Behind The Shield

Latest Episodes:

Justin Eaton (Hollywood Stunts, Martial Arts and the Future of Movie Making) - Episode 1260 Jun 30, 2026

Show notes

Justin Eaton was born in Lawrence, MA. After years of Gymnastics and Martial Arts Justin found himself doing live shows out of Southern California and in the early 2000’s got introduced to the idea that “stunts could be a real job”. Since then he has managed to double for some of the biggest names in Hollywood. Ryan Gosling, Michael Fassbender and Brad Pitt to name a few.

Spending over half of a 20 year career doubling for on screen super hero’s like Daredevil, Punisher & Captain America has given a unique experience and perspective. Justin hopes to continue to make films and tv shows that inspire.

John Nittolo (School Nutrition, Childhood Obesity and Restoring Physical Education in Schools) - Episode 1259 Jun 28, 2026

Show notes

John Nittolo has spent 31 years inside public education proving a thesis most of the field only theorizes about: that healthy bodies and disciplined minds aren’t enrichment — they’re the foundation everything else is built on. He has served at nearly every level of a school system along the way — classroom teacher; Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment; Director of Personnel and Staff Development; Director of Early Childhood Education; Principal; and Superintendent — a breadth of vantage few in the field ever earn.

As Superintendent-Principal of Oxford Central School District in Warren County, New Jersey, he led a small PreK–8 district to two distinctions unmatched anywhere in American public education — the nation’s first STSI (Systems Thinking Standards Institute)–certified public school, and the world’s first school-based MetFix affiliate. Under his leadership, systems thinking became not a program but the cognitive architecture of the school, and metabolic health became the precondition for learning rather than an afterthought.

Working in close partnership with Drs. Derek and Laura Cabrera and the Cabrera Research Lab on the systems-thinking side, and with Emily Kaplan and the MetFix / Broken Science Initiative team on the metabolic-health side, he built an innovation ecosystem years before the frameworks existed to name it — and his former school district became the only traditional public school featured in the award-winning RE:Thinking documentary. His influence now reaches well beyond his district: formal comment shaping New Jersey’s State Learning Standards, an election as Vice President of Education of the International Society for the Systems Sciences, and his forthcoming book, STOLEN FIRE: A Manifesto on Thinking, Thumos, Education, and the Future of the American Mind.

A Professional Systems Thinker, CrossFit Level 1 coach, and Architect of MetFix School Programs, with a Master’s in Educational Leadership, John works from a single conviction: that the purpose of education is to create the best version of every child. As he steps beyond the superintendency, he carries that conviction outward — to every school, every family, and every community willing to build it.

https://www.instagram.com/themetfixsuperintendent/

Jeffrey Schwartz (School Safety, Use of Force and First Responder Burnout) - Episode 1258 Jun 27, 2026

Show notes

Jeffrey L. Schwartz is a University Professor in Criminal Justice. Dr. Schwartz has numerous certifications and ongoing practical experience in the law enforcement and security field. He is a retired police officer, served as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps, a former Department of Defense contractor as a manager of a guard force and instructor, an approved trainer with the Federal Protective Service, the General Services Administration, the Department of Defense, the National Rifle Association (both as a civilian training counselor and as a law enforcement division instructor), the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, and has been certified by the New Jersey Police Training Commission as an instructor since 1989, teaching at police academies and in service training.

A certified lethal weapons instructor (including baton, handcuffing, defensive tactics, and firearms) for the Pennsylvania State Police and an instructor for the Delaware State Police (baton, handcuffing, pepper spray, firearms). Professor Schwartz is a recognized firearms instructor for the New Jersey State Police (NJSP) and Maryland State Police (MSP) and the Department of State. Dr. Schwartz has taught martial arts for over thirty-five years. He has authored three books and has spoken at numerous conferences. Dr. Schwartz has been the director of training for a close protection detail for a billionaire, is a recognized court expert and has taught hundreds of instructors, trained countless basic users in baton, pepper spray, handcuffing, self-defense, low light tactics, firearms, executive protection, and take down techniques.

Professor Schwartz is a subject matter expert in terrorism, use of force, supervision, and tactical training. Professor Schwartz is an instructor trainer in pepper spray, handcuffing, baton, defensive tactics, and firearms. He is a private detective, Delaware security instructor, and a Pennsylvania Lethal Weapons instructor in academic, skills and firearms. He has instructed at various police academies, security training academies, consulted with public and private schools, as well as, consulted with numerous private businesses on safety and security. Further, Dr. Schwartz is an instructor trainer in many facets of trauma, first aid, CPR, AED, and emergency response. Dr. Schwartz also is a concealed carry instructor for Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and many other states.

Dr. Schwartz has been awarded by the college and university, being recognized by the law and justice department and the honor society. He is the only professor to have received the college Excellence in Teaching and Excellence in Service awards, the distinguished alumni award, the Gamma Phi Excellence in Law Enforcement award, the university Joseph Barnes Excellence in Service award, and is this years inductee in the Law and Justice Hall of Fame.

