911 Squirrel
A fun, informative podcast about life, training, and other insights, within the careers of all first responders (Law, Fire, EMS, etc). Telling stories, sharing insights on training, diving into serious subjects, and laughing at ourselves.
911 Squirrel
The Father's Day Extravaganza!
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
We celebrate Fathers with a Top Ten and a fun story in Squirrel Theatre! Plus, don't miss the interview with FF/AEMT Jade Callister!
We also dance some more!!!
Got a thought? E-mail 911squirrelpodcast@gmail.com
Welcome to 911 Squirrel, a podcast for all the five men and women who serve as first responders. Stories will be told training the time, and everyday responder life is explored, all while having a great time doing it. So grab your coffee and watch those tales. This squirrel shift is about to begin. And now, a man who drinks champagne because he couldn't find any real pain, please welcome your host, Brad Mack.
SPEAKER_08Hello, hello, hello, hello, and welcome to episode number eight.
SPEAKER_07Eight people, eight of 911 Squirrel the podcast for first responders. That's right. Number eight. Hoodoo! As the cool tech voice said, I am your host, Brad Mack, and this episode is called The Father's Day Extravaganza. It's just funny how I how I think of these things. Okay, it's gonna be a great show. We are excited with this show. We're gonna have a new squirrel theater, which is a fun story. Um, we're gonna have a wonderful interview with an amazing young woman who went on a call that became a law. And she's gonna explain her story. It was it was it's an amazing story. She's really cool. Um and uh yeah, we're just gonna have a lot of fun. A new briefing, a new in-service. I I think you'll enjoy the in service today. Uh it's kind of an it's well, I'll get to that in a minute. Um, other than that, uh, another thing I'm gonna do is I want to apologize for my voice because suddenly, uh, since right before I started uh doing this episode, um, well, let's just say my throat has decided, oh no, we're gonna have some fun with you today, Brad. We're gonna allow some germs in so you can have a little thing. So that's why I sound like this. But anyway, may the White Cloud form follow and bless you with all the fun and rewarding shifts. Now, June 21st, which today is Thursday, June 18th, uh June 21st is Father's Day, and it's time to celebrate the father that you have. And if you are a dad, you get celebrated, which you should be. Is this day as big as Mother's Day? Of course not. Why, you may ask. Well, let's face it, mothers went through pregnancy and childbirth. Anyone that goes through that, mm-mm. You you you get to be celebrated just a tad bit more. I'm a man, and I can honestly say none of that sounds like a good idea of a good time. As my mother said, swallow a puppy hole, keep it alive in your belly for nine months, then let it pass through an orifice a hundred times smaller.
SPEAKER_04Oh gosh.
SPEAKER_07Now, kids, do not try this. If anyone does, I will personally drag that idiot to the asylum. Now, okay, back to before I get on a tangent here. Fathers are needed. They should be celebrated. You would be amazed how many times a father does something for their children and they never realize it. Fathers are a mystery. They provide a comfort and a safety, but can intimidate with a tone of voice. Fathers are really good at giving confidence. Right before the children do something mom thinks is a little risky.
SPEAKER_04Get off the roof.
SPEAKER_07Um do you have a physical activity you want to do, such as sports or making something big? Hey, dads are the first one ready to participate. They are also very willing to let kids figure out on their own uh let fig they are also willing to let kids figure things out on their own. Mainly for the moment that the kids do something to make dad laugh, but also to teach self-reliance, you know. Uh fathers look and act calm or tough, and they seem collected on the outside, but they still worry about their kids constantly, wanting them to be provided for, to be safe, to be happy. So this Father's Day, make sure you tell him what he means to you. And it better not be with a tie. You know what I'm saying? Uh, but it does bring me to today's wonderful top ten. Now, this episode's top ten, our list is the top ten reasons having a dad as a first responder is cool and not so cool for kids. Now, we're gonna start with number 10, the not so cool. And number 10 is you can never win a water fight because he knows how to use a hose. That's right. If you have a firefighter, dad, you can't win a water fight, buddy. Uh, number nine, which is a cool reason. He drives vehicles you only dream about. That's true too. When you were a kid and you saw a cop car or a fire truck or an ambulance, you're like, woo, that's cool. Number eight, a not so cool. Your dad is safety conscious. Think you're gonna ride your bike without a helmet? I guess I can. Number seven, a cool one. Just get your license, he can get you out of tickets. Yeah, that's cool. Uh, let's see, what are we on? Number six, a not so cool one. Just get your license. He knows when you're pulled over. That's right. Okay. Number five, a cool one. Your dad saves lives. Number four, a not so cool one. He knows when you are faking pain. Number three, a cool one, is very proficient in the use of a gun. Mm-hmm. Number two, a not so cool one, is very proficient cleaning said gun in front of potential boyfriends. Mm-hmm. Yeah, that's not really cool, but it is if you're a parent. And the number one, cool reason, your dad is a first responder is every once in a while you see him on the news. And that is our top ten.
SPEAKER_08Now, we must dance.
SPEAKER_00Let me tell you. I'll give a hook what you do say.
SPEAKER_08Swing those hymns. Dance, monkey dance.
SPEAKER_07Okay, I'm I'm I am going to I have a bone to pick with all of you. And I mean this sincerely. I put out a video of me dancing in my backyard on the side of our hill. And I threw everything out there. It's a full body of me dancing. And I challenged all of you to get out there and make a video of your own dancing to this song. And put it on our socials, on the 911 Squirrel socials. Did you? No. Why didn't you? I don't know. So I'm doubling down on this challenge. Get out there, make a video. I don't care what you do. Uh get your crewmates, get your partner, get whoever, get your chief, get your captain, whatever. Get out there and make a video just stopping what you're doing at the station. Get out of your vehicle and make a video of you dancing. Put it on our socials. If you don't, I'm going to start coming around and I'm going to start. I'm just going to grab you and we're going to start dancing to this song. And we're going to make a video. And then I'm going to post it. And then I'm going to make it look really good. So please go do that. It's going to be it'll be fun. And it is. It'll be fun. So please go do it. Okay? All right. Now let's get on it.
unknownAll right.
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SPEAKER_05This is The Briefing. News from around the country that affects the policies, procedures, or employment of first responders.
