Podcasts about emts

After a chance to screen Rainn Wilson's latest film about EMTs, “Code 3”, Laura & Nicole discuss the film's accuracies and the job of these essential first responders.  Watch the trailer here! https://youtu.be/Yjm0zpmuUzM?si=SVBED7oryWUhh8lT  

Just a Little Salt: Kevin Hazzard on the Reality of Emergency Medicine, Burnout, and Storytelling   In this revealing episode of “Just a Little Salt,” seasoned Atlanta paramedic and author Kevin Hazzard shares the unvarnished truth about life on the front lines of emergency medicine. Reflecting on his decade-plus of experiences, Kevin dives deep into the emotional challenges of responding to traumatic calls, the harsh realities young EMTs face, and the impact of burnout on providers. He opens up about moments that forever shaped him, including encounters with vulnerable patients and the delicate balance between adrenaline-fueled rescues and raw human connection. Kevin also discusses his transition from medic to author, explaining how writing helped him process his career and why genuine storytelling matters. Along the way, he offers practical advice for new EMS providers and aspiring writers seeking to publish their own stories. This episode is a must-listen for anyone curious about the personal side of EMS, resilience under pressure, and the power of sharing these unheard voices.

Longevity in a tough field is something you need to consider as well as the right mindsets that keep you there – be intentional about being gratefulLucas gives some advice in doing triage shifts and focusing on the good people you have the privilege to interact with and trying to be intentional about not focusing on the mean, angry patientIntentionality behind the things that improve your well-being are more important to prioritize than you might think Allow your family, significant other to help youFatherhood and dual income houses are more the norm now so both parents have to work toward raising children and workingLucas gives advice to the new ER physicianThe busier you are, the more stressed you are, the more you need to maintain hobbiesThe PA profession has done a good job of setting people up for success with having a good work and life balanceCommunity is super important to cultivate, the lone wolf diesIt can be easy to justify allowing relationships to wane when you are busy in medicine and education, but this cannot be put off foreverBreak the pattern of pushing off community in favor of careerSupport the showEverything you hear today from myself and my guests is opinion only and doesn't represent any organizations or companies that any of us are affiliated with. The stories you hear have been modified to protect patient privacy and any resemblance to real individuals is coincidental. This is for educational and entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice nor used to diagnose any medical or healthcare conditions. This is not medical advice. If you have personal health concerns, please seek professional care. Full show notes can be found here: Episodes - Practical EMS - Content for EMTs, PAs, ParamedicsMost efficient online EKG course here: Practical EKG Interpretation - Practical EMS earn 4 CME and learn the fundamentals through advanced EKG interpretation in under 4 hours. If you want to work on your nutrition, increase your energy, improve your physical and mental health, I highly recommend 1st Phorm. Check them out here so they know I sent you. 1st Phorm | The Foundation of High Performance Nutrition

ER physician for 15 yearsHe talks about this path into med school and emergency medicine as his first choiceHe likes the challenge, lack of predictability and wide scope of problems we must solve. We have the honor to accept patients when no one else willLucas talks about how the term emergency medicine is almost becoming antiquated when we are doing acute, undifferentiated careSome of the care is emergencies, but not all. And that's probably for the best so we don't get burned outHe talks about burnout and how we should focus on how to manage it when it happens as opposed to how to prevent it all the timeYou need to accept that burnout will happen, so you don't have an expectation mismatchBeing aware of your own burnout is key to correcting itOptimizing the other things in your life outside of work like exercise, nutrition, community is keyBe intentional about focusing on the enriching case, appreciative patient, positive conversation you have throughout the day. If you look for the positive you will find it and then do whatever you need to do to get it in your long-term memoryLucas talks about gratitude and how this requires intentionality as wellWe talk about how much to share with spouses We talk about the role of the clinician in the ED and how we have a lot of things to manage that other staff may not seeWe talk about how to manage our limited resourcesSupport the showEverything you hear today from myself and my guests is opinion only and doesn't represent any organizations or companies that any of us are affiliated with. The stories you hear have been modified to protect patient privacy and any resemblance to real individuals is coincidental. This is for educational and entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice nor used to diagnose any medical or healthcare conditions. This is not medical advice. If you have personal health concerns, please seek professional care. Full show notes can be found here: Episodes - Practical EMS - Content for EMTs, PAs, ParamedicsMost efficient online EKG course here: Practical EKG Interpretation - Practical EMS earn 4 CME and learn the fundamentals through advanced EKG interpretation in under 4 hours. If you want to work on your nutrition, increase your energy, improve your physical and mental health, I highly recommend 1st Phorm. Check them out here so they know I sent you. 1st Phorm | The Foundation of High Performance Nutrition

Leave work on time•David's story: a skilled, compassionate paramedic who deeply connected with patients, especially during psychiatric crises.oStruggled to separate work from life.oRelied on alcohol as a coping mechanism, which ultimately cost him his life.•Core lesson: In emergency medicine, you must leave work at work—emotionally and physically—otherwise burnout and unhealthy coping are inevitable.•Healthy separation:oBalance connection with patients while avoiding over-identification.oRemember: “It is not your emergency.”•Practical strategies to get off on time:oCheck labs/imaging in real time.oComplete charting as you go.oPlan handoffs 1–2 hours before end of shift.oControl what's controllable—systems, shift crossover, advocate for better staffing.•Mental discipline:oSet down burdens from tragic or unjust cases (e.g., drunk drivers, preventable deaths).oFind something greater than yourself (faith, higher power, or another anchor) to release what you can't control.•Work–life balance:oCreate a clear line between work and home (physical transition, dedicated space, or ritual).oAccept that some seasons demand more grind, but don't let it become a lifestyle.oYour family will notice the time you miss more than your employer ever will.•Identity check:oYou are not your job title; resilience and character matter more.oOver-identifying with work justifies staying late and sacrificing home life.•Universal takeaway: No matter the field, burdens from work will bleed into family life unless you intentionally lay them down. Getting off on time = preserving resilience, family, and long-term health.Chapter 3: Take Care of Yourself Before You Take Care of Others•Past struggles:oPrioritized school and work over health.oPoor sleep, binge eating, energy drinks, inconsistent workouts.oLack of discipline → foggy brain, poor performance as a paramedic.•Core principle:oYou cannot care for others well if you neglect yourself.oIn EMS/ED, emergencies are unpredictable, but most patients are not crashing—there's time to hydrate, eat, and reset.•Practical applications:oDrink water, eat proper nutrition, and rest before/during shifts.oPrioritize morning routines (hydration, exercise, food) → sets the tone for the day.oMeal prep to avoid cafeteria junk food and impulsive choices.oCreate habits that are accessible (water bottles, packed meals).•Mindset shift:oCaring for yourself Support the showEverything you hear today from myself and my guests is opinion only and doesn't represent any organizations or companies that any of us are affiliated with. The stories you hear have been modified to protect patient privacy and any resemblance to real individuals is coincidental. This is for educational and entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice nor used to diagnose any medical or healthcare conditions. This is not medical advice. If you have personal health concerns, please seek professional care. Full show notes can be found here: Episodes - Practical EMS - Content for EMTs, PAs, ParamedicsMost efficient online EKG course here: Practical EKG Interpretation - Practical EMS earn 4 CME and learn the fundamentals through advanced EKG interpretation in under 4 hours. If you want to work on your nutrition, increase your energy, improve your physical and mental health, I highly recommend 1st Phorm. Check them out here so they know I sent you. 1st Phorm | The Foundation of High Performance Nutrition

Ellen Greenberg 911 Call: Fiancé's Shocking Words Under the Microscope The 911 call made by Ellen Greenberg's fiancé, Sam Goldberg, remains one of the most scrutinized pieces of evidence in this mysterious case. When he entered their apartment, he claimed to have found Ellen on the kitchen floor, covered in blood. Yet the way he described what he saw — and the words he chose in the moment — raised more questions than answers. In this segment of Hidden Killers Live with Tony Brueski, we play and dissect the entire 911 call. Why did Sam hesitate when asked to begin CPR? Why did he initially describe Ellen's injuries as a fall or a bump on the head, only later “discovering” a knife in her chest? And why did his narrative shift so dramatically within the span of a single phone call? Our panel breaks down every line, comparing the call to real trauma responses witnessed by EMTs. Typically, family members in true emergencies are frantic, incoherent, and desperate to save their loved one. But Sam's tone seemed controlled, almost rehearsed, with strange detours into alibis rather than panic. This is not about assigning guilt. Sam Goldberg has never been charged in connection with Ellen's death. But his 911 call has become central to understanding why so many believe Ellen Greenberg's case is not a suicide at all, but a homicide that was swept under the rug. Hashtags: #EllenGreenberg #911Call #TrueCrime #HiddenKillers #CrimeAnalysis #JusticeForEllen #ColdCase #CrimeMystery #PhiladelphiaCrime #TrueCrimeCommunity Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

Ellen Greenberg 911 Call: Fiancé's Shocking Words Under the Microscope The 911 call made by Ellen Greenberg's fiancé, Sam Goldberg, remains one of the most scrutinized pieces of evidence in this mysterious case. When he entered their apartment, he claimed to have found Ellen on the kitchen floor, covered in blood. Yet the way he described what he saw — and the words he chose in the moment — raised more questions than answers. In this segment of Hidden Killers Live with Tony Brueski, we play and dissect the entire 911 call. Why did Sam hesitate when asked to begin CPR? Why did he initially describe Ellen's injuries as a fall or a bump on the head, only later “discovering” a knife in her chest? And why did his narrative shift so dramatically within the span of a single phone call? Our panel breaks down every line, comparing the call to real trauma responses witnessed by EMTs. Typically, family members in true emergencies are frantic, incoherent, and desperate to save their loved one. But Sam's tone seemed controlled, almost rehearsed, with strange detours into alibis rather than panic. This is not about assigning guilt. Sam Goldberg has never been charged in connection with Ellen's death. But his 911 call has become central to understanding why so many believe Ellen Greenberg's case is not a suicide at all, but a homicide that was swept under the rug. Hashtags: #EllenGreenberg #911Call #TrueCrime #HiddenKillers #CrimeAnalysis #JusticeForEllen #ColdCase #CrimeMystery #PhiladelphiaCrime #TrueCrimeCommunity Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

Ellen Greenberg 911 Call: Fiancé's Shocking Words Under the Microscope The 911 call made by Ellen Greenberg's fiancé, Sam Goldberg, remains one of the most scrutinized pieces of evidence in this mysterious case. When he entered their apartment, he claimed to have found Ellen on the kitchen floor, covered in blood. Yet the way he described what he saw — and the words he chose in the moment — raised more questions than answers. In this segment of Hidden Killers Live with Tony Brueski, we play and dissect the entire 911 call. Why did Sam hesitate when asked to begin CPR? Why did he initially describe Ellen's injuries as a fall or a bump on the head, only later “discovering” a knife in her chest? And why did his narrative shift so dramatically within the span of a single phone call? Our panel breaks down every line, comparing the call to real trauma responses witnessed by EMTs. Typically, family members in true emergencies are frantic, incoherent, and desperate to save their loved one. But Sam's tone seemed controlled, almost rehearsed, with strange detours into alibis rather than panic. This is not about assigning guilt. Sam Goldberg has never been charged in connection with Ellen's death. But his 911 call has become central to understanding why so many believe Ellen Greenberg's case is not a suicide at all, but a homicide that was swept under the rug. Hashtags: #EllenGreenberg #911Call #TrueCrime #HiddenKillers #CrimeAnalysis #JusticeForEllen #ColdCase #CrimeMystery #PhiladelphiaCrime #TrueCrimeCommunity Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

Red Isn't Armor is an article by Podcast host Drasko Bogdanovic published in Wilderness Medicine Magazine regarding the misunderstood nature of lifeguarding, mental health, and drowning. You can find the article online to reference some of the photos included.https://wms.org/magazine/magazine/1574/Red-Isn-t-Armor/default.aspxDrasko Bogdanovic is a California State Parks Ocean Lifeguard, Flight Paramedic, and photographer with a focus in prehospital care, aquatic rescue, and drowning prevention. With extensive experience in lifeguarding, EMS, and education, he has trained lifeguards, EMTs, paramedics, and law enforcement officers across California and internationally. As founder of The Lifeguard Project, he uses storytelling through imagery and a podcast to connect field experience with public health education. His work explores the intersection of lifesaving, community engagement, and the often misunderstood nature of drowning.Thanks as always for listening!Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-lifeguard-project/donations

First responders run toward danger when the rest of us run away, but the weight of those moments doesn't just disappear. Trauma-informed therapy helps firefighters, police officers, EMTs, active military and veterans process the invisible wounds they carry. This specialized care understands the unique pressures of the job, offering safe, confidential support that respects their experiences. On this Line One, host Dr. Justin Clark and his guest discuss mental health in first responders.