Tim and Angela Houweling II (How Psychedelics are Saving First Responder Lives) - Episode 1257 Jun 26, 2026

Show notes

Tim Houweling and Angela Graham-Houweling are two firefighters with almost 40 years of experience combined in emergency services including Fire, EMS, and Search & Rescue. They have witnessed firsthand the growing mental health challenges faced by first responders. Over the years, they have lost several friends and family members to depression and PTSD. After navigating their own mental health journeys, they felt compelled to create a path to support others.

Angela Graham. is the Co-Founder of The S.I.R.E.N. Project. IShe was a Firefighter/Engineer/HAZMAT Spec. for almost 20 years with Santa Clara County Fire Dept. in Silicon Valley. Prior to that she was a D1 & professional softball pitcher. She has a loving husband, who is a Fire Capt., and a 7-year-old son. For the first five years of her son's life she was a single mother. For years she struggled with mental health trying every modality available. A friend of hers, who happened to be a special forces operator, connected her to providers of Entheogenic Medicines. It completely changed her life. The change was so profound that Angela and her husband decided to start The S.I.R.E.N. Project to make these medicines available to all First Responders and their Spouses.

Tim Houweling works as a Fire Captain, Paramedic, and Hazmat Technician on a Type 1 Heavy Rescue for a San Francisco Bay Area Fire Department. Tim has also been a professional dog trainer since 2004. Tim is also co-founder of the S.I.R.E.N Project which helps first responders access sacred medicine served by indigenous people.

Tim began his career with search and rescue dogs in 2005 and has certified six dogs: Deuce, Tater, Georgie, Charley, Carl and Rory in various disciplines from wilderness area search to US&R live-find and human remains detection. He is the Canine Coordinator and a Canine Search Specialist with one of the 28 FEMA Urban Search & Rescue teams in the United States. In that role, he has deployed eighteen times to various US&R environments including post-fire searches, debris flows, floods, explosions, and hurricanes. He is also a member of the canine component of the Yosemite Search and Rescue team (“YODOGS”).

In addition to being a Canine Search Specialist, Tim is qualified as a Search Team Manager, Technical Search Specialist, Rescue Specialist, and Finance Specialist. He is a FEMA Evaluator and FEMA instructor. He has served on the Board of Directors of the California Rescue Dog Association, which has the most search wilderness dogs in the United States. He founded a non-profit, HD Search Dog Fund, Inc., that provides training and gear to our nation’s search and rescue dogs. He graduated with a Master’s Degree in Extension Studies/History from Harvard University with his thesis on “The Origin and Evolution of Search and Rescue Dogs in California.” He also serves on the Board of Directors of First Responder Therapy Dogs, Inc., and is on the Executive Board of his local IAFF Union.

In addition, he is passionate about improving first responder mental health. With his wife Angela, he co-founded The S.I.R.E.N. Project to help first responders access sacred medicine served by indigenous people (www.thesirenproject.org). These medicines have proven more effective than western medicines in treating post-traumatic stress injury (PTSI.)

https://www.thesirenproject.org/news-events/announcement-the-415-gala-september-2026

James Owen (Gang Violence, Firefighter Mental Health and the Murder of Captain Dave Rosa) - Episode 1256 Jun 21, 2026

Show notes

Captain James Owen is a retired Long Beach Fire Department Captain, author of The Last Patient: A Memoir of Resilience and Recovery, speaker, recovery advocate, and founder of Camp Pivot, a platform dedicated to helping first responders, veterans, high-stress professionals, and their families confront trauma, rebuild trust, and recover with discipline.

James spent nearly three decades in emergency response and public safety, including more than two decades with the Long Beach Fire Department. His career included service as a firefighter, paramedic, fire captain, incident commander, peer support member, and responder to all-risk incidents across one of Southern California’s busiest urban environments. His background spans paramedicine, fireground command, wildland response, hazardous materials, urban search and rescue, maritime operations, and leadership inside high-pressure public safety systems.

But James’s work today is not built on rank alone. It is built on cost. For years, he ran toward other people’s emergencies while quietly carrying his own. Childhood instability, cumulative trauma, death, divorce, addiction, organizational betrayal, physical injury, and the slow erosion of identity all became part of the story he would eventually have to face. Like many first responders, James learned how to function under pressure long before he learned how to process what pressure was doing to him. The job rewarded control, performance, humor, and silence. Eventually, silence became too expensive.

That reckoning became The Last Patient

https://captainjamesowen.com/

Charles Johnson (The Sopranos, Hollywood Screenwriting and Grooming Standards in Uniform) - Episode 1255 Jun 18, 2026

Show notes

Charles R. Johnson is an entrepreneur, operator, and strategist with over two decades of experience spanning entertainment, technology, economic development, and consumer products. As the Founder and CEO of The Bump Serum, he leads the development and growth of a performance-driven skincare brand focused on solving pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB), commonly known as razor bumps—a condition he spent years personally working to overcome before turning that experience into a scalable solution.

Johnson’s career began in Hollywood as a Writers Guild of America member, working with studios including Warner Bros. and Paramount Pictures. He collaborated with industry leaders such as Frank Renzulli and contributed to projects across major networks including ABC, CBS, Starz, and The CW. This foundation in storytelling and production later informed his approach to brand building, marketing, and strategic communication.