SPEAKER_07And now, the briefing. Okay, um, this is a story we've seen, and I'll go into what uh what I think about this, or what probably what we all thought uh when we first heard the stories. Okay, it happened in Mountain Air, New Mexico. Authorities identified a mystery substance that hospitalized more than a dozen first responders after they responded to a New Mexico home where three people died in a suspected overdose incident. Officials said first responders were exposed to fentanyl after arriving at the home where four people were found unresponsive. Two victims were pronounced dead at the scene. These were the people that died were in the house. Two were pronounced at the scene, a third later died at the hospital, and a fourth survived. Interesting. Uh preliminary f quote quote preliminary findings indicate this incident is tied to exposure to a powdered opioid substance within the home, and on scene DEA laboratory analysis has confirmed the presence of fentanyl, meth, and something called P4 fentanyl. I am not going to try to pronounce para fluorophentinyl. Whatever. Um this is what uh New Mexico State Police Chief Matt Broom said in a news conference. Um he's talking about P4 fentanyl. I'm assuming uh it's more illicit form or version of fentanyl. Uh he said the drugs were found in a powder form. Okay. Twenty-five people were exposed to the substance and twenty hospitalized for treatment before being released. So hopefully they're all gonna be okay, and there's not gonna be there's not gonna be any um uh uh long lasting effects from this. Uh two individuals this is as of May 22nd. So hopefully these two um I'm getting there. Oh, here we go. Two individuals remain hospitalized after arriving in serious condition. Well, hopefully they're out of the hospital by now. Um let's see. Uh uh number uh uh authorities said a numerous first responders began experiencing symptoms, including nausea and dizziness. Um they don't really say where they were, if they entered the home. Uh oh, here we go. Finally, this is what I was looking for. Torrance County Fire Chief Gary Smith said firefighters did not enter the home wearing hazmat protection because the situation did not initially appear to require it. He added officials would review the response procedures moving forward. Good. Uh the incident remains under investigation. Okay, now this would this was a story that happened in New Mexico that we all heard about. Uh it was all over the national news. I I'm reading this from Fox News. This is where I first saw it. So I won't I wanted to go over this just because. Um this is I I'd like to know what happened too. And not because of the people who were cooking meth or doing fentanyl or whatever the case is. Those pe I I I I'm still flabbergasted, but all through school you hear about you you're taught about drugs, you're taught about all that stuff. Don't give in to peer pressure, don't even give in to curiosity. We've seen the videos, we've heard the talks, blah, blah, blah. And still people do it. Whatever. Um, but when it comes to first responders, I'm like I'd like to know what the dispatch information was, what dispatch was told from whatever caller, um, who called it in. Uh that would be the first part because you know how it is in dispatch. You the caller tells you one thing, but really something else is going on because they're only seeing whatever, or they're too frantic or whatever. So you can only go off what the collar says. So um I'd like to know all that. Um when you arrive unseen. Now sometimes you can smell stuff on the outside uh of a house. I mean, I remember going to a lady's house where she had all kinds of animals and they never clean, and the animals just went everywhere all within the house. They never and you could smell it from the outside, just like, wow. Have you been around a dead body that's been there for five days? Oh yeah. You know that you can smell it on the outside of the house. Or you just look at the windows going, hey, flies. Um but this is uh this is something I really like to I'd I'd like to know what'll happen. So if I if I see anything or hear anything then then uh I'll report it on any episode that I hear it be uh before uh on the next episode. But uh it it behooves us, um, especially once we figure this out, it behooves us anyway, in the meantime, to pay you know, really be careful uh when you walk into a house, um, be mindful of what it looks like, um, be mindful of what's around, uh, all that stuff before you walk into a house. And if you smell something, uh you know, do g get out. Just get out. Because we all know what a smell can do. And you know, we all know what how bad you if it's a bad smell, walk out. Um we have to take care of ourselves first before we can take care of anybody else. So make sure that you do that. And um yeah, because I I don't want to see anybody go to the hospital because of some idiot cooking meth or really bad fentanyl or whatever. That's just stupid. Uh those people are stupid and they shouldn't you know, they shouldn't uh bring the us down with them. Just saying. So anyway, that's my thought. If you have comments on this, by all means email us at 911 Squirrel Podcast at gmail.com or or leave comments on our socials, Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok. Man oh man. All right, let's take a little break. The sun shines its glory through the window. You stretched and feel refreshed. All you need now is the perfect coffee or drink to get the day started. At Sagebrush Sunrise Coffee, get one of our signature coffees, energy infusions, or cold refreshers. Come to 109 Fairfield Road in Bethpage, Tennessee to get your day started or keep it going with an afternoon drink. And nothing says love quite like an e-gift card. Sagebrush Sunrise Coffee, the perfect beverage for that perfect day.
SPEAKER_06And now everyone's favorite component of the job, the In service, where we have a discussion on certain procedures to improve our performance and deliver better outcomes. Let this In service begin.
SPEAKER_07Okay. Sorry, I had to take a break because I had to get some tea in me. My throat, my goodness. Uh, this episode's in service is gonna be a bit different. Um excuse me. Right now, there's people listening going, Brad, you should have just rested and recorded us another day.
SPEAKER_06No, I gotta get this out.
SPEAKER_07Trust me, I gotta get these. I I want, I need to get it. Doesn't matter what I feel like. This is all this is for you, so I wanted to get this out. Anyway, this episode's in service is gonna be a bit different. I'm gonna read a passage from a book called Failure is not an option. It is written by one of my heroes, Gene Krantz. Now, he is a former flight director for NASA. If you don't know who Gene is, oh my gosh, let me educate you. He was one of the pioneers in mission of mission control, a former fighter and test pilot, and probably one of the smartest and most driven men on the planet. I mean, the guy is just he's still alive too. Uh he's just amazing. He was there for the Mercury Gemini, yeah, that's how you say it, Gemini, and Apollo space programs. I think he was there all the way through uh the space shuttle, too. I I I can't I think so. I'd have to go back and look. He is probably the most revered non-astronaut in NASA history, in my opinion. Yeah, I got a man crush on him. But if you watched Apollo 13, then you saw Ed Harris play Gene Kranz. And I thought Ed Harris did great. Uh he did, he played him well. But you may have watched the opening scene of uh you may have watched the opening scene, and that opening scene was about Apollo 1. Now, Apollo 1 was that ill-fated first crewed mission of the Apollo program. They didn't go anywhere. It was supposed to be just this basically a dress rehearsal, this test on the launch pad. And during the launch rehearsal, a fire broke out in the capsule in this oxygen-enriched capsule, killing astronauts Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee in seconds. I mean, bam, just a flash. And I mean, January 27, 1967 is one of the worst days in NASA history. Now, after the fire, every controller, engineer, astronaut, designer were looking for answers. You know, why did this happen? Anything and everything to figure out why. And according to Gene, there were a lot of quote unquote little problems that put together created the perfect storm. Design, materials used, and a hatch that had to be opened from both inside and outside. It's strange, but okay. But now the thing about it is everybody was looking for that answer. What was the smoking gun? Which is a terrible analogy. Um but Gene, and I'm I'm sure he wasn't the only one, but Gene saw the big picture and let everybody know the real reason. He brought everybody into this big auditorium in Mission Control. All the the