Shows / Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.
Real talk for fire wives, firefighter partners, and first responder families. Fire Family Collective is the podcast for fire wives, firefighter spouses, and first responder families navigating the realities of life in the fire service. Formerly the Firehouse Roundtable, each episode features real conversations about firefighter marriage, fire wife mental load, parenting through shift work, and building community when isolation feels like part of the job.
You'll hear from real fire spouses — new…
Episodes
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.Why Is My Firefighter Husband Snapping at Me?
Your firefighter husband walks in short, flat or snappy, and the first thing you ask yourself is what you did wrong. Heather has lived that moment, and in this…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.What a Fire Wife With a Badge Wants You to Know
Natalie is a police officer married to a firefighter, which makes her a fire wife with a badge and a view most fire spouses never get. She keeps her radio on…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.Signs Your Fire Marriage Needs a Reset
Licensed marriage and family therapist and fire wife Rebecca Graves comes back to the mic with a story from the very morning she recorded. Her husband missed…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.What Nobody Tells You About Fire Family Life
Nobody hands you a manual for growing up as a fire daughter, and definitely nobody warns you that you might marry right back into the same life. Taylor…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.Running a Business as a Firefighter's Wife
Jenny Santamaria didn't wait around for a good moment to open her pelvic floor physical therapy practice. She started it while she was still dating a rookie…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.From Fire Wife to Author One List at a Time
Tami Davis substitute taught for years and raised two teenagers while her husband worked more than twenty years in the fire service. She didn't call herself an…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.Why Do Firefighter Marriages Need a Yearly Check-In?
Every firefighter marriage runs on borrowed sleep, unpredictable shifts, and a stress threshold that keeps climbing the longer someone stays in the fire…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.Sisterhood Secrets Every Fire Wife Needs to Know
Building a fire wife community is not something that happens automatically — it takes vulnerability, intentional effort, and the courage to reach out. In this…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.Is Resentment Destroying Your Firefighter Marriage?
What does it actually take to keep a marriage strong when your partner runs into danger for a living? In this episode, licensed marriage and family therapist…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.Surviving the Fire Wife Mental Load
Growing up as a firefighter's daughter taught Kierra Martens things she didn't fully understand until she became a fire wife herself. In this episode she opens…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.A Fire Marriage Almost Broke Her. Almost.
What no one warns you about when you marry a firefighter is that the job doesn’t just shape your spouse — it shapes your entire life, your identity, and…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.Growing Up Fire and Choosing It Anyway
In this episode, host Alex turns the mic on her husband Kyle — a firefighter paramedic — for an honest, unfiltered look at what it's really like when the fire…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.The Myth of the Easy Lateral Move
Amanda and Jackie discuss the power of vulnerability, specifically how Jackie's decision to "slide into the DMs" created a vital support system after her…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.You're Not Alone in This Fire Life
This episode features a conversation between Alex and Hannah, two fire wives reflecting on their early experiences entering the fire service lifestyle with…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.Building a Life, Not Just Surviving It: A Fire Spouse Story
Jamie Renshaw shares her journey from feeling isolated in the fire life to finding purpose and connection through vulnerability and shared struggles. Her story…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.Injury, Recovery, and the Strength of Fire Families
In this episode, Sarah and Amanda share raw, heartfelt stories about injury, resilience, friendship, and embracing the chaos that comes with life as firewives…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.Juggling Shifts and Family Life
In this conversation, Erin Reed shares her experiences as a fire spouse, discussing the challenges and joys of balancing family life with the demands of a…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.Supporting a Loved One with PTSD
In this conversation, Heather Arnzen shares her journey as a firewife navigating the complexities of family life, homeschooling, and the challenges of PTSD…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.Firehouse Conjugal Visits?
