Carmen Ordoñez (Losing a Firefighter Spouse to Work Related Cancer and Navigating Grief) - Episode 619
Behind The Shield
James Geering
4.9 • 695 Ratings
🗓️ 30 May 2026
⏱️ 124 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Carmen Ordoñez is a TV host, lifestyle expert and the widow of Miami firefighter Fernando Ordonez. We discuss their parents' immigration stories, their romance story, the birth of their son, Fernando's cancer diagnosis, grief, growth, community and so much more.
Carmen is a TV Host and on-air lifestyle expert. She was married to City of Miami firefighter, Fernando Ordoñez, who was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 2014 and passed away 10-months later at the age of 34. Carmen found herself a young widow at the age of 31, left behind to raise their 2-year old son.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This episode is sponsored by 511, a company that I've used for well over a decade and continue to use to this day. |
| 0:07.3 | And 511 is offering you guys the audience of the Behind the Shield podcast a discount on every purchase you make with them. |
| 0:14.4 | Before we get to that code, I want to highlight a couple of products that, again, I personally use today. |
| 0:19.7 | One of the most impressive products they just |
| 0:22.6 | released is their Rush Backpack 2.0. Now, for many of you, whether you're going to the fire |
| 0:28.0 | station, the police station, whether you're traveling, with your family, whether you're taking |
| 0:31.6 | training courses, we have to fly, we have to drive, we have to take trains. And I have to say, |
| 0:37.3 | I own multiple backpacks, |
| 0:38.9 | many of 5-11s, different ones, but as far as a day pack, this one was the most impressive. |
| 0:44.3 | There are so many different compartments. The way it sits on your back is incredibly comfortable. |
| 0:49.1 | If you are a concealed carry person, there's also a spot for a weapon. So they've thought of multiple, multiple |
| 0:55.5 | things that a man or woman would have to do on a daily basis. That is in addition to all of the |
| 1:01.0 | products that I talk about a lot. Their uniforms fit for men or fit for women in the first responder |
| 1:07.4 | professions. The footwear that they offer, whether it's the Norris sneaker or the |
| 1:11.5 | Atlas system that is designed for foot health and therefore knees and back and hips and shoulders |
| 1:16.9 | and neck. As a civilian, I live in a lot of their clothes as well. Their jeans stretch. You can actually |
| 1:22.3 | squat down in them. We live in Florida here, so I wear a lot of their shorts, which again, very, |
| 1:27.4 | very lightweight material. |
| 1:28.3 | You can get it wet and it will dry almost immediately. |
| 1:31.3 | And then moving to the fitness and tactical space, I used to have just a regular weight vest. |
| 1:36.3 | Recently I switched to a 511 vest and actually bought ballistic plates as well. |
| 1:40.3 | My thinking was simply, if I'm going to have a, why not I have one that protects me as well. |
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