controllers, anybody um that was associated with mission control uh brought him into this auditorium. And he knew what the real reason was. It was culture. In the 60s, everyone in NASA wanted to make President Kennedy's promise of a man on the moon happen by the end of the decade. Uh to quote Mr. Kranz, we were too gung ho about the schedule, and we locked out all the problems we saw each day in our work. Every element of the program was in trouble, and so were we. Nothing we did had any shelf life. Not one of us stood up and said, damn it, stop. He acknowledged that they were not ready, and that was not going to happen again. He ended his he ended his speech with this quote From this day forward, flight control will be known by two words tough and confident. Tough means we are forever accountable for what we do and what we fail to do. We will never again compromise our responsibilities. Competent means we will never take anything for granted. We will never be found short in our knowledge and in our skills. Mission control will be perfect. Now Gene Krantz stood in front of everyone and told the truth. They cut corners, they didn't question, they wanted the glory without thinking of the means. The mindset had to change, the culture had to change. So this brings me to this to this thing. After I read this, I was like, holy crap. If you if if you don't re you need to read the book. You you might have to pay attention a lot because he's very detailed. Anyway, I'll go into that later. Uh Um but the thing about culture, and I think I've talked about this before, how's your culture? Hopefully it is good, with accountability, encouragement, and with the courage to stand up and say, stop, this is wrong, let's fix it. If the culture isn't that, then everyone has the responsibility to change it. Lives are at stake. Minds are at stake. And I don't mean just the people you go out and help. As far as lives and minds. No, no, no. I'm also talking about y'all, the first responders that are here to do the job. Every their your lives and minds are just as much at stake as the lives you're trying to save and the property you're trying to save. So that brings me to this. Never compromise your responsibilities. Be accountable for what you do or fail to do. Never take anything for granted and never be found lacking in skills or knowledge. Be tough and competent. It's it's it's just um that that really where it comes down to. I think in and I it it has crept into the first responder community. We have a society that has um while we become lazy. We become lazy, we have become uh uh and I'm talking about society as a whole. Um we have become, you know, oh well, it's not really totally my fault. It's, you know, this and that and you know, excuses everywhere. And I think that I think that needs to stop everywhere. I think you've got to if you do something wrong, or if you fail to do something and something happens, you take accountability for it. I'd rather have somebody come to me and say, look, I'm sorry, I'm I screwed up, instead of me going to one person, hey, what happened? Oh, I don't know who asked Bob. You know, I mean, come on. So I think uh I think this is true. How's your culture? What's your culture like in your department? What's your culture like in uh if you're if you're part of a city or county or state or even the federal government? What it what is the culture like? If is it gonna get the job done that you you signed up for? And if you did sign up for it, are you gonna take responsibility for what you do? And I think uh And I mean responsibility for getting the knowledge and being uh up to date on your skills and being competent. You've got to be tough by doing what you need to do, and you gotta be competent. Gene Krance nailed it. And I think it goes through life- I think it goes for everybody in life, too. Um reading this when I first read this book, and I was just like, wow. This is just uh it's just awesome. And there's a lot of life lessons in there. So if you if you want to read a good book, go get Failure Is Not an Option by Gene Krantz. It's awesome. It's uh a lot of things in there that it's just oh wow, I need to do that. Be prepared to reread a couple pages just because he is very detailed and he's not afraid to um explain everything. And so there's a lot in there. So by all means do that. Uh if you have any uh comments on this, email nine one one squirrel podcast at gmail.com or get on our socials and leave a comment on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok, along with your videos of you dancing, which reminds me. Let's dance.
SPEAKER_00Let me tell you.
SPEAKER_07Each van is equipped with modern amenities, spacious seating, and expert drivers to prioritize safety and satisfaction. Our company's dedicated service and stylish vehicles make group transportation effortless. Call 828-719-2308 or visit our website, nctrinitransport.com, for more information. Trinity Transport, every mile, means everything. That's right. That is a small business owned by Chad Cole, down in North Carolina. Uh he uh he sent that in because he's he's a first responder and he's got a small business. So uh that's for you, Chad. And if you have a small business, by all means send us the information, and we will not only give you a shout out on 911 Squirrel, but we will also make a commercial like that, play it on an episode of 911 Squirrel, but you will be able to take that commercial and use it for your small business and however you want, whether you want to put it on the radio there locally, or you want to put it on a video that uh uh you want to shoot on for YouTube or however you a presentation, whatever it is, by all means send in send us your small business information. We'll make you a commercial, and everything's great, and it's completely free. That's the best part. Now, I want to go on to this interview. Uh this first responder, Spotlight. I need to come up with music for it. Uh this is uh an amazing young woman. Um, and her we'll get into her story in the interview. Uh I went out to Crossfield, Tennessee to interview her, and it's gonna be a bit long, but there's so much in there. You know, I I edit it down as as best I could without losing a lot of stuff. Uh but she's got an incredible story, and I hope you all enjoy this, and I hope you pay attention and listen because it's great. So here we go. Well, ladies and gentlemen, here we are. We're gonna do a first responder spotlight. If I would learn how to talk, public education gets me every time. We're here in Crossfield, Tennessee with AEMT and firefighter Jade Callister. Woo!
SPEAKER_01Happy to be here, sir. Thank you for having me.
SPEAKER_07Absolutely. Now, how long have you been a firefighter AEMT?
SPEAKER_01Chose my AMS certification first. I've been with that a little bit longer. I would say around eight years in total, and about six in the fireworld. I worked two years on ambulance first and then proceeded to get my fire certifications in Utah. Um around, yes, quite the story. I'm in a little bit everywhere.
SPEAKER_07But we may go back to that.
SPEAKER_01Perfect. That is where it started. And then I transferred everything over here, got hired with Crossfield, did a 10-week with them, and here we are.
SPEAKER_07All right. Now, the reason we're here is because I was looking through for news stories to tell in the podcast and stuff. And I had, I mean, I live here in Tennessee, I've been here since '97. And you would think I would hear about this way before, but did I?
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Negative ghostwriter.
SPEAKER_07That's right. Um anyway, so uh I came across your story, and I came across what was happening in the Tennessee State uh Assembly. And then I started reading it, going, aha. That's why that law is here, is because of you. So I want you to I want you to tell me everything about the story on how up until that point.
SPEAKER_01Well, I'm blessed for this stage. This is this is gonna be fun.
SPEAKER_07Okay.
SPEAKER_01So um originated from a medical call about it was February 2025, um, is where this call took place. Responded to a medical call with my partner. Uh basically the individual ended up getting hostile with me. Um he was very kind of off his feet and just wobbly, so I had grabbed hold of him to prevent him from falling and injuring himself. He did not seem to like that very much. He in turn had tried to restrain me, which I did not let happen. He got further agitated and decked me in the face. So I went to the ground. My partner was able to restrain him enough for us to get out of the residence, and then law enforcement responded along with my captain, and other fire personnel responded. Um, and that I didn't know at the time was the start of this year and a half long journey of trying to get a bill passed.
