Elizabeth Bartholomew joins us on the podcast.

Liz worked as a police records clerk in Batavia Illinois where she met Joe Bartholomew, a paid on-call firefighter, they married in 1980. Joe was hired as a full time Firefighter in 1986. While their daughters were young Liz was able to be a stay at home mom. Later she drove a school bus part-time in Naperville, Illinois, became Band Booster President and was on the coaching staff at East Aurora High School. In 2005 Joe was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder from a response call, he later retired on a duty disability pension after 33 years as a firefighter. Seeing the reaction in the workplace to his PTSD diagnosis and watching him learn to live with PTSD she came up with the concept of Responders Retreat as a place to open a conversation and know that you are not alone.

For more information check out : https://www.firstrespondersretreat.org/home

Regan Faulk joined us on the podcast and shared the story of meeting her husband Kevin in collage, falling in love, starting a life together which included marriage, the birth of their twin boys, and Kevin joining the Philadelphia police department. She spoke about how much he loved the job in the beginning, she spoke about the changes she witnessed in his mood and personality over time, the impact those changes had on their family, and she spoke about the experience of losing her husband to suicide.

Keven Regan was a devoted husband and father who was passionate about serving his community. Regan founded the Keven Regan Family Foundation in October of 2022 following the tragic loss of her husband.

The Keven Regan Family Foundation is a non profit organization committed to helping families of fallen first responders, specifically those who have died by suicide, and those who struggle with mental illness.

The foundation provides not only financial relief, but also the mental health resources needed to support struggling frontline fighters and their loved ones.

The Kevin Regan foundation is dedicated to Suicide prevention, and treatment by improving mental health awareness and education throughout the first responder community.

For mor information, visit:

https://kevinreganfamilyfoundation.com/

Erin Maccabee joins us on the podcast.

Erin is an ICF trained integration coach who specializes in supporting First Responders, their partners, and departments. Erin has nearly a decade of experience, with almost half that time focused on trauma exposed populations. Erin is the creator of the Pressure System - A whole human framework for navigating high stress environments, and The Connection Code - A self guided program that helps responder couples strengthen communication on their own time. Erin also hosts the Flashpoint podcast - where high performance meets human healing.

Erin's mission is personal, shaped by the loss of her Firefighter boyfriend to substance misuse in 2011.

Erin details her journey into the work she is currently engaged in, shares openly about her loss, and her commitment to helping first responders heal, develop healthy coping mechanisms, recover from or avoid the pitfalls of addiction, and helps couples connect more deeply.

Contact Erin for more information @ ErinMaccabee@Gmail.com

Part 2 of a 2 part episode.

Allan Garcia is a retired police officer from the Middletown Rhode Island Police Dept. He joins us on the podcast and shares his story of growing up in a seaside community, being raised in a first responder family, his time in the military, and how he became a police officer.

Allans career included service as a DARE officer, Uniformed Patrol, Field Training Officer, School Resource Officer, SWAT Team Member, Firearms Instructor, Academy Instructor, Active Shooter Response Instructor, Patrol Sargent, and Detective/Inspector.

Allan talks openly about his transition into policing, some of the mistakes he made early on in his career, the lessons he learned, and the calls he responded to.

Allan describes the challenges he faced balancing family and the job, the duty he felt to serve his community and the pride he experienced fathering his children, one of which he was raising with special needs.

Part 1 of a 2 part episode.

Allan Garcia is a retired police officer from the Middletown Rhode Island Police Dept. He joins us on the podcast and shares his story of growing up in a seaside community, being raised in a first responder family, his time in the military, and how he became a police officer.

Allans career included service as a DARE officer, Uniformed Patrol, Field Training Officer, School Resource Officer, SWAT Team Member, Firearms Instructor, Academy Instructor, Active Shooter Response Instructor, Patrol Sargent, and Detective/Inspector.

Allan talks openly about his transition into policing, some of the mistakes he made early on in his career, the lessons he learned, and the calls he responded to.

Allan describes the challenges he faced balancing family and the job, the duty he felt to serve his community and the pride he experienced fathering his children, one of which he was raising with special needs.

Meg Hawkins and Erik Provow join us on the podcast.

Meg is a dedicated police officer with over 21 years of

law enforcement experience, and the proud wife of Eric - a firefighter/paramedic and retired combat veteran who lives with severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Eric’s military career spanned two decades, split between the

Marine Corps and the Air Force. He served in elite units including Marine Recon, Force Recon, and as a Combat Controller with the Air Force Special Operations Command. He later deployed with premier teams under the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), completing multiple contingency operations and three combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2002, during a close-quarters firefight, Eric sustained invisible wounds that led to a decade of undiagnosed PTSD—one of many traumatic experiences throughout his service.

In 2017, their world was shaken when Eric went missing and nearly died by suicide. That night marked a turning point in their lives. With Meg’s unwavering support, Eric began his long journey toward healing—trying various therapies, attending veteran programs, and finding support through his service dog, Denny.

While Eric’s mental health began to stabilize in 2019, Meg soon found herself struggling. The trauma of nearly losing her husband, and the toll of always being “the strong one,” led to her own diagnosis of PTSD. In 2020, she sought help for herself.

Both Meg and Eric continue to walk their healing

journeys—stronger together and as individuals. Meg is now

focused on raising awareness around the often-overlooked

mental health needs of spouses and significant others of veterans and first responders. These Silent Warriors endure their own battles, often in silence, as they support their loved ones through trauma and recovery.

In 2018, amid their personal struggles, Meg and Eric founded

Making Everything Good (MEG), a nonprofit dedicated to

supporting first responders, military members, veterans, their families, and survivors of sexual and domestic violence.

Their journey is one of resilience, advocacy, and love—and they remain committed to helping others find hope, healing, and Strength.

Meg Hawkins and Erik Provow join us on the podcast.

Meg is a dedicated police officer with over 21 years of

law enforcement experience, and the proud wife of Eric - a firefighter/paramedic and retired combat veteran who lives with severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Eric’s military career spanned two decades, split between the

Marine Corps and the Air Force. He served in elite units including Marine Recon, Force Recon, and as a Combat Controller with the Air Force Special Operations Command. He later deployed with premier teams under the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), completing multiple contingency operations and three combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2002, during a close-quarters firefight, Eric sustained invisible wounds that led to a decade of undiagnosed PTSD—one of many traumatic experiences throughout his service.

In 2017, their world was shaken when Eric went missing and nearly died by suicide. That night marked a turning point in their lives. With Meg’s unwavering support, Eric began his long journey toward healing—trying various therapies, attending veteran programs, and finding support through his service dog, Denny.

While Eric’s mental health began to stabilize in 2019, Meg soon found herself struggling. The trauma of nearly losing her husband, and the toll of always being “the strong one,” led to her own diagnosis of PTSD. In 2020, she sought help for herself.

Both Meg and Eric continue to walk their healing

journeys—stronger together and as individuals. Meg is now

focused on raising awareness around the often-overlooked

mental health needs of spouses and significant others of veterans and first responders. These Silent Warriors endure their own battles, often in silence, as they support their loved ones through trauma and recovery.

In 2018, amid their personal struggles, Meg and Eric founded

Making Everything Good (MEG), a nonprofit dedicated to

supporting first responders, military members, veterans, their families, and survivors of sexual and domestic violence.

Their journey is one of resilience, advocacy, and love—and they remain committed to helping others find hope, healing, and Strength.

In this episode - We bring together a panel of siblings who tell us about their brother or sister who worked in first response, the lives they lived before the job, & the process of losing their loved one to suicide.