Call To Dispatch

This is a storytelling podcast that takes you behind the sirens and into the lives of those who serve.

Through raw, honest conversations, host Dave sits down with current and former emergency service workers as they share the calls that changed them, the moments that made them, and the lessons they carry long after the shift ends. These are stories about courage, trauma, humour, and humanity on the front lines.

From life-or-death moments to the quiet lessons learned along the way, Call To Dispatch reveals what it truly means to answer the call — and the cost of carrying those experiences home.

Real people. Real service. Real stories.

Listen on:

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Episodes

4 days ago

She spent 12 years in law enforcement, rising to the rank of sergeant in a field still dominated by men. Along the way, she faced bias, broke barriers, and earned respect the hard way; through grit, leadership, and unwavering resolve.
In this episode, she opens up about the challenges, the lessons, and the moments that defined her journey as a woman in policing

Wednesday Jan 07, 2026

Before he wore the badge, he wore the uniform.
After four years in the Army and a decade in the Police, today’s guest has learned that serving your country and serving your community aren’t always the same thing.
In this episode of Call To Dispatch, we talk about life in uniform; the discipline of the Army, the realities of policing London, and what it means to stand between duty and identity when the badge you wear doesn’t always tell your full story.

Tuesday Dec 30, 2025

In this episode of Call To Dispatch, we sit down with a Canadian nurse whose 17-year career has taken her across continents, specialties, and some of the most emotionally charged corners of healthcare. She began in the fast-paced chaos of the ER, where every shift tested her resilience and instincts. A short stint in the ICU followed; one that taught her just as much about herself as it did about medicine, and ultimately showed her that not all specialties are the right fit.
Today, she pulls back the curtain on the dramatic differences between Canadian, American, and Australian healthcare systems, what it’s like walking into unfamiliar emergency departments as the “new nurse,” and the cultural shocks that come with saving lives abroad.
This episode is a journey through trauma, transformation, and the profound humanity of nursing.If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to care for people at their first breath, last breath, and every moment in between; this is the story you need to hear.

Wednesday Dec 24, 2025

Two fires that defined a city; one firefighter who lived them both.From the 1991 Oakland Hills Firestorm, one of the most destructive wildfires in U.S. history; to the tragic Ghost Ship Warehouse Fire in 2016, he’s seen loss, courage, and resilience up close.
In this episode of Call To Dispatch, he shares the moments that defined his career, the lessons learned from decades on the line, and what it means to carry those memories long after the smoke clears.

Wednesday Dec 17, 2025

In this gripping episode, we sit down with a former prison-based Probation Officer who spent eight years working inside HMP Wormwood Scrubs, one of the UK’s most well-known correctional facilities. From managing high-risk offenders to delivering accredited behaviour programmes including Anger Management, Thinking Skills, and Sex Offender Treatment; she gained an unfiltered perspective on the realities of rehabilitation, human behaviour, and the harsh environment behind the gates.
As a woman working inside a male prison, she faced risks that most people never consider, navigating volatile situations, intense personalities, and the emotional toll that comes with working at the frontline of the criminal justice system.
But after almost a decade inside, she made a dramatic shift. Today, she is a psychotherapist, specialising in narcissistic abuse, helping clients rebuild their lives through her practice, Key4Change.com. Her transition from correctional work to therapeutic healing is not only inspiring; it reveals how deeply interconnected trauma, behaviour, and transformation truly are.

Wednesday Dec 10, 2025

In this powerful episode, we sit down with Julian Serrano, an 11-year firefighter and paramedic whose career has been forged in grit, discipline, and relentless self-improvement. From earning elite titles like Florida Smoke Diver, One Bad Tour graduate, and Georgia Flames finisher, to pushing his physical limits through multiple 100-mile ultramarathons, Julian’s journey is nothing short of extraordinary.
But beyond the achievements lies a deeper mission. Eight years into his career, Julian founded Prepared to Fight Fire, a movement dedicated to helping firefighters worldwide raise their standards mentally, physically, and emotionally.
In this conversation, Julian opens up about the challenges he's faced, the lessons learned on the fireground, the mindset needed to thrive in the toughest moments, and the responsibility of becoming a leader in a profession built on service and sacrifice.
This is more than a firefighting story. It’s a blueprint for resilience, growth, and living with purpose; on and off the job.

Wednesday Dec 03, 2025

A correctional nurse opens up about caring for the forgotten, surviving a pandemic behind bars, and the reality of medicine on the inside.
In this episode of Call to Dispatch, we sit down with a correctional nurse who has been on the frontline of healthcare since 2009; and on the frontline of prison medicine since 2018. Based in New Jersey, she has worked in both men’s and women’s prisons, across minimum and maximum security, holding roles from staff nurse to infection control nurse to department manager.
She takes us inside a world most people never think about: where safety is uncertain, resources can be scarce, emotions run high, and every patient carries a story that never leaves the gate. From the unique challenges of caring for incarcerated men and women to the stark differences in security levels, she reveals what it truly means to be a healer in an environment built for punishment, not compassion.
This episode is a rare look into correctional healthcare; the danger, the humanity, the burnout, the breakthroughs — and the resilience required to keep showing up in a world that often goes unseen.

Tuesday Nov 25, 2025

When instinct takes over, courage isn’t a choice; it’s a reflex.
In this episode of Call To Dispatch, we sit down with a London paramedic who arrived in the UK in 2003, the daughter of a surgeon and a psychologist, and found her own calling in emergency medicine.
From the chaos of London’s streets to the moment she earned a bravery award for helping police arrest a violent criminal, she shares what it truly means to serve; not just with skill, but with heart.
It’s a story about instinct, empathy, and the kind of courage that can’t be taught, only lived.

Monday Nov 17, 2025

For ten years, he served where few dare to go; first in Iraq, then in Afghanistan. He’s seen the cost of service — the fear, the loss, the brotherhood, and the moments that stay with you long after the fight ends.
In this episode of Call To Dispatch, he shares what life on the front lines of Iraq and Afghanistan was really like — the chaos, the courage, and the quiet resilience of those who answered the call and never came back the same.

Wednesday Nov 12, 2025

When the sky over London turned orange, firefighters raced to fight a blaze unlike anything the city had ever seen; the Wennington wildfire of 2022.
Just months earlier, another call: a first-floor flat in Hackney. A man trapped inside. Flames tearing through his home before crews could reach him.
In this episode of Call To Dispatch, a firefighter with six years in the London Fire Brigade shares what it’s like to stand on the line between chaos and control. From the surreal scale of Wennington to the heartbreak of Hackney.

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