Wind The Q Podcast
Wind The Q - The Stories Behind The Sirens is a fire service podcast hosted by Derick Dodson, bringing real conversations from the fireground, the fire house, and the home. From leadership and training to mental health and personal stories, this show dives into the experiences firefighters carry long after the sirens fade.
Episodes
How do you know when it’s time to walk away from the fire service you love?
After nearly 25 years as a firefighter, engineer, lieutenant, volunteer firefighter, and fire chief, retired Lt. Rick Carroll knows what it means to build a life around serving others. But his journey into the fire service was anything but ordinary.
Rick first entered the fire service with Cobb County Fire in January 1975 during a recess...
What does the fire service really do to a marriage?
In this episode of Wind The Q — The Stories Behind The Sirens, Lt. Dodson sits down with firefighter Travis Moore and his wife, Ashlee Moore, for an honest conversation about the side of the fire service that doesn't always get talked about: what happens at home.
For firefighters, a 24-hour shift becomes normal. The tones...
Twenty-five years after September 11, 2001, we remember where we were when the world changed. But do we remember who we became the morning after?
In this special 25th Anniversary episode of Wind The Q, Lt. Dodson reflects on experiencing 9/11 while working commercial construction in an Atlanta high-rise, then looks back on that day through the eyes of a firefighter and comp...
We’re going back to where Wind The Q began.
For this special re-release, Derick Dodson revisits the very first episode of the podcast—and the most listened-to episode to date—with Lt. Axel Agan discussing one of the most important issues facing the fire service: firefighter mental and emotional health.
Firefighters train constantly for the physical demands of the job, but what about the things we car...
What is it really like growing up and living in a firefighter family?
In this special Wind The Q family roundtable, Derick Dodson sits down with his wife, Mindy, and their four daughters, Gracie, Callee, Hynlee, and Piper, for an open conversation about what the fire service looks like from the other side of the station doors.
They talk about the realities of the 24/48 schedule, missed holidays and family events, the ...
What if the last call you ran with someone was just that... the last call?
In this solo episode of Wind The Q, we take a hard look at something firefighters rarely think about in the moment: we never know when we're experiencing something for the final time.
The last call with a longtime partner. The last shift with your crew. The last meal around the firehouse table. The last time you ride in a particular seat. The l...
What does it really mean to be a parent when the fire service regularly pulls you away from home?
In this episode of Wind The Q – The Stories Behind The Sirens, Lt. Dodson sits down with firefighter Diego Gonzalezfor an honest conversation about parenting in the fire service.
They talk about balancing the responsibilities of being a firefighter with being a father, missing important moments because of shift work...
Who are you when the uniform comes off?
In this powerful episode of Wind The Q – The Stories Behind The Sirens, Lt. Dodson sits down with Lt. Axel Agan to discuss one of the most overlooked topics in the fire service: identity.
For many firefighters, the job becomes more than a career—it becomes who they are. But what happens when the pager goes silent? When you retire, get injured, promote, or life takes ...
What are the little things that make a big difference in the fire service?
In this episode of Wind The Q: The Stories Behind the Sirens, Lt. Dodson sits down with firefighters Ian MacFadden, Carson Murray, and Travis Moore for a practical roundtable discussion on the firehouse wisdom that isn't found in textbooks.
From the $20 Rule and everyday carry (EDC) essentials to locker setup, pocket organization, comfort items...
The best firefighters never stop learning—but not everyone is willing to be coached.
In Season 2, Episode 3 of Wind The Q, Lt. Dodson sits down with Firefighter Adam Hollis to discuss one of the most important traits in the fire service: coachability. Why do some firefighters grow while others plateau? How do pride, attitude, humility, and accountability affect your career? Whether you're a rookie firefighter, ...
Roundtable Reality Check | Leadership, Training & Firehouse Culture | Wind The Q Podcast
Three experienced fire service leaders. One table. No scripted answers.
In this episode of Wind The Q, Lt. Dodson is joined by returning guest Lt. Adam Sambor, along with first-time guests Lt. Kyle Hudson and Training Officer Lt. Robison, for an honest conversation about the state of today's fire service.
From leadership and ac...
SEASON 2 PREMIERE — NOW LIVE What happens when firefighters stop getting better… and don’t even realize it?
In this Season 2 opener of Wind The Q — The Stories Behind The Sirens, Lt. Dodson delivers a raw, unfiltered solo episode breaking down The Gap Nobody Talks About in the Fire Service. This episode dives deep into the reality that many firefighters, office...
Are you really ready for leadership in the fire service… or just the position?
In this Season 1 Finale of Wind The Q — The Stories Behind The Sirens, Lt. Dodson sits down with Lt. Adam Sambor for a raw, unfiltered conversation about fire service leadership, promotion, and the true weight of responsibility.
This episode goes beyond rank and title. It dives into what it actually means to step into a leaders...
What does it take to come back from a life most people never escape?
In this episode of Wind The Q — The Stories Behind The Sirens, Lt. Dodson sits down with Justin Kimball of Crosspoint City Church Compassion Center for one of the most raw and powerful conversations of the season.
Justin’s story isn’t easy to hear—but it’s one that needs to be told.
From gang involvement and running drugs...
37 years in the fire service…
and standing across from someone just getting started.
This episode dives into the reality of the job from two perspectives—what it was, what it became, and what nobody truly understands until they live it. The expectations, the pressure, the lessons learned the hard way… and the things you can’t teach—only experience.
If you could go back to your first ...
Firehouse Roundtable – The View From The Inside
What does the job actually look like… once you’re in it?
In this episode of Wind The Q – The Stories Behind The Sirens, we step away from structured interviews and bring it back to where the real conversations happen—the firehouse table. This roundtable episode features a mix of experience levels, from seasoned leadership to newer firefight...
If you’ve been listening and want to help keep this going, you can support the show here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2605628/subscribe
Firehouse Rumors – How They Start, Spread, and Destroy Morale
In every firehouse, on every shift, there’s one thing that moves faster than the apparatus—and that’s information. But not all information is created equal. Some of it is confirmed, some of it i...
🎙️ Faith, Pressure, and The Weight of The Job | Wind The Q Podcast
In this episode of Wind The Q — The Stories Behind The Sirens, Lt. Derick Dodson sits down with Clay Willis of Crosspoint City Church to have a real conversation about faith in the fire service, mental and emotional pressure, and the weight that comes with working in public safety.
Firefighters and first responders face high-stress situations ev...
Wind The Q — The Stories Behind The Sirens
This one’s different.
Keegan and Piper are on the mic—and we put them to the test.
What’s a Halligan tool?
What do we actually use to put out fires?
Who’s cooler—firefighters or police?
Then we throw them into real scenarios…
and let them run the call.
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Episode 8 — Rookie Reality: Expectations vs The Job
What you think the job is… and what it actually is—are two very different things.
In this episode, I sit down with fire recruit Aiden Flanagan, who currently just completed rookie school, to talk about the reality of stepping into the fire service for the first time. We break down what he expected coming in, what hit him the hardest once training s...
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