“I have made a lot of decisions throughout my career as a Fire Chief. By far, the best decision I ever made was to bring Sammy and Dave to our family. They have made us better firefighters and humans. The growth that we are witnessing is only going to continue and we are all more resilient because of it. There isn’t a magic pill they are giving us that is preparing us for our job. They are being intentional and sharing their love with us. They are challenging us to look internally for growth. Internal growth ultimately leads to external organizational growth. The biggest compliment I can give is, they are truly a part of our family. They are our brother and sister, and they are in the fight with us!!!!!”

“Sammy and Dave are absolute game changers. Our entire department is now a different place after hiring them and attending their classes. If you are going to address mental health in your department (which must be done), I cannot think of a better resource or more genuine people. My fire life and home life will be forever better because of them.”

“Sammy and Dave have increased the mental fitness within our department ten fold. Getting out of the "old school" mentality can be hard for some organizations, and I believe having Sammy and Dave come talk to us and be REAL relatable people has been a giant turning point for our organization. We always look forward to their visits and get impatient waiting for the next chance to see them.”

“I think crews are opening up more about the mental and physical hardships that come with the job, and I believe we as crews are doing things and making changes at work to better take care of ourselves due to what we have learned from Sammy and Dave... the do a great job of understanding and blending into firehouse culture, and are therefore able to improve habits, talk though issues, and better the organization and people who work here.”

“Sammy and Dave bring the connection to First Responders that so many other mental health providers have not been able to. I know first hand several First Responders who legitimately trust Sammy and Dave with their personal and professional mental health needs.”

“Sammy and Dave are amazing individuals. Their approach is very inviting and engaging. I feel like what I have learned from them, has benefited me both professionally, and personally with my home life and family.”

“I have worked with Sammy and Dave for a couple of years now. Each training is fresh and fun. They make a great team and are great collaborators as they tailor their training to my department's needs. But their commitment to me goes far beyond our "trainings". They are always available by phone or by email. I have never felt more respected and more understood than when I attend one of their trainings. They know what it is like to be a First Responder and they are the most professional and caring people. I have been a police officer for 8 years and I have attended too many trainings to count. I have never had better trainers than Sammy and Dave.”

“Do hard shit. I love Dave and Sammy's classes. They help me put everything in perspective and they do not judge, they just help.”

“Sammy and Dave have helped make the mental help discussion much more relaxed by visiting the stations and crews. This tactic I believe has helped many in a few ways such as, relaxes everyone being with there crew, hearing others share or seek help can help others take steps for themselves, and a great relationship is built with them creating more trust and a personalized approach.”

“They have been awesome. It is much easier to open up to professionals in their field when they are so deeply involved in our field. It is truly appreciated and look forward to their presence and help in the future especially for our younger folks.”

“I think crews are opening up more about the mental and physical hardships that come with the job, and I believe we as crews are doing things and making changes at work to better take care of ourselves due to what we have learned from Sammy and Dave.”

“I love doing group-wide trainings. It is great to talk with the crews afterwards. I try to engage with my crew more extensively after learning from Sammy/Dave, because we all have different insights/takeaways.”

Hear feedback directly from the sources.

These department leads are ready and willing to discuss Elevate… the relationships we’ve built: the ideas, the wins, and the visions.

Chief Jeremy Young, Frederick Firestone Fire Protection District: jyoung@fffd.us

Chief Bear Husley, Lasalle Fire Protection District: Bhulsey@lasallefire.com

EMS Division Chief Dave Montessi, Evergreen Fire Rescue: dmontesi@evergreenfirerescue.com

Retired Sheriff Rick Albers, Clear Creek County: albersrick@yahoo.com

Undersheriff Matt Brown, Clear Creek County: mbrown@clearcreeksheriff.us