Ellen Greenberg 911 Call: Fiancé's Shocking Words Under the Microscope The 911 call made by Ellen Greenberg's fiancé, Sam Goldberg, remains one of the most scrutinized pieces of evidence in this mysterious case. When he entered their apartment, he claimed to have found Ellen on the kitchen floor, covered in blood. Yet the way he described what he saw — and the words he chose in the moment — raised more questions than answers. In this segment of Hidden Killers Live with Tony Brueski, we play and dissect the entire 911 call. Why did Sam hesitate when asked to begin CPR? Why did he initially describe Ellen's injuries as a fall or a bump on the head, only later “discovering” a knife in her chest? And why did his narrative shift so dramatically within the span of a single phone call? Our panel breaks down every line, comparing the call to real trauma responses witnessed by EMTs. Typically, family members in true emergencies are frantic, incoherent, and desperate to save their loved one. But Sam's tone seemed controlled, almost rehearsed, with strange detours into alibis rather than panic. This is not about assigning guilt. Sam Goldberg has never been charged in connection with Ellen's death. But his 911 call has become central to understanding why so many believe Ellen Greenberg's case is not a suicide at all, but a homicide that was swept under the rug. Hashtags: #EllenGreenberg #911Call #TrueCrime #HiddenKillers #CrimeAnalysis #JusticeForEllen #ColdCase #CrimeMystery #PhiladelphiaCrime #TrueCrimeCommunity Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

The All Local Afternoon Update for Monday, September 8th 2025

IntroductionMy first experience with a cardiac arrest as a new EMT → exhilarating, confirmed calling to emergency medicine.Early struggles: dropped out of college, lacked discipline, but EMT training provided a direction and purpose.Spent years balancing work as EMT/paramedic with school → long path to becoming a PA.Lessons from emergency medicine shaped clinical skills and mindset.Concept of standards:Standards = benchmarks, measurable expectations, non-negotiable habits.Different from principles (general truths) → standards are concrete, either met or not.Standards build consistency, resilience, and preparation.Personal struggles: binge eating, lack of discipline, repeated failures to meet daily goals.Turning point: completing 75 Hard program → developed discipline, consistency, higher personal standards.Standards spill over into clinical performance, family life, and personal growth.Emphasizes locus of control:Focus on what you can control, not external factors.Even in chaotic emergency medicine, there are controllable elements.Warns that neglected habits eventually become emergent problems (health, mindset, life).Family story: father's heart attack → personal wake-up call about health and discipline.Core message: Raising standards in personal life and medicine leads to thriving, not just surviving.Purpose: help others raise their own standards without taking 16 years to learn the lessons.Chapter 1: Do Not Seek to DiagnoseCase study: elderly woman with shortness of breath and chest pain.No pulmonary embolism, but fluid in lungs and around heart → problem found, but no definitive diagnosis yet.Highlight: in the ED, the goal is to rule out life-threatening conditions, not always find the exact cause.Key principle: Diagnosis is often less important than identifying and stabilizing dangerous conditions.Emergency medicine limits:Not every test or long-term treatment available.Focus on acute, life-threatening issues; leave underlying cause to specialists.Patients often expect answers and certainty, but ED care is about safety and ruling out the worst cases.Overdiagnosis problems:Incidental findings (lung nodules, brain aneurysms, ultrasound anomalies) → create stress, anxiety, or unnecessary proceSupport the showEverything you hear today from myself and my guests is opinion only and doesn't represent any organizations or companies that any of us are affiliated with. The stories you hear have been modified to protect patient privacy and any resemblance to real individuals is coincidental. This is for educational and entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice nor used to diagnose any medical or healthcare conditions. This is not medical advice. If you have personal health concerns, please seek professional care. Full show notes can be found here: Episodes - Practical EMS - Content for EMTs, PAs, ParamedicsMost efficient online EKG course here: Practical EKG Interpretation - Practical EMS earn 4 CME and learn the fundamentals through advanced EKG interpretation in under 4 hours. If you want to work on your nutrition, increase your energy, improve your physical and mental health, I highly recommend 1st Phorm. Check them out here so they know I sent you. 1st Phorm | The Foundation of High Performance Nutrition

Corduroy Brown was so ill with COVID during the pandemic, he was airlifted from Huntington, W.Va., to more advanced medical facilities in Morgantown. During the helicopter ride, he died.  Fortunately, quick work from the EMTs revived him. He survived and experienced something most people don't: A glimpse of what's on the other side. It changed his outlook on life and his music, which has taken off since. Brown released a gripping and powerful solo album called Let Me Know in 2021 after he fully recovered. It has propelled him from small gigs to opening for headline acts like Everclear and Hoobastank, as well as some headline and featured spots at some nice music festivals throughout the region. Brown joined us on Roots Music Rambler to talk about his path to music, his actual death experience, how that changed his music and what's next. (Hint: New album news nested in this episodes!) Needless to say, we all left the conversation excited about Corduroy Brown, what's to come, and life in general. Frank also grilled Falls on his lucky selection to Tyler Childers' secret pop-up concert at Dinosaur World in July, and both share their pics for new music recommendations in the Pickin' the Grinnin' segment.  Download the episode and subscribe at rootsmusicrambler.com or wherever you get your podcasts.  Also be sure to help spread the love of the show with Roots Music Rambler's new merch, now available at rootsmusicrambler.com/store. Authentic t-shirts, hats and stickers are now available.  Buckle up for The Hoe-Down and the Throw-Down! It's a new episode of Roots Music Rambler. Notes and links:  Corduroy Brown online Corduroy Brown on Spotify Corduroy Brown on Instagram Falls's viral video from Tyler Childers' pop-up The Roots Music Rambler Store Roots Music Rambler on Instagram Roots Music Rambler on TikTok  Roots Music Rambler on Facebook Jason Falls on Instagram Francesca Folinazzo on Instagram Pickin' the Grinnin' Recommendations Stephanie Anne Johnson Deer Tick Subscribe to Roots Music Rambler on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or wherever you get your podcasts. Theme Music: Sheepskin & Beeswax by Genticorum; Copyright 2025 - Falls+Partners. All music on the program is licensed by ASCAP, BMI and SESAC. Roots Music Rambler is a member of the Americana Music Association. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bryan has returned to LA to his torn apart kitchen and gets advice from EMTs about a bad batch of drugs in town. Erin's back from her quick trip to NYC where she saw some theater and families wearing merch from punk rock bands you forgot about. Erin talks about GOP shenanigans in Texas where lawmakers are attempting to pass a bill that would allow doctors, distributors and manufacturers of abortion pills to be sued for sending those medications into the Lone Star State. Bryan shares insights from trans journalist Erin Reed about how politicians like Gavin Newsom are pivoting to a bullying Republican playbook, and how Democrats are trying to minimize the efforts for pro-trans legislation because of conservative pushback. Bryan is bringing his show Are You Mad At Me?? to LA for one night only on 9/25! For tickets click here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

During the New York Bar Exam, a test-taker suffered a massive heart attack. EMTs performed CPR and used a defibrillator—while proctors refused to stop the test. Students who tried to help were told they would not receive extra time. Robin Frazer Clark and Lester Tate call this incident “disturbing” and question whether the bar exam has gone too far, prioritizing rigid rules over human compassion. This clip comes from our full interview with Professor Ian Holloway, where we examine law, justice, and the values that must guide our profession.

 Episode 089: “Healing is Hard, Healing is Worth It” First responders see and experience trauma daily — and often carry those wounds long after the sirens fade. In this episode of Staying Power, JD Wyneken and Ashley Knebel talk with trauma psychologist Dr. Denise Haselwood about how trauma rewires the brain, why it changes thoughts and behavior, and most importantly, how it can be healed. Denise shares practical insights, science-based therapies, and real stories from her work with firefighters, police, EMTs, and more. If you're a first responder — or someone who loves one — this episode offers knowledge, hope, and proof that healing is possible, even if it feels a little “weird” along the way.

Advice for new EKG techs:Trust your knowledge and build your confidence over time, stay calm and take deep breaths when you start to get busyStay humble, ask for helpNo one comes out of school knowing everything, you need to know your limitsRegardless of your role, don't be afraid to advocate for the patientProviders need to remember to project an approachable demeaner so that everyone has a level of comfort bringing things to their attentionIt's important to take your job seriously and do it to the best of your abilityCheyenne talks about the stress of scribingSean talks about some frustrations he has with nursing putting in frequent EKG orders without the right indication We talk about some of the specialties within cardiology If you are looking into getting into medicine, look at EMT or EKG tech. They both give you a great insight into the greater medicine worldThere are a lot of great jobs that introduce you to medicine before you take the risk of PA school or medical schoolSometimes the only way to really understand what you are getting into is to get into the field instead of reading about it or watching videos about itSupport the showEverything you hear today from myself and my guests is opinion only and doesn't represent any organizations or companies that any of us are affiliated with. The stories you hear have been modified to protect patient privacy and any resemblance to real individuals is coincidental. This is for educational and entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice nor used to diagnose any medical or healthcare conditions. This is not medical advice. If you have personal health concerns, please seek professional care. Full show notes can be found here: Episodes - Practical EMS - Content for EMTs, PAs, ParamedicsMost efficient online EKG course here: Practical EKG Interpretation - Practical EMS earn 4 CME and learn the fundamentals through advanced EKG interpretation in under 4 hours. If you want to work on your nutrition, increase your energy, improve your physical and mental health, I highly recommend 1st Phorm. Check them out here so they know I sent you. 1st Phorm | The Foundation of High Performance Nutrition

We talk about stat vs routine EKG orders as well as metrics that they are always working to hit on timeWhen EKG's are not done on time the source of the problem needs to be found, sometimes it is the providers' fault for not realizing the EKG order had not been placed We talk about how we should communicate between provider and EKG tech and how much info we like to get as providersI talk about how providers need to become good at task switching frequently and this includes signing EKG'sWe talk about the responsibility of the PA or NP to sign EKG's (calling STEMI's or deciding not a STEMI) and how this responsibility is currently in the hands of the physicians onlySean talks about how important EKG's can still fall through the cracks at times and people will still point the blame all the way back to the EKG techIt's important to make sure you do your job well and then realize some things are out of your handsCheyenne talks about an experience she had with an end-of-life patient she cared forEven being just peripherally involved in a patient's care can really affect you emotionallyAvoiding burnout:Cheyenne likes to go to the gym or hang out at home with her dogsSean talks about how he avoids burnout doing a job that can sometimes be repetitiveSean also talks about the importance of calmness in front of patients, even when an EKG might be alarmingDon't sweat the small things, especially in the ED, everyone is under a lot of stress, and you can't allow a small comment from a stressed-out coworker to get under your skin and make you spiral Sean talks about some methods to reassure patients despite not being able to diagnose their EKG We talk about the importance of stress management in the ED so that you can think clearly about the next patientIt is not your emergency, we must be the calm in the stormSupport the showFull show notes can be found here: Episodes - Practical EMS - Content for EMTs, PAs, ParamedicsMost efficient online EKG course here: Practical EKG Interpretation - Practical EMS earn 4 CME and learn the fundamentals through advanced EKG interpretation in under 4 hours. If you want to work on your nutrition, increase your energy, improve your physical and mental health, I highly recommend 1st Phorm. Check them out here so they know I sent you. 1st Phorm | The Foundation of High Performance Nutrition Everything you hear today from myself and my guests is opinion only and doesn't represent any organizations or companies that any of us are affiliated with. The stories you hear have been modified to protect patient privacy and any resemblance to real individuals is coincidental. This is for educational and entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice nor used to diagnose any medical or healthcare conditions.

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Since this episode was recorded, it is with great sadness that I found out that Dan Steffensen passed away on July 26, 2025. Obituary information for Dan SteffensenAward-winning author and professor A.J. Otjen joins Rich to unpack “Burned Over,” the true story of Montana firefighter Dan Steffensen, who survived a 60-foot wall of fire and an agonizing road to recovery. They explore Red Lodge's “summer of hell,” the honor guard, the nurses and burn survivors who rallied behind Dan, and the hard-won lessons about asking for help, resilience, and community. It's a raw, human look at survival—and why first responders deserve our deepest respect.Guest Bio:  A.J. Otjen is a professor at Montana State University and an award-winning author. In addition to “Burned Over,” she has written research-driven children's books centered on Crow history and artists (one recognized by the Library of Congress), and previously penned a Billings Gazette column on courage, ethics, and social issues. Her narrative work blends meticulous research with deeply human storytelling. Main Topics: ·         The day a 60-foot wall of fire overtook firefighter Dan Steffensen and the “walking wounded” reality of severe burns. ·         How A.J. met Dan through a student campaign for firefighter PPE and spent 2.5 years recording interviews to tell his story. ·         Red Lodge's “summer of hell”: major wildfire, a missing climber, the loss of a local firefighter—and the town's collective resolve. ·         The honor guard, EMTs, burn-unit nurses, and family who stood watch and fought for Dan's life. ·         Burn recovery realities: grafts, coma, learning to walk and even swallow again; the emotional toll and therapy. ·         Lessons from burn-survivor peers; Dan's shift from “I'm fine” to accepting help. ·         Dan's 2023 comeback—passing the firefighter Pack Test and returning to the line—followed by a later small-cell lung cancer diagnosis. ·         Why A.J. wrote a human story (not just a “fire book”): love, community, and telling the truth, even when it's hard. ·         A call to support local, mostly volunteer, fire departments with donations and needed items. Resources mentioned: ·         A.J's Website: https://ajotjen.com/·         Supporter: Send us a textDonate HereSupport the showRate & Review on Apple Podcasts Follow the Conversations with Rich Bennett podcast on Social Media:Facebook – Conversations with Rich Bennett Facebook Group (Join the conversation) – Conversations with Rich Bennett podcast group | FacebookTwitter – Conversations with Rich Bennett Instagram – @conversationswithrichbennettTikTok – CWRB (@conversationsrichbennett) | TikTok Sponsors, Affiliates, and ways we pay the bills:Hosted on BuzzsproutSquadCast Subscribe by Email

Welcome to the show Sean and Cheyenne, EKG tech experience and scribe experienceSean talks about certifications and expectations that go beyond merely obtaining an EKG as well as the stress testing roleCheyenne talks about the role that scribes play in the EDScribing for providers is often used as a role to gain patient experience for medical school or PA schoolThey talk about how they got into scribing and EKG technician work and Sean talks about how it is also a role that is used as a steppingstone12 leads are complicated to interpret and require a lot of training and experience to get good at. They are even harder to interpret when the patient is not in front of youSTEMI's are the key EKG's to recognize because they are so time sensitive, but we don't see these frequently – it can be very helpful when the tech recognizes this and can recognize the urgencyKnowing early signs of impending problems on the 12 lead can be helpful for patient prioritization as wellBeing an EKG tech requires good resource utilization, sometimes there are not a ton of EKG techs available in the hospital, so they need to prioritize – communication is keyCommunication between roles is so important when we are trying to get quickly get imaging, labs, assessments and EKG simultaneously At the end of the day, the patient is the top priorityScribes do deal with a lot of stress, they must finish notes, write new notes and keep up with high volume, they like active communication with the providerSean talks about how a typical day can vary quite a bitSupport the showFull show notes can be found here: Episodes - Practical EMS - Content for EMTs, PAs, ParamedicsMost efficient online EKG course here: Practical EKG Interpretation - Practical EMS earn 4 CME and learn the fundamentals through advanced EKG interpretation in under 4 hours. If you want to work on your nutrition, increase your energy, improve your physical and mental health, I highly recommend 1st Phorm. Check them out here so they know I sent you. 1st Phorm | The Foundation of High Performance Nutrition Everything you hear today from myself and my guests is opinion only and doesn't represent any organizations or companies that any of us are affiliated with. The stories you hear have been modified to protect patient privacy and any resemblance to real individuals is coincidental. This is for educational and entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice nor used to diagnose any medical or healthcare conditions.

