Fran Graham is an International crisis response & trauma specialist, instructor & consultant with proven emergency management skills. Proficient team builder & strategic planner, with an emphasis in First Responder Peer Support & Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM).
Before Fran was a trauma specialist, before she was an expert in peer support, and before she was an international crisis response leader, Fran was a cop, she began to struggle, she didn't have the help, the support, or the resources she needed, and she lost her career as a result.
In this episode Fran talks about her path to becoming the resource she needed herself during that time but didn't have, she explains the difference between post traumatic stress and PTSD, the importance of peer support, the importance of leaders being educated on these topics, organizational wellness programs, and so much more.
Our regular listeners and followers might notice that this episode is being released on a Wednesday, where our weekly episodes are typically released on Fridays.
The reason for that is because SGT Alex G. Kokoros died by suicide on October 29th 2018. Today marks the 7th anniversary of his loss.
So this episode is in memory of Alex - with his family in mind.
This episode is also a tribute to Alex's friends & fellow officers that were left behind - Those that struggled after his loss. We hope you are all doing well, and understand that does not mean that you don't still miss him.
This episode is also in recognition of all first responders around the nation who are getting help today, and a call to those who need it.
If you do - we hope this peer discussion will prompt you to reach out for the support that you deserve - the support you have earned.
Police officers Justin Simmons, Ryan Doherty, Thomas Lesage, Tom Delaney, and Tony Gentile are Alex's friends and coworkers on the Abington Police Department. It was a privilege to hear the stories of how Alex lived, and an honor to listen as these gentlemen shared their own experiences as suicide loss survivors.
Jeff Dill is a retired Fire Captain , the founder of Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance (FBHA), and the behavioral health administrator for Las Vegas Fire and Rescue. At FBHA they hold workshops to educate firefighters, EMS personnel, and dispatchers on behavioral health, moral injury, and suicide prevention. They also track data on firefighter, EMS, and dispatcher suicide, host retreats for suicide loss survivors, and so much more.
In this episode Jeff shares with us that suicide remains the greatest threat to the lives of first responders, some of the reasons why, and what steps can be taken by organizations to combat that unfortunate reality. If you listen to this episode, you will hear Jeff talking about how to change the culture to improve first responder behavioral health, he talks about regularly working with departments and EAP's to help them implement effective programs to do just that.
Matthew and Elizabeth Fiorenza join us on the podcast .
Matty and Liz are husband and wife, they are both strong advocates for first responder and family mental health and well-being.
Matty is a retired firefighter paramedic with 22 years of service. His journey into the realm of mental health advocacy began a decade into his career when he began facing personal battles with anxiety, stress, and depression, which ultimately led to a diagnosis of PTSD. These experiences fueled his passion to help others in the first responder community. Matty speaks publicly and works with first responders directly to help address critical issues including PTSD recovery, addiction, mental health, and the importance of support within the first responder community. .
Liz is a dedicated professional with a deep commitment to supporting first responders and their families. Particularly spouses, who face the unique challenges associated with this high stress profession. As a mother, and the spouse of a retired first responder, Liz brings a personal understanding to her work, along with a passion to help others navigate the challenges of life in a first responder family. Liz currently serves as the office manager for the Anaheim firefighters association where she oversees day to day operations and organizes fundraising efforts that directly benefit the associations initiatives and support programs.
Matty and Liz share their story with raw, open, honesty. They talk about real issues like addiction and suicide, they discuss the pain they have experienced as individuals, together as a couple, how they overcame the challenges they faced, how they came back together as a couple, and the work they are doing to help other first responder families navigate their own challenges.
Retired Police Chief Neil Gang joins us on the podcast.
Chief Gang is a nationally recognized Law Enforcement Leader with over 36 years of service, he has a reputation for innovative leadership, transformational change, and a deep commitment to organizational wellness.
Chief Gang discusses his career in law enforcement, he openly shares about losing a friend and fellow officer early on in his career to suicide. In the wake of that loss, he pledged to one day improve the conditions for police officers reporting and seeking help for stress related injuries. Years later as the Chief of Pinole Police Department in California, Neil created the Asher model, a 7 point approach to creating a culture of wellness.
Chief Gang speaks to the benefits of improved wellness within a first response organization. He speaks to the conditions as they were when his friend Asher Rosinsky died by suicide. He speaks to the importance of first responders being able to request help and access services confidentially, He speaks to leaders, encouraging them to facilitate change within their own organizations.