SPEAKER_07Wow. Now, did he was he aggressive from the moment you showed up? Or was it?
SPEAKER_01No, so he he was kind of laying on his side, a little bit semi-conscious. Um, so as we're taught, verbal stimulation, painful stimulation, all the you know, A, B, C, X, Y, Z things.
SPEAKER_08Come on, BSIP safe. Let's go. Yes, exactly.
SPEAKER_01Gotta wiggle the fingers there with the gloves. Um, so we did all that, and I ended up getting him to come too with a sternal rub. I mean, that's kind of where it escalated. He, I think he wasn't in his right mind um initially, but once he figured out that we were there, it immediately went to aggression. He was just kind of trying to get out. We were trying to help, make sure he didn't injure himself. There was a couple other people on scene. Um, so a pretty chaotic environment. And it was the last thing I expected to happen at eight o'clock in the morning that day.
SPEAKER_07Oh, that was so right out of the gate. Yes, right out of the gate. Right out of the gate.
SPEAKER_01Let's rock and roll.
SPEAKER_07Did you at least have breakfast?
SPEAKER_01No.
SPEAKER_07Oh.
SPEAKER_01I had breakfast after, and it it tasted good. I'm like, okay, minor win. This just happened. This really sucks, but I'm gonna have some good eggs and biscuits.
SPEAKER_07Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01And we'll go on from there. Absolutely.
SPEAKER_07Figured out. You should have gotten all kinds of things too.
SPEAKER_01Right, right. Yes.
SPEAKER_07Now, did you get now? Did he knock you out or just gave you a good whap in the He gave me a pretty good knock?
SPEAKER_01I think the adrenaline was pretty high, pretty elevated. Um, I got blurry vision after and some dizziness right after the incident. Um but I think my adrenaline was so high and the cortisol was running that I didn't really. I feel like if that was lower, I would have probably passed out. Because it was a pretty hard knock. I still deal with pain to this day. Um, from that I've been to specialists, all the things. So it was a pretty good knock for sure.
SPEAKER_07So now you have like headaches and all that kind of fun stuff.
SPEAKER_01Dizziness, sometimes nausea. Um, it's pretty cool though. I have my own barometer now, um, which is pretty nice.
SPEAKER_07Doesn't everybody want one? Right, yeah, exactly. Exactly.
SPEAKER_01It's the little things in life. Got my own barometer when it rains.
SPEAKER_08Mine's blinged.
SPEAKER_01In fact, one one chief the other day. He's like, When is it supposed to rain? I said, I don't know. My jaw's telling me today, and sure enough, sure enough, it was that day.
SPEAKER_07So the weather today brought to you by Jade Callismo.
SPEAKER_01Yes, I got you. I got you.
SPEAKER_07Uh we gotta make light of it a little bit. Oh, absolutely.
SPEAKER_01If you don't laugh, you cry, so let's laugh.
SPEAKER_07Well, see, that is what I've been telling people forever about first responders. We all had this morbid sense of humor.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely.
SPEAKER_07So, you know. Absolutely. All right, so did you uh I I'm I'm assuming they took you to the ER to get checked out medically and all that stuff, or no?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so right after the fact, you have your paperwork, workplace injury. I went to our urgent care to get imaging done and all of the initial stuff. And then from there, they couldn't find anything on the x-ray, which is good. No fractures, anything like that. And then from there, I got with WorksComp, and they've kind of led me into a direction to proceed more of a specialty route. Um, so I went with my dentist, they had initially diagnosed me with TMJ disorder. From there, I kind of branched off because the symptoms kept escalating. Uh branched off into an oral place in Cookeville to a specialist in Brentwood. So it has been a very long process to try and get assistance and help, but I've learned a lot along the way as well.
SPEAKER_07Now explain TMJ, in case anybody doesn't know what that is.
SPEAKER_01So TMJ, um, I'm not gonna try to pronounce the word because it's long and I'm a fireman. So we're not gonna go there, but essentially it's an irritation with the mandibular joint. Mine occurs on the left side, and everyone's level is different. Some people only get headaches, some people only a little bit of jaw pain. So every case is a little bit different. With me, what had happened was when he had struck me in the face, it temporarily dislocated that joint. When it popped back in, it didn't align appropriately. So although there's no structural damage with the bones, it didn't align appropriately. So now when I chew, it's off the uh the angle's off, which creates degradation in my joint or my disc that is between the jaw and the skull. Um so there's some micro tears in there, some disc damage, things like that. But everyone's case is different. My symptoms have escalated the further the time is gone, um, which may not happen for everyone. So it's when I was talking to my uh works comp lady, your case is kind of a unicorn case. I've been doing this for 30 years. I'm like, yeah, you don't hear about this every day. But here we are, paving the way for others. Oh my gosh, I slipped a disc in my jaw. Yes, you don't hear that every day. Usually it's a knee thing or shoulder thing, not I. Not die. But at the end of the day, good came from it.
SPEAKER_06Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Good came from it.
SPEAKER_06Because that's where we're going in.
SPEAKER_07Yes, sir. Yes, sir. So how you are the inspiration behind this law. And correct me if I'm wrong. This is uh a uh a Tennessee state law that goes into effect, I think, n uh first next month.
SPEAKER_01Yep, July 1.
SPEAKER_07July 1, where it is now a felony for if you assault a first responder.
SPEAKER_01Yes, that is correct.
SPEAKER_07No, uh I have to read the law again or or at least pull it up. How did that start?
SPEAKER_01So I can't remember exactly. I know the beginning steps that I took. I can't remember exactly how it started. I know that something had to be done. I know I like to view it as it wasn't necessarily a choice that I made, but an instinct. I knew with the assailant what he got was two days in jail, probation, charges dismissed.
SPEAKER_07Two whole days.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. And that's when me and and a couple others kind of investigated this. We thought it was a felony at the time. It was a misdemeanor. So we're like, okay. And then once I found out the charges that he got, I'm like, okay, this something has to be done here. I can't change what happened to me. But hopefully, if this does happen again, which it will, because it's getting more and more frequent, that it will protect my brothers and sisters, even if I don't know them, that there's accountability and safeguard them. So that's kind of the beginning process. It was more of an instinct to me. Um, I run on principles and I cannot stand when there's something that had happened where people were done wrong. There wasn't justice to it. So I knew immediately that something had to be done. And I'd like to give credit to all of those that have helped throughout this year and a half. It may have been uh one of those that I work with that suggested the petition. I can't remember. I'm just gonna blanket cover it and say thank you, everyone.
