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 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, working the ...
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 community. She also ...
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 up. 🚔🔥
We d...
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 it meant to step i...
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 in the Navy ...
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 takes to step ...
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 reflection with host Nikki Cloutier on...
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 along the way. We dive into le...
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 handler training. What ...
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 process really ...
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 horsemanship and entrep...
In this solo episode of Sirens, Slammers and Service, Nikki gets real—no filters, no fluff. Drawing from lived experience, she breaks down 15 hard truths every first responder needs to hear, especially early in their career.
We talk about why keeping your work life and personal life separate actually matters, the reality of “work friends” and situational relationships, and the uncomfortable truth that this job isn’...
In this episode of Sirens, Slammers and Service, Nikki sits down with Helen Dugdale—psychotherapist, science lover, and soon-to-be two-time author—to dig into the gut-brain connection, sleep, anxiety, and why your nervous system is calling the shots more than you think.
Helen breaks down how sleep deprivation wrecks emotional control, why first responders can’t rely on gut instinct alone, and how mental fitness sta...
In this powerful episode of Sirens, Slammers and Service, Nikki sits down with Dr. Katherine Rolfe, a registered psychologist and former member of both the military and the Edmonton Police Service, to explore the deeply personal journey of serving—and the challenges of stepping away after more than 20 years in uniform.
Dr. Rolfe shares the emotional landscape of leaving a first responder identity behind and explains ...
In this episode of Sirens, Slammers and Service, Nikki sits down with Lori Bailey, an Inspector with the City of Calgary Transit’s Community Outreach Team, whose career journey is a powerful example of perseverance and reinvention. Lori shares her path from federal corrections, to teaching at Bow Valley College, to serving in her current role supporting Peace Officers and vulnerable populations on Calgary Transit—wh...
In this episode of Sirens, Slammers and Service, Nikki sits down with Marci Gonder, Chief of Public Vehicle Standards with the City of Calgary, whose impressive and unconventional path through law enforcement and leadership is nothing short of inspiring. From her early days as a casual Sheriff to serving in Executive Protection for three Alberta Premiers, Marci shares the pivotal moments and mentors that shaped her...
Nikki Cloutier sits down with Dr. Kimberly Bitz from the Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research and Treatment (CIPSRT) to unpack the tools and resources helping first responders protect their mental health. From PSPNET’s online therapy options to CIPSRT’s Mental Health Toolkit, Dr. Bitz breaks down practical strategies focused on self-awareness, regulation, connection, and recovery—all designed specifically f...
From mountain rescues to fire-lit canvases, Shauna Liora’s journey is anything but ordinary. With 13 years in Alberta search and rescue—including high-stakes missions with Canada Task Force 2 such as the Fort McMurray wildfire—Shauna knows what it takes to prepare for the unexpected. Now a full-time artist, she transforms fire into breathtaking works of art, inspired by her time in the field and an unforgettable spa...
In this episode of Sirens, Slammers, and Service, host Nikki Cloutier chats with Alexandria Dorner, a brand-new Community Peace Officer in Lloydminster whose path into law enforcement has been anything but ordinary.
Alexandria walks us through her career journey — from building strong communication skills in dispatch, to the challenges of training as an AHS Peace Officer, to the grit and determination it took to cru...
Season 10 of Sirens, Slammers, and Service is here — and we’re starting strong! Host Nikki Cloutier sits down with Janine Mills, a Peace Officer and certified Yoga for First Responders (YFFR) instructor, to explore how this groundbreaking program is reshaping wellness for those on the front lines.
Janine explains how YFFR blends traditional yoga principles with job-specific tools like three-part breath, warrior dril...
Popular Podcasts
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
When a group of women from all over the country realise they all dated the same prolific romance scammer they vow to bring him to justice. In this brand new season of global number 1 hit podcast, The Girlfriends, Anna Sinfield meets a group of funny, feisty, determined women who all had the misfortune of dating a mysterious man named Derek Alldred. Trust Me Babe is a story about the protective forces of gossip, gut instinct, and trusting your besties and the group of women who took matters into their own hands to take down a fraudster when no one else would listen. If you’re affected by any of the themes in this show, our charity partners NO MORE have available resources at https://www.nomore.