Retired firefighter Keith McMillan shares his raw, powerful journey of leaving a 26-year career due to physical injuries, only to discover his deepest wounds were from PTSI (Post-Traumatic Stress Injury). Now a Wildfire Mitigation Specialist for his own HOA, he details his new mission: protecting his community, educating homeowners with a firefighter's triage perspective, and championing the life-saving importance of "crew checks" and mental health vulnerability.
In this episode, you'll learn about:
A New Model for HOAs: How a private community hired a full-time wildfire expert to manage its 5,000 acres of open space.
Triage for Your Home: How Keith uses a fire captain's triage criteria to show homeowners their real-world risk.
The "Crew Check": A vital, non-negotiable check-in for first responders to share their emotional load before a shift begins.
A Personal PTSI Journey: Keith's moving story of how COVID-driven isolation forced him to confront years of suppressed trauma.
Life After Fire: How he found a new, fulfilling niche as a part-time park ranger and mitigation specialist.
From Woe to Go: The importance of proactive evacuation planning, from safe zones to using your car's "biohazard mode."