SPEAKER_08I love you all.
SPEAKER_01I'd like to thank other little people who can't forget about them by no means. Um but basically I created petitions. So I had created one for Crossville, um, a civilian one for those not involved in the fire service, or EMS to sign if they wanted to. There was a bunch. I created one for my home county, Central View Fire Department. Um I think there were four or five different petitions that I had created. And I wrote up a letter to Senator Bailey and um Speaker Sexton. Like, hey, this is my purpose behind it. This is where we currently stand. Here's a bunch of names. I think we got 166 signatures from the petitions. I mailed those in. Um, and Senator Bailey was the one that received it first. He got that, and then he contacted me and then we ran with it. Yes, initially it got a little bit too late in the game that first year. Um, they were on the back end of their session. So it was basically we tried it, but it didn't work out. So we're like, okay, we'll pick this back up in January. In the meantime, I spoke at county commission meetings, city hall meetings, white county meetings, just anyone I could get a hold of to help pursue this because I knew that it mattered. And I knew that it I was doing it for the right reasons. I knew God put it on my heart to do it. Um, so that where where we ran with it. Jack come January, I reached back out to him and we got the ball rolling.
SPEAKER_07Awesome. That is and uh I mean, if if I would have read the article a little bit more and done my research, like I'm supposed to.
SPEAKER_01And minor details. Yeah, but they're minor details.
SPEAKER_07Uh but anyway, how what what was the vote count on that? I'm just kind of curious. Do you think that's a good thing?
SPEAKER_01Uh this last go round for Senate or House?
SPEAKER_07Uh either one.
SPEAKER_01So I know on the Senate side, it pretty much I it passed all the way through. So there wasn't the majority were for it. I can't remember the exact numbers on it.
SPEAKER_07But it was like a really like a blown out of the water senate side.
SPEAKER_01Um on the house side, it passed with flying colors up until that last session meeting. So it was deferred until the next day, and then it passed with flying colors. Cool. So we got the win across the board at the end of the day, uh, with a lot, a lot of help from a lot of people.
SPEAKER_07That's awesome.
SPEAKER_01I would I may have spearheaded this thing, but I couldn't have done it without my people in Crossville, people at at White County, just so many people has helped this go along.
SPEAKER_07Your incident alone, first of all, should be grounds for anything.
SPEAKER_06I mean, are you kidding me? Right.
SPEAKER_07I mean, if if I would have been your partner, which is why I'm not a cop.
SPEAKER_06Right, right, right.
SPEAKER_07So um yeah, politicians, they they need those numbers, and once they get them, then they you know, they're they're they're willing to run. Right. And you know they do pulling and they knew they do all the straw pulling and stuff, and I'm sure that that was another thing. If you would have been able to see that pulling, right, you would be like, well, hell yeah. That's right. But now your your fiance's name is Justin.
SPEAKER_01Justin. Big shout out to him. Hello, Darily.
SPEAKER_07Is he working today?
SPEAKER_01Uh he's off.
SPEAKER_07He's off.
SPEAKER_01He's doing fiance duties.
SPEAKER_07Ooh. Justin, those dishes better be done.
SPEAKER_01Perfect.
SPEAKER_07But um uh now, obviously, you guys were dating at the time because you just got engaged. Congratulations. Yes, we did.
SPEAKER_01Thank you, thank you.
SPEAKER_07Um, so I I'm just kind of curious what his reaction was when he found out.
SPEAKER_01Uh, he was very angry to say the least. Um, I had to talk him down a few times. Like, we're gonna go about this the right way that God wants us to. Believe me, I'm angry too. But he has been nothing but supportive. He's uh supported me the whole way, just running with this thing, encouragement when I need it the most. There were a lot of dark, dark days. Um, because as you know, just because I'm dealing with the legislation behind this, we're still first responders. Right. We still answer the calls. It was an extremely difficult year last year, and he was there the whole way. Just nothing but supportive and and just fighting for me the whole way.
SPEAKER_07That's awesome. That is awesome.
SPEAKER_01I could not have a better man by my side. I'm excited for our future.
SPEAKER_07Oh, Justin.
SPEAKER_01I know she's making me cry.
SPEAKER_07See now I got a man crush on Justin. And I don't know, I haven't even seen him.
SPEAKER_01He's a good dude. I got incredibly lucky with that one. I don't know. What I did to deserve it, but he's stuck by me the whole way so far.
SPEAKER_07Overall feeling.
SPEAKER_01Oh, a sigh of relief. I feel like over the last year and a half, there's just been a weight that's been on there. Um, there were many days where if it didn't go through, put me in a really bad spot. Although it's not my decision at that point for it to go through or not, it's in the hands of God and the politicians. I still felt this sense of responsibility because I just want to see my brothers and sisters taken care of. That is the entire reason why I've done this, and God put me put it on my heart to do so. Um, I question a lot on why it happened, but I think that that's above my understanding, and I think that me being put in a position to where God knew this where would lead, He knew that the bill would come out of it, I wouldn't want it any other way. So as far as emotions go, it's been a roller coaster, um, to say the least. It's been a wild, wild roller coaster, but I know good came out of it.
SPEAKER_07Well, you you talk about uh you know God putting you in a position or questioning why you were put in that position. I kind of think God puts you in that in that moment because he knew, hey, guess what? I'm a go-getter. I'm gonna go run. You know, give me the ball. Touchdown. So yeah.
SPEAKER_01I think so too. I think so too. I've learned a lot about myself through this process, and that is one thing that I cannot deny is I'm a go-getter. And if I want something done, I do my very best to get it done.
SPEAKER_07Now we're gonna talk about your EMT and firebiting.
SPEAKER_01All right, let's do it.
SPEAKER_07Because I love asking these questions because I it it's most people don't realize when they see first responders that there's a human being that's behind that badge, you know, behind that uniform, or in that uniform, I should say. Um so go back in time. Where what was the moment where you you you felt the call and said, that's what I want to do? What was what was that moment?
SPEAKER_01I was actually thinking about this earlier today because I had a feeling that you would ask for preparation. That's what we're all about. You're more prepared than I? Yes.
SPEAKER_06And I'm the one with no.
SPEAKER_01Oh, that's all right. So I think I didn't know it at the time. I went to college, just a slight backstory. I went to college for softball where I met one of my really, really good friends there.
SPEAKER_04Okay.
SPEAKER_01Um, we became pretty much best friends. I was a catcher, she was a catcher, so we really just leaned on each other. Uh, my sophomore year, she ended up dying in a car accident. Um, very sudden. I question sometimes if I'm the last one that she's talked to because it was right in that same timeline where we were communicating. No proof, of course, but I've questioned that a little bit. Um, anywho, she had died, and I didn't realize that at the time, but that was a piece to where God was leading me to be. Fast forward about a year, um, I quit softball, didn't really want to pursue the college route anymore. And my grandfather, who happened to be a firefighter EMT as well, um, sent me a link. I was living in Texas at the time, sent me a link to a class in Utah for EMT Basic.
