In this week's episode of Life After The Fire Chris sits down with Dave Markle of SHOOT-DA-GATOR OUTFITTERS GUIDE SERVICES. After briefly recounting their past histories in the fire service, Dave discusses his current project which he is building out during his final few years in the fire service. 

Dave runs a guide service out of Florida that specializes in offering guests a once in a lifetime experience on both land and sea. Dave runs fishing trips on his charter fishing boat located in Palm Beach County. For those not as interested in an “on the water” experience, Dave also offers guided trips in central Florida where guests can hunt game such as wild boar, turkey, and deer. While there are no guarantees in the industry, Dave has enough experience in the area to ensure that guests have the best chance of an unforgettable experience. 

If you’re interested in learning more you can find Dave at: da-gator.com/">https://shoot-da-gator.com 

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In this episode of Life After The Fire, Chris sits down with retired battalion chief Steve Neible. Chris and Steve’s career paths merged when they both served as volunteer firefighters in the Nashville, Tennessee area after they both served long careers in the fire service.

After spending 25 years with the fire service in Illinois, Steve retired and made the move to Tennessee. As with many firefighters, during his time in the service Steve operated a lawn care business to generate additional income on the side prior to growing his family. After having his second child, Steve chose to take the family route and spend extra time with his kids during his days off. 

In his post fire career life, Steve and his wife are enjoying retirement without the need to work thanks to their combined pensions. Smart financial planning and living within their means during their careers allowed both of them to retire with peace of mind in the life after the fire. This podcast is great for anyone looking to retire off of their pension and learn how to set themselves up financially to live within their means. 

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In this episode of Life After The Fire, Chris sits down with long-time friend and fellow retired firefighter Jimm Walsh. Jimm's story is truly an inspiration and a testament to his resilience. Chris and Jimm spend a portion of the podcast discussing their history and Jimm’s influence in the conception of the Life After The Fire podcast. The majority of the time, however, is focused on Jimm’s recount of the tragic stroke that prematurely ended his career.  

While Jimm’s recovery has been incredible, he did find himself somewhat unprepared for the next chapter of his following his time in the fire service. This led to a desire to raise awareness to others in the field to ensure that they have the means to live a comfortable life and take advantage of all the opportunities the career provides for their life after the fire.

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In this episode of the Life After The Fire Podcast, Chris is joined by retired firefighter and owner of Town Management Services, Peter Codispoti. Town Management Services is a property management firm in Palm Beach County, Florida that also has a number of construction projects associated with its name. Peter started his journey in the property management realm as a young firefighter when he put an ad in the paper looking for opportunities to live on property as a caretaker in exchange for free rent. From there he began to develop a business around the concept of property management. Chris and Peter both discuss the parallels between their current roles and their time in the fire service, with both agreeing that their experience as firefighters prepared them well for the service oriented nature of both property management and the mortgage industry. 

Peter rounds out the podcast with a bit of advice for anyone looking to transition out of the fire service. Peter encourages younger firefighters (and anyone looking to retire in a good financial position) to start putting money away each month immediately. While the allure of nights out and large trucks may seem irresistible, Peter urges listeners to think toward their future. 

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In episode eight of the Life After The Fire Podcast, Chris sits down with retired battalion chief Tom Murphy. Tom and Chris have known each other through the fire service for over thirty years when they were still volunteers. After reminiscing briefly on their past experience, Tom focuses on highlighting the importance of budgeting as a young firefighter.

Falling in line with many of the guest that Chris has featured on the podcast, Tom explains how many young firefighters and first responders can be enchanted with the benefits of the job that they do not consider the fact that they may need to make additional arrangements in order to secure a high quality of life after their career in the fire service. Tom details the budget he, along with his wife, implemented in order to be able to set extra money aside each month and prepare for their future. 

Tom wraps up the podcast by describing how his strategy has put him in a position where he is now able to enjoy retirement without the financial burden that may have been present had he not prepared. 

