David Berez is a retired Police Officer and Drug Recognition Expert, having served more than 20 years with the East Windsor Police Department and a total of 33 years in Emergency Services, including EMS and OEM. Following his retirement, Mr. Berez is now the President and Founder of Six4 Consultants, a Public Safety Consulting Firm. Mr. Berez is also the author of A Resilient Life: A Cops Journey in Pursuit of Purpose, co-author of Wounds to Wisdom, featured columnist, guest speaker and panelist on a variety of Public Safety discussions. In September of 2020, Mr. Berez was trained as a Resiliency Program Officer and Master Resiliency Trainer. He is a facilitator for Resilient Minds on the Front Lines, The Power of our Story, and is working to grow Resiliency for Law Enforcement Retirees in NJ with the State's Resilience Program.

In this episode David shares how his experiences in law enforcement led him down a path of self discovery, and from there, into continued service to others. He speaks candidly about responding to the terror attacks of 9/11, the lack of resources available to first responders to help them understand the magnitude of what they had just been through, how they may be impacted by those events, or what to do about it if they had. He talks about the progress he has seen in the development and availability of peer & mental health resources available for first responders from that time to now, how he has contributed to those resources, and the benefits and utility of story telling & positive psychology when introduced and embraced by first response cultures.

Chief Deboard joins us on the podcast and discusses her 38 year career in law enforcement, from how it started, early experiences on the job, proving herself, climbing the ranks, the associated pride, commitment, as well as all the pressure and stress that went along with it. Chief Deboard shares about some of the strategies she began using to manage mounting stress, she talks about her experience going through Boulder Crest's Warrior PATHH program, how she developed an unwavering commitment to officer wellness, and how she began implemented policy in support of that commitment.

Danielle and Karla join us on the podcast and discuss their family connection to First Response, their lived experiences as first responder family members, and why the work they do serving first responders at Boston Firefighters Credit Union is more than just a job.

They also share with us the many ways they can assist first responders towards achieving their financial goals, plan for long term stability, and discuss their Guardian loan program which can be obtained to support first responder families while they attend to mental or behavioral health challenges.

Lieutenant Jeff Wall shares with us about his long career in the Fire Service & EMS world. We discuss the many roles he's held over the years, what he's learned about mental health in first response, the importance of self-care, taking care of each other, & how it all began with a call to serve.

Katherine Boyle - the daughter of a Philadelphia Police Lieutenant - joins us on the podcast and details her experience of growing up in a first responder family. She shares her unique perspective on the challenges faced within first responder households, and discusses the work she does with Beyond the Uniform, where she uses her experience to help families build stronger bonds and stay connected, despite the demands of the job. Katherines mission is to raise awareness about how the job affects children of police officers, advocate for their well-being, and equip departments & families with the tools to strengthen relationships, leading them to be more present and effective on the job as well as in the home.

David joins us on the podcast and shares his story of what led him into the fire service, the love he found for the job once he was there, the challenges he faced through transition into retirement, and the importance of finding purpose post service.

David talks about the importance of early introduction to mental health and wellness concepts for first responders, the importance of consistently revisiting these topics throughout a first responders career, why mental health interventions must be accusable, explains the significance of having a plan for retirement, the magnitude that purpose has in many first responders lives, and why new purpose is a significant component of a healthy and fulfilling retirement.

Erin Lynch is a Suicide Loss Survivor. She lost her father Eddie Lynch, a 35 year Boston Firefighter to Suicide in 2014. Erin shares what it was like being raised by a firefighter, she discusses the dynamics of her family, speaks openly about the day that her father passed, the days, weeks, months, and years that followed.

She talks about the initial shock and turmoil, she describes the weight of her grief and how she was impacted by it, and explains how she was able to heal, move forward from that loss, and how she now uses the experience to help others.

Tracy Ryan joined First Responder Therapy Dogs in August 2021 with her dog Sparkie in an effort to spread therapy dog love to First Responders on the East Coast. She resides in East Bridgewater, MA, where she is a High School Guidance Counselor, mom to 2 boys, and wife of a firefighter. Blaze most recently joined the ranks as her 2nd FRTD certified dog in 2025. Being able to share her dogs with first responders, has been an absolute perfect fit for her and her family!

In this episode Tracy shares what its like to be married to a firefighter as someone with a background in mental health, she talks about how their family manages difficult calls that are carried from an emergency scene into their home, how her journey into this work began, where her passion comes from, the effectiveness of this approach and the growth of First Responder Therapy Dogs in recent years.