Veterans and first responders, managing all aspects of your overall health will help reduce the anxiety of leaving the uniform behindIn Round 84 of the Tactical Transition Tips on the Transition Drill Podcast, health and wellness are the backbone of a successful transition from service. For veterans and first responders, the shift into civilian life often removes the structure and rhythm they've relied on. Without intentional routines and personal systems in place, many stumble at the exact moment they need strength, clarity, and control the most.This episode delivers actionable strategies tailored for where you are in your career, whether you're preparing now, later, or far down the road. Learn how to take ownership of your physical, mental, and emotional health before the transition clock starts ticking.• Close Range Group (transitioning within 0–12 months): Build a routine that anchors you. A daily practice focused on body, breath, and mindset gives you portable stability in the middle of uncertainty.• Medium Range Group (transitioning in ~5 years): Audit your health and wellness annually. This yearly checkup prepares you for life after service and reinforces your current leadership capacity.• Long Range Group (transitioning in 10+ years): Build your bounce-back strategy. Developing resilience habits today helps you perform better now and withstand career setbacks down the line.This is more than wellness. It is strategic readiness for military veterans, law enforcement professionals, firefighters, EMTs, and all who serve.The best podcast for military veterans, police officers, firefighters, and first responders preparing for veteran transition and life after service. Helping you plan and implement strategies to prepare for your transition into civilian life.Get additional resources and join our newsletter via the link in the show notes.CONNECT WITH THE PODCAST:IG: WEBSITE: LinkedIn: SIGN-UP FOR THE NEWSLETTER:QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS:SPONSORS:Brothers & Arms USAGet 20% off your purchaseLink: https://brothersandarms.comPromo Code: Transition20Trident CoffeeGet 15% off your purchaseLink: https://tridentcoffee.comPromo Code: TDP15GRND CollectiveGet 15% off your purchaseLink: https://thegrndcollective.com/Promo Code: TRANSITION15

I'd like to welcome to the show Dr. David M. Berry, MD, he is a growing voice in the recovery and addiction space, an area that we deal with a ton across EMS and the emergency departments. He is an Emergency Medicine physician with over two decades of experience. You can reach him at dberrymd@hotmail.com Burnout and moral injury – how do we avoid these in dealing with the addicted and psychiatric patients? We can't control most factors involving their long term care but David says: “give these folks the best care I know how to give them.” We can control what WE do We talk about the best way to communicate between providers when passing on patients to the next shift Dr. Berry talks about a patient he advocated for that he felt needed in-patient psychiatric admission but had been initially turned down He talks about the importance of working patients up appropriately and not ignoring patient complaints, getting the emotion out of it What would you do objectively if the patient was not a frequent flyer? Dr. Berry talks about a substance use clinic he helped open in Western Colorado He talks about meth addiction and how recovery works in his clinic He tells a story about the devastating effects of meth on a young patient The danger of meth is not in the withdrawal but the effects of it on your body Dr. Berry talks about the limbic system, the reptilian part of our brain. People who struggle with addiction have a missed connection. Normally, when the average person drinks, a message gets relayed back from the brain saying slow down, you have responsibilities, you have work, you have a family. The addict's brain doesn't send this message back, they just get the message to drink more cause it feels good. This applies to any addiction Their decider is broken, that's why they need a sponsor, and their brain can eventually rewire and make the needed connections The anatomy problem of missed or failing brain neurons is what is going wrong in the addict's brain This helps us understand where the blame truly needs to be placed, not on the addict for poor moral character or poor self-control but on a brain that isn't wired correctly Winston Churchill said everyone has an addiction, the key is finding one that is socially acceptable Dr. Berry talks about Recovered on Purpose, an organization in Denver, CO that is working on new treatments for addictions and help market treatment centers and help get peoplSupport the showFull show notes can be found here: Episodes - Practical EMS - Content for EMTs, PAs, ParamedicsMost efficient online EKG course here: Practical EKG Interpretation - Practical EMS earn 4 CME and learn the fundamentals through advanced EKG interpretation in under 4 hours. If you want to work on your nutrition, increase your energy, improve your physical and mental health, I highly recommend 1st Phorm. Check them out here so they know I sent you. 1st Phorm | The Foundation of High Performance Nutrition Everything you hear today from myself and my guests is opinion only and doesn't represent any organizations or companies that any of us are affiliated with. The stories you hear have been modified to protect patient privacy and any resemblance to real individuals is coincidental. This is for educational and entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice nor used to diagnose any medical or healthcare conditions.

Welcome to Botched: A D&D Podcast! Sometimes you just want to let off a little steam. A great way for some people to do that is to drink socially. However, sometimes that can go off the rails when you're drinking in the city at 3am. Drinking something called a “Joe Descuidado”. One of the problems of drinking so much is that you are not as aware of your surroundings. Sometimes, things can happen and someone gets hurt. Fret not, the brave men and women EMTs will be there to help! Or at least…most of the time. If you are unlucky enough to be visited by an anomalous ambulance. Well…you'll survive. But you won't like it.Who are these people drinking until the wee hours? What is a “Joe Descuidado”? Who gets injured? What is the deal with this ambulance? Why does the SCP Foundation hire sociopaths? Tune in and find out!We now have a PO Box! Wanna send us something? PO BOX 3178 Gettysburg, PA 17325All of our previous seasons can be found on our new channel!⁠⁠Botched Archives⁠⁠!A special shout out and thank you to all of our supporters over on Patreon. You help us continue to churn out “quality” episodes. With your continued support we can take our show on the road! Check out our store over at ⁠⁠⁠Botched Podcast⁠⁠⁠ where you can find tshirts, stickers, pint glasses and more!Give us a 5 star review on Itunes. Doing so will help the show grow, but we will also read out whatever you write at the end of one of our episodes!Feel free to email us any questions, comments or suggestions at BotchedPodcast@gmail.comFollow us on ⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠, subscribe on ⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠, like us on ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠.You can watch the show live on ⁠⁠⁠Twitch⁠⁠⁠!Check out each of the hosts' Twitch streams! ⁠⁠⁠Dennis⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Phil⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Tristan⁠⁠⁠Hosts: ⁠⁠⁠Dennis⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Phil⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Tristan⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Steve⁠⁠⁠Editor: Philip D Keating And Dennis RobinsonProducer: Phil and DennisExecutive Producers: ⁠⁠⁠James Thatcher⁠⁠⁠, Chronic Ejac, Jim Beverly,Disgruntled Furniture, Chris Wisdom, ShinigamiSPQR,  Jayson Haiss, and Scabby GoosePublisher: Phil and DennisArt by ⁠⁠⁠Emily Swan⁠⁠⁠Music by ⁠⁠⁠Gozer⁠

Back in June there was story on the local news about Rodney Lee. He had a heart attack while out on a local Knoxville nature trail. He encountered a Good Samaritan, Zach during his ordeal and Zach was able to assist Rodney until EMTs arrived. After his hospital stay, Rodney was on a mission to thank Zach. This is Rodney's story. Thank you Rodney for your candid conversation. I have been fascinated by yourstory since first reading about it. If you like the pod and have any feedback, you are always welcome to send me an email to 5moreminutesWIVK@gmail.com Hit the subscribe button and leave a 5 star review! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'd like to welcome to the show Dr. David M. Berry, MD, he is a growing voice in the recovery and addiction space, an area that we deal with a ton across EMS and the emergency departments. He is an Emergency Medicine physician with over two decades of experience. You can reach him at dberrymd@hotmail.com We must remember, when working up these patients with addiction, they can have poor health baseline anyway, so they are at higher risk for something emergent to be going on Dr. Berry talks about this approach to opiate OD We have a small window between the ED and definitive care to help addicted patients move forward with treatment – a warm handoff to a treatment center or primary care that can monitor recovery is key We have specific rules for most emergencies but often psychiatry is not on a set system Holds may not always accomplish what we hope they will, it will not force someone to changeBut there is certainly a role for the patient who is genuinely suicidal  We talk about good structure of evaluation and treatment of the psychiatric emergencies  David talks about some patients he has been able to help with addiction recovery from his experience Don't underestimate the difference we can and do make with patients just because we don't always see the result Dr. Berry talks about the message he has for clinicians:We deal with a lot of emergencies, people actively dying, so when we hear a psych complaint or substance abuse complaint, we tend to mentally shuffle them into a lower priority. We need to remember to have empathy and take their complaints seriously, slow down with these patients We talk about the balance between empathy and detachment and burnout David talks about some methods of humanizing the experience for your patients and getting them to open up more We talk about anchor bias and how to protect from it David talks about conformation bias and how it relates in piloting an aircraft and emergency medicine A key question to ask before you leave a patient room is “Do you have any questions?” – This can be hard to ask because we often want to move on but it's so important to the patientSupport the showFull show notes can be found here: Episodes - Practical EMS - Content for EMTs, PAs, ParamedicsMost efficient online EKG course here: Practical EKG Interpretation - Practical EMS earn 4 CME and learn the fundamentals through advanced EKG interpretation in under 4 hours. If you want to work on your nutrition, increase your energy, improve your physical and mental health, I highly recommend 1st Phorm. Check them out here so they know I sent you. 1st Phorm | The Foundation of High Performance Nutrition Everything you hear today from myself and my guests is opinion only and doesn't represent any organizations or companies that any of us are affiliated with. The stories you hear have been modified to protect patient privacy and any resemblance to real individuals is coincidental. This is for educational and entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice nor used to diagnose any medical or healthcare conditions.

On this episode we begin with a scientific discussion, then Laban gives us an update on his dog. From there we get straight into the new James Gunn film SUPERMAN. We talk pretty extensively about it and get into spoiler territory. So watch the movie first. Or skip the movie and just listen to this episode. You can't tell from the recording but during this episode we had a four-way arm wrestling match going on the entire time. We had to cut it off before a winner was crowned because we all passed out at the exact same time and my wife had to call the ambulance. It was crazy but in the end we are stronger brothers for it and we got the ride in the ambulance together still clenched. The EMTs let us finish recording the episode which was sick and they had the siren blasting the whole ride Email us thegoodbrothersshow@gmail.com Follow us on Instagram & Facebook @thegoodbrothersshow  

