Andrew Douglas is a former firefighter/paramedic and creator of the mental health app Siento. Blake Richardson is the son of a firefighter and co-founder of the alert system EaseAlert. We discuss impriving firefighter rest and recovery, how to avoid waking crews unecessarily, using AI to help improve peer support conversations and so much more. Blake Richardson grew up around the firehouse. His dad, Brad Richardson, is a captain and paramedic for a fire department in northern Florida. Brad became the inspiration behind EaseAlert when Blake noticed the toll that firefighting was taking on his dad each day that he returned from duty. Blake wanted to come up with a way to make his dad’s job less stressful. EaseAlert is that solution. Blake and co-founder/COO, Elezar Tonev began working on EaseAlert in 2019. With its suite of tactile alerting devices, EaseAlert is redefining alerting systems and setting the bar for heart smart alerting in the fire service. Today, they have a fully functional system and their brand new Firefighter Alerting System is beginning to catch the attention of fire departments around the United States. Siento was born from the personal experiences of its CEO, Andrew Douglas, who spent years on the front lines as a firefighter/paramedic and union leader. After confronting his own battles with PTSD and a suicide attempt, Andrew felt compelled to create the solution he wished he had during his darkest times. Understanding the intense pressures and unique challenges faced by those in high-stress professions, he was driven to create a tailored solution that effectively addresses the mental health needs often overlooked in such fields. Siento manifested as a stigma-free mental wellness and peer support management platform, dedicated to providing first responders and high-stress professionals with accessible, confidential, and culturally competent mental health support. Teams that use Siento ensure their members have the resources to thrive , not just survive. Ease Alert - https://www.easealert.com/ Siento - https://siento.io/ Episode Sponsors: https://www.bubsnaturals.com/ Use Code BTS for 20% off Stationwise: https://www.stationwise.com/
