Sirens, Slammers and Service - A podcast for Female First Responders
As a former correctional officer in Alberta for almost 2 decades and the founder of Blue Line Fitness Testing which provides law enforcement fitness testing and wellness workshops, I started this podcast as a way for female first responders to be able to share their stories including the trials, tribulations and triumphs of their daily work. Our episodes cover female correctional officers and caseworkers, military personnel, female paramedics, firefighters and dispatchers, as well as feature female Edmonton Police Service officers, drug dog handlers and female tactical team members. I want to showcase the unique perspectives, skill sets and personalities that women bring to a first responder career and work to encourage more women to apply for these careers and step up to learn more about what we do.
Episodes
This episode of Sirens, Slammers and Service is unlike anything we’ve done before. We sit down with Ryanne Stellingwerf—licensed psychotherapist, trauma-informed coach, founder of Discover Solutions and creator of Armor and Grace—for a conversation that cuts straight through the noise. ⚡
Before helping female first responders navigate trauma and burnout, Ryanne spent seven years in Iraq and Afghanis...
This episode of Sirens, Slammers and Service gets real with Vanessa Williams, whose 13-year career in corrections took her from frontline units at Fort Saskatchewan to the tactical team—and eventually into training the next generation. 🚨🔥
We talk about what people don’t see: the reality behind the walls, the culture, the chaos, the lessons learned from working both male and female populations, and how b...
She's back!! Returning all the way from SEASON 2 - Bridget Truxillo!
This episode of Sirens, Slammers and Service is one every first responder needs to hear. We sit down again with Bridget Truxillo—attorney, former SWAT and Undercover Narcotics operator, and founder of Lady Law Shield—for a no-filter conversation on protecting your career, your mental health, and your future. ⚖️🚨
We get into the reality o...
This episode of Sirens, Slammers and Service features Ricki Martin—known professionally as Ariana Martin—a 15-year member of the Edmonton Police Service who now works as a file manager in recruiting and selection. 🚔🔥
From squad room nicknames and tough academy days to frontline patrol and now helping shape the next generation of officers, Ricki gets brutally honest about what it really takes to earn the...
This episode of Sirens, Slammers and Service gets raw and real with Sarah Ruhland—better known online as The Tattooed EMT. 🚑🔥
Sarah opens up about the workplace trauma that pushed them from law enforcement into fire and EMS, and the hard truths first responders face behind the scenes: toxic culture, broken systems, and the lack of meaningful mental health support. This conversation doesn’t dance around ...
This episode of Sirens, Slammers and Service goes straight into the intensity of critical care with Brittany Foy—a STARS Air Ambulance flight nurse and Pediatric ICU pro from the Stollery Children's Hospital. 🚁🔥
From emergency rooms in Northern Alberta to the PICU and now flying some of the sickest and most critical patients across the province, Brittany breaks down what it really takes to operate at the high...
This episode of Sirens, Slammers and Service is long but it's so raw, unfiltered, and hits hard. We sit down with Chevelle Sokoluk, who opens up about her five years in provincial corrections—and the reality behind the walls that most people never hear about. 🚨
From day one, Chevelle was thrown into the deep end—minimal training, barely any shadow shifts, and a culture where rookies were often left to fi...
This episode of Sirens, Slammers and Service goes global with Ramiya Abdulha—aka Ramy—who shares her journey from the frontlines of Victoria Police in Australia to building a purpose-driven life beyond the badge. 🌏🚨
After five years in policing, Ramy opens up about the heavy workloads, systemic frustrations, and the moment she knew it was time to walk away and choose something different. Now the founder...
This episode of Sirens, Slammers and Service brings something completely different—in the best way. Meet Anna Redmond, a civilian mom turned powerhouse in the security world, who went from venture capital and Harvard to building something first responders didn’t even know they needed… until now. 🚀
Anna shares her bold transition into security, driven by a sharp understanding of real-world risk&mda...