Transitioning from creative to operational leadership, Johnson expanded into film distribution and digital media, managing cross-functional teams spanning editing, marketing, public relations, and development. He went on to play a key role in raising $10 million in Series A funding for a streaming video platform, where he served as COO and helped shape business strategy, content acquisition, and monetization models in an evolving digital landscape.

As a technology entrepreneur, Johnson is also a patent holder, having developed an advertising technology solution designed to generate incremental revenue for streaming platforms. As President of Pause Commercials, he built partnerships across OTT ecosystems, integrating solutions across mobile, web, and connected TV platforms. In parallel, Johnson has worked internationally as a business strategist and consultant, advising companies in Brazil, Sweden, and Canada on market entry, growth strategy, and operational turnaround.

His work in economic development includes leading large-scale, multi-stakeholder initiatives such as the California Jobs First Program with the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation, where he helped coordinate over 150 stakeholders and contributed to securing $19 million in funding to support regional job creation and investment strategies.

Johnson holds an MBA from Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business and Management. He is also committed to mentorship and community impact, volunteering with organizations like Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship to support underserved youth in building entrepreneurial skills.

Across every role, Johnson brings a systems-driven approach to execution—combining creative insight, technical understanding, and operational discipline to build, scale, and refine complex ventures. Whether developing a consumer brand, structuring a media platform, or leadingcross-sector initiatives, his work is defined by a focus on precision, adaptability, and long-term value creation.

https://thebumpserum.com/

Jorge Carvajal II (Tactical Athlete Performance, Lessons from the Pandemic and Mental Health) - Episode 1254 Jun 17, 2026

Show notes

Jorge Carvajal is a veteran Performance Coach and Tactical Performance Consultant with more than 30 years of experience developing elite athletes and high-performance operators at the highest levels.

His background includes training thousands of athletes at the University of Florida, University of Nebraska, and the U.S. Olympic Training Center, along with professionals from the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, and the World Surf League Big Wave Tour. He has also provided specialized performance training for firefighters, SWAT and Special Response Teams, and military personnel.

Respected for his no-excuses, evidence-driven approach to force development, mobility, durability, and performance, Jorge builds explosive, resilient athletes and operators engineered to perform under pressure and endure over time.

Today, he continues to consult with elite teams and individuals, develop cutting-edge performance content, and help high performers unlock new levels of strength, resilience, and competitive edge.

https://x.com/carvperformance

Dr Stacy Cecchet (Hunting Pedophiles, Psychopaths in Power and First Responder Mental Health) - Episode 1253 Jun 14, 2026

Show notes

Dr. Stacy Cecchet, Ph.D., ABPP, is a forensic and operational psychologist with over a decade of experience supporting law enforcement, tactical teams, investigative units, and other high-demand professionals. Her work focuses on behavioral analysis, investigative strategy, offender typologies, interview strategy, human performance under stress, and functional wellness in operational environments.

She consults on complex and high-risk investigations and provides training to investigators, undercover units, tactical teams, K9 handlers, peer support teams, and command staff. Her work helps agencies apply psychological science to improve operational decision-making, performance, stress management, and long-term readiness.

Dr. Cecchet considers it a professional responsibility and an honor to support those who serve in these demanding roles.

https://drstacycecchet.com/

Nate Block (Crisis De-escalation, Reducing Recidivism and the Oklahoma City Bombing) - Episode 1252 Jun 13, 2026

Show notes

Nathanael “Nate” Block is a leadership and culture development coach, crisis de-escalation instructor, and public-sector leader committed to helping people and organizations operate with clarity, courage, and purpose.

He is the owner of Stewardship Dynamics, where he teaches leadership, communication, and culture development to teams seeking to build healthier, more effective organizations. Nate also serves as an instructor with Jumpstart Mastery, a high-performing crisis de-escalation training company known for equipping professionals to navigate conflict, pressure, and high-stakes human interaction with skill and composure.

In addition to his training and consulting work, Nate serves in public service with Thurston County as Program Manager of the Thurston County Resource Hub, a drop-in center supporting justice-impacted individuals with behavioral health, housing, employment, healthcare, legal, and basic-needs resources.

A former firefighter and crisis negotiator, Nate brings a grounded, real-world perspective to leadership, culture, and crisis communication. He is currently pursuing a Master of Public Management through Johns Hopkins University, where his studies continue to shape his approach to leadership, systems change, and public service.

Nate’s work is shaped by the belief that strong leadership is ultimately an act of stewardship: caring well for people, building trust, and creating environments where both individuals and teams can thrive.

Mitchell Brown (Pittsburg's Original Paramedics, Mental Health and Leadership) - Episode 1251 Jun 09, 2026

Show notes

Mitchell Brown is an Air Force Medic veteran, one of the orginal paramedics from Pittsburgh's Freedom House and retired Columbus City Councilman. We discuss how the loss of his mother sent him into medicine, physical and mental trauma in Vietnam, America's first paramedics, the origin of CPR, the opiod crisis, leadership and so much more.

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