First Responder Wellness Podcast with Conrad Weaver

First Responder Leadership Podcast - Chief Gary Ludwig

Chief Ludwig discusses firefighter wellness and mental health solutions with Host, Conrad Weaver. 
BIOGary Ludwig is recognized as a respected national fire and EMS author, leader, public speaker, and expert who has managed two award-winning metropolitan EMS systems (Memphis and St. Louis) and has pioneered many concepts which are now standard practice in fire and EMS systems today.  Chief Ludwig has over 43 years of fire, rescue and EMS experience - and over 40 years experience as a paramedic.  He currently serves as the fire chief of Champaign, Illinois and was President and Chairman of the Board of the International Association of Fire Chiefs during the 2019-20 term.

First Responder Leadership Podcast - Keith Knotek

Keith Knotek is a retired law enforcement official who served as Commander of the San Jacinto Police Department and as a sergeant with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in California before retiring after a 30-year career in police-work. He is a former soldier of the California State Guard with the 40th Military Police Company in Los Alamitos, CA, which is part of the only National Guard specific MP Brigade in California, the 49th Military Police Brigade.
 
Knotek is a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Law Enforcement Executive Development (FBI/LEEDA) Regional Command College; the California P.O.S.T. Executive Course; and the California P.O.S.T. Supervisory Leadership Institute. Keith recently completed training as a law enforcement chaplain and as a certified Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) counselor. Keith enjoys lecturing on law enforcement topics as an adjunct at several universities in Arizona.
 
From Sorrow to Amazing Grace: One Cop's Journey Learn more: https://amzn.to/38BOwNG
 
About First Responder Leadership Podcast Host Conrad Weaver is the director and executive producer for PTSD911 a documentary that will tell the story about first responders dealing with post traumatic stress. Learn more at www.ptsd911movie.com

First Responder Leadership Podcast - Deputy Chief James Price

Deputy Chief James Price of the Toledo Fire and Rescue Department was the incident commander at the January 26, 2014, arson fire resulting in the deaths of Firefighters Jamie Dickman and Stephen Machcinski.
BIODeputy Chief James Price was appointed to the Toledo Fire and Rescue Department on September 11, 1992 after completing his Associate Degree in Fire Science at Owens Community College. He received his paramedic certification in 1997 and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in 1998. He served the department in the Communications Bureau until transferring to Field Operations where he served as a relief officer on “B” Platoon and later as the shift officer at fire station #11 on “A” Platoon. Deputy Chief Price was promoted to Captain in 2005 and remained in Field Operations as a relief officer on “A” Platoon until 2009 when he accepted an assignment as station commander at fire station 18 on “B” Platoon. While at station 18, he completed the department’s Confined Space Training. In 2007, he graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BS in Public Safety from Siena Heights University. Also in 2007 he obtained his State Fire Instructor’s certification. In 2010, Deputy Chief Price was promoted to Battalion Chief and then to Deputy Chief on November 2, 2018. He is a 2015 graduate of the Executive Fire Officer Program at The National Fire Academy and he completed his MS in Executive Fire Leadership and Disaster Preparedness from Grand Canyon University in 2017. Chief Price is currently assigned as the Deputy Chief of the Fire Prevention Bureau and EMS Bureau.

014 First Responder Leadership Podcast - Chief Steven Casstevens

Chief Steven Casstevens is the immediate past president of the International Chiefs of Police and the current Chief at the Buffalo Grove, IL Police Department. He provides his take on mental health and wellness in law enforcement. 
 
BIOSteven Casstevens is the Chief of Police with the Buffalo Grove, IL Police Department. He retired in 2011 as an Assistant Chief with the Hoffman Estates, IL Police Department, where he served for nearly 30 years. He then served as Chief of Police with the Cary, IL Police Department for 2 ½ years prior to being hired in Buffalo Grove June of 2013. He began his law enforcement career in the Military Police with the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division in 1976.
Casstevens is a Past President of the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police (ILACP). He is currently President of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). He serves on the Executive Committee of “Fight Crime-Invest in Kids” as well as their National Leadership Council. He also serves on the Advisory Board for the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility, the Advisory Board for Blue H.E.L.P. as well as the Executive Board of the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF).
He has authored numerous articles for Police Chief Magazine, Command Magazine and Law and Order. His 2011 keynote speech to a basic law enforcement academy class was featured in the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin. He served as an adjunct instructor for Northwestern University Center for Public Safety for over 20 years. He has been a guest speaker for WYCC – Chicago TV, WGN Radio, Fox TV, C-SPAN, the Sean Spicer Show as well as several state and national law enforcement conferences. He has been a consultant for Ford Motor Company and Technical Advisor for Allstate Insurance and the National Safety Council. He has been called to testify before a Congressional Committee on health benefits for law enforcement and most recently was called before the President’s Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice to provide testimony on the issue of police officer safety and wellness. In 2020 he testified before a Senate Judiciary Hearing on Police Reform.
 
