From Fire Academy to Parenthood: What They Don’t Tell You About Life in the Fire Service

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Hold the Line At Home

Chelsi McFadden

15 episodes

2 days ago

Holding the Line at Home is a podcast about marriage, parenting, identity, and the emotional weight of being married to a firefighter. Hosted by Chelsi McFadden, a firewife and mother, this show is for fire families and first responder households living with long shifts, extended absences, and jobs that often come first. It is a space for honest conversation, reflection, and feeling less alone while holding a family together at home.

Relationships

Society & Culture

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All content for Hold the Line At Home is the property of Chelsi McFadden and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

Relationships

Society & Culture

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From Fire Academy to Parenthood: What They Don’t Tell You About Life in the Fire Service

Hold the Line At Home

1 hour 4 minutes 58 seconds

1 month ago

From Fire Academy to Parenthood: What They Don’t Tell You About Life in the Fire Service

In this episode, Wren from Emergency Momagement shares her story of growing up in a law enforcement family, marrying into the fire service, and becoming a mom in the middle of it all. Together, Chelsi and Wren talk about what life in the fire service really looks like—from the rough start of fire academy days to the realities of raising kids while their spouses are gone for long shifts or wildland assignments.

They unpack the differences between police and fire culture, the importance of building a strong support system, and how therapy, communication, and community can hold a marriage together when the job takes so much. Through honest stories and plenty of humor, they talk about postpartum struggles, resilience, and what it means to keep showing up even when the sirens never seem to stop.

Learn more about Emergency Momagement:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emergencymomagement/

Website: https://www.emergencymomagement.com/

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to First Responder Life

01:15 Growing Up as a First Responder Kid

03:27 Marrying into the Fire Service

05:32 Differences Between Law Enforcement and Fire Service

10:04 Navigating Fire Academy Life

15:03 Adjusting to Life After Fire Academy

19:50 The Challenges of Parenting in Fire Life

24:36 Building a Support System

29:14 The Importance of Community

34:21 Facing the Challenges of Retirement

38:05 Tools for Managing Fire Family Life

44:18 The Journey to Parenthood

48:33 Postpartum Challenges and Support

53:34 Maintaining Relationships in Fire Life

01:01:01 Navigating Family Dynamics During Crisis

01:03:48 Communication Breakdowns and Therapy

01:06:06 Children's Perspectives on Firefighting

01:07:53 Career Choices and Family Legacy

01:09:06 The Impact of Parenting on Future Generations

01:10:11 Comparing Firefighting and Military Family Dynamics

01:11:21 Understanding Post-Deployment Family Integration

01:14:29 The Challenges of Parenting in the Fire Service

01:23:50 Emergency Management and Community Preparedness

01:27:16 The Journey of Emergency Momagement