Unlock the secrets behind the complexities of local politics in Pflugerville, Texas. This episode of the Forge Resilience podcast reveals the critical funding challenges facing the Pflugerville Fire Department, also known as Travis County ESD 2. Discover how a vacated sales tax from Austin Transit shaped the department's growth and operations in a rapidly expanding city. We honor the pivotal contributions of former fire chief Ron Mullenberg, who transitioned the department from a volunt...

In this episode we were honored to interview David Berez. David retired as a Police Officer on January 1, 2020. Since retirement he has formed Six 4 Consultants LLC and works as a Public Safety Consultant and Master Resiliency Trainer. In this episode Dave shares his story tells us how one phone call from his son kept him from making the decision to end his life. Starting his work in public safety at the age of 14, as a volunteer, Dave was called to serve. Toward the end of his career, Dave...

In this episode, we explore the remarkable journey and innovative initiatives of Chief Joel Rivera who has not only achieved personal milestones like completing a Ph.D. and running marathons but has also become the Chief of Police in Weslaco, Texas. He has transformed his department by implementing a model resilience and mental health program.Episode Highlights:Personal Journey to Leadership: Chief Rivera's career trajectory, marked by personal accomplishments, has prepared him for a unique l...

In this podcast we talked to Joe Collins. Joe retired from law enforcement after 35 years of dedicated service. He served as Chief of Police in Two Rivers, Wisconsin since 2005. He has since moved to the Houston Texas area and he and his wife Colleen are enjoying the warm Texas weather! Joe is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, session 236.He currently serves as the Public Safety Liaison for Acadia Healthcare where he advocates for mental health for first responders. Joe is also a Ma...

Chief Lattimore's story made us want to start podcasting again! A 27 year law enforcement veteran from a small police department near Houston, Texas that has been through multiple critical incidents walks us through his experience of dealing with trauma on his own (shoving it down) and how he made the decision to get the help he needed and deserved so he could truly LIVE. Chief Lattimore's story is both inspiring and helpful as he describes EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessin...

In this podcast we talked with Jessica Robledo, Chief of the Pflugerville Police Department. She retired from Austin Police Department after a distinguished 30 year career before her arrival in Pflugerville in 2017. In this podcast she talks about leadership and tells about her traumatic childhood and difficult experiences early in life that made her the strong and resilient leader she is today. Chief Robledo has a servant's heart and is an inspiring leader that we can all learn from. For m...

In this podcast we interviewed Shawn & Jeff Thomas, a dual law enforcement couple from King County Sherriff's Department that is on a mission to help First Responders normalize mental health issues and access resources when they need them most. After going through their own personal struggles and growth they decided to fill a void and create a conference platform that not only links first responders with resources but also gives a platform to first responders with a story to tell. Lear...

Lt. Col Dave Grossman has been on the road for more than 200 days a year since he retired from the US Army. He relentlessly works to support the US military and first responders through speaking engagements and his books. In this podcast we were honored to have him talk to us about the sheepdog philosophy, resiliency, sleep, and the importance of spirituality. All of LTC Grossman's books can be found on Amazon through this link: https://www.amazon.com/Dave-Grossman/e/B001H6MBBM/ref=dp_byline...

LTC Dave Grossman is a prolific author and speaker and coined the "Sheepdog" philosophy that most military and first responders are familiar with. He is one of the greatest trainers in military science and psychology of our time. LTC Grossman is an Army Ranger, paratrooper, and taught Psychology at West Point. He is a best selling author with four books and two children's books currently available. His newest book "On Spiritual Combat" will be released soon. In this mini-episode, LTC Grossma...

On October 1st, 2017, Bryce Wellman went from enjoying a concert in his home-town of Las Vegas to suddenly having to take cover to as bullets ripped into the crowd. Bryce shares his story of survival- from terror to thriving and helping others. Bryce is a dispatcher at the Cedar Park Police Department and is committed to helping his community, Police Officers, and fellow dispatchers.