Book can be found under classroom above

A quick guide taken from my book on how to decompress after an emergency call

Winter doesn’t just change the weather it changes the weight of the job. When the temperature drops, everything gets harder for first responders. Calls take longer. Roads are slick. Gear is heavier. Hands go numb. Fatigue sets in faster. And the margin for error gets smaller. You’re responding while the rest of the city is trying to stay warm and safe. You’re driving into whiteouts, climbing icy stairs, working scenes in darkness and bitter cold knowing the next call is already waiting. Winter has a way of exposing exhaustion. It tests patience, focus, and mental toughness. It amplifies stress, isolation, and the quiet stuff people don’t always talk about. But it also shows something else. It shows commitment. It shows grit. It shows people who keep showing up, no matter how hard the conditions get. If you’re a first responder feeling worn down by winter — you’re not weak, and you’re not alone. Take care of each other. Check in. Speak up. Rest when you can. The hard days will pass. What you do on them matters more than you’ll ever know.

Winter doesn’t care about comfort. It doesn’t pause for visibility, traction, or warmth. When the call comes, first responders move anyway into whiteouts, black ice, frozen equipment, numb fingers, and long nights. They layer up, slow down, and lean on training earned the hard way. Every winter response demands more: - More patience - More precision - More trust in the team beside you Sirens cut through snow. Boots crunch on ice. Breath hangs in the air. And still the job gets done. Because being unbreakable isn’t about ignoring the cold. It’s about showing up despite it. Adapting. Persevering. Protecting. To every firefighter, paramedic, dispatcher, and police officer responding when winter is at its worst your resilience matters. Your work matters. And your story matters. Stay safe. Stay sharp. Stay unbreakable. ❄️

People are usually not thrilled to see a traffic cop in their rearview mirror… until they actually understand what the job really is. Traffic enforcement isn’t just writing tickets. It’s standing inches away from vehicles flying past at highway speed. It’s walking up to a window not knowing if the person behind it is angry, impaired, panicked, armed… or just someone having the worst day of their life. And then there’s the mental side This time of year is supposed to be about celebration: office parties, family gatherings, Christmas cheer. But traffic officers know better than anyone that one bad decision behind the wheel can shatter more than just a festive night. Drinking and driving doesn’t just risk your life… it risks theirs too. They’re the ones standing on the roadside while impaired drivers blow past without realizing the danger. Traffic officers absorb all of this quietly: fatal crashes, impatient drivers screaming in their face, shift work, constant vigilance. But still, they show up. They step out onto icy shoulders in -30° windchill. They protect people who will never know their name. So this Christmas, show some respect. Slow down. Don’t drink and drive. And remember the human standing on the side of the road, trying to get everyone home to the people they love.