Despite holding the titles of firefighter – much of what Captain Travis Bell and Major Mike Arth do on a daily basis has nothing to do with fires. Those two help lead the Special Operations at Anchorage Middletown Fire & EMS – a fast growing division aimed at tackling the unique scenarios that first responders find themselves in. From tornado rescues, to flooding and every weather related disaster, the AMFEMS’ special ops teams are expanding their tool kit to be ready to respond to every emergency. Hear from Bell and Arth on today’s episode of ‘Into the Fire’ and get a closer look at what special ops really means.

In Chip Terry’s retirement speech, he talked about the horrors he had seen as a firefighter. Dead children, suicides, abuse and more. Not long after that speech, Chip would take his own life from suicide. Though his wife Jo had seen signs of his struggles, what she, and even the doctors didn’t realize, was that Chip was dealing with PTSD. Often thought of as a something that impacts soldiers, Jo is now on a mission to help first responders struggling with what they see and deal with every day in their jobs. For Jo, there is no more not talking about. It’s time fire departments get serious about mental health. On today’s podcast, hear our conversation with Jo Terry and her discuss the work to give every firefighter the mental health resources they deserve.

Chief Groody is back on the podcast! With 2024 in full swing, the Chief returns to the podcast to give a status report on the department and update listeners on all the big happenings. With news around hazmat, recruit classes and yes, even the PGA, there is plenty to update folks on. On top of all of that, with the legislative session moving quickly, the Chief talks about some bills they monitoring, both good and bad, and what they might mean for AMFEMS’ firefighters. A big episode to start 2024 – listen now!