SPEAKER_07Dang, girl, you're everywhere.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Like, okay, sure, I guess we'll go with this. Um, so I ended up going through EMT Basic school. At the back end of it, uh, he got really sick. He was burned significantly bad in the 90s at the place that he had worked at the time. Um, it was a magnesium plant. He was burned really bad. So since then, he had consistent health issues. This was kind of the icing on the cake. I was on the back end of EMT basic school. It was the week before my birthday and testing for national registry. And he ended up coding and dying. The day before I knew there was just I think God gives us blessings, although we blessings in certain moments that we think aren't a blessing, if that makes sense. Really difficult situations, but later we realize that it's a blessing. And the day before he passed, I think we both just knew and we didn't have to communicate about it at all. It was just one of those things. Um, so he I essentially watched him die. Um, we were out of the room while he coded, um, but it was just a steady decline. Um, the week before that, so that right there kind of solidified okay, this is what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna honor his memory the best I can, and I'm just gonna run with it. And then ended up working at the same ambulance company he did. So kind of a little little uh full circle there, but that's what kind of started it was a mix between my best friend dying and him. I just wanted to know what to do in situations where I could help. And that kind of started the whole thing.
SPEAKER_08And now here you are.
SPEAKER_01Here I am, here I am.
SPEAKER_08Page two.
SPEAKER_01Perfect. I like it.
SPEAKER_07Now, what couple of the couple of these are gonna be silly.
SPEAKER_01I like it.
SPEAKER_07Because, you know, we're all human beings, so let's answer some human questions.
SPEAKER_01I mean, I'm a 29-year-old woman that likes dinosaurs, so that's a little silly.
SPEAKER_07Favorite dinosaur?
SPEAKER_01Uh Velociraptor, strong and and small and ferocious.
SPEAKER_07Why did why did I see that coming?
SPEAKER_01How did I see that coming?
SPEAKER_07I'm sure Justin does every day when you go. Yeah, oh yeah.
SPEAKER_01Oh, yeah, I feel for the guy. I feel for the guy.
SPEAKER_07I'm sure he doesn't do that. So all right. Some of these, okay. What excites you?
SPEAKER_01Hmm. EMS related or anything?
SPEAKER_07Uh all right, let's let's start with being in being a first responder. What excites you?
SPEAKER_01Um probably, I mean, fires. Fires, like a good structure fire. I do not wish harm on pop people or property by any means. But if it's gonna happen, I want to be there.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Like a solid structure fire where you can go interior. That is the bee's knees. That is if I could do that all the time over some of the medicals, then okay, let's go. Aside from that, I think, as far as calls go, a really good trauma where we're doing a lot of interventions and they have a good outcome. We can't always see that, of course.
SPEAKER_03Right.
SPEAKER_01But where we can do a lot of things what we're trained for and do the very best we can despite the outcome, that's what excites me.
SPEAKER_07Cool. What's something that excites you that's not first responder related?
SPEAKER_01Um, camping. Like if we have a camping trip, yes, let's go. Let's go. I used to hunt a lot in Utah, and that was always like we it was a week ordeal, a whole week. Like my dad would get me out of school, like plan it all. That I live for that.
SPEAKER_07Oh, cool. What? Uh, here's a good one. This is a good one, and I can tell you what mine is, but I want to hear yours. What gives you just that factor? What is it being an EMT or a firefighter that you just start choking and thinking this is it? I'm losing my lunch.
SPEAKER_01I can smell it now, the aromas. I would say really nasty DOA.
SPEAKER_07Expand.
SPEAKER_01Um hoarding house conditions.
SPEAKER_07Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Not very well taken care of oneself. Um been there for a week.
SPEAKER_07The flies on the in the windows and sticking to the floors.
SPEAKER_01I would say I would say that's pretty pretty rough one.
SPEAKER_07That's a good one.
SPEAKER_01And even wearing SCBA, you just somehow get it in there.
SPEAKER_07So and that peppermint oil doesn't work worth a damn.
SPEAKER_01I'm not proud to say this, but there's been some where I stick nicotine pouches up my nose and just smell that versus what's being left behind. So I'd say that one's a pretty, pretty rough one.
SPEAKER_07Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Um, your GI bleeds, those are those can get pretty nasty.
SPEAKER_07Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Um, but I'd say the worst smells probably have been DOA's.
SPEAKER_07What profession other than a first responder would you do?
SPEAKER_01I got two right off the top of the head. Uh paleontologist, dinos, of course. Um, or I would pick some sort of conservation management, wildlife thing. That's what I was going to school for initially, was wildlife and conservation management. Um, so I would land probably in that realm. I just love outside. I love animals, I love camping, and camping, all the outdoorsy things I just absolutely love. So those would be my two for sure.
SPEAKER_07Well, that's awesome. Um if heaven exists, which it does, we all know that. What do you hope God to say to you?
SPEAKER_01Oh. Job well done.
SPEAKER_07That's a good one.
SPEAKER_01I think that would take the cake. Is all of the pain, the suffering, even the joy, everything that we've experienced on earth, it was all worth it. And it was a job well done.
SPEAKER_07Good answer. Good answer. Uh okay, as an EMT or firefighter, you you can choose either either way, because there is a, you know, whatever's. Uh, what's your favorite skill?
SPEAKER_01Honestly, just generally speaking, fire suppression. Like pulling a hose and just knocking down the fire. That is like I love breaking things too. Forcible entry, even, and we all not necessarily like this, but pulling ceiling, like anything where I'm just doing it with my hands and we're making an impact, whether it be ventilation or whatever it is, I just love that. But if I can get a hose line and steal it from my coworkers and knock down a fire, that is perfect. That's my favorite thing.
SPEAKER_07So that'd be your perfect birthday present. Yes. Just, you know, show up for surprise!
SPEAKER_01Yes. There's a big old fire. Let's go to work.
SPEAKER_07You hear this, Justin? We're giving you birthday present ideas.
SPEAKER_01Go make a fire somewhere.
SPEAKER_07What's your least favorite skill?
SPEAKER_01Usually I'm not involved directly in fire suppression, is tagging the hydrant.
SPEAKER_08Uh yeah.
SPEAKER_01I don't mind the skill, like still doing stuff. Yeah. But while all the people are over there doing their thing, Jade is trying to get the mask out of the way, get the pack out of the way. You know, uh like open the hydrant when it has a ton of pressure coming off of it, and have the oh, it's it's a workout. It is a workout. Over here with the spinner league. The last couple fires, I've gotten stuck with that every time.
