman opened fire in suburban Colorado, killing five and injuring numerous others, including a Lakewood Police Agent. The agent, Ashley Ferris, was shot in the belly and lost the use of one of her legs. Critically injured and facing down a mass shooter, Agent Ferris was able to engage and eliminate the threat. Her pathway to recovery has not been a linear one, this week in the Muster Room Agent Ferris talks about her road to recovery and the speed bumps she's hit along the way.

Dechia Gerald, the widow of slain Baton Rouge Police Officer Matthew Gerald, joins us on the pod with her new husband, Officer Garret Reeves, for a discussion many people see as taboo, finding love after losing your spouse in the line of duty. In this episode, you'll hear about the incident which took the lives of 5 officers, and how Dechia and Garret connected through tragedy. 

Sergeant Russ Tourangeau of the Carroll County Sheriff's Office is originally from Orange County, New York, where prior to graduating high school he witnessed a heroic justified officer-involved shooting. During his college years, Russ would take the Baltimore City Police exam, which would forever change the course of his life. While attending the City of Baltimore Police Academy, one of Russ's classmates was nearly killed by a single, negligent, accidental gunshot to the head by an academy instructor. Russ, being a certified EMT, jumped into action and is credited with saving his classmate's life. Eventually, Russ would have to testify in a criminal case against the same instructor in a jury trial. Russ Tourangeau is a current Sergeant with the Carroll County Sheriffs' Office in Maryland, where he supervises the community engagement and special events unit. He's an advocate for peer support and is a tenured member of his agency's peer support team. He is on the Executive Board of Maryland Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 20 and is also the founder of the Carroll County First Responders Peer Support Group that meets monthly where all walks of first responders attend to air their grievances and speak about what is on their mind.

Lieutenant Rob Corbett of the NYPD worked in New York City for over 20 years. Not only a Lieutenant, but a husband, father, President of a nonprofit, and successful lawyer. Although Rob has recently retired, his calling to serve the public was too great to hang up his hat. After moving down to Florida, Rob yet again raised his right hand and took the oath to once again become a Police Officer. From riots to now sun rays, Rob's been to hell and back. Just months before retirement, he was hit in the face with a flying brick, hurled into the sky by a Black Lives Matter protester. Yet, that didn't stop him from doing what he truly loves, supporting his community. 

Into the Muster Room is Gordon Spitler, current Key Biscayne, Florida Police Officer, and former Hialeah, Florida homicide detective. Spitler talks about his time as a Florida cop and his former gang case that was featured on the A&E's “The First 48.”

This week in the Muster Room we have former NYPD Harbor Officer Ben Reiver.

Sergeant Terrence Carraway was shot and killed while responding to assist three Florence County Sheriff's Office deputies who had been shot and wounded while serving a sexual assault warrant in South Carolina. His widow, Allison Carraway joined the Muster Room to talk about the pain of losing her husband and the purpose she's found since his death.

In this week's return to the Muster Room, the guys talk to Johnny Moore, a retired Irish police officer, about his time as an officer and how it's prepared him for the current phase of his life as a New Yorker bar owner.

Law Enforcement Officers Weekend (LEO Weekend for short) is a national 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to help the families of fallen law enforcement officers. In the six years of operation, the organization has assisted nearly 50 families affected by line-of-duty death or critical injury. In this episode, we sit down with vice-president Zach Grunther. The organization is wrapping up its second-ever event in Key Biscayne, Miami, and has a full schedule of events in store for 2023. Check out this great organization and sign up for next year's cruise!Sign up from the cruise now: https://leoweekend.com/cruise

Today in the Muster Room we have something a little different than normal. Eric Potts is solo today discussing his background as a police suicide prevention counselor and his struggle with suicidal intentions during his time as a police officer and how he overcame it. September is suicide prevention month and this episode is especially timely given that the NYPD is currently dealing with its fourth officer suicide of 2022. Please know that you're not alone. Services are out there. Check out the link below if you or someone you know is struggling.Blue HelpSAFLEOSuicide Prevention Resource CenterEarly Alert for LEO

On the morning of 9/11, Scott Strauss was on the train home when he heard over his Walkman that a plane struck the World Trade Center. Strauss said. He grabbed some clothes, said goodbye to his wife, and raced back into Manhattan. Assigned to a rescue team, Strauss reached the World Trade Center moments after the North Tower collapsed. For the next several hours, he joined in the arduous task of searching for survivors in what would become known as “the pile.” Early that evening, Strauss was notified that Port Authority Police Sgt. John McLoughlin and rookie Officer Will Jimeno were found in the debris field. They survived the collapse of the towers but were trapped 30 feet beneath the pile, injured, and unable to escape. It was up to Strauss and his team to rescue them. The team began the perilous journey to reach the officers, crawling over hot steel and squeezing through narrow, smoke-filled spaces. It took more than three hours to pull Officer Jimeno to safety. Sgt. McLoughlin was rescued a few hours later. If you haven't done so already watch last week's episode where we talked with Will Jimeno about his experience trapped under the rubble.