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In episode seven of Life After The Fire Podcast, Chris welcomes his first non-firefighter guest, Randi Eisenshtat of Northwestern Mutual. In a unique episode, Randi speaks heavily on her experience in the financial services industry. As she mentions in the episode, many firefighters are retiring at a younger age and are not prepared for the number of years they will be out of the job.

Randi spends the majority of the podcast laying out a variety of options specifically for firefighters in order to ensure the younger generation are prepared going into the tail end of their career. This episode is perfect for anyone looking to take control of their finances as they continue to develop in their career.

If you are interested in learning more about preparing for retirement feel free to reach out to Randi at Randi.Eisenshtat@nm.com">Randi.Eisenshtat@nm.com

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Life After The Fire Ep. 6 with Jason Patton

In this week's episode Chris sits down with firefighter / comedian Jason Patton. Jason currently serves as the vice president of Fire Dept. Coffee, which is a veteran-owned company that was inspired by the vital role coffee plays in ensuring first responders stay alert throughout the course of their shift. The company also supports fellow firefighters through the Fire Dept. Coffee foundation which gives back to those who have suffered injuries on the job, both mental and physical. 

Even more unique, Jason has also grown a large following on social media thanks to The Fire Department Chronicles series which highlights some real life experiences Jason has had in the fire service with a comedic undertone. Finally, Jason and Chris discuss the mental side of a career in the fire service and how the next generation can prepare himself for the challenges of the job from a mental health standpoint. 

If your interested in seeing more from Jason Patton you can find him on TikTok @ https://www.tiktok.com/@firedepartmentchronicles?_t=8aL9ly7rTg2&_r=1

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In this episode of Life After The Fire, Chris sits down with former coworker Mark Wechsler to relive old memories, discuss Mark’s current projects, and offer up advice to the next generation of firefighters. Both Chris and Mark had the opportunity to serve on the pension board during their time in the fire service and shared a passion for ensuring that their fellow firefighters were financially supported post-retirement.  Mark’s post-retirement career followed in the same line of public service as he went on to graduate from PA school and provide care in a medical setting. Mark details the education process, barriers to entry, and career opportunities. As a common theme, Mark and Chris discuss the unique situation where firefighters are eligible to retire at a young age and may not be prepared for the rest of what life has to offer in the years following. As a final piece of advice, Mark tells young firefighters who may have an interest in joining the medical field to pay special attention to the patient communication and assessment portion of the occupation.  This episode offers a glimpse of what possibilities are available to the next generation of firefighters as they seek to transition into their Life After The Fire. 

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In episode four of the Life After The Fire Podcast, Chris sits down with retired EMS captain Shaun Fix. After spending over 35 years in the fire service, Sean retired and pivoted toward medical training for first responders and doctor's offices. After originally founding the company while still working in the fire service, the company has since grown to over 120 instructors training 20,000 participants per year.

Shaun and Chris then go on to discuss the issue of mental health in the fire service, specifically incidents that are induced by the daily challenges of the job. While the larger incidents are easier to identify as potentially detrimental to mental health, more subtle events may go unchecked and lead to long-term negative effects. 

Not only is this podcast perfect for anyone looking to transition into medical training once they retire from their career in the fire service but also for anyone interested in an honest discussion on the topic of mental health in the occupation. 

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Life After The Fire Ep. 3 with Rickey Rodriguez

In this episode of Life After The Fire Chris sits down with former co-worker Rickey Rodriguez. While Rickey has not yet transitioned into retirement this episode highlights how he has taken steps throughout his career to better prepare himself for his life outside of the fire service. 

After reminiscing over shared experiences during their careers Rickey explains the role education and real estate has played in his preparation for the future. Highly motivated from a young age, Rickey took the initiative to seek out opportunities to advance his education through the benefits provided in the fire service and requested additional funds when available to fast-track his vertical growth and better prepare himself for other opportunities that would come along.

In the real estate space, Rickey has eclipsed over thirty units within his portfolio and is constantly seeking out new opportunities for growth within the marketplace. Additionally, for investors in the south Florida area, Rickey has founded a “Sirens and Scrubs” real estate investor meet-up group aimed at first responders and medical professionals. More information can be found on instagram:@RickeyRod

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