This episode of Sirens, Slammers and Service features trailblazer Joanne Fraser, whose 26.5-year career with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police left a lasting impact far beyond the uniform.
From her early days in French immersion training and postings in the 90s—when women were still adapting to policies like the full male uniform—Joanne takes us through a career that included high-level roles in Ottawa, ...
This episode of Sirens, Slammers and Service features Kandis Hiscock, a 20-year member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police who’s not only served on the frontlines—but helped reshape how policing responds to mental health. 🚨🧠
Kandis shares her transition into pioneering the Rural Police and Crisis Team (RPAC), pairing officers with mental health therapists to better support complex calls in the communit...
This episode of Sirens, Slammers and Service features Brenda Tunke, whose career journey is anything but ordinary. From working security in Britain, to joining the Edmonton Police Service in 2008, transitioning into a peace officer role with MD Greenview, and now becoming the first female—and 8th member—of the Grande Prairie Police Service, Brenda is truly helping build a police service from the ground u...
This episode of Sirens, Slammers and Service features a true trailblazer—Katie Gordon, the first-ever female firefighter with Prince George Fire Rescue. 🚒🔥
Katie shares the incredible journey that led her there—starting in law enforcement in 2000, spending seven years in corrections, and ultimately finding her calling in the fire service where she’s now built an 11-year career. We talk about what ...
In this episode of Sirens, Slammers and Service, Ellen Connor—a trailblazer with 28 years in Correctional Services Canada—pulls back the curtain on the realities of Canadian corrections. From toxic culture and resistance to change, to navigating a male-dominated system where staff behavior sometimes rivals that of inmates, Ellen shares it all with raw honesty.
We explore her pioneering journey as a woman ...
This episode of Sirens, Slammers and Service brings the heat with Jayne Hutchison, who walks us through her career transition into her current role as a Marshal with the Saskatchewan Marshals Service—one of the newest and fastest-evolving law enforcement agencies in Canada.
Jayne reflects on her path through the Saskatchewan Highway Patrol and Alberta Commercial Vehicle Enforcement, and what it really tak...
We’re continuing Season 11 of Sirens, Slammers and Service with a powerhouse conversation you won’t forget. 💥
This episode features Dawn Taylor—trauma specialist, straight-shooter, and client proclaimed “ass kicker, hope giver.” Dawn shares a raw, deeply personal story of surviving a brain aneurysm and going on to achieve a lifelong dream: skiing. That moment sparks a real-time reflecti...
We’re coming out of the gate strong for Season 11 of Sirens, Slammers and Service with an incredible conversation featuring Nancy Farmer.
Nancy takes us through her long and impactful career with the Calgary Police Service—from what first motivated her to join policing, to rising through the ranks to an Inspector of the Support Section, and even achieving her tactical operators number alo...
We’re closing out Season 10 of Sirens, Slammers and Service with a powerful conversation that hits right at the core of first responder life.
In this final episode, Nikki sits down with NYPD Detective Dina Campbell, who shares the deeply personal story behind launching her podcast Outside the Line—a platform born from an identity crisis following a crushing disappointment during facility dog h...
In this candid and franky, HILARIOUS episode of Sirens, Slammers and Service, Nikki sits down with Lesley Prosko—a paramedic of over 18 years, author, and IV therapy clinician—for an honest conversation about the realities of life in EMS, on and off the truck.
Lesley shares her path from athletic therapy to paramedicine, why maturity matters in this profession, and what the City of Edmonton EMS hiring pro...
This episode of Sirens, Slammers and Service takes you behind the reins of one of policing’s most unique and powerful units. Nikki is joined by Robin Koltusky, Mounted Patrol Team Lead with the Calgary Police Service and AWIPS Civilian of the Year 2025, for a deep dive into what it really takes to run a modern mounted unit.
Robin shares her unconventional path into policing—from a lifetime in horsem...
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