+++++
The First Responder Friday Podcast is a production of ConjoStudios, LLC as a part of the PTSD911 Documentary project. Visit our web site for more info about the film. www.ptsd911movie.com
Host/Producer: Conrad Weaver
Please support our film: https://www.thefilmcollaborative.org/fiscalsponsorship/projects/ptsd911
Copyright ©2021 ConjoStudios, LLC All rights reserved. 

First Responder Friday - Ernie Stevens

Ernie Stevens joins us for a conversation about mental health and law enforcement. Ernie was instrumental in changing the way the San Antonio Police Department handled calls dealing with citizens who have mental health issues.
 
BIO
Ernie Stevens started his law enforcement career in 1992 when he joined the Terrell Hills Police Department; he then transitioned to the San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) in 1994. Ernie has been assigned to a wide variety of units throughout his 28 year career, helping him gain a deeper understanding of the unique struggles police encounter on a daily basis. He has served with the Patrol, DWI, Tactical Response, and Field Training units, and he’s currently assigned to the Mental Health Unit where he has been for 12 years. Ernie was one of the founding members of SAPD’s Mental Health Unit where he pioneers innovative training to provide law enforcement with a deeper understanding of citizens living with mental health diagnosis and the real-world skills necessary to assist them. 
Ernie is an advanced instructor and has been certified by the FBI in hostage negotiation. He has served on the board of Directors of The National Alliance On Mental Illness. He holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and is currently enrolled in Graduate school.
In 2019 Ernie was featuring in the EMMY®-Award Winning HBO Documentary, Ernie and Joe: Crisis Cops. He’s also appeared on a number of television programs including: NBC’s A Different Kind of Force and ABC’s Nightline.
Ernie is dedicated to continue the effort to find better ways for law enforcement and the community to connect with each other. He has been married for 16 years and has two children.
 
+++++
The First Responder Friday Podcast is a production of ConjoStudios, LLC as a part of the PTSD911 Documentary project. Visit our web site for more info about the film. www.ptsd911movie.com
Host/Producer: Conrad Weaver
Please support our film: https://www.thefilmcollaborative.org/fiscalsponsorship/projects/ptsd911
Copyright ©2020 ConjoStudios, LLC All rights reserved. 
 
 

First Responder Friday - Nick Greco on Wellness and the Holidays

On today's show we talk with Nick Greco about wellness during the holidays.
Nicholas Greco IV, M.S., B.C.E.T.S., C.A.T.S.M., F.A.A.E.T.S., is President and Founder of C3 Education and Research, Inc. Nick has held multiple positions over a 20-year career in clinical operations, project management, multidisciplinary training for civilians and law enforcement, as well as diagnostics and assessment. He is an author on over 325 book reviews, has presented globally on over 400 professional presentations, workshops, and in-services, and has authored or co-authored numerous articles and text supplements in psychiatry and psychology. He received his undergraduate training in psychology from Benedictine University, his certificate of clinical training in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder from the National Center for PTSD Clinical Laboratory and Education Division, his Master’s degree in Psychology from DePaul University, his Certification in Acute Traumatic Stress Management from the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress, and is a Board Certified Expert in Traumatic Stress – Diplomate and Fellow, American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress.
Connect with Nick: https://c3educationandresearch.com/
+++++
The First Responder Friday Podcast is a production of ConjoStudios, LLC as a part of the PTSD911 Documentary project. Visit our web site for more info about the film. www.ptsd911movie.com
Host/Producer: Conrad Weaver
Please support our film: https://www.thefilmcollaborative.org/fiscalsponsorship/projects/ptsd911
Copyright ©2020 ConjoStudios, LLC All rights reserved. 

First Responder Friday - Tom Morris, Jr.

Tom Morris, Jr. has had a distinguished career in television working for America’s Most Wanted in the early 90s and becoming the show’s Senior Correspondent and most trusted face of the show behind iconic host John Walsh where he worked on many high-profile, headline-grabbing cases. He was contentedly working as a government analyst in the fall of 2016 with his television career in the rear view mirror when producers for A&E’s fledgling  reality police show LIVE PD summoned him to New York for an audition six weeks into the show’s run.  Tom Morris Jr. joined the show with host Dan Abrams on the 9th episode and is widely credited by network executives and fans (whom he dubbed THE LIVE PD NATION) as contributing greatly to the runaway success LPD would enjoy for 298 episodes becoming the most watched show on all of cable television for four consecutive seasons. In Tom’s second week on the show viewership jumped from 600,000 to one million.  By the summer of 2017 viewership topped 2 million for three live hours on both Friday and Saturday nights. The in-studio team of Dan Abrams, Tom Morris Jr. and Sgt. Sean “Sticks” Larkin became must see for millions of devoted fans every weekend. 
 