SPEAKER_07Really?
SPEAKER_01Come on.
SPEAKER_07Is it where is it where you're sitting or just how you just how the we're the second do.
SPEAKER_01On the fires that I've been on recently, we're the second do, so we've tagged the hydrant. Um, and it just happened. I don't know. Just tag the hydrant while everyone else is up here doing their thing. Is there a hydrant? Yep, first change. Yeah, for real. Hopefully, hopefully. Like I said, don't wish this on anyone, but if there's a fire, I want to be on first attack engine. That is the goal. Someone else can do the hydrant.
SPEAKER_07I can see it now. You're gonna be busting through all your other crew members.
SPEAKER_06Get out of the way, yes, move out of the way.
SPEAKER_07Anyone else want to take it?
SPEAKER_06Yes, exactly.
SPEAKER_07What about the job that surprised you? When you I mean, from from the moment you decided to be one and then you got into it and you worked it for a while. What what what surprised you about the job?
SPEAKER_01I think a couple things. I think the calls themselves, I didn't really expect people to call for an elevated heart rate after they drank a liter of Mountain Dew. I didn't think that was uh EMS needed, but though those type of calls I didn't expect emergency services be involved in as much as they are. Um and I think the mental load, I think being in it eight years now, roughly, I didn't realize the mental load that first responders take on and how dark it can get and how heavy it can get. In EMT basic school, they take 10 minutes and say, Yeah, this job uh sucks sometimes, but part of it and then carry on. That's what I was taught anyway. But now coming here, very blessed to where people openly talk about it, and you can go find help if you need it. Um but that's one thing I didn't realize is how heavy it can actually get and how fast it can unfold.
SPEAKER_07You felt the motivation to become a first responder. So going back to your first couple days as a first responder, what motivated you then?
SPEAKER_01Hmm, and I can't use to help my community.
SPEAKER_07Can't use it. Everybody is I like a challenge.
SPEAKER_01I think I think what motivates me is being placed in a position where God wants me to be.
SPEAKER_08Okay.
SPEAKER_01If that makes sense. Yeah, absolutely. Doing his will, even through very difficult circumstances. And there is an element to helping people, of course. That's why we all start this, or why we should start this. Um that is why we should. So there's always gonna be that element. But looking at the example of Jesus, and he went to the needy and he went to the poor, and went to all of the people that needed help the most, I want to imitate that the best I can.
SPEAKER_04Okay.
SPEAKER_01So there is an element of helping, but more so what motivates me is doing something I'm called to do by God's direction. That is, and if I didn't have that motivation, I would have been out of this service a long time ago. That is what has held me, held, held me into this profession is knowing that God's placed it on my heart to do this, and I'm following in his will toward to that goal, and hopefully helping people along the way.
SPEAKER_07Okay. What was your most rewarding moment?
SPEAKER_01Oh, this is a tough one.
SPEAKER_07I already know there's gonna be I already know one of them.
SPEAKER_01I mean the bill. That's the one pretty good. That was a nice surprise. Um, hard work happened to pay off in that one. Um, that's at the forefront of my mind. I think I think the most rewarding, there's two calls that stick out in my mind. And one was a young mom that had a gave birth in a toilet. And being able to be there with her, although there was nothing that we could do for that child, just being there on a level of no interventions need to be done on her. It's just human-to-human contact, communication, being able to be the compassionate one in that moment for her and let her know, okay, we're here to help and solidify that, where everything else around her seems to be falling apart. That is what I do this job for. Or you have your kids' seizure calls and and they come out of it, it's probably a febrile seizure. But being able to pick that kid up and just hold them while the parents are like, okay, good hands, my kid's gonna get taken care of. That is why I do this job. And it sometimes I forget that because it can, like we both talked about, it can be really hard sometimes. Um, but just being able to provide that level of compassion where in a world that is very hard to come by now, people willing to do the really difficult jobs and still have a compassionate heart, that is who I hope to be 20 years from now. If I'm able to continue doing this job, that's what I hope I give to my peers coming up, to other kids that decide to do this. That's what I hope for.
SPEAKER_07Cool. Well, that leads me to my final question. So, where what do you what do you see in your future as a first person?
SPEAKER_01Oh man, there's no telling. I've tried to set a plan out for myself since uh high school with going to college for softball, and God has had different plans like this entire time. I think it's finally getting through my thick head that I should just let him roll with it. I mean, I will still obviously work towards goals. Ideally, I think it would be really neat to be an officer in some capacity as a lieutenant or potentially captain. I that's just a goal that I have. God will place me in the situations that He knows that I would work best at. Um, I'm gonna continue getting education. Paramedics on the list right now. Getting through that, that's gonna be 11 months of grind, grind, grind. So I think that's the first step. Let's get through paramedic school and then branch off from there and just see what see what God has planned for. I would like to give in the stage that He's given me with this bill stuff, if there is another way that I can help through the fire service, I hope that that comes up. I hope that my story gives other people hope and confidence. And maybe there's a little girl out there that wants to be a firefighter and hears my story or something like that and gives her hope to be able to do the same thing. Um, but that is my ultimate goal. If there's nothing else that I accomplish as far as professional goes, whether it be making officer or getting another bill passed or whatever, I hope that giving people the hope that they can accomplish great things and you don't need to be a chief to do it. I hope that that carries on. That when there's something that is wrongly done, you don't have to sit back and just let it happen. I think one other element to this that I want to talk about a little bit is there's a lot of people struggling right now in the first responder world. And I know that God has given me the stage to talk about this. And I know that it's getting talked about more, and people are probably getting flooded in the modern era about our mental health.
SPEAKER_07Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Um, so I don't want to go on a big old soapbox, but oh come on, I'll even put it out for you. Oh, I'll try not to anyway. Sometimes I get carried away. Um, but I do want people to know that it doesn't matter what was done to you or what you've witnessed or what you've had to go through, that there is hope. I'm still, there's days where I'm still trying to find that. Just because this bill is passed doesn't mean I don't struggle with that guy that hit me. It is a daily thing. I'm still trying to find the answers on how to navigate it. And I'm a Christian, right? You know, I have faith, shouldn't struggle. That is not the case. I want people to know that you're not alone, and in your darkest hour, there is that little bit of light that will shine enough for you to get out of it. And there's been times where I've been in a very, very dark spot and very close to something I shouldn't be close to. Um, and at the risk of being uncomfortable, but a far bigger risk is not letting people know that what actually goes on in someone's head. I think we need to be genuine about things. And like I said, God has given me a stage to do that, and Jesus was uncomfortable. So I'd rather be uncomfortable and people view me different than keep my mouth shut and you know, let the world see, oh, it's just all good in her hood. It's all good in her head. There's been a time where I want to be very clear, I had not there was no intention in ending my life. But I've been in such a dark spot where I've held a gun in my hand to wonder if this what this would feel like to be the last thing I held. Again, I don't want to make it seem like I wanted to end my life, but there was a dark element to it to where my head was in that space. And unfortunately, a lot of us get to the place where we understand why people commit suicide. And until we start talking about it more and talking with our peers on where they're really at, it's gonna continue. The calls are getting harder, they're getting more frequent. I had a whole slew of them last year. First careers had them happen in one year. So you don't know when the calls are gonna come in. And I know that God's grace and the people around me kept me here. The love that my family has, just so much support. But I think it's important that we're genuine. And like I said, God's given me this stage to talk about the incident that happened. I think he's guided. I don't know that I've been on the very dark day. Amen.
