Welcome to the Behind a Shield podcast. As always, my name's James Gearing, and this week it is

my absolute honor to welcome on the show, retired deputy chief, USAR Task Force leader, and board

member for the SIRM project, J.D. Madden. Now, in this conversation, we discuss a host of topics,

from JD's journey into the fire service,

progressing through the ranks, the incredible rescue at Hurricane Katrina, the importance of

proactive pre-planning, Super Bowl 50, his own powerful mental health story, the healing power

of psychedelics, the Siren Project, and so much

more. Now, before we get to this incredible conversation, as I say every week, please just take a

moment. Go to whichever app you listen to this on. Subscribe to the show, leave feedback and leave a rating. Every single five-star rating

truly does elevate this podcast, therefore making it easier for others to find. And this is a free

library of well over 1,200 episodes now. So all I ask in return is that you help share these incredible men and women stories

so I can get them to every single person on planet Earth who needs to hear them.

So with that being said, I introduce to you J.D. Mad want to start by saying two things.

Firstly, thank you to our mutual friend, Tim Howling, for making this introduction.

And secondly, I want to welcome you onto the Behind the Shield podcast today.

Thank you.

Yeah, I'm honored to be here.

Certainly appreciate what both Tim and Angela have helped me through and any way that I can give

back to help support their efforts with Siren Project as well as to kind of just get some messages

out there to other other people that

may be struggling with some mental health issues or also just to the fire service leaders, I think,

that need to hear some different perspectives of how their people could use some alternative help.

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