Quaranteam-Northwest: Part 8 Summer Plans Based on a post by Break The Bar. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels.  At dinner I checked in with Ivy first, then Vanessa when she had finished for the day and joined us. I also made a point of stopping to check in with Dani to see what she was thinking about her new co-team members, who she thought would work out fine, and Kyla. "I think she's a lot quieter than the rest of us," Dani told me as we sat side by side near Leo's RV. "Which isn't a bad thing, obviously. She isn't as used to being around girls like us though. Erica worked with strippers because of her job, along with all sorts of other crazy people, so it's whatever for her. Kyla obviously isn't used to how open we all are about sex things." I pressed my lips together and nodded, watching her as she sat in a group with Erica, Vanessa and Aria chatting. She was obviously engaged, but didn't offer much to the conversation and seemed happy to listen. "Anything else?" I asked. "Anything weird come up?" "No. Should I be watching for something?" Danielle asked. "No, no," I assured her. "I just; Erica, Ivy, Vanessa; it's working. It's crazy, but it's working. I'm worried about Kyla messing that up." "It should be fine," Dani said, patting me on the shoulder. "Erica will Mom them into shape if things get out of whack, and if she's the problem you can just spank her until she apologizes." That made me snort and shake my head with a grin. "You and her talk too much." "Or maybe we don't talk enough," Dani grinned. We folded ourselves back into the larger conversations, me joining the group with Kyla while Dani went to sit with Leo, India and Ivy. As the sun was setting we busted out the fire pit and Vanessa pointed me towards the nearest brush piles I could harvest some wood from; it seemed she'd handily directed some of her workers to pile it within easy walking distance. Then, once the fire was crackling and we all had our drinks of choice, we told the new women our story. We started with Leo and I, then how Erica had joined us for quarantine. We both teased her about hearing her masturbating, which until that moment she hadn't realized had been the case and made her blush. Then we talked about the land lease, the construction, and the introduction of Dani, Vanessa, and Ivy. Vanessa told us how fucking crazy she thought we were at first, but after that first night around the fire she'd realized something weird but special was going on so she stopped judging and started getting a little jealous. Then Ivy told her perspective, stepping into a life with Erica and me. Then we had to tell the story of Vanessa joining us, which got rushed over really quickly and then had to be retold because even Dani hadn't gotten all the details. I'd purposefully sat beside Kyla around the fire, Erica taking the spot on the other side of me. As India and Aria started ragging on Vanessa for not giving them the full story in the initial car ride when they met her, Kyla leaned over to me. "Can we talk? In private?" "Sure," I said, nodding towards our RV. I leaned back in the other direction to Erica and kissed her cheek, and she met my eye and nodded. Inside the RV Kyla had taken the Murphey seat this time so I sat on the bench opposite her. "You still feeling alright?" I asked her. "No," she laughed. Inside, in the more steady light of the RV, I could see she was flushed even with her slightly darker Filipina skin. "I feel like I've got a fever, but it's concentrated in all my erogenous zones. I don't even like women but that story about Vanessa has me..." She blew out a long breath. "I don't know how much more sex talk I can take before I snap." "I can ask them to stop if you want. Or we can have that conversation if you think you're ready." "I'm; Yeah, I'm ready to talk," she said. She took another deep breath and sat up straighter, putting her hands on her knees like she was trying to focus herself. "You can ask anything you want, and I'll try to answer," I promised her. "I don't have questions," she said. "Well, I actually have lots of questions, but they aren't important right this second. Seeing you with Erica and Ivy, and meeting Vanessa. Hearing the way Leo and Danielle talk about you. I think I know what I'd be getting into if I do this with you. And to be honest, it sounds pretty greater considering the other options that the world seems to be moving toward right now. But I never want to be someone who just takes the easy thing because it's in front of them. I know a lot about you now, but you don't know much about me. And I'll tell you, pretty much anything you want to know, but there's something I need to know if you're Okay with. More than my past, more than whatever your government is worried about." "The only way to know is to ask," I said, trying not to let my own nerves out. Kyla, who had been steady throughout the day, was showing signs of anxiety amidst her hard pressure to keep herself under control. "If I don't like it, we can try and find someone else as soon as possible." "I don't want,” She bit her tongue, cutting herself off, and took a breath. "Harrison. If I do this, if I imprint on you, this is my out. I've been doing everything my father wanted since I was a kid. The only escape I ever had was through dance, and even that he took control of to make sure I was getting the best lessons and tutors and going to the best camps and schools. And even then, he and NICA used it as well. My entire life I've been pushed and trained and taught and used because I didn't matter and my country and my service did. I want a new life, Harri. But I want that life the way I want it. I want a big family. I was an only child, and my parents tolerated each other at best in a political marriage. I want six kids at least, more if we can. Fuck, I'll pop out an even dozen and be happy. Or maybe not, maybe I'll be happy earlier than that, but I know I want a lot of kids to love on and raise in a big, supportive family. "If you can handle that, and if Erica can handle that because I know she's going to need to agree to it too, then I swear to God I'll be loyal to you and only to you. My father, NICA, my country; I can leave them all behind and in the dust if you can promise me we'll try to make my dream life happen. And I promise I'll be the best, hottest housewife I can be for as long as you can keep me barefoot and pregnant. I'll make sure I'm fit and tight and everything I can be for you in between pregnancies, but God I want this, Harri. I've never told anyone this before, but I want it so fucking bad." I didn't know what to say. She was practically sobbing in her earnest desire for what she was asking. I just slid down to my knees on the floor of the RV and wrapped my arms around her and Kyla clutched at me as she panted hard. Not crying, but desperately trying to control herself. "Kyla, I would be an extremely lucky man if I can give that all to you," I said. "And I want to tell you yes right away, but you're right. I do need to check with Erica first. Do you want me to call her in to ask her now?" She hesitated a moment, then nodded and sat back on the chair, sucking in a deep and unsteady breath. I stood up and opened the RV door, sticking my head out. All three of my women looked over to me and I made what I hoped was a reassuring smile, then locked eyes with Erica and motioned her over with a head jerk. She joined us, shutting the RV door behind her. "What's up?" she asked. "Everything Okay?" I looked at Kyla. "Do you want me to ask, or you?" "I; You," she said after hesitating. I turned to Erica and reached out, holding her hand. "So, I know we had our conversation earlier, but I didn't realize this was coming or maybe we would have talked about it more seriously. Kyla is ready to join us, but she has an ask. Because of her own family past, one thing she wants more than anything is to have kids. A whole bunch of them. So she wants to know if you and I are Okay with that and willing for that to happen, or if we should try to find her someone else who can help her get the life she wants." Erica's eyes had widened as I was speaking and her jaw worked a few times before she could find the right words. Then she turned to Kyla and looked at her for a long, long moment before putting a hand on her shoulder. "That's the most important thing for you?" she asked quietly. Kyla nodded, then looked up to meet Erica's gaze. "More than anything else. And I want to do that with Harrison; God, I haven't even known him a day but it's like I can see it right there in front of me. He'd make a great husband and an even better father. I just know he's yours more than either of the others, and I couldn't risk saying yes to him without you saying yes to this." "God, fuck," Erica sighed, and I realized she was tearing up as well. She looked to me. "Yes, obviously, if it's what she needs then yes. But I guess now I need to stop taking the pill because I'm not just gonna sit by and not be in the running for the first mother of your child." Now it was my turn to be surprised. "But we just,” She kissed me to shut me up. "It doesn't matter," she said. "I love you, you love me. If the world implodes and we're all shot off into space, I still won't regret making a kid with you." She turned to Kyla. "Are you going to love him?" "I'm going to try," she said. "And I'll work harder at it than my parents ever did." "Then yes," Erica said. "But, and I'll only ever say this once and you need to listen to me closely, if this isn't the truth and you hurt Harrison or me or anyone else here then I swear to everything in heaven and hell that I will end you. Do we understand each other?" Kyla nodded, taking her seriously. "I do, and I won't." "Okay," Erica said, and leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. "You clearly need a fuck, so unless you've suddenly turned Bi then I should leave you to it." She turned to me and kissed me hard, and I hugged her to keep her close. "You're sure?" I asked her in a whisper. She nodded. "Rock her world, babe. Show her why she's one of the four luckiest women on the planet." She kissed my cheek, squeezed my fingers in hers, and then stepped away and out of the RV. Kyla looked like she was going to jump out of her seat. "So,” I started. Kyla stood up abruptly and grabbed me by the face, smashing her plush lips to mine. I naturally grabbed her by the waist as we started making out right there in the middle of the RV. She'd been wearing that bulky coverall the entire day and now she started to scramble to try and get it unzipped and off at the same time as trying to get me to get my shirt off, which just turned into an awkward mess of her hands moving back and forth between us. "Stop, stop," I murmured, pulling my lips from hers. She actually whined a little in her throat and then blinked in surprise at her own reaction. I picked her up and she wrapped her legs around my waist as I carried her back towards the bed. Like this, she was taller than me and she bent down to kiss me some more, making it hard for me to navigate. Thankfully it was a straight shot, and there wasn't a lip at the door to the bedroom area that I needed to duck under or step over. I found the bed with my shin and stopped and lowered her down onto it so we lay somewhere in the middle, me on top of her as we kept making out. Once we were done I pulled away and tugged off my shirt. "Fuck," she groaned, looking at me hungrily. "Not what you're used to?" I asked. She shook her head. "No, so much better." She raised her hands to my stomach and up to my chest, letting her fingers play through my chest hair. I couldn't help myself and I reached down and unzipped the coverall down to her belly button. Underneath, all she had on was a set of black bra and panties. On the one hand, I was starting to get mesmerized by her body very quickly, but on the other, I remembered in the back of my mind that she hadn't arrived with any luggage. I lifted her from under her arms and she let me help her pull the coveralls off, then raised her ass so I could pull them from her legs as well. I crashed back down onto her, now feeling her smooth skin on mine. Her body was everything I would have expected from a dancer; smooth and sleek all over, with toned muscling and a sort of feline grace as she moved around. "Where; are; your clothes; and things?" I asked between kisses. "They said; they would bring; them up; from Cali,” she replied. Then she stopped the kissing and looked up at me. "Seriously, I've got this fucking craving for your cock right now like I can't believe, Harri. I need you to fuck me so fucking bad." "Okay," I said, and then kissed her again as I reached under her to unsnap her bra. When she realized what I wanted she didn't even bother with the snap, she just yanked the black cups off her tits and the whole thing over her head. Her tits were a perfect size for my big hands to palm, a bit bigger than Ivy's but much smaller than Erica's, and her dark brown areolas were smooth and a little puffy, with two perfect nubs for nipples. I sucked on one, feeling how hard they were, but she was stretching to try and get my shorts off of me. She needed the imprinting. We could always explore each other more in the future. I leaned away from her, one hand still on her tit and holding her down, as I shoved down my shorts and boxers. For her part, she pushed her panties down to her knees and I pulled them the rest of the way off. Her cunt was a gorgeous brown, flushed darker than the skin above and slick with her chemically-induced horniness. Even her clit hood was a little pulled back, the softer pink of her clit just visible from being swollen. She was entirely bare, and I wondered if that was a personal choice or a seduction tactic she'd been told to follow. Not that I cared at the moment. I wanted to eat her out and taste her. I wanted to make this last, to wow her like Erica had said. Fuck, let's be real, I wanted to impress the seductive honey trap spy with my sex skills. "Fuck my brains out," Kyla demanded. "Fuck me until I can only ever think of you. Take me and make me yours, you fucking massive wall of American god." I could impress her later. Her cunt accepted my cock like a perfectly tailored suit. I slid in, and even though she was tight and her muscles were firm as hell as they clenched at me she was also extremely willing. That changed when I was almost all the way in though, but not from want of trying. Kyla came, her entire body rolling and arching as her cunt clenched down enough to almost start forcing my cock out. She grabbed me around the shoulder and hugged herself up, clinging to me, and her hips roiled as she thrust hard up and down. Her eyes were squeezed shut, her lips curled in an ugly snarl for a long moment, until the orgasm passed and she let go of me, falling a couple of inches back to the bed with a 'whumph.' "H-Holy fuck," she panted, looking up at me in confusion. "What was that? That,” She blinked rapidly. "Did no one tell you about the first orgasm?" I asked her. She shook her head, still blinking like she was trying to gain her focus. "Fuck me and tell me," she said. I started to slow-thrust, enjoying the delicious warmth of her as I leaned down a bit more, pressing my full body against hers as she spread her legs wider for me. "They told Erica in the information session that she should expect a massive orgasm the first time she ingested a man's precum, and the biggest one of her life when they ingest their actual cum." "She got an information session?" Kyla panted, looking slightly alarmed. "You didn't?" I asked, equally alarmed. We'd both stopped thrusting at each other, not sure what to do. "Fuck it, fucking fuck me," she said and rolled her body to get my cock deeper inside her again. I wasn't going to argue with that. We fucked like that, mutually, for a bit and then I took some more control and went up high on my hands for better leverage and started to fuck her harder. Kyla moaned and panted beneath me, then raised her lips up and sucked on one of my nipples, which was an oddly pleasurable surprise, and then she took some of my hairy pec muscle between her teeth and bit me lightly as she came again. "Ow," I said when she dropped back to the bed again. "Sorry," she panted. "I just; you're really fucking good." Huh, maybe I can impress the spy, I thought. "I'm getting closer," I told her. I'd had... well, not the most amount of sex I'd had in a day, but a bunch, so I wasn't entirely surprised I was lasting as long as I was. "Do you want to try something else?" "I want to try everything with you," she gasped and kissed me. "But... let me..." I disengaged with her, which made her moan like a whore, and she scrambled around on the bed until she was at the bottom corner on her back. Then she spread her legs wide into a full split, and then even wider until she had one leg practically parallel with her torso and the other was way out to the other side. If she was a clock, she would have been showing 10 o'clock. "Fuck me hard. Use my hole," she said, licking her lips. "Get your cock back inside; yes! Oh, fuck, Harrison. Make my cunt fucking squirm. Make your cunt squirm. It's yours now. I'm yours. My whole body. Fuck! I've never felt it like this before. I've never felt anything like this." I was crushing down into her in big, hard strokes and I could feel her cunt squishing with her juices and my balls slapping against her ass cheeks. I was hovering over her and a bead of sweat had trailed down to the end of my nose. Kyla opened her mouth and stuck her tongue out, licking it off of me. I lowered the rest of the way to her and kissed her hard, then hugged her tightly as I started pumping short and quick, barely leaving her cunt. "I can't wait to fall in love with you," I whispered to her. "I can't wait to make babies with you, and start a family." "Do it," she gasped. "Put a baby in me. Make my womb yours forever. Breed me, make me your breeding wife-whore. Love me, may-ari. Oh, fucking; that's what you are, you beautiful big bastard. You're my may-ari. My owner. I choose you. I choose; I,” I couldn't have stopped from coming in her if my life depended on it. She was pushing towards her own orgasm already, and her years of dance and other physical activity had turned her core into a vice that sucked at my cock like a hoover. I came as she lost her grip on her words, chanting about choosing me. She came as well, a scream quenched in her throat as her entire body flexed and tensed. I filled her up, releasing over and over in her, but I finished before she did and just went right back to fucking her since my cock hadn't gone soft yet and she was still coming. I only stopped when she went slack, her legs falling back to a more natural position, and her face went from that clenched teeth-gritting tension to a soft, satisfied smile. "Imprinting. Imprinting. Imprinting." I pulled away from her slowly, making sure she wasn't going to fall from the bed, and found that the entire bottom corner and the edge of the mattress were wet and sticky with juices. Along with my legs, crotch and hips. "Great, another squirter," I sighed. Not that I actually minded, but it just meant we'd be doing even more laundry in the tiny machine the RV held. I stood and, once I felt like I could be coordinated enough, I picked Kyla up in a cradle and lifted her higher on the bed and tucked her in. She was in the fetal position, still mumbling the imprinting sequence with that smile. I had to grab a new pair of shorts since mine had ended up in the splash zone, and I didn't bother putting on a shirt but did wipe myself down with some wet paper towel. Stumbling out of the RV, I was greeted by catcalls and applause. Looking around, the fire was still going and someone had stocked it higher with wood. Erica, Dani and Vanessa were all sitting in the Adirondack chairs, and Ivy was sitting curled up in Erica's lap. "Where are Leo and the girls?" I asked, trying my best not to let them show the embarrassment I knew they were going for with their teasing. "Aria and India were going to fuck, and invited Leo to watch," Dani smirked. "So I assume he's in there either jerking off, or fucking." "I don't need to picture that," Erica rolled her eyes. I stepped over and kissed Vanessa as she leaned her head back and reached up to hug me around the neck. Then I slipped around the circle to Ivy and Erica and kissed both of them. Dani opened her arms to me as well, so I hugged her and she kissed my cheek. "Congrats," she said as I pulled away. "Pops." "Oh, God," I groaned and looked at Erica. "You told them?" "Was I supposed to keep it a secret?" she countered. "I needed to talk it out with someone." Vanessa had stood from her chair and gestured for me to take her seat and went inside the RV, coming back out with some more beers. She passed them around and then sat on my lap similar to the way Ivy was with Erica. We sat that way for a while talking as the night sky played out above us. I'd always loved looking up at the sky out on the property, away from any major sources of light pollution. Now spotlights were lighting up the construction area a hundred yards away, where men and women were working through the night. The view was dimmed, and I wondered if it would ever be as clear again as it had been a month ago. Dani slipped off to bed first, and Vanessa grumbled that she had to be up in the morning for work so the rest of us went quickly. We never had discussed the sleeping arrangements, so I ended up sleeping next to Kyla, with Erica pressing her back to my side and holding my arm under her and around her stomach, with Vanessa spooning up to her and Ivy on the end on her back, snuggled partially under Vanessa. I knocked on the door and set the two big brown paper bags down on the stoop and backed away. The house wasn't 'old' per se, located in a neighborhood that had been developed almost twenty-five years ago, and hadn't been updated since it was first built. To be fair, there hadn't ever exactly been a housing boom in the area, so other than the one-off builds it was probably one of the newest places around. The inner front door opened and Mary looked out cautiously, then in surprise as she saw me. She hadn't texted me like I'd asked her to, and it had almost been a week since I'd seen her in the parking lot at the grocery store. She looked a little better, though not by much, and I wondered how far she'd been able to stretch that $70 I'd been able to give her then. "Harri?" she asked in surprise. "Hey, Mary," I said with a little wave. "How did you; Is this;?" "It wasn't that hard, Mary," I said. "I just made a couple of calls. You never texted me." "I know, I,” she hesitated, and then hung her head. "I was so embarrassed." "You don't need to be," I told her. "You're in a tough spot, and I'm not. I want to help out." "Mom? Who's at the door?" came a little voice from inside. A boy poked his head around Mary's hip, looking cute and curious. "It's an old friend of Mommies," Mary said. "He's just here to say hello." "Hey there buddy," I said, smiling as I pulled my mask down and waved, then let the mask snap back up and played like it had rocked me. The kid giggled. "My name is Harrison, but everyone calls me Harri on account of my big beard and hair." "That's a funny name," the kid said. "If you got rid of your beard, what would they call you?" "Hmm, that's a good question!" I said. "I don't know. Maybe you should ask your Mom, she knew me when I didn't have a beard." "We still called him Harri, baby," Mary said, smiling down at the boy and running her fingers through his hair. The kid had keen eyes and noticed the bags on the stoop and the food inside. "Is that for us?" "It is, kiddo," I said. "Could you help your Mom get it inside?" "Sure!" he said. Mary sighed and opened the screen door for him, and the kid came out in his socks and hefted up one of the bags and started carrying it in. "Harri, you don't need to,” "I made sure there are some snacks for the kids in there," I said, pretending like she hadn't been talking. "I know they aren't nutritious, but I figured you can bribe some good behavior for some Oreos and stuff every once in a while. There's also a bottle of merlot in that other one there, so you may not want the kiddo to lift it. He's a cute kid, by the way. I've got an order in down at the butcher's that I'm supposed to pick up tomorrow, so I'll be by sometime tomorrow afternoon with some meat for you guys too. Maybe I can meet your little girl then? Charlie, right?" Mary looked like she was about to cry, and I didn't want to push her over the edge so I tried to make it all like it wasn't a big deal. "Alright, Mary. See you tomorrow. Let me know if you need anything specific and I'll see what I can do, alright? Tell the kiddo not to eat all the gummy worms at once." I was halfway down the driveway to my truck when the screen door opened again. "Harri," Mary called. I looked back and she was standing on the porch, looking at me with tears brimming in her eyes and a happy frown on her face. From this distance, without a mask, I could still see her as the little button-nosed cheerleader I'd known. "Thank you." I just winked and waved, heading back to my truck. "That was really kind of you," Kyla said as I got in. "It's nothing," I said. "I knew her in high school and her husband's been missing for a while." Kyla took one of my hands from the steering wheel and wrapped her fingers in mine, looking at it. The casual intimacy was still new; the first couple days after her imprinting had been us feeling each other out, and her getting comfortable with the general openness to sex that was our new life. I'd made it a point to spend time with her, both sexually and non-sexually, each day and we were slowly starting to find a soft groove. "That's still kindness, Harri," she said. "You're sure she needs it? I don't want to see you getting taken advantage of." "I'm sure," I said. "Okay," Kyla nodded. "Then we'll help her. Now, let's continue this tour. I want to know everything I can about this little podunk, backwoods town I've been shipped off to." "Well, the first thing you should know is that I'm pretty sure it isn't big enough to be considered a town. Maybe a village?" "Oh, God," she laughed. "Not if you consider all the construction workers moving in." "True. I bet we're close to half-againing the local population at this point. Vanessa said we'll hit a thousand by the end of the week." "With that many," Kyla said. "We should have our house in, what, a few months?" "No idea," I said. "No fucking idea." "Fuck, it's already June," I groaned. It was hot as balls and I was regretting putting on my 'go out into the world' getup. "How did you miss the 1st?" Erica asked, also done up in her gear. "How did we miss Memorial Day?" I countered. "Oh, shit," Leo said, standing up from where he'd been sitting over near his RV. "You're right, we did miss Memorial Day. Should we do something?" "Like what?" I asked. "We could throw a party," Ivy suggested. "We could all dress up fancy and have a dance?" The surveyors had been needing Leo and me less and less lately and I was starting to get a little twitchy with how little I had to do. Quarantine before all of this really kicked off had been one thing, but now we didn't even have our big wide backyard to ourselves. When Erica had mentioned that she wanted to take a drive into Portland to pick up some things from the tattoo parlor and check her apartment I'd jumped on the chance and we'd made the plan. The girls were already starting to excitedly talk about planning our late Memorial Day celebration as I stretched and sighed, checking my watch. We'd been planning to leave right after lunch and it was already 3pm. Vanessa had taken an extended break since she'd worked late the night before and we'd had some one-on-one fun in the RV, which had been sorely needed for her. Where the rest of us were struggling to find things to keep busy and motivated, the last week had seen more and more responsibility and work landing in Vanessa's lap as the construction crews started to show up and move into the barracks. It meant there was an entirely new crew of cleaners, maintenance workers and delivery people under her supervision along with her 'gorillas.' Not to mention her wrangling of the other foremen and administrators on-site as her father handled the top-end details of the job. Every day it seemed like new equipment and supplies were being delivered and a third barracks was quickly being erected as even more hands were around. But an hour with Vanessa had delayed us, and when I was finally ready to go Dani was busy with Leo over at their place, and since she was coming with us Erica and I had to wait. Then Erica and Kyla were ensconced in a private conversation in our RV when Dani emerged ready to go, so we lost another half hour before the three of us were all finally dressed and prepped to leave. "Okay," I said loudly, trying to cut through the multiple party-related conversations. "We're all agreed we'll do a Memorial Day thing, but we're burning daylight. Erica and Dani, let's go." We took my truck, only needing one vehicle since we weren't hauling a ton of stuff like the last time. As we pulled around the site offices I spotted Vanessa walking with one of the other foremen in conversation and gave her a little double honk. She smiled and waved. Driving down the old driveway path there were now a half dozen wide offshoots winding off into the trees and closer to the highway there were big swathes of ground that had been cleared and were starting to get flattened by scrapers and excavators. Vanessa had mentioned that we'd end up with a couple of strip malls worth of stores to help provide for the eventual community; a convenience store, a clinic, a dentist, that sort of thing. Right at the end of the driveway a guard hut had been erected, little more than a fancy roadside fruit stall that could barely fit two people inside. I pulled up next to it and Erica rolled down the window. "Hey Patrick," I said, waving to the construction worker manning the booth and tracking the ins and outs. "Hey folks," the older guy said with a grin. He was supposed to be on the road crews but had arrived earlier than needed. I'd asked him once if standing in the guard booth all day working a clipboard was boring and he assured me that after three decades manning a 'Slow/Stop' sign in the middle of roads through sun, rain and sleet, the booth and the clipboard were welcome. "We'll be out for a few hours," I said. "Sounds good," he replied and made a note on his clipboard. Then he wiped at his eyes and cleared his throat, blinking. "Y'all didn't say anything about how bad the pollen got up here. I think my allergies are kicking up and I didn't bring any of my meds, I thought the North West was supposed to be wet." "It usually is. We'll pick you something up," Erica offered. "We need to stop at a pharmacy anyways." "We do?" I asked. "We do," Erica said, patting me on the knee. "Hah," Patrick laughed. "And here I thought you was some sort of Big Dog, Harri. But you're as whipped by your women as the rest of us." "See you in a bit, Patrick," I said. He waved us off, then covered his mouth to cough a little. "Poor guy," Dani said. "I'd hate if I had allergies like that." "We'll get him fixed up," I said as I pulled onto the highway and started heading in the direction of Portland. "It's been weirdly dry and hot so I'm betting the dust from the brush cutting is doing it to him." And I didn't think anything more of it. Erica unlocked the metal grate that pulled down over the front of the tattoo parlor and lifted it up on the rollers enough to uncover the door. The good news was that the whole thing with the 'Autonomous Zone' seemed to have burned itself out and Portland was no longer hosting big protests at the moment. The bad news was that only happened after a week of riots and several news-worthy moments of violence and vandalism. Thankfully the parlor wasn't on one of the major routes the riots had travelled down and there didn't seem to be any damage other than sprayed graffiti on the grate and some of the glass windows behind it. I'd pulled my truck right up over the curb and parked us as close as possible. The streets were as empty of people moving around as the last time we'd come into the city, except there was more trash. I'd seen old newsreels of when there had been major strikes in New York City back in the early 80s and it wasn't exactly that bad, but another couple of weeks and it might get there. Someone must have been doing collections, they were just overburdened or understaffed or something. I had to nudge a pile out of the way with the front of my truck to wedge into the open space, but it almost immediately proved worth it as a trio of ambulances came burning down the street with their lights running. If I'd parked on the street one of them would have needed to swerve out of the way and who knew if those extra seconds would be the difference between life or death for someone; not to mention the potential of the ambulance not swerving fast enough and clipping my truck. Inside the tattoo parlor Erica went straight to her bay and started unhooking and gathering her equipment. Dani was looking around at the place, grinning as she examined the wild decor. She would call out questions to Erica, who would tell her who had done what mural, or the brief story behind the broken surfboard hanging from the ceiling and the skateboard deck covered in almost a hundred different signatures. I spotted a photo on the wall and realized it was of Erica and all of her staff at the most recent DragonCon where they had put up a booth and done live tattooing. Erica had said beforehand she thought it might be a waste of time, but the owner of the parlor was a huge nerd and wanted to do it so it was her job to organize. I never had found out how it went, but she looked happy in the photo. I grabbed the frame from the wall and brought it over to her. "Do you want to bring this, too?" I asked. She glanced at it and paused her work, then smiled and hugged me. "That's sweet, Harri. Yes, absolutely." She took the frame and put it in one of the boxes we'd brought for her to carry stuff, then turned to me. "Hey, could you just empty all those drawers there into the boxes? Don't just dump them, but there isn't anything particularly fragile. It's mostly inks and cleaner solutions and stuff." "Sure," I said. "Thanks, babe," she said and kissed my cheek. "Dani and I are just going to slip through to next door." "Oh, God," I groaned. I hadn't realized that was her plan. "Don't worry," she grinned. "It'll all be fun for you, I promise." The owner of the tattoo parlor also owned the sex shop next door and had installed a door between the two since the clientele crossed over fairly consistently. Erica led Dani through the door, opening it with her key, and I could hear them laughing and giggling. By the time I was done with the drawers Erica had pointed out, placing what seemed like hundreds of little vials and bottles of inks and other liquids into the boxes along with some other art supplies, they hadn't come back. I went to the door and opened it, looking in. Erica glanced over, grinning as she held another box and Dani was placing something inside. "You want any porn, babe?" "What do I need porn for?" I asked. "I dunno," she said. "Variety?" "Ooh, this one is called 'Big Black Booties 15,'" Dani said, grabbing a DVD from a nearby shelf and waving it at me. "You don't have that kind of variety yet, Harri." I snorted and shook my head. "I'm perfectly happy with the booties at my disposal, thank you." Dani shrugged and put the DVD in the box. "I'll see if Leo wants it." "Gag!" Erica laughed, making them both start giggling. I had a feeling that was a running joke between them. "How are we paying for this stuff?" I asked. "Everything is turned off and we don't have any cash." "Artie told me I could Venmo him at a 75% discount," Erica said. "Plus anything with an expiry date I could have for free. So we've got a lot of lube now, along with a bunch of penis-shaped candy and some candy underwear." I sighed and shook my head. "Oh my God, we should take her with us," Dani said, pointing up on a high shelf where a creepily lifelike sex doll was sitting. "I think you mean rescue her," Erica said. "Harri, help me get her down." "Really?" I asked. "Yes," they both demanded. When we packed up the truck we had two boxes of Erica's tattoo gear and other possessions from the shop, another full box of Sex Shop stuff, and Dani was sitting in the back next to 'Sexy Susan' who had also happened to get dressed in a sexy nurse costume. They thought it was fucking hilarious, I just thought 'Sexy Susan' was a little creepy. Dani stayed down in the truck, taking the front seat as I pointed out that the 1911 was in its case under the passenger seat if she needed it, while Erica and I headed up to her apartment. The elevator had an 'out of order' sign on it, and Erica had to use her key to the building to get into the stairwell which she said she'd never had to do before. That was an immediate red flag to me, but I kept my cool to try and not worry her. "You know," Erica said as we climbed the stairs. All our sex cardio seemed to be paying off because we weren't puffing from the exertion yet. "You haven't officially asked me to move in yet." "What?' I asked. "Leo and I,” "That wasn't asking me to move in permanently," Erica cut me off. "That was just for quarantine." I rolled my eyes, knowing where she was going with this. At the next floor I grabbed her by the waist and pulled her to me, pulling down my mask and hers and kissing her hard and deep. "Erica Lacosta, will you move in with me forever and ever?" I asked her. "Yes," she grinned. "Yes, I will." She kissed me lightly to seal it, then sighed and we raised our masks and started climbing more stairs. "With that out of the way, I should really try and find a way out of my lease. Just because you have money doesn't mean I should be wasting mine on a place I'm not ever planning on moving back into." "I'll help with some research," I said. "I know there's all the clamor about halting eviction notices, but maybe there's something that will help. I could text Miriam, see if Captain Bloomberg knows anything offhand." "Hmm, maybe,” Erica started, but stopped as we reached her floor and found that door locked as well. "What the fuck?" she sighed and unlocked it. "Let me go first," I said. "Why? It's just..." As we entered the corridor Erica trailed off, seeing the tracks of dirty footprints in the hall and the spray paint on the walls. She immediately started to move forward, but I grabbed her arm and stopped her. "Wait," I said. "Look." I pointed at the big circles on the walls next to each door, but she clearly didn't understand what I was pointing out. "Those are FEMA search and rescue marks." Erica blinked once and was obviously unsure of what to say. "Let's just take it slow," I said. We walked down the hallway. Some of the doors were shut, but others looked like they'd been kicked in. "What do they mean?" Erica asked me, looking at the circles and the scribbles of letters and numbers on the walls. Each circle had an X dividing it into four parts, and each quadrant was marked. "The top part is the date the location was searched," I said. "5-24 means it happened May 24th, so a little over a week and a half ago. The left side is who did the search, the numbers are probably a military code for a National Guard unit. If it said PPD that would be the Portland police, or CDC or DEA or whoever. The right side is if there are any hazards." I pointed to one of the doors that were kicked in. "NE means 'No Entry.'" Then I pointed to another. "F/W means there's contaminated food and water." I pointed at another door, this one wasn't kicked in. "A 0 means no hazards. "What are the bottom parts?" Erica asked. I frowned and swallowed. "The crossed 0 means no one found. DB or DOA means dead bodies. LB means live people are, or were, inside." Erica looked at the carnage of the corridor, her eyes scanning the doors of her neighbors as she weighed the number of DBs. There weren't many 0s, but about half of the apartments were labelled LB and hadn't been kicked open. Half. We got to Erica's place around the hall corner, passing the old lady Diane's door. It was kicked in and labelled NE, DB. Erica poked the door with her boot and it swung in. Inside, other than the dirty boot prints, it looked generally neat and tidy... other than the pool of dark something that had dried on the kitchen linoleum. I grabbed Erica and held her as she gasped and her knees went weak. I pulled her away from the door and she saw that her own apartment had also been kicked in, but was labelled 0 hazards and 0 bodies. We went in and she sat down on the couch, burying her head in her hands. Kneeling in front of her, I cradled her head on my shoulder and hugged her tightly as the reality of the world settled on her. She cried, though not as long as she probably needed, as I talked her through what had probably happened. Enough people had gotten sick and called emergency services that they came to do a sweep of the building. They knocked on every door, and anywhere someone didn't answer they kicked it in. Then I assumed they had extracted the bodies. "I need to get out of here," Erica breathed. "Okay," I said. "Do you need me to grab anything? Did we forget anything last time?" "No, nothing," she shook her head. "Just get me out of here." I picked her up and carried her out. Erica wasn't Ivy or Vanessa, or even Kyla. She was a full-figured woman. But I carried her every fucking step, down every stair. She stopped me right at the doors to the building and had me let her down. "I don't want Dani to see me like this," she said. "Why?" I asked. "She would understand." "I know," she said, blinking under her ski goggles. "But if she sees me like this, she'll start thinking about what might be happening back home for her, and she doesn't need that." I held Erica's hand at the door for another minute as she breathed deeply and got control of herself, and finally she smiled at me and it actually travelled up to her eyes. "Thanks, babe," she said. "Love you," I said. "You too," she said and touched her forehead to mine since we were both masked and goggled. "Hey, Charlie," I grinned, waving to the little four-year-old as she sprawled in Mary's arms and waved back with her little grin. "Hi," she chirped. "Okay," Mary said, setting her daughter down. "Scoot, you. Let Mommy talk with Harri for a second. Go see what your brother is doing." "Okay," Charlie said and pounded off in the way only a four-year-old could. "You're looking more like yourself, Mary," I said. I was standing off the porch and we kept the screen door closed, but I had my mask lowered so she could see my face. She smiled softly and shrugged. "I don't feel like it, but thanks." "How are the kids doing?" I asked. "Well, I regret letting them eat sugar again," she smirked a little. "But they're good. Better than me, anyways, though Thomas misses his friends from school and keeps asking when he can go back to class." She laughed and wiped under one eye. "He used to hate going to school every morning, now it's all he wants to do." "We'll get there eventually," I assured her. "What about you? How are you doing?"