Carrie Mathews joins us on the podcast.
Carrie is a police officer from from the Chicago Police Department, and comes from a family of service in law enforcement. Mental health has always been a focus of Carries. However, when her father - a retired officer himself - died by suicide, Carrie became an outspoken advocate for mental health in first response, and has become known for bringing attention to "the other side of suicide".
In this episode Carrie shares what it was like growing up in a law enforcement family, the pride, the challenges, and the influence her father had on her life. She talks about the experience of becoming a cop herself, her career with Chicago PD, and the devastating impact that losing her father had on Carrie and her family. She shares about her grief, the complexity of those emotions, how she moved forward, and converted her pain into purpose by advocating for first responder mental wellness.
Katie Carlson joins us on the podcast.
Katie is the director of wellness initiatives and peer support team coordinator for the Marion County Sheriffs office in Indianapolis Indiana. She also serves as an instructor at multiple law enforcement academies where she teaches meditation, yoga, breath work, and crisis intervention strategies to public safety professionals, with a focus on nervous system regulation and trauma recovery.
Katie shares with us about her background as the departments Public Information Officer prior to assuming her current role, and the work she did in the political arena prior to that. Katie also shares openly about her own trauma's, challenges she has faced, struggles she has endured, how she overcame those experiences, and how she has incorporated what she learned along the way into the delivery of wellness to her organization.
Donna Georgiana joins us on the podcast.
Donna lost her son Mitchell - a police officer, to suicide. After Mitchell's loss, and based on one of the last text messages he had sent, Donna felt a sense of duty to keep his name alive, and his memory served, so she founded the non profit "Gotcha Covered Blankets".
While she has always been involved with church and community, Donna now focuses on this foundation to keep her sons name alive, and hopefully, to make a difference in the community, the culture, and the lives of police officers.
Donna speaks openly about being a mother, having her son become a police officer, what she knew about his job, what she didn't, and her experience as a suicide loss survivor.
https://gotchacoveredblankets.com/
Mike Morgan joins us on the podcast.
Mike transitioned from working as an accountant to a 30 year career of service in law enforcement. In this episode Mike reflected on those years, he spoke about his love for the job, shares with us about some of the difficult calls he responded to, including the incident that was most impactful for him. He shares his experience of coming to recognize that he had been affected by trauma, the steps he took to recover and heal, how he discovered his purpose to help other first responders during a psychedelic retreat, and how he carries out that purpose today.
To learn more about Mike, check out his podcast - The Resilient Warrior Nation.
Chris Michael is a retired Police Captain with 25 years of experience in law enforcement in a large Metro area Atlanta department. When he retired, Chris was the departments peer support team commander. Chris discusses his career with us and some of the critical incidents he experienced, to include 2 officer involved shootings, his partner and backup being shot and wounded, being involved in an on duty fatal car accident, and another collision where Chris believed he was going to die. Chris shares that he saw countless other tragedies throughout his career, for many years he didn't realize these incidents had impacted him. Chris explains that his exposure to a fatal car accident/fire was the call that brought his many years of service, and all those critical incidents to the surface. Chris suffered with depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation before he finally reached out for help. After going through his own healing process, Chris began advocating for first responder and veteran mental health. Chris shares his experience of struggle, suicidal thoughts, and a return to wellness with departmental leaders to help other first responders and promote a positive change in culture.
Chris also shared about some of the non-profit organizations he is involved with, if after listening to this episode you would like more information about Gotcha Covered Blankets or Creed of Ink, follow the links below.
https://www.thecreedofink.org/
https://gotchacoveredblankets.com/
Elizabeth Bartholomew joins us on the podcast.
Liz worked as a police records clerk in Batavia Illinois where she met Joe Bartholomew, a paid on-call firefighter, they married in 1980. Joe was hired as a full time Firefighter in 1986. While their daughters were young Liz was able to be a stay at home mom. Later she drove a school bus part-time in Naperville, Illinois, became Band Booster President and was on the coaching staff at East Aurora High School. In 2005 Joe was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder from a response call, he later retired on a duty disability pension after 33 years as a firefighter. Seeing the reaction in the workplace to his PTSD diagnosis and watching him learn to live with PTSD she came up with the concept of Responders Retreat as a place to open a conversation and know that you are not alone.