In this candid conversation, Amber shares her journey balancing motherhood, firefighting partner life, and personal growth. She discusses the challenges of…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.Holding the Line at Home: Healing, Growth, and Finding Your Identity Again
In this engaging conversation, Amanda and Chelsi discuss the unique challenges and joys of being a fire wife, the importance of community support, and the…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.Building Community in Fire Families
In this conversation, Amanda and Alex discuss the importance of community and support within fire families. They explore the challenges of navigating career…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.It Does Get Better, I Promise
In this episode of the Fire Family Collective Podcast, Amanda and Audra Carrion from CarryOnFireFamily, and co-founder of the Dear Chiefs podcast, discuss the…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.First Responder Life: Juggling Kids, Dogs, & a Career
In this conversation, Amanda and Suzy discuss the challenges and rewards of being a partner to a first responder. They explore the importance of community…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.Fire Wife Real Talk: Beyond the Hollywood Hero
In this conversation, Amanda and Katie Kada discuss the unique challenges and misconceptions faced by fire families. They explore the realities of being a…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.Navigating Fire Family Life (What They DON’T Tell You)
In this episode of the Fire Family Collective Podcast, Amanda and Ashley Pridgeon discuss the unique dynamics of being part of a firefighter family. They…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.Eaton Fire: How One Firefighter Family Saved Their Home and Neighborhood
In episode 54 of the Fire Family Collective podcast, Amanda speaks with Stephanie and Dan Lievense about their experiences during the Eaton Fire in January…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.Handoff to the Fire Family Collective
In this episode, Peter McKenzie and Amanda Ellis discuss the transition of the Firehouse Roundtable podcast to the Fire Family Collective, focusing on the…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.Previewing the Fire Family Collective
Guest host Amanda Ellis talks with three other fire spouses, Stephanie Kay, Maggie Hernandez, and Anna Young, about the Ventura Fire Foundation's newest…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.Changing Firefighter Culture with Chief David Rhodes
A deep conversation with Chief David Rhodes, a 38-year veteran of the fire service and editor-in-chief of Fire Engineering magazine. They explore the…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.Derrick Bean: Fire Engineer and Girl Dad
Derrick Bean, a Fire Engineer, Girl Dad, and new member of the Foundation's Board celebrates the show's 50th epsiode with guest host Joe Booth. Derrick shares…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.Parenting Fire Families with Tiffany Atalla, LMFT
In this conversation, guest hosts Amanda Ellis and Stephanie Kay talk with marriage and family therapist (and fire wife) Tiffany Atalla about parenting as a…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.Successful Real Estate Investing for Firefighters
Brian Waters, LA County Fire Department captain and owner of Code 3 Invest, talks with Peter about his journey in real estate investing. They discuss the…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.Firefighter Couples: Navigating the Transition from the Firehouse to Home
In this conversation, Destiny Morris, LMFT, discusses the importance of reconnecting and reintegrating into the family after firefighters come home from work…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.Firefighter Nonsense with Jason Patton of Fire Department Chronicles
Driver Engineer Jason Patton talks about his journey from mechanic to firefighter to creator of Fire Department Chronicles to Vice President of Fire Department…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.Survivor's Guilt: The Legacy of 9/11 with Battalion Chief Brian Russo
Brian Russo, a battalion chief for FDNY, shares his experience of 9/11 and the aftermath. He discusses the chaos and devastation of that day, the loss of…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.Firefighter Couples: Maintaining a Healthy Relationship
In this conversation, Maggie Hernandez, associate marriage and family therapist and firefighter spouse, discusses the importance of recognizing personal…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.Coping with Trauma and Stress Through Transcendental Meditation
In this episode, Oxnard Fire Chief Alex Hamilton and FDNY Lieutenant/Deputy Director, Counseling Service Unit Drew Kane discuss Transcendental Meditation (TM)…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.Snakes and Stabbings with Firefighter Paramedics Connor Ryan-Fenwick and Ryan Vaughn
In this conversation, the hosts interview two more firefighter paramedics as they come off probation, Ryan Vaughn and Connor Ryan-Fenwick. Ryan talks about his…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.Getting Mukes'd with Firefighter Paramedic Ryan Howell and Firefighter Sam Stein
In this conversation, our hosts interview two firefighters as they come off probation, Ryan Howell and Sam Stein. Sam shares his background in firefighting…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.Courage and Resilience with Heather Ellis, Ventura City EMS Administrator Part 2
Part 2 of a conversation with Ventura City EMS Administrator Heather Ellis, a former firefighter and firefighter's spouse, who shares her personal story of…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.Courage and Resilience with Heather Ellis, Ventura City EMS Administrator Part 1
Part 1 of a conversation with Ventura City EMS Administrator Heather Ellis, a former firefighter and firefighter's spouse, who shares her personal story of…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.Facing Cancer as a Fire Family
In this episode, Lisa Corbett and her daughter Brianna (Bri) Corbett discuss their experiences as the family of a firefighter. They talk about the challenges…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.Kicking Cancer's @$$ with Capt. Kevin Corbett of Santa Barbara City Fire and Capt. Scott Jennie (ret.) of the Firefighter Cancer Support Network
In this episode, Capt. Kevin Corbett of Santa Barbara City Fire talks about his journey battling stage 4 testicular cancer. From a Hospice bed to returning to…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.From Fixing Rigs to Assistant Chief: Bill Rigg's Unforgettable Career
In this episode, retired Ventura City assistant chief Bill Rigg shares his experiences and stories from his career in the fire service. He discusses starting…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.Good Grief, Charlie Brown! Next Rung's Charlie Brown talks peer support and future challenges for the fire service.