I'd like to welcome to the show Dr. David M. Berry, MD, he is a growing voice in the recovery and addiction space, an area that we deal with a ton across EMS and the emergency departments. He is an Emergency Medicine physician with over two decades of experience. You can reach him at dberrymd@hotmail.com He has an incredible story. He was conceived following a one-night stand and was almost aborted before being put up for adoption to a loving family. He had his first child and felt the gift of knowing his first genetically related family member for the first time.Tragically, his first daughter was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy, a diagnosis not compatible with life and she later died around 9 months of age.This led David to turn to alcohol to help deal with the pain. His family took notice of this, so he transitioned to opiates instead of alcohol, something that he could hide more easily. He was eventually found out and spent some time in jail and tried some treatment centers. He lost his medical license, his family left him and he became homeless.His rock bottom was when he found himself homeless living under a bridge with no ID and realized that no one would even realize if he had died. With the help of another doctor, David started taking Suboxone, which helped him to overcome opiate addiction.This opened a path to Dr. Berry getting his medical license back and eventually led to a role as chief of staff of his hospital as well as opening up a rehab clinic in Colorado. Hearing David's story helps put in perspective the fact that none of us are that far removed from the homeless, drug addicted patient we care for in the ER. He talks about his new appreciation for his life and his family We talk about techniques to get patients to open up to us despite our short time with them: “Do you mind if I examine you?” gives the patient some control in the situation Some of our biggest misconceptions about these addicted patients is “They are trying to game the system,” maybe they are, but maybe they are totally out of options or are having a real emergency. “What can I do to help you?” may open up a conversation about what they feel they need Small, short conversations can make a big difference over time We often don't have enough time with patients to label them with anxiety disorder or opiate use disorder, so avoiding labels is probably best in the ED Have a way to work up patients that avoids your biasSupport the showFull show notes can be found here: Episodes - Practical EMS - Content for EMTs, PAs, ParamedicsMost efficient online EKG course here: Practical EKG Interpretation - Practical EMS earn 4 CME and learn the fundamentals through advanced EKG interpretation in under 4 hours. If you want to work on your nutrition, increase your energy, improve your physical and mental health, I highly recommend 1st Phorm. Check them out here so they know I sent you. 1st Phorm | The Foundation of High Performance Nutrition Everything you hear today from myself and my guests is opinion only and doesn't represent any organizations or companies that any of us are affiliated with. The stories you hear have been modified to protect patient privacy and any resemblance to real individuals is coincidental. This is for educational and entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice nor used to diagnose any medical or healthcare conditions.