SPEAKER_07Looking at me when you say that. Oh my gosh, my mascara is a little bit more. The mascara, not the mascara, the allergies.
SPEAKER_01Any other questions or comments? I don't know if anyone of your listeners has uh dinosaur things that they like to share. Um, I'm all ears. I love dogs. Uh my nickname at work is Dino because I love dinosaurs. So if anyone has any anything they want to share, then I am all ears. But I greatly appreciate the opportunity. Absolutely. Give God all the glory for this. So thank you very much for having me. Absolutely.
SPEAKER_07And if we can do anything, if if somebody needs something or whatever, just give us a shout.
SPEAKER_01Awesome.
SPEAKER_07Yeah. Thank you very much, sir. Ladies and gentlemen, Jade Callister! Woo!
SPEAKER_08Greetings and welcome to another edition of the Grand Square Theater, where true stories are told, but in a theatrical style. In this episode's recital, our director has proven once again why many in his inner circle call him a nerd. Sit back and enjoy this wonderful saga entitled Welcome to the Dark Side.
SPEAKER_07Enough light to see the city, but dark enough that you need headlights. As an officer on traffic patrol, I have noticed that this time of day can play tricks on your eyes. On this night, though, my sight was perfect. Sitting at a red light, I did what anybody does. My people watch. It's my job to look for anything suspicious. Fortunately, everything was okay. As the light turned green, I waited for the other traffic to clear before I made my left turn. As I watched, I noticed this exotic convertible about to drive through the intersection. That's a nice Ferrari, I thought, as it was just about to pass me. As it passed, I asked myself, did I just see that? I looked in the side mirror to make sure and saw the lady behind me with a look of bewilderment staring at the Ferrari. Neither of us were staring at the car. It was the driver. Darth Vader was behind the wheel. Now I'm a huge Star Wars fan. I love all those movies. I might be only 24 years old, but I consider the first three movies made in the 70s as the best ones. And as much as I'd like to drive my car dressed as Vader or a stormtrooper, it is against the law and a safety issue to be wearing one of those helmets while driving. So I hit my lights, made a Yui, and proceeded after Ferrari. Vader pulled into a parking lot, placed his gloved hands on the steering wheel so I could see them. As I walked to the driver door, I had this thought.
SPEAKER_08I pulled over Darth Vader. Ha ha take that, Empire.
SPEAKER_07I introduced myself and asked for his license, registration, and to remove the helmet. Vader looked at me and said through the helmet, You know who I am. I replied, Nah, sir, I do not. He took off the helmet, and I was shocked to learn I do know him. With a serious tone that I knew all too well, he said, I am your father. Being that my dad is just as big a fan as I am, we improved the scene. I started with, No, it's not true. My dad replied, Join me and we will rule the galaxy together. I continued, No, I'll never join you. I'll never go to the dark side. Our laughter finally broke character. I asked my dad, What are you doing? And in his laid-back way, he said, A friend of mine is performing at a kid's Star Wars themed birthday party, and I asked if I could play Darth Vader. So I jumped at the chance. My follow-up question was typical for an officer in this situation. Where did you get this Ferrari? Without missing a beat, my dad replied, The kid's father owns a dealership and wanted me to drive up in this. For context, my dad loves making people laugh. And moments like this. Because of that, I did my job. I took his information, ran the plate, issued a warning, not because I wanted to get my dad in trouble, but because I wanted this hilarious stop on record. I had a plan. After we chuckled some more, we fist bumped, and he went on his way. A few months later, Father's Day rolled around. Usually, I get him gifts I know he'd use, like tools or something to wear to dolphin's games. This year I gave him something to remember our moment in that parking lot. I had everyone gather around the TV and put in a DVD I had made. It was the body cam video of his traffic stop, along with the warning I had framed. Everyone enjoyed it. My dad even had a few tears. After the video was done, my dad got up, looked at me, and said with a slight tremble, May the force be with you. And also with you, Dad. And also with you. Isn't that a fun story? I I I saw that story and I was like, ooh, that's great. Oh, I gotta save that for Father's Day. So I saved it for Father's Day. And uh it's just it's just fantastic. Um I want to thank also Jade Callister. Uh yay! She was an absolute wonderful guest. Uh we went out to Crossfield, Tennessee to uh interview her, and uh a great stor. Uh she has a great story and she did a lot of great stuff, and hopefully more states do this uh by making it a felony to attack any first responder. Um because nobody should go through that. Uh so thank you for Jade. Uh thank you, 1085, for being one of our sponsors. Uh take advantage if you're in Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, um Florida, uh, please call them up. Uh take advantage of the grants and get you some new ambulances by all means. If uh I want to thank uh uh Sagebrush Sunrise Coffee uh up in Beth Page, Tennessee. They're one of our um sponsors. And uh if you're in that area, go get yourself a coffee or they got some good uh refreshing drinks too, so go see them. But otherwise, this is the end of episode eight, the Father's Day Extravaganza uh for 911 Squirrel Podcast. I hope y'all had fun. I hope y'all learned something, uh, I hope y'all had a good time. Make videos of yourselves dancing and send them to our socials. If you um, well, I'm sorry, we're gonna have a uh uh special uh guest on the next episode. He is not a first responder, he's a lot of fun to hang around. Uh, but if you have any questions or comments uh to a civilian uh being a first responder, email us at 911scorepodcast at gmail.com or go to our socials, Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok, and leave them there. And subscribe to this podcast, subscribe to whatever streaming you're on, uh, because we we love hearing from you, we love you listening. We can't tell you how much we appreciate it uh that you listen to our podcast. It is great. Uh oh my gosh, it it and the followers, the number of followers just keeps growing and growing. It's just amazing. Uh so thank you from the bottom of our heart. And the next episode, my voice should be better. Uh, the rest of this weekend, I'm not talking too much. My wife gets to do all the talking. But anyway, y'all have a wonderful Father's Day this weekend, and thank you for listening. And remember, you are part of the team. Help each other, stay safe, and God bless you. Till the next episode. Thank you very much.