For more information check out : https://www.firstrespondersretreat.org/home
Regan Faulk joined us on the podcast and shared the story of meeting her husband Kevin in collage, falling in love, starting a life together which included marriage, the birth of their twin boys, and Kevin joining the Philadelphia police department. She spoke about how much he loved the job in the beginning, she spoke about the changes she witnessed in his mood and personality over time, the impact those changes had on their family, and she spoke about the experience of losing her husband to suicide.
Keven Regan was a devoted husband and father who was passionate about serving his community. Regan founded the Keven Regan Family Foundation in October of 2022 following the tragic loss of her husband.
The Keven Regan Family Foundation is a non profit organization committed to helping families of fallen first responders, specifically those who have died by suicide, and those who struggle with mental illness.
The foundation provides not only financial relief, but also the mental health resources needed to support struggling frontline fighters and their loved ones.
The Kevin Regan foundation is dedicated to Suicide prevention, and treatment by improving mental health awareness and education throughout the first responder community.
For mor information, visit:
https://kevinreganfamilyfoundation.com/
Erin Maccabee joins us on the podcast.
Erin is an ICF trained integration coach who specializes in supporting First Responders, their partners, and departments. Erin has nearly a decade of experience, with almost half that time focused on trauma exposed populations. Erin is the creator of the Pressure System - A whole human framework for navigating high stress environments, and The Connection Code - A self guided program that helps responder couples strengthen communication on their own time. Erin also hosts the Flashpoint podcast - where high performance meets human healing.
Erin's mission is personal, shaped by the loss of her Firefighter boyfriend to substance misuse in 2011.
Erin details her journey into the work she is currently engaged in, shares openly about her loss, and her commitment to helping first responders heal, develop healthy coping mechanisms, recover from or avoid the pitfalls of addiction, and helps couples connect more deeply.
Contact Erin for more information @ ErinMaccabee@Gmail.com
Part 2 of a 2 part episode.
Allan Garcia is a retired police officer from the Middletown Rhode Island Police Dept. He joins us on the podcast and shares his story of growing up in a seaside community, being raised in a first responder family, his time in the military, and how he became a police officer.
Allans career included service as a DARE officer, Uniformed Patrol, Field Training Officer, School Resource Officer, SWAT Team Member, Firearms Instructor, Academy Instructor, Active Shooter Response Instructor, Patrol Sargent, and Detective/Inspector.
Allan talks openly about his transition into policing, some of the mistakes he made early on in his career, the lessons he learned, and the calls he responded to.
Allan describes the challenges he faced balancing family and the job, the duty he felt to serve his community and the pride he experienced fathering his children, one of which he was raising with special needs.
Part 1 of a 2 part episode.
Allan Garcia is a retired police officer from the Middletown Rhode Island Police Dept. He joins us on the podcast and shares his story of growing up in a seaside community, being raised in a first responder family, his time in the military, and how he became a police officer.
Allans career included service as a DARE officer, Uniformed Patrol, Field Training Officer, School Resource Officer, SWAT Team Member, Firearms Instructor, Academy Instructor, Active Shooter Response Instructor, Patrol Sargent, and Detective/Inspector.
Allan talks openly about his transition into policing, some of the mistakes he made early on in his career, the lessons he learned, and the calls he responded to.
Allan describes the challenges he faced balancing family and the job, the duty he felt to serve his community and the pride he experienced fathering his children, one of which he was raising with special needs.
Meg Hawkins and Erik Provow join us on the podcast.
Meg is a dedicated police officer with over 21 years of
law enforcement experience, and the proud wife of Eric - a firefighter/paramedic and retired combat veteran who lives with severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Eric’s military career spanned two decades, split between the
Marine Corps and the Air Force. He served in elite units including Marine Recon, Force Recon, and as a Combat Controller with the Air Force Special Operations Command. He later deployed with premier teams under the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), completing multiple contingency operations and three combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2002, during a close-quarters firefight, Eric sustained invisible wounds that led to a decade of undiagnosed PTSD—one of many traumatic experiences throughout his service.
In 2017, their world was shaken when Eric went missing and nearly died by suicide. That night marked a turning point in their lives. With Meg’s unwavering support, Eric began his long journey toward healing—trying various therapies, attending veteran programs, and finding support through his service dog, Denny.