University of Idaho murderer Bryan Kohberger sentenced to life, Ghislaine Maxwell subpoenaed, Gary Graff joins us to talk Ozzy, bald John Lennon, Butt-Rock is back, boner-makers Salma Hayek & Sydney Sweeney, Candace Owens sued for defamation, and an update on Kate Cassidy. An old picture of John Lennon ignites a fight amongst Beatles fans... over his hair line. It gets so deep Drew digs up a picture of John's dad, Alf. The stock market has been on fire as the S&P and NASDAQ hit all time highs. Crypto is on fire and no one can still explain it. Brandon's neighbor dishes on his marriage to billionaire David Geffen. Drew is firmly on David Armstrong's side. What about you? Some people are saying Geffen might be in trouble for sex trafficking. Bryan Kohberger was sentenced to life in prison. The victim's impact statements tore him a new one, especially by pointing out how terrible he is at murdering. Crazy Planes: A Delta flight almost had a plane land on top of it in Mexico City. This just days after a Delta flight had to avoid a B-52 bomber in midair. Donald Trump's approval ratings seem to be up. Get ready to pay more for candy as the price of cocoa is sky high.  A Federal judge shuts down release of the Epstein grand jury testimony. Ghislaine Maxwell subpoenaed by the House Oversight Committee. The Wall Street Journal reports that US AG Pam Bondi told Trump in May that he's in the Epstein files. There are new pictures of Donald Trump hanging out with Jeffrey Epstein back in the day. Gary Graff joins us following the death of Ozzy Osbourne. EMTs tried to save the Prince of Darkness for two hours.  There's going to be a ton of new Ozzy stuff coming out in the next year.  Gary also talks about the 40th anniversary of Live Aid. His favorite performance that day was George Thorogood. Kate Cassidy, the girlfriend of Liam Payne, has become a full-time influencer on TikTok. Salma Hayek gave everyone boners today. Sydney Sweeney tried to as well, but was wearing too much denim. The Cleveland Browns unveiled their new helmets today, but some oaf took all the attention away.  The clear highlight of the British Open was a sweet fart. Candace Owens is sued by the French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife for claiming Brigitte is really a man. Butt-Rock is back! You know Puddle of Mudd, right? If you'd like to help support the show… consider subscribing to our YouTube Channel, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (Drew Lane, Marc Fellhauer, Trudi Daniels, Jim Bentley and BranDon).

Send us a textWhat happens when a first responder walks into a therapist's office and shares a traumatic experience so dark that the therapist needs "a few minutes" before responding? For most first responders, this confirms their worst fear: no one can handle their reality. That's why cultural competency isn't just helpful—it's essential.In this powerful conversation with the founding members of "Behind the Badge and Beyond," we explore the critical importance of specialized mental health care for those who serve our communities. Lisa Knowles, Richard Winning, Erin Sheridan, Alexa Silva, Jennifer Waldron, and host Steve Bisson bring decades of combined experience working with police officers, firefighters, EMTs, correctional officers, and military personnel.The group unpacks what makes first responder therapy uniquely challenging—like the profound emotional numbing that protects on the job but destroys relationships at home, the grief that gets misinterpreted as burnout, and the resistance to vulnerability that requires extraordinary patience from clinicians. They share stories of connecting with clients through dark humor, specialized knowledge, and authentic relationship-building that creates safety for those who protect us daily.Whether you're a first responder seeking help, a family member trying to understand, or a clinician wanting to better serve this population, this conversation offers invaluable insights into creating genuine healing spaces for those who witness trauma daily. The message is clear: first responders deserve therapists who speak their language, understand their culture, and can sit comfortably with their darkest experiences without flinching.Ready to find a culturally competent therapist or learn more about specialized mental health support for first responders? This episode is for you!Freed.ai: We'll Do Your SOAP Notes!Freed AI converts conversations into SOAP note.Use code Steve50 for $50 off the 1st month!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the showYouTube Channel For The Podcast

A life marked by pain, addiction, and spiritual warfare can feel like a dead end. Substance abuse, anxiety, and demonic oppression often isolate people in cycles of shame and confusion. Many find themselves desperate for freedom, yet unsure how to break the chains that hold them back. The battle is not only physical and emotional, it's spiritual. And it often takes something greater than willpower to escape it: a divine encounter.In this episode of Revelations Podcast, host Reagan Kramer sits down with Tommy Doyle. He is the International Director of Uncharted Ministries and son of renowned missionary leaders Tom and Joanne Doyle. Tommy takes us on a riveting journey from being a pastor's kid entangled in alcoholism, panic attacks, and spiritual torment, to becoming a frontline missionary reaching war zones in the Middle East with the love of Christ. His battles with demonic forces and deliverance through a divine encounter of Jesus offer a powerful message of hope for anyone navigating the wilderness of addiction or doubt.Be equipped with spiritual tools to confront addiction, anxiety, and spiritual warfare with the authority of Jesus. This episode is for hurting hearts, wandering believers, and anyone ready to trade despair for lasting freedom in Christ.Here are three reasons why you should listen to this episode:Discover the spiritual component of addiction and how it can be broken through a divine encounter with Jesus.Explore the reality of spiritual warfare in regions like Egypt and how prayer activates victory over darkness.Learn how Tommy's story shows hope for those battling both anxiety and faith deconstruction.Become Part of Our Mission! Support The Revelations Podcast:Your support fuels our mission to share transformative messages of hope and faith. Click here to learn how you can contribute and be part of this growing community!ResourcesMore from the Revelations Podcast hosted by Reagan Kramer: Website | Instagram | Apple Podcast | YoutubeUncharted Ministries: WebsiteUncharted Adventures: Website“Dreams and Visions: Is Jesus Awakening the Muslim World?” by Tom Doyle“Women Who Risk” by Tom and Joanne Doyle“Spiritual Warfare: Christians, Demonization, and Deliverance” by Dr. Karl Payne Bible Verses2 Timothy 1:7This Episode is brought to you by Advanced Medicine AlternativesGet back to the active life you love through natural & regenerative musculoskeletal healing: https://www.georgekramermd.com/Episode Highlights[00:36] Freedom from Addiction and the Fight for the SoulAddiction, anxiety, and spiritual warfare can make people feel trapped and unseen.Many silently battle overwhelming darkness, believing healing is out of reach.Tommy Doyle, International Director of Uncharted Ministries, knows this struggle firsthand.[03:21] Tommy: “We have so many good friends and so many ministry partners over there, that that's just really where our heart was, and we were part of another ministry before that that we loved dearly, so many great people and everything.”Once bound by addiction and anxiety, Tommy now leads missions that bring healing and hope across the Middle East.[05:26] Ministry Work in the Middle EastTommy describes Uncharted Ministries' work across war-torn regions of the Middle East.He recalls visiting the Gaza Strip a month after a major attack, wearing flak jackets and traveling with armed EMTs.Despite the chaos, they shared comfort and reminded hurting communities that they are not forgotten.Through every mission, Tommy emphasizes the power of showing up and bringing the love of Christ.[12:19] Personal Testimony and Early LifeTommy grew up in a large Christian family, deeply involved in church life as a pastor's kid.Despite strong early faith, he experienced rejection and betrayal from peers in church leadership.That emotional wound led him to pull away and seek belonging in sports and party culture.This shift laid the groundwork for his eventual descent into substance use and spiritual drift.[24:23] Struggles with Addiction and Turning PointTommy began justifying casual partying, which escalated into drug dealing and daily alcohol use.A raid by federal agents became a wake-up call, but the pull of addiction remained strong.Panic attacks worsened his condition, and alcohol became his go-to form of self-medication.Despite several attempts to quit, nothing brought lasting freedom—until he cried out to God.[26:42] Egypt Mission Trip and Spiritual AwakeningTommy joined a mission trip to Egypt to support his mother's outreach to Muslim women.While caring for children there, he was struck by a deep conviction to return to a life of purpose.That moment reignited his faith, shifted his focus, and set him on a path of full sobriety.He returned home and committed to healing through a Christ-centered Celebrate Recovery program.[36:11] Supernatural Encounter in EgyptDuring a foot-washing ceremony, Tommy witnessed a woman visibly possessed and delivered through the name of Jesus.[39:47] Tommy: “Every time that something dark and scary would happen, witnessed by other people too, the power of the name of Jesus was enough to eradicate it and, and that's just so life-giving.”Later that night, he and his brother encountered a terrifying demonic presence outside their desert compound.Prayer in Jesus' name broke the oppression, revealing that when the demonic and divine encounter each other, the authority of Christ prevails over darkness.These spiritual battles confirmed the reality of unseen warfare—and the power believers carry.[47:49] Territorial Spirits and the Battle Over RegionsTommy and Reagan reflect on how demonic strongholds operate not just personally, but over entire regions.In spiritually charged areas like the Middle East, the Enemy fiercely resists gospel work.Tommy shares how even Bible translation efforts in unreached areas face constant spiritual interference.Yet through it all, God's power continues to break ground where darkness has long ruled.[52:45] The Link Between Medication and AddictionTommy discusses the role anti-anxiety medication played in intensifying his alcohol cravings.He noticed his dependence on alcohol spiked after starting an SSRI prescribed for panic attacks.This connection led him to research and ultimately discontinue the medication after his spiritual breakthrough.He encourages others to evaluate their health journeys prayerfully and seek Spirit-led guidance.[58:39] Advice for Overcoming Addiction and AnxietyTommy urges listeners to admit powerlessness and seek a divine encounter with Jesus as the first step to healing.By trusting Him, we take a faithful path to healing.He shares practical advice for managing anxiety, including diet, outdoor activity, and community support.Accountability and honesty are key—especially with trusted friends and family.Above all, he emphasizes that true freedom from addiction and fear comes through Christ alone.[1:03:43] Tommy: “I did not need a foreign substance to be happy and enjoy life. And that's such a lie if, if that's holding you back, reconnect with the Lord.”[1:05:52] Living Free From Darkness to Purpose in ChristTommy reminds listeners that surrender is not weakness but the beginning of real strength.He shares how 2 Timothy 1:7 has anchored him through fear and addiction.God's healing is available to anyone ready to leave darkness and walk into His light.Learn more about Tommy's work through Uncharted Ministries and Uncharted Adventures at unchartedministries.com.About Tommy DoyleTommy Doyle is a missionary leader, speaker, and redeemed overcomer called to bring light into the darkest places. As the International Director of Uncharted Ministries, he continues the legacy of his parents, Tom and Joanne Doyle, by leading gospel-centered outreach in the Middle East and beyond. From war zones to remote villages, Tommy helps bring humanitarian aid, spiritual support, and the message of Jesus to those living in fear, trauma, or persecution. His work bridges cultures and faiths, demonstrating the power of God's love across some of the most spiritually resistant regions in the world.Once bound by addiction, anxiety, and demonic oppression, Tommy experienced radical deliverance during a divine encounter. On his mission trip to Egypt, he reignited his faith and reshaped his purpose. Now over a decade sober, he uses his testimony to reach those walking through their own wilderness. With firsthand experience in spiritual warfare and recovery, Tommy equips others to confront addiction, overcome fear, and live with bold, Christ-centered purpose. His story is a powerful reminder that no one is too far gone for the grace of God.Connect with Tommy through the Uncharted Ministries website.Enjoyed this Episode?If you did, subscribe and share it with your friends!Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning in about generational curses and how to break them, leave us a review. You can also share this with your friends and family. Freedom from addiction, anxiety, and spiritual oppression begins with surrender. When you experience a divine encounter with Jesus, darkness loses its grip. Let this be a reminder that no matter how far you've gone, healing and purpose are still possible.Have any questions? You can connect with me on Instagram.Thank you for tuning in! For more updates, tune in on Apple Podcasts

