Mental Well-being And Health Episodes
32
Oct. 15, 2026
Trust, Trauma and Transparency: Behind the Badge of Modern Policing | With Kiki Cloutier of the Police Association of Ontario
Send us Fan Mail Police services across Canada are navigating one of the most complex eras in modern history - rising targeted violence, shifting public trust, shrinking newsrooms, and a media landscape that moves faster than ever. In this episode, Tim Conrad welcomes Kiki Cloutier, Director of Communications and Public Affairs for the Police Association of Ontario, representing 33,000 officers across 46 member associations. Kiki brings a candid, inside look at how police communicators manage...
Guest: Kiki Cloutier
31
Sept. 17, 2026
Survivor’s Remorse and Rebuilding Community After the Porters Lake Fire | With evacuee Gary Stronach
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Wildfires, Floods and Chaos Communications, host Tim Conrad sits down with Gary Stronach, an evacuee from the 2008 Porters Lake wildfire in Nova Scotia. Gary shares a raw, deeply personal account of what it was like to be suddenly cut off from his home, unable to reach neighbours, and left searching for information as the fast‑moving fire surrounded Candy Mountain Road. Through Gary’s story, we explore the communication gaps that evacuees faced, the importa...
Guest: Gary Stronach
30
July 28, 2026
Nobody Left Behind: Emergency Management Through an Accessibility Lens | With Jen McEachen a deafblind emergency manager and ASL interpretation
Emergency alerts are supposed to reach everyone - but they don’t. In this episode, Tim Conrad speaks with Jen McEachen, a deafblind emergency management professional who has spent years identifying the gaps that leave millions of people behind during disasters. Jen shares what daily navigation looks like with deafblindness, why current public notification systems fail, and how simple changes can dramatically improve access.
Guest: Jen McEachen
28
June 30, 2026
Smoke, Schools, and Sudden Evacuation: Lessons from the 2008 Porters Lake Fire
When the 2008 Porters Lake–Lake Echo wildfire tore through the suburbs east of Halifax, more than 5,000 people were forced to flee with only minutes to decide what mattered most. In this episode, Paula Danyluk‑MacDonald - evacuee, mother, neighbour, and principal of Atlantic View Elementary - shares her firsthand account of sudden evacuation, community fear, and the remarkable resilience that followed. Paula describes the moment firefighters knocked on her door with five minu...
Guest: Paula Danyluk-MacDonald
27
June 17, 2026
Inside Tumbler Ridge: A Local Journalist on the Worst School Shooting in Canadian History
On February 10, 2026, the peaceful mountain town of Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia faced the worst school shooting in Canadian history. In minutes, eight lives were taken at the community’s only secondary school and at the shooter's home, two more were critically injured, and the town was thrust into a nightmare no one could have imagined. In this episode of the Wildfires, Floods and Chaos Communications Podcast, host Tim Conrad speaks with Trent Ernst, publisher of The Tumbler RidgeLines and a long‑time resident who found himself reporting on an unimaginable tragedy in the community he calls home. Content Warning This episode discusses a school shooting, loss of life, and trauma. Listener discretion is advised.
Guest: Trent Ernst
24
March 30, 2026
Nobody Talks About Recovery Like Her | Meet BC's Recovery specialist Deb Borsos, and host Tim Conrad
After a disaster, the world moves on, but communities don’t. In this episode of the Wildfires, Floods and Chaos Communications Podcast, host Tim Conrad talks with Deb Borsos, one of BC’s most respected recovery specialists, about what really happens after the emergency ends. Deb shares decades of hard‑earned wisdom from wildfire zones, flood‑stricken towns, and remote communities in both Canada and Australia. She explains why communication failures can derail recovery, why co...
Guest: Deb Borsos
17
Jan. 16, 2025
Is it trash or truth? Information and the California wildfires | With Ventura County Battalion Chief Pete Jensen and host Tim Conrad
Conspiracy, AI-created imagery, misinformation and false information now dominate disasters, overpowering truthful and honest information. It is mainstream on social media, podcasts and traditional media, and often repeated by broadcasters, hosts and celebrities. Pete Jensen is on the front lines of the southern California wildfires, where, in the past, he has served in many roles, including public information officer. Much of what he shares applies no matter where you are. What we know about wildfires, how they move and how we fight them is international.
Guest: Pete Jensen