Engineer Paramedic Charlie Brown saw the mental health challenges in the fire service and wanted to do something about it. So he co-founded Next Rung, a…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.The Bravest Fight: Firefighter Nick Hanna's Journey from Darkness to Light - Part 2
Santa Cruz City Firefighter Nick Hanna, formerly with Ventura City Fire, talks about his mental health journey over the past year. Nick's story starts with…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.The Bravest Fight: Firefighter Nick Hanna's Journey from Darkness to Light
Santa Cruz City Firefighter Nick Hanna, formerly with Ventura City Fire, talks about his mental health journey over the past year. Nick's story starts with…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.Tax Planning for Firefighters with Mike Canny, Vice President of Tax Services with Firefighters First Tax Services
In this episode, Mike Canny, a retired firefighter and vice president of tax services at Firefighters First Tax Services, shares his experience in the fire…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.James Boomhower on the State of Mental Heath Care for First Responders
James Boomhower, MS(c), FP-C, NR-P, C- NPT, CCISM is a critical care paramedic in Massachusetts and founder of Stay Fit 4 Duty, an organization that provides…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.Julie Cart, Pulitzer Prize Winning Author of the Cal Matters Series, "Trail by Fire: The Trauma of Fighting California’s Wildfires"
Julie Cart, Cal Matters reporter talks about her award-winning 2023 series, "Trail by fire: The trauma of fighting California’s wildfires." The discussion…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.Newly Retired Firefighters Captain Tom Weinell, Engineer Brian Kremer, and Captain Thom Hoffman Discuss Just About Everything
With 80 combined years in the fire service, newly retired firefighters Captain Tom Weinell, Engineer Brian Kremer, and Captain Thom Hoffman have a lot to say…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.Meet the New Guys Pt. 2 - Ventura City's Newest Firefighters Gurshan Bajwa, Jeremy Hinman, and Stephan Parrish
Part 2 of a discussion with Ventura City Fire's newest Firefighters. Just finished with their probationary period, five new firefighters - Gurshan Bajwa, Jon…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.Meet the New Guys Pt. 1 - Ventura City's Newest Firefighters Rocky Sanfilippo and Jon Ellis
Part 1 of a discussion with Ventura City Fire's newest firefighters. Just finshed with their probationary period, five new firefighters-Gurshan Bajwa, Jon…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.Oxnard College Regional Fire Academy's Captain Tami Crudo
Captain Tami Crudo, coordinator for the Oxnard College Regional Fire Academy, talks about being a female in the fire service, mentoring, stress and resilience…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.Mandos and Mullets with American Fire Brigade's John Gary
American Fire Brigade's John Gary talks about the injury that led him to start AFB, protecting your days off, impact of overtime on mental health and family…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.When Your Therapist is Your Spouse with Firefighter Erik Hernandez and Therapist Maggie Hernandez
Firefighter Erik Hernandez and his wife, associate marriage and family therapist Maggie Hernandez, talk on a wide range of topics, including the benefits of…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.The "Hot Mess Express" with Audra and Chelsi from Dear Chiefs Podcast
Audra and Chelsi, firefighter spouses and hosts of the Dear Chiefs Podcast, provide unvarnished advice for firefighters and their spouses on how to maintain…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.College Admissions and Financial Aid - What Fire Families Need to Know with Falone Serna, Dean of Undergraduate Admissions and Outreach with California Lutheran University
Falone Serna, Dean of Undergraduate Admissions and Outreach with California Lutheran University solves the mystery of getting into and paying for college. Dean…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.Oxnard Fire Chief Alex Hamilton on Behavioral Health, Sleep Deprivation, Peer Support, and Taking Care of His Firefighters.
Oxnard Fire Chief Alex Hamilton, considered one of the most forward-thinking chiefs in the country, covers a wide range of important topics, including…
Fire Family Collective Podcast | Real Talk for Fire Wives & Partners.Estate Planning for Firefighters with Roy Schneider, Esq., and Jessica Villar, Esq.
Roy Schneider and Jessica Villar, attornies with Schneiders & Associates law firm, join the show to talk about what nobody wants to discuss...what happens to…