Dave and Chuck the Freak talk about retired state police officer teaches courses on dangers of sexual strangulation, body cam footage of Indian woman being detained for shoplifting, trucks selling meats in parking lot, Tesla being driven by old man drove into water while exiting a ferry, Detroit city bus hits a guy on the street, smoke shop shut down for running prostitution business, ride at the zoo stopped working, road rage incident with a man and teen, surfing instructor bit by shark, New Orleans spraying lemon scent around Bourbon Street, National Hammock Day, hate mail about songs Dave gets stuck in people’s heads, NFL training camps, ESPN NFL power rankings, Malcom Jamal Warner died in drowning accident, HR exec from Coldplay kiss cam scandal still has job, how people feel about kiss cams, Denise Richard’s involved in a crazy divorce situation, Hulu dating show about virgins looking for love, naked man breaks into Planet Fitness, woman with no pants on prowling around neighborhood, nude guy goes boat hopping on Chicago River, man got nude and stole a dingy, man broke into a family’s home through the roof, car veered off road sending trampoline flying, ASMR spa, guy got drunk at rooftop bar and peed off the top, old woman called 911 after bear attack, Daisy Daisy nursery rhyme, couple’s encounter with grizzly bear, guy fell asleep on Las Vegas concrete and woke up with 3rd degree burns, EMTs deliver surprise twins, and more!

Creator of the philosophy The Art of Bending TimeYou can find her work at Michelleniemeyer.com, LinkedIn and can text CLARITY to 33777 to get supportMichelle talks about what moved her away from law to helping others improve their livesFinding fulfillment outside of work hours to pursue something that is important to you can have beneficial effects on your work hoursWork life balance is bullshit Sometimes building community and social interactions while at work is an important step to building a strong team. Telling your family and friends outside of work about your work life can be equally important. They don't have to be totally separate parts of youIn the end, we are whole peoplePersonally, it is easy for me to isolate at work, but I feel better when I make the intentional time to get to know my coworkersRemember your spouse is a partner in life with you, invite them into your work strugglesTake care of your body and your mind to avoid burnoutBe clear who you areTEXT CLARITY to 33777 to get access to a free community page with Michelle's guided meditation program to help you get clarity on life and remember what bring you passion and fulfilment in lifeCreating a roadmap in life is crucial to making the life you want happenSometimes very difficult things are obtainable, but you have to take one step at a timeMichelle speaks to some healthy habits she has daily to start her day the right way, like taking her dog for a walkHabits of unwinding at the end of the day are key as well, put down the phone well before bedLeave for work with some extra time built in so you don't get frustrated by traffic, start your day on a positive noteSupport the showFull show notes can be found here: Episodes - Practical EMS - Content for EMTs, PAs, ParamedicsMost efficient online EKG course here: Practical EKG Interpretation - Practical EMS earn 4 CME and learn the fundamentals through advanced EKG interpretation in under 4 hours. If you want to work on your nutrition, increase your energy, improve your physical and mental health, I highly recommend 1st Phorm. Check them out here so they know I sent you. 1st Phorm | The Foundation of High Performance Nutrition Everything you hear today from myself and my guests is opinion only and doesn't represent any organizations or companies that any of us are affiliated with. The stories you hear have been modified to protect patient privacy and any resemblance to real individuals is coincidental. This is for educational and entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice nor used to diagnose any medical or healthcare conditions.

From Memorial Day to Labor Day, the FDNY deploys beach Gator units at area beaches, which are staffed by EMTs trained to respond to emergencies on the beach. These units work in partnership with the FDNY Drone Unit, FDNY Fire Companies, the NYPD and New York City Parks Department lifeguards and can more easily navigate the beach and through crowds in their small, specialized vehicle. New York City's beaches are especially crowded during the warm summer months, and Independence Day weekend 2024 was no exception. Just after 5 p.m. on Sunday, July 7, Station 47's beach gator unit sprang into action when five swimmers in a closed section of the beach were caught in large swells and a rip current, slamming them into the Beach 91 jetty as they struggled to say afloat. In this episode, EMT Saverio Bosco and EMT Andrew Ochtera join us to discuss this rescue operation and what a “day at the beach” is like for members working at one the busiest beaches in the city. Captain Randy Li hosts.

Creator of the philosophy The Art of Bending TimeYou can find her work at Michelleniemeyer.com, LinkedIn and can text CLARITY to 33777 to get supportMichelle talks about a turning point in her life where she ended up in the ER and how this changed her perspective on health and nutrition after she was later diagnosed with PBCIs burnout in our control?Michelle says that the things that cause burnout are not in our control, but you can impact how you respond and how you look at the worldShe recommends focusing on the things that you enjoy in your day, meditating on themMichelle talks about some of the struggles she had as a lawyer and how it was difficult to not see the benefit of her work for 8 months to a year sometimesLearn to be in the moment, if you are thinking about the future all the time you will suffer anxiety and if you are thinking about the past, you will be depressedSetting goals is important, you need to be working towards something in life and figure out an action plan to accomplish themMake sure they are goals that YOU want, as opposed to something that someone else wants for youDelegate certain tasks, ask for help, don't always micromanageStep back and allow others to learn and growMichelle talks about how shifting from running all the time to enjoying walks outside improved her health and prevented injuryShe talks about the importance of getting enough sleep and movementNutrition can be medicineMichelle talks about a big case she was working on and how some dedicated, focused time, away from distractions, with adequate rest and movement, helped her throughTake care of yourself before you take care of patients To get focused work done, you need to set up your environment correctly and remove distractionsOne distraction can make you lose precious focus one a given taskMultitasking is a mythBurnout happens when people don't feel any meaning in what they're doingSometimes switching jobs or careers will not solve burnout, but establishing some good habits can recreate the fulfillment in your current job againYou don't see the light when you stay doing the same stuffSupport the showFull show notes can be found here: Episodes - Practical EMS - Content for EMTs, PAs, ParamedicsMost efficient online EKG course here: Practical EKG Interpretation - Practical EMS earn 4 CME and learn the fundamentals through advanced EKG interpretation in under 4 hours. If you want to work on your nutrition, increase your energy, improve your physical and mental health, I highly recommend 1st Phorm. Check them out here so they know I sent you. 1st Phorm | The Foundation of High Performance Nutrition Everything you hear today from myself and my guests is opinion only and doesn't represent any organizations or companies that any of us are affiliated with. The stories you hear have been modified to protect patient privacy and any resemblance to real individuals is coincidental. This is for educational and entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice nor used to diagnose any medical or healthcare conditions.

Dr. Emma Jones is a hospice and palliative care physician, also worked as a pediatric oncologist and pediatrician. She's been in the field for over 10 years and is active in helping healthcare professionals with burnout in the modern medical system. She is the author of The Phoenix Blueprint, Emerging Stronger from the Blaze of Healthcarehttps://www.emmajonesmd.comBoundaries are important to set up in your work. Proper emotional boundaries with your patients are important to maintain your separation from another personYou can see another person's emotions, recognize them and understand that they are not your emotions True empathy does not improve your ability to provide patient careRecognize when you do take on another person's burden so you can do the work to set it downWe have to always remember to be patient centered. When you express empathy or share a personal experience with someone it should be serving a clinical purpose. It should never be done to help you process somethingIs the patient benefiting from you relating to their experience?Would you be better off to discuss your experience with a therapist or family member?Spending more time to reassure and answer patient questions will save time in the long run and allows you to fully address the chief concern over the chief complaintRapport is developed not with time but can be done instantly by simply being a human beingUnconditional positive regard is viewing the patient or coworker or whoever you are interacting with in a positive lightThis allows you to interact better with the patients you see, viewing the problem as the enemy and not each otherPositive attitudes, smiling and friendly behavior can be culturally discouraged in medicine and this needs to change, of course some situations call for a reserved attitude, but many do notGiving away happiness and positivity does not take something away from you, it actually gives you more joyWe talk about mentoring and teaching the next generation of medical professionalsAdvocacy for policy change is one of the last chapters of the book because you really have to overcome burnout in order to have the energy and motivation to take those stepsYou must restore yourself to help make changes to the systemWe talk about the pit fall of perfectionism. Perfectionism is different than excellence Perfectionism is a habit that does not servePerfectionism is when you try to bring things from the circle of concern into your circle of control - it doesn't workSupport the showFull show notes can be found here: Episodes - Practical EMS - Content for EMTs, PAs, ParamedicsMost efficient online EKG course here: Practical EKG Interpretation - Practical EMS earn 4 CME and learn the fundamentals through advanced EKG interpretation in under 4 hours. If you want to work on your nutrition, increase your energy, improve your physical and mental health, I highly recommend 1st Phorm. Check them out here so they know I sent you. 1st Phorm | The Foundation of High Performance Nutrition Everything you hear today from myself and my guests is opinion only and doesn't represent any organizations or companies that any of us are affiliated with. The stories you hear have been modified to protect patient privacy and any resemblance to real individuals is coincidental. This is for educational and entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice nor used to diagnose any medical or healthcare conditions.

Our speaker is Eli Beer who is the founder and president of United Hatzalah. I want to learn from Eli about his idea of creating a network of volunteers who are available in an emergency to provide medical care for their neighbors. Get full access to What Happens Next in 6 Minutes with Larry Bernstein at www.whathappensnextin6minutes.com/subscribe

Show Notes:00:11 – Ian introduces Caitlin Bellucci, wife of stroke survivor Ian McGann, to share her perspective on the medical emergency01:21 – Caitlin describes the evening of the stroke and the first signs something was wrong03:36 – Calling 911, recognizing stroke symptoms, and the consequences of disclosing cannabis use05:23 – Holding Ian on his side, managing their dog, and getting minimal support from emergency services07:41 – EMTs arrive with bias, poor care, and judgment about cannabis; slow response delays critical treatment10:24 – Ian and Caitlin are treated differently because of cannabis—despite its legality and medical use11:28 – Botched bloodwork, offensive remarks, and Caitlin's growing frustration with EMS incompetence13:08 – Caitlin's inability to accompany Ian in the ambulance, and her distressing experience at the hospital14:07 – Finding Ian neglected and cold; Caitlin forced to clean him herself without proper supplies17:34 – Background on Caitlin and Ian's relationship and how their bond helped in the crisis18:33 – Doctors' arrogance and dismissiveness, mislabeling Ian as a drug user or suicidal21:13 – Intervention by Ian's sister (a doctor) prompts hospital staff to finally take action22:20 – Ian is eventually airlifted to a better facility after hours of dangerous delays22:24 – How Ian's personality and abilities changed after the stroke—and how they now relate differently25:28 – Caitlin describes how much worse Ian's condition could have been without advocacy27:39 – Cannabis remains essential to Ian's recovery—including topicals—despite institutional resistance28:47 – Ian and Caitlin reflect on how Cannabis Health Radio's focus on real stories helps break stigma29:01 – Caitlin's advice: be strong, question doctors, and don't blindly accept medical bias32:52 – Comparing cannabis stigma to historical prohibition; the role of money and agendas34:26 – Cannabis helps Ian manage pain and function in daily life35:15 – Caitlin's final message to families: protect your loved one's healing space from judgment and interference36:30 – Ian and Caitlin reflect on similar stories shared on CHR where family support—or lack of it—determined outcomes Visit our website: CannabisHealthRadio.comDiscover products and get expert advice from Swan ApothecaryFollow us on Facebook.Follow us on Instagram.Find us on Rumble.Keep your privacy! Buy NixT420 Odor Remover

