8158 Podcast: Stories of Sacrifice

In this powerful episode, we team up with Tyler Burns from The Debrief Podcast for a raw and honest conversation about the mental health crisis facing our first responders.

We dive into the stigma surrounding PTSI/PTSD, the fear of speaking out, and the real-life consequences that silence can bring. Together, we explore what needs to change within departments to create safe, supportive environments — and how policy shifts can hel...

In this powerful episode of 8158: Stories of Sacrifice, we sit down with Dan Jarvis—Army combat veteran, Purple Heart recipient, and founder of Healing the Hero. After surviving multiple deployments and a life-altering IED blast in Afghanistan, Dan faced the invisible wounds of war. His personal battle with PTSD led him to create a groundbreaking, faith-based approach to healing that doesn’t require reliving the trauma.

Dan share...

In this episode of 8158 Podcast: Stories of Sacrifice, we sit down with Joe—a U.S. Army veteran, former corrections and parole officer, and current EMS/ER worker—who shares his powerful story of service, grief, and post-traumatic growth. 🇺🇸

Joe opens up about his deployment to Iraq, the devastating loss of his best friend Jose Torrey, and how that shaped his path forward—from teaching military police to working in the prison sy...

From the Army to EMS and fire, and now hospice nursing—Matthew Tamplin has lived a life of nonstop service. After working at three firehouses at once, surviving a debilitating back injury, and battling PTSD and addiction, Matthew found his way back through faith, therapy, and purpose.

In this powerful episode, Matthew opens up about:

🔥 Life in a town of 1,500

💥 His most intense fire/EMS moments

🧠 Living with PTSD and recoverin...

In this powerful episode, we meet Hunter—the heart behind Lexington’s Arthur Murray Dance Studio. For years, he’s built bonds with local first responders through dance, laughter, and community. But when a random act of violence put his life in danger, those connections became deeply personal.

Hear how Hunter navigated that moment with courage, and how the unwavering support of his first responder family reminded him just how vita...

Katie’s story is one of strength, sacrifice, and second chances. After losing her father at just 10 years old, Katie stepped into a caregiver role early—raising siblings and trying to navigate life without a roadmap. She was told she was too small for the Air Force, walked away from nursing, and felt stuck in a job that drained her. But everything changed when she decided to face her fear and step into the world of emergency medici...

In Part 2 of Heather’s story, we dive deeper into the toll the job—and life—has taken. Diagnosed with Complex PTSD and bipolar disorder, and recovering from multiple surgeries, Heather opens up about what it’s like to keep going when your mind and body are worn down. She also shares details of a terrifying F-450 accident in 2024 and how she’s learning to heal. Even while working part-time and helping with her partner’s landscaping ...

Heather didn’t take the traditional route into EMS. Raised on a Southern Illinois farm and inspired by her mother, a nurse—she found her calling at 37 after years as a cosmetology instructor. In Part 1, Heather shares how she went from shadowing ambulances in high school to graduating top of her paramedic class and working two jobs in rural Tennessee to survive. This is the beginning of a powerful journey into service, sacrifice, a...