Still passionate about using his broadcasting abilities to affect tangible change, Tom convinced A&E executives to allow him to profile wanted fugitives and missing children during each episode of Live PD.  Those segments have resulted in more that 30 fugitives being captured with the help of the Live PD Nation and over a dozen missing children being reunited with their loved ones. In the fall of 2019 A&E made Tom the host of his own show broadening his on-air crime fighting work with LIVE PD WANTED which has gone on to also become a ratings and crime solving success.

Listen to the PD Stories podcast
 
+++++
The First Responder Friday Podcast is a production of ConjoStudios, LLC as a part of the PTSD911 Documentary project. Visit our web site for more info about the film. www.ptsd911movie.com
Host/Producer: Conrad Weaver
Please support our film: https://www.thefilmcollaborative.org/fiscalsponsorship/projects/ptsd911
Copyright ©2020 ConjoStudios, LLC All rights reserved. 
 

First Responder Friday - Samantha Horwitz

Samantha (Sam) Horwitz is a 9/11 First Responder, former United States Secret Service Agent, speaker and author.
With her B.S. in Criminology and Criminal Justice, her J.D. from the Howard University School of Law, and experience as a Law Enforcement Officer, she has become an expert in handling stress and managing PTS. She has spoken nationally to Law Enforcement, Veteran, business, and faith-based communities on how to recognize and combat the effects of PTS, how to minimize the damage stress can cause in the workplace, and how to support those who have PTS.
Sam’s been featured in People Magazine, on ABC, CBS, Blaze TV with Glenn Beck and in other local and national media. She is the author of The Silent Fall: A Secret Service Agent’s Story of Tragedy and Triumph After 9/11. Sam serves on the board of Frontline Crisis Response Solutions, providing confidential support through wellness and resiliency for first responders and their families, and is the co-host of the award-winning MAD (Making a Difference) Radio show.
Connect with Sam on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesamhorwitz/
Learn more about https://www.abadgeofhonor.com/
 
+++++
The First Responder Friday Podcast is a production of ConjoStudios, LLC as a part of the PTSD911 Documentary project. Visit our web site for more info about the film. www.ptsd911movie.com
Host/Producer: Conrad Weaver
Please support our film: https://www.thefilmcollaborative.org/fiscalsponsorship/projects/ptsd911
Copyright ©2020 ConjoStudios, LLC All rights reserved. 

First Responder Friday - Brad Waudby

Brad Waudby is a 13 year veteran Detective in Northern New Jersey, just outside New York City. Throughout his career he has investigated Organized Crime, Narcotics, been in the Special Victims Unit and is currently assigned to the Major Crimes Unit. He is also an Operator on the County Regional SWAT Team. Along with his Law Enforcement duties, Brad is also a certified Master Resiliency Trainer through the New Jersey State Departmemt of Criminal Justice. Brad holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY. Brad also played four years of football while attending West Point. He also holds a Masters of Administrative Science Degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Brad enjoys spending time working out and spending time outdoors, either hunting or fly fishing with his family.
 
++++
The First Responder Friday Podcast is a production of ConjoStudios, LLC as a part of the PTSD911 Documentary project. Visit our web site for more info about the film. www.ptsd911movie.com
Host/Producer: Conrad Weaver
Please support our film: https://www.thefilmcollaborative.org/fiscalsponsorship/projects/ptsd911
Copyright ©2020 ConjoStudios, LLC All rights reserved. 

First Responder Friday - Pat Welsh

Pat Welsh joined us for a conversation about law enforcement wellness, leadership, and more. 
Pat is an author, speaker, trainer, and expert witness. A retired Major from the Dayton Police Department (OH), Pat is the author of the Best New Release, Warrior, Servant, Leader: Life Behind the Badge (2015), Warrior, Servant, Leader: Life Behind the Cross (2018) and co-author of the Best Seller, Healing Happens (2014). Pat is also noted for his past contributions to Law Enforcement Today, PoliceOne.com, American Military University and several other business and religious publications.
Pat is a highly rated Adjunct Instructor with the Southern Police Institute (SPI), since 2012, teaching on legal issues in prosecuting homicide cases., Leadership for 21st Century Policing, Strategic Management, and Personnel Development: Assessment and Liabilities.
 
++++