What happens when the firehouse stops feeling like home?

In this episode of Kitchen Table Talk, the conversation gets real—uncomfortable at times, emotional at others, and honest all the way through. Host Michael Long, firefighter/paramedic and founder of Break The Stigma Inc., sits down with co-host Nick Robben and fellow firefighters Nate Miller and Mike Robinson to talk about the part of the job most people never see: how department culture can either keep you going… or quietly break you down.

This isn’t a polished leadership talk. It’s a kitchen-table conversation about burnout, loss of purpose, anger, identity, and what it feels like to hate the person you’re becoming—even while wearing the uniform you once loved. The group shares personal stories of career lows, mental health struggles, near-misses, and the moments where one conversation, one crew, or one fresh start made the difference.

They challenge the idea that mental health crises only look like rock bottom. Sometimes it looks like wanting to quit the job you swore you’d do forever. Sometimes it looks like silence. Sometimes it looks like drinking more, laughing less, or just feeling “off.”

This episode dives into:

• Why culture doesn’t change by accident—it’s built, protected, and lived every shift
• The power of leaders who say “I don’t know” and crews who actually care
• How trust, vulnerability, and connection can prevent crises before they happen
• Why noticing small changes in each other can save careers—and lives
• What it really means to love your crew and show up for each other

This is a reminder that behind every helmet is a human being. That mental health matters just as much as physical health. And that sometimes, the most powerful thing you can do is pull up a chair, tell the truth, and let someone know they’re not alone.

Grab a cup of coffee. Take a seat. You belong at this table.