While Eric’s mental health began to stabilize in 2019, Meg soon found herself struggling. The trauma of nearly losing her husband, and the toll of always being “the strong one,” led to her own diagnosis of PTSD. In 2020, she sought help for herself.
Both Meg and Eric continue to walk their healing
journeys—stronger together and as individuals. Meg is now
focused on raising awareness around the often-overlooked
mental health needs of spouses and significant others of veterans and first responders. These Silent Warriors endure their own battles, often in silence, as they support their loved ones through trauma and recovery.
In 2018, amid their personal struggles, Meg and Eric founded
Making Everything Good (MEG), a nonprofit dedicated to
supporting first responders, military members, veterans, their families, and survivors of sexual and domestic violence.
Their journey is one of resilience, advocacy, and love—and they remain committed to helping others find hope, healing, and Strength.
Meg Hawkins and Erik Provow join us on the podcast.
Meg is a dedicated police officer with over 21 years of
law enforcement experience, and the proud wife of Eric - a firefighter/paramedic and retired combat veteran who lives with severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Eric’s military career spanned two decades, split between the Marine Corps and the Air Force. He served in elite units including Marine Recon, Force Recon, and as a Combat Controller with the Air Force Special Operations Command. He later deployed with premier teams under the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), completing multiple contingency operations and three combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2002, during a close-quarters firefight, Eric sustained invisible wounds that led to a decade of undiagnosed PTSD—one of many traumatic experiences throughout his service.
In 2017, their world was shaken when Eric went missing and nearly died by suicide. That night marked a turning point in their lives. With Meg’s unwavering support, Eric began his long journey toward healing—trying various therapies, attending veteran programs, and finding support through his service dog, Denny.
While Eric’s mental health began to stabilize in 2019, Meg soon found herself struggling. The trauma of nearly losing her husband, and the toll of always being “the strong one,” led to her own diagnosis of PTSD. In 2020, she sought help and began herself.
Both Meg and Eric continue to walk their healing journeys—stronger together and as individuals. Meg is now focused on raising awareness around the often-overlooked mental health needs of spouses and significant others of veterans and first responders. These Silent Warriors endure their own battles, often in silence, as they support their loved ones through trauma and recovery.
In 2018, amid their personal struggles, Meg and Eric founded Making Everything Good (MEG), a nonprofit dedicated to
supporting first responders, military members, veterans, their families, and survivors of sexual and domestic violence.
Their journey is one of resilience, advocacy, and love—and they remain committed to helping others find hope, healing, and Strength.
In this episode - We bring together a panel of siblings who tell us about their brother or sister who worked in first response, the lives they lived before the job, & the process of losing their loved one to suicide.
Rich Creamer - A native of Chelsea Ma, is a Navy Veteran, and retired Sergeant with 24 years of service with the Norfolk VA police dept. During his career Rich worked homicide, gangs, served on the FBI's violent crimes task force, and in the training division. He is a nationally recognized speaker on the topic of officer wellness and peer support, and served as a consultant for the IACP's officer wellness and safety initiative. Rich currently serves as the director of public safety insights at Lighthouse Health and Wellness, Military public safety liaison at the Farley Center, and first responder liaison with Mutts with a Mission - placing facility dogs with agencies nationwide. He is also a board member and trainer for Blue Cancer Connect, and co-host on the podcast Trauma Behind the Badge.
Rich opens up about his childhood, his pathway into law enforcement, his career as an officer, and all the trauma's he had collected along the way. He also shares with us how those trauma's impacted his life, how his suffering impacted his family and relationships, and how he overcame those struggles, reconnected with his family, and began to heal.
Tommy is a 30 year fire service veteran, lieutenant, and mental health advocate who has dedicated his life to changing the culture of public service. After battling depression, PTSD, and anxiety from years of service on the front line, Tommy now uses his voice to break the stigma around mental health for first responders. He authored the Book "Unseen Battles - The Price of Duty in a Life of Trauma and Sacrifice". He is the founder of First Responder Support LLC. Through powerful storytelling and lived experience Tommy speaks to the silent troubles many first responders carry, and offers a message of Hope, healing, and purpose. Tommy shares with us his story going back to his youth, entering the fire service, some of the difficult calls he experienced along the way, how those calls impacted him, his struggles, his growth, and his calling to serve those who serve.