Dr. Ryan Stanton joins Jack to talk about his work with EMTs around the state and an increase in measles cases in Kentucky. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Emma Jones is a hospice and palliative care physician, also worked as a pediatric oncologist and pediatrician. She's been in the field for over 10 years and is active in helping healthcare professionals with burnout in the modern medical system. She is the author of The Phoenix Blueprint, Emerging Stronger from the Blaze of Healthcarehttps://www.emmajonesmd.comSometimes you need to realize you may be part of someone else's plan and get onto your own planDr. Jones talks about the difficulties with working with pediatrics but also the amazing resiliency of kids and their parentsWe are told that medicine is a calling and a privilege, and we should sacrifice everything in service of the patient – this is an unrealistic expectation We talk about burnout and moral injuryBurnout a helpful term because it's something we can all feel and understand and use to seek helpMoral distress or injury is something that occurs regularly - when there is discordance between what you want to do and what you are able to do - whereas burnout is more at the end of a line of moral injuriesBurnout triad: emotional exhaustion, cynicism, lack of fulfillmentIf we can get the frontline healthcare workers out of burnout and the day-to-day strife, we can help them be part of the solutions to the problems we faceDr. Jones talks about the philosophy of yoga and how it can help us flourishSleep is vital to healing from burnout. It allows the brain to clean itself; you are smarter after getting adequate sleepA lot of us are not even giving ourselves the opportunity to get enough sleepLack of sleep makes it difficult to put things in their proper context and map solutionsWe talk about core values and the importance of knowing what yours are and how they correspond to your actionsEmma shows the actions she takes to correspond with her core valuesJoy and humor are a huge part of our humanity Questioning your thoughts is key. All thoughts are lies. We recreate memories. Our memories are fallible and tend to degenerate the more we recall an eventLearn to let go of thoughts that do not serve you. Choose the ones that are helpful. You get to control them. You cannot believe every thought that comes into your headSteven Covey describes 3 types of circles in our lives in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. You have the circle of control you have direct control over but the circle of influence and circle of concern you have less control over. The point is to recognize what is worth focusing on and what is not worth your focus. For examplSupport the showFull show notes can be found here: Episodes - Practical EMS - Content for EMTs, PAs, ParamedicsMost efficient online EKG course here: Practical EKG Interpretation - Practical EMS earn 4 CME and learn the fundamentals through advanced EKG interpretation in under 4 hours. If you want to work on your nutrition, increase your energy, improve your physical and mental health, I highly recommend 1st Phorm. Check them out here so they know I sent you. 1st Phorm | The Foundation of High Performance Nutrition Everything you hear today from myself and my guests is opinion only and doesn't represent any organizations or companies that any of us are affiliated with. The stories you hear have been modified to protect patient privacy and any resemblance to real individuals is coincidental. This is for educational and entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice nor used to diagnose any medical or healthcare conditions.

Next year's Pennsylvania gubernatorial race is already on the political horizon. So far, the Republican field is shaping up with three prominent figures expressing interest. EMTs could soon be authorized to give caregivers medication that would reverse opioid overdoses, as a bill is quickly moving through the state Capitol. Pennsylvania could receive as much as 200 million dollars as part of a massive settlement with drug maker Purdue Pharma. That's according to PA Attorney General Dave Sunday. The payout is part of a $7.4 billion deal, stemming from the opioid crisis, in which prosecutors and addiction experts say Purdue and its owners the Sackler family played a major role. A portion of land in Somerset County is now protected through a recent acquisition by The Nature Conservancy. The land is part of a critical ecosystem, and it's being added to State Game Lands 82. Police say an 18-year old stabbed his father to death with a machete-style knife during an early-morning argument Tuesday in their West York home. Raw milk sold in Lancaster County and throughout Central Pennsylvania is contaminated and should be thrown out, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. The milk is contaminated with an infectious intestinal disease. The affected milk is Meadow View Jerseys brand raw milk purchased since April 1 with sell-by dates between April 15 and July 8. A Pennsylvania college is addressing its growing financial issues by auctioning its art collection. Albright College, located in Reading, Berks County - according to a report by our partners at Spotlight PA - is preparing to auction more than 2,000 pieces of art. Gov. Josh Shapiro was joined by Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Famer LeSean McCoy, at the official ribbon-cutting for a new 41-unit housing complex in Harrisburg, to benefit low and moderate income home buyers. And comedian and actor Shane Gillis, a Mechanicsburg native, will be hosting this year's ESPYS awards show. Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bryan Jepson MD and CFP, author of The Physician's Path to True Wealth: 12 steps to gaining control over your money and your time – you can find it on Amazon and at this website for free Bryan Jepson MD, CFP® | physician financeDisclaimers:This is not specific financial advice, this is general education. Talk with your own advisor or schedule with Bryan to get specific advice The easiest, most straightforward way to start creating assets is to invest in your 401kDebt to fund a liability is bad debt, it takes money out of your pocketDebt that leads to more money in your pocket is good debt, but this requires wisdom in choosing your degree and education pathThere are a couple of methodologies to pay off debt, the snowball method vs the avalanche method. Snowball goes smallest debt to largest. Avalanche goes from highest interest to lowest interest. Use the one that will actually work for YOU and will make you be consistentThe 4% rule: generally, when you can live off 4% of your investments per year, you have enough for retirementSo, if you need 100K to live off in retirement, you need 2.5 million in investmentsWhy does everyone need a will? If you have kids, it allows you to designate a guardian should you die. It also allows you to allocate where your assets goWhat is the importance of giving away money?Giving can be looked at through a couple different lenes. When you give, you are blessed in return. Or maybe you can view it as good karmaBryan talks about how relationships are an important aspect of life and giving allows for meaningful relationships with something you value. Donate money but also your timeWhen you are rich, you don't have the cushion to give. When you are wealthy, you have the ability to give to othersFinance is simple but not easy because you need discipline. You don't have to get far into the weeds to be successfulBryans book has the foundation you need to understand financeBryan talks about the difference between a financial advisor and a certified financial planner Bryan gives his opinion on whole life insurance vs term insuranceSupport the showFull show notes can be found here: Episodes - Practical EMS - Content for EMTs, PAs, ParamedicsMost efficient online EKG course here: Practical EKG Interpretation - Practical EMS earn 4 CME and learn the fundamentals through advanced EKG interpretation in under 4 hours. If you want to work on your nutrition, increase your energy, improve your physical and mental health, I highly recommend 1st Phorm. Check them out here so they know I sent you. 1st Phorm | The Foundation of High Performance Nutrition Everything you hear today from myself and my guests is opinion only and doesn't represent any organizations or companies that any of us are affiliated with. The stories you hear have been modified to protect patient privacy and any resemblance to real individuals is coincidental. This is for educational and entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice nor used to diagnose any medical or healthcare conditions.

Bryan Jepson MD and CFP, author of The Physician's Path to True Wealth: 12 steps to gaining control over your money and your time – you can find it on Amazon and at this website for free Bryan Jepson MD, CFP® | physician financeDisclaimers:This is not specific financial advice, this is general education. Talk with your own advisor or schedule with Bryan to get specific advice The earlier you can get financially literate and work on a plan the betterBryan is an emergency medicine physician, along his journey in medicine he also spent 5 years working in Autism before coming back to EM full timeThe covid pandemic and a feeling of stagnation and desire to keep learning prompted Bryan to pursue a master's degree in finance Bryan finds familiarity in his role as a physician to his role as a financial planner. You listen to the client and come up with a plan that fits their needsBryan talks about the difference between riches and wealth; discretionary income is the income above your mandatory expenses – and what you do with that extra income is how you become wealthy or richRiches are the material things you may spend that money on, car, house, toysWealth is the money you could spend but instead save or invest insteadThe goal is to create assets so that your income is no longer needed. Buying back your timeWhen you have true wealth, you can make decisions with your timeWorking towards being financially independent prevents burnoutChoosing to work vs working because you have to is easier, and makes you a better providerKey attributes to develop to be financially successful: Be patient – assets grow slowly. Be consistent in investing. It is boring. Be honest with what you know and what you don't know so you can spend some time educating yourself. Courage, because it does take some risk taking to invest instead of just savingIf you keep all your money in cash, you are guaranteed to lose purchasing powerThe longer your time frame the better the stock market will perform for youCreating discretionary income is difficult at lower incomes levels. But I do still believe you can retire from EMS. One way that I was able to save and invest as a paramedic was working overtimeHaving higher incomes does speed things along but it is not the cure for financial problems because we all have a tendency to spend what we make – fundamentally it's the same problemWe talk about the vehicles we drive and how we have utilized them to save more moneyBut spend money on Support the showFull show notes can be found here: Episodes - Practical EMS - Content for EMTs, PAs, ParamedicsMost efficient online EKG course here: Practical EKG Interpretation - Practical EMS earn 4 CME and learn the fundamentals through advanced EKG interpretation in under 4 hours. If you want to work on your nutrition, increase your energy, improve your physical and mental health, I highly recommend 1st Phorm. Check them out here so they know I sent you. 1st Phorm | The Foundation of High Performance Nutrition Everything you hear today from myself and my guests is opinion only and doesn't represent any organizations or companies that any of us are affiliated with. The stories you hear have been modified to protect patient privacy and any resemblance to real individuals is coincidental. This is for educational and entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice nor used to diagnose any medical or healthcare conditions.

Mission: Employable is back in Le Mars to find out more about how the Le Mars Fire Department is using work-based learning to get students interested in becoming EMTs. Le Mars Battalion Chief John MacGregor joins the show and shares an emotional story about why he cares so much for teaching the next generation, including his son, who also joins the podcast.   

With the warm weather over the Memorial Day weekend you might have been tempted to cool off in one of the region’s many beautiful rivers. If you headed to Glen Otto park or High Rocks park in the Portland area you might have seen Emergency Medical Technicians from the American Medical Response (AMR) River Rescue Program on hand to help out in case of an emergency in the water. The EMTs are getting training in river currents and rescue operations this week and will staff the two parks all summer long. Gracie Goodrich, an AMR River Rescue Program supervisor, tells us more about the program, which has helped more than 2,000 people since it started in 1999.

Analyzing the Karen Read Allegations & The Supposed Cover-Up The defense claims a cover-up. The prosecution calls it accountability. Somewhere in between lies the truth. In this no-holds-barred discussion, Tony Brueski is joined by retired FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer to dissect the allegations of a grand conspiracy surrounding the Karen Read case. With claims that police, EMTs, prosecutors, and even neighbors are all allegedly “in on it,” we ask the most basic question: Could this many people really keep a secret? Coffindaffer uses her experience from inside the Bureau to break down the logistics of what such a conspiracy would actually require—how many players, how much coordination, and most importantly, how likely such a coordinated deception would even be. Spoiler: it's not. We explore how conspiracy theories become seductive alternatives to uncomfortable truths, and why the law doesn't deal in emotional certainty—it deals in evidence. This episode is a reality check, a logic test, and a deep dive into the fantasy world being sold by those unwilling to confront forensic fact. Hashtags: #KarenRead #KarenReadTrial #JusticeForJohnOKeefe #CoverUpClaims #ConspiracyTheory #CourtroomTruth #JenniferCoffindaffer #HiddenKillers #FBIAnalysis #TrueCrimeLogic Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video?  Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872 Analyzing the Karen Read Allegations & The Supposed Cover-Up The defense claims a cover-up. The prosecution calls it accountability. Somewhere in between lies the truth. In this no-holds-barred discussion, Tony Brueski is joined by retired FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer to dissect the allegations of a grand conspiracy surrounding the Karen Read case. With claims that police, EMTs, prosecutors, and even neighbors are all allegedly “in on it,” we ask the most basic question: Could this many people really keep a secret? Coffindaffer uses her experience from inside the Bureau to break down the logistics of what such a conspiracy would actually require—how many players, how much coordination, and most importantly, how likely such a coordinated deception would even be. Spoiler: it's not. We explore how conspiracy theories become seductive alternatives to uncomfortable truths, and why the law doesn't deal in emotional certainty—it deals in evidence. This episode is a reality check, a logic test, and a deep dive into the fantasy world being sold by those unwilling to confront forensic fact. Hashtags: #KarenRead #KarenReadTrial #JusticeForJohnOKeefe #CoverUpClaims #ConspiracyTheory #CourtroomTruth #JenniferCoffindaffer #HiddenKillers #FBIAnalysis #TrueCrimeLogic Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video?  Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

Analyzing the Karen Read Allegations & The Supposed Cover-Up The defense claims a cover-up. The prosecution calls it accountability. Somewhere in between lies the truth. In this no-holds-barred discussion, Tony Brueski is joined by retired FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer to dissect the allegations of a grand conspiracy surrounding the Karen Read case. With claims that police, EMTs, prosecutors, and even neighbors are all allegedly “in on it,” we ask the most basic question: Could this many people really keep a secret? Coffindaffer uses her experience from inside the Bureau to break down the logistics of what such a conspiracy would actually require—how many players, how much coordination, and most importantly, how likely such a coordinated deception would even be. Spoiler: it's not. We explore how conspiracy theories become seductive alternatives to uncomfortable truths, and why the law doesn't deal in emotional certainty—it deals in evidence. This episode is a reality check, a logic test, and a deep dive into the fantasy world being sold by those unwilling to confront forensic fact. Hashtags: #KarenRead #KarenReadTrial #JusticeForJohnOKeefe #CoverUpClaims #ConspiracyTheory #CourtroomTruth #JenniferCoffindaffer #HiddenKillers #FBIAnalysis #TrueCrimeLogic Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video?  Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

They're trained to handle life-or-death emergencies, but what happens when the emergency defies all logic? In this chilling episode, first responders—EMTs, firefighters, police officers, and 911 dispatchers—share their real-life encounters with the unexplained.  What's Haunting This Episode? A firefighter's encounters in a historic firehouse haunted by the playful ghosts of its former inhabitants. An emergency line operator in Australia dispatches EMS for a medical alarm call, to what turns out to be an empty house… A critically injured person recalls being comforted by an EMT at the scene of an accident—only to later learn no such EMT was ever there After Hurricane Katrina, a first responder follows a mysterious infant's cry and has a shocking discovery. From life saving specters to eerie voices on emergency calls, these are the kinds of paranormal stories that can't be dismissed.