On the morning of September 11, 2001, Will Jimeno, a rookie officer with the Port Authority Police Department, was just beginning his shift in midtown Manhattan when news of the terrorist attacks broke. Just nine months earlier, the former U.S. Marine had graduated from the police academy during a ceremony held at the World Trade Center's Marriot Hotel. After seeing the towers aflame on television, Will boarded a bus full of police officers headed downtown. Upon arriving at the World Trade Center, Will joined Sgt. John McLoughlin and several other officers in collecting specialized rescue equipment to aid in the evacuation. As the team made their way through the shopping mall beneath the buildings, suddenly and without warning, the South Tower began to collapse above them. When everything settled, Will found that he had managed to survive, and was trapped 30 feet beneath the pile of debris. It would be hours until Will was found and a daring rescue to free him and Sgt. McLoughlin would commence. Detective Scott Strauss of the NYPD's Emergency Service Unit crawled into the hole with Will, with no way out until he could be dug out with Will, and began the long process of freeing the trapped officer. Listen to this week's episode to hear Will's perspective of the rescue and join us next week when we talk to Detective Strauss!IMPORTANT LINKS:The 9/11 Memorial & MuseumVoices Center for Resilience (VOICES)World Trade Center Survivors' NetworkWorld Trade Center Health Program at Mount Sinai

Today on the Muster Room Podcast we welcome Jessica DuLong, the former chief engineer of the retired 1931 New York City fireboat, John J. Harvey. After the boat was sold into private hands in 1999 for preservation, DuLong joined the crew in February of 2001. As the events of September 11, 2001, were unfolding, the John J. Harvey was again pressed back into service to help rescue people trapped in the largest sea-born rescue in history before being called on to help fight the fires that ragged at the World Trade Center site. On September 12th DuLong arrived at the Harvey and operated the engine room and kept the historic fireboat pumping water for nearly 80 hours.In this episode of the Muster Room, we discuss the Harvey's role on 9/11 and how the aftermath of the tragedy impacted DuLong. If you want to learn more about Jessica DuLong she has two excellent books out now. Her latest book, SAVED AT THE SEAWALL: Stories from the September 11 Boat Lift (previously released as DUST TO DELIVERANCE), is the definitive history of the largest ever waterborne evacuation. Her 2009 book, MY RIVER CHRONICLES: Rediscovering the Work that Built America, won an American Society of Journalists and Authors Outstanding Book Award for Memoir.This episode is the first of a series we'll be putting out with stories from 9/11, told by the heroes that lived them.

Today in the Muster Room we have the Acting Nassau County Commissioner of Emergency Management, Richard Corbett. Commissioner Corbett is previously the Chief of Department of the City of Long Beach Fire Department. Among his many challenges in emergency service was Superstorm Sandy. The storm wreaked havoc on Long Island and the entire New York City metro area. Being on the barrier island, Long Beach was directly in the storm's path and posed one of the largest challenges ever in the Fire Department's history. 

Today in the Muster Room we have Marine Corp Veteran and current Suffolk County Police Officer Matias Ferreira. From serving our country on the Afghanistan battlefield to protecting the residents of Suffolk County, Matias has overcome the loss of both of his legs to become the first double amputee Police Officer in the United States. Matias is a role model for disabled youth across the country and works with veterans in similar situations to himself.

This week in the Muster Room we have Charo Lopez, sister of slain Nassau County Police Department Officer Arthur Lopez who was shot and killed while attempting to arrest a hit-and-run driver on the county's border with New York City. Officer Lopez was killed on October 23, 2012, and since then Charo has worked to keep her brothers memory and legacy alive. Officer Lopez was a beloved member of the NCPD Emergency Service UnitIf you like this podcast, please rate and review it on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. You can follow us on social media on YouTube, Twitter, & Facebook.

Today in the Muster Room we have something a little bit different for you. Every so often we'll be dropping shorter bonus episodes, and today we have a great conversation with John “JB” Bellico, the president of the Smoking Shields. John has been a great friend of the Podcast and has supplied his Cigar club to be used as our recording location for our first season. Enjoy this first bonus episode and be sure to leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts!If you like this podcast, please rate and review it on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. You can follow us on social media on YouTube, Twitter, & Facebook.

The New York City Police Department's Employee Assistance Unit was created to promote officer wellness to the department's nearly 36,000 uniformed members and 15,000 civilians. Detective Ron Thomas is at the front lines of the department's efforts to promote mental health care and wellness. His partner though is the one who steals the show! K9 Piper is Det. Thomas' four-legged partner and one of three emotional support K9s that the department has acquired to help officers and civilians alike.If you like this podcast, please rate and review it on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. You can follow us on social media on YouTube, Twitter, & Facebook.

While responding to a domestic violence call on August 1, 2019, Police Officer Paulie Lewis of the Weare, New Hampshire Police Department was shot in the line of duty. Paulie received multiple gunshots to his right arm, starting a years-long recovery process that continues to this day. Paulie has chronicled his recovery on Tik-Tok, amassing over a million followers, and serves as an inspiration to other critically wounded police officers around the country.If you like this podcast, please rate and review it on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. You can follow us on social media on YouTube, Twitter, & Facebook.

The Muster Room is a Podcast for First Responders and the critical incidents they deal with every day. Each week, we feature guests that have survived the most challenging of circumstances, the survivors of First Responders who have paid the ultimate sacrifice, and individuals from mental health awareness and treatment programs. The podcast's goal is to be a sounding board, a resource, and an information destination for first responders presented in a relaxed entertaining, and informational way.