After the Tones Drop

06/01/2026

“Surviving an incident and recovering from it are not the same thing.”

Five years ago today, on June 1, 2021, Firefighter Tory Carlon was fatally shot at Fire Station 81 in Agua Dulce, California by a co-worker.

To honor this anniversary, I’m reissuing an episode of After the Tones Drop that originally aired in February 2025 featuring Capt. Ed Monroe, who was among those immediately on scene following the shooting.

In this conversation, Captain Monroe shared his personal experience of that day, the struggles that followed, and the lessons he believes the fire service must learn if we hope to better support our people and prevent future tragedies.

Today, we remember Tory, his family, his crew, and everyone whose lives were changed that day.

In this powerful episode of After the Tones Drop , we sit down with Captain Ed Monroe, a 16-year veteran of the LA County Fire Department, whose life and leadership…

06/01/2026

When fairness equals safety, injustice does not just p**s you off.
It lights up your whole damn system.

If you grew up around changing rules, selective accountability, abuse of power, or betrayal dressed up as “that’s just how it is,” your nervous system may have learned to scan for double standards like your life depended on it.
Because at one point, it kind of did.

That radar can make you ethical, protective, and unwilling to look away. But it can also keep you exhausted, angry, and constantly braced for the next betrayal.

This is justice sensitivity. And if you work in first response, it may explain why some things hit harder than they “should.”

https://www.afterthetonesdrop.co/justice-sensitivity

05/29/2026

Flash Back to a powerful conversation with Matty Fiorenza

Still healing. Still human. Still here.

Matty Fiorenza doesn’t sugarcoat the struggle—because perfection doesn’t help people. Presence does.

He’s not preaching from a pedestal. He’s sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with the ones still in the fight.

If you’ve ever thought, “I should be further along by now,” this one’s for you.

🎧 Watch the full conversation on Episode 116 of After the Tones Drop

https://www.afterthetonesdrop.co/matty-fiorenza

05/27/2026

For some people, unfairness is annoying.
For others, it hits the nervous system like danger.

If you grew up where the rules changed, accountability was selective, blame landed wherever it was convenient, and nobody stepped in when they should have, your body may have learned early that injustice was not just frustrating.
It was threatening.

That is justice sensitivity.

And for first responders, especially those with childhood adversity, that wiring can make you fiercely ethical, protective, and mission-driven. It can also leave you exhausted, activated, and unable to “just let it go” when something feels unfair.
This episode is about what happens when fairness becomes safety, and why your reaction may make more sense than you think.

https://www.afterthetonesdrop.co/social-justice

05/26/2026

We have accepted way too many broken-family clichés in first responder culture.
The third divorce joke. The kid who stops calling. The idea that the job gets the best of you and your family gets whatever is left.

Katherine Boyle is calling bu****it on that narrative.
You can have an incredible career in law enforcement and still build a beautiful relationship with your kids. You can serve your community and still protect the childhood happening inside your own home.

Because if we wait until the kids are grown and disconnected to ask, “What happened?” we waited too damn long.

Listen to the full conversation with Katherine Boyle on After the Tones Drop: https://www.afterthetonesdrop.co/katherine-boyle

05/24/2026

⛳ Save the Date

Frontline Freedom is proud to host the 2nd Annual Frontline Freedom Golf Scramble on Saturday, July 11, 2026 at Powderhorn Golf Course in Madison, Ohio.

This event supports our mission of getting first responders and veterans into the outdoors through transformational wilderness experiences that build resilience, connection, and strength.

Join us for a great day on the course including:

• 18 Holes of Golf
• Cart & Beverages
• Hot Dog at the Turn
• Steak Dinner
• Door Prizes

Additional activities will include:

• Skins & Pins
• 50/50 Raffle
• Chinese Auction
• Golf Poker

📍 Registration: 8:00 AM
📍 Shotgun Start: 9:00 AM

💲 $100 per golfer

For tickets and sponsorship opportunities, contact:

📞 440-813-1412
📧 [email protected]

Learn more about our mission at:
🌲 frontlinefreedom.com

We hope you’ll join us in supporting those who serve.

05/24/2026

The job comes home, even when you think it doesn’t.

It comes home in your tone. Your silence. Your absence. Your hypervigilance. The rules you create. The moods your family learns to read before they speak.
And your kids? They are paying attention.

This blog, inspired by my conversation with Katherine Boyle of Beyond the Uniform with The LT’s Daughter, is about what first responder families carry, why kids need answers, and why being excellent at the job cannot cost you the people waiting at home.

Family is first responder wellness too.
Read the full blog here: https://www.afterthetonesdrop.co/blog/how-first-responders-can-build-stronger-families

05/21/2026

The Legacy Project Workbook is not another “good luck, hope your family survives the job” resource.

It is a practical tool Katherine Boyle created for first responder families who want to build connection on purpose, even with chaotic schedules, exhaustion, overtime, and the emotional weight of the job.

Fifty-two flexible activity pages. No dates. No pressure. No perfect family nonsense.
Use it for two minutes, five minutes, or a whole Sunday if you actually get one of those unicorn days off.

What I love is that it gives kids a way to ask questions they may not know how to bring up on their own. It opens the door for memory-making, conversation, and understanding, without turning family connection into another damn assignment.
Because your kids do not just need you present in the house.

They need access to you.
Listen to my full conversation with Katherine Boyle on After the Tones Drop.
https://www.afterthetonesdrop.co/katherine-boyle

05/20/2026

Episode 158 Here’s the hard truth first responder families and leaders need to hear…
Your department being understaffed is not your first responder or your kid’s problem.

We can roll our eyes at the younger generation all we want, but maybe some of them are paying attention. Maybe they watched what happened when people gave everything to the job and had nothing left for the people at home.

Katherine Boyle said it perfectly: the department may have to figure it out sometimes. Your family might not.

Being an excellent first responder and an exceptional parent should not be treated like opposing missions.

Listen to the full episode with Katherine Boyle here: https://www.afterthetonesdrop.co/katherine-boyle

05/19/2026

Who protects the people who protect everyone else?

In my episode with Ron who has been supporting first responders for a lifetime, we discussed first responder mental health, PTSD, su***de prevention, internal culture, leadership, peer support, families, and why real wellness has to be more than lip service.

This is not about blaming every leader. There are good people out there doing the work, changing the culture, and fighting to support their people better. But we can do more. We have to do more.

First responders deserve systems that protect them physically, emotionally, and psychologically from the academy through retirement.
Listen to the full episode here: https://www.afterthetonesdrop.co/ron-clark