Episodes

  • Ep 23: Flames, Fallout, and Finding Himself: Firefighter Rob Leathen on Service, Survival, & Starting Over

    Ep 23: Flames, Fallout, and Finding Himself: Firefighter Rob Leathen on Service, Survival, & Starting Over
    May 5 2026
    In this episode of The Other Side of the Call, In this episode of The Other Side of the Call, we sit down with retired firefighter Rob Leathen for a direct and unfiltered conversation about what the job gives, what it takes, and what it can quietly erode over time. Rob reflects on his path […]
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    1 hr and 9 mins
  • Ep 22: Private, Practical, Proven: Accessible Mental Health for First Responders (PSPNet Explained)

    Ep 22: Private, Practical, Proven: Accessible Mental Health for First Responders (PSPNet Explained)
    Apr 28 2026
    Where do first responders actually go for support when they’re not ready, or not willing, to sit across from a therapist? In this resource-focused episode, we sit down with Dr. Heather Hadjistavropoulos, Executive Director of PSPNet, to explore a different approach to mental health care for public safety personnel. PSPNet is a Canadian program offering […]
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    26 mins
  • Ep 21: The Weight of the Work: Dispatch, Distress & Recovery (Part 2 of 2)

    Ep 21: The Weight of the Work: Dispatch, Distress & Recovery (Part 2 of 2)
    Apr 17 2026
    In part two of this National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week roundtable, the conversation shifts from what dispatch is to what it can do to the people doing it. Featuring dispatchers from police, fire, and paramedic services across Canada and the United States, this episode explores the cumulative impact of repeated exposure to crisis, the realities […]
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    1 hr and 16 mins
  • Ep 20: The Toll of the Tones: Truths of 911 Dispatch (Part 1 of 2)

    Ep 20: The Toll of the Tones: Truths of 911 Dispatch (Part 1 of 2)
    Apr 14 2026
    In recognition of National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, this special roundtable brings together dispatchers from police, fire, and paramedic services across Canada and the United States. With decades of combined experience, this conversation breaks down what 911 dispatch actually is, what it requires in real time, and why it’s often misunderstood. From cognitive overload and […]
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    45 mins
  • Ep 19: First Responder Families: Separation, Healing & Life After Crisis (part 2 with Parul Shah)

    Ep 19: First Responder Families: Separation, Healing & Life After Crisis (part 2 with Parul Shah)
    Apr 7 2026
    First responder work does not stay at the station, the hall, the hospital, the prison, or the dispatch centre. It comes home. In Part Two of this conversation, psychotherapist and doctoral candidate Parul Shah returns to explore what happens when the pressure inside first responder families becomes too much to carry. Drawing from both clinical experience and […]
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    58 mins
  • Ep 18: First Responder Families: Stress, Warning Signs & Life at Home (Part 1 with Parul Shah)

    Ep 18: First Responder Families: Stress, Warning Signs & Life at Home (Part 1 with Parul Shah)
    Mar 31 2026
    First responder work does not stay at the station, the hospital, or the dispatch center. It comes home. In this first part of a two-part conversation, trauma therapist and doctoral candidate Parul Shah joins The Other Side of the Call to talk about the often-unseen impact of first responder work on families. Parul brings more […]
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    1 hr and 7 mins
  • #17 – North of Normal: Fighting Fire in the Far North (Part 2)

    #17 – North of Normal: Fighting Fire in the Far North (Part 2)
    Mar 24 2026
    What does it mean to fight fire in a place where everyone knows everyone, resources are stretched, and you may be on call any time you are in town? In Episode 17 of The Other Side of the Call, we return to Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, for Part 2 of our conversation with longtime volunteer […]
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    54 mins
  • #16 – North of Normal: Becoming A Northern Firefighting Family

    #16 – North of Normal: Becoming A Northern Firefighting Family
    Mar 17 2026
    What does firefighting look like in a town where everyone is a volunteer? In Episode 16 of The Other Side of the Call, we travel to Fort Smith in Canada’s Northwest Territories to speak with longtime volunteer firefighter Jason and his wife Helen about life and emergency response in a northern community of just over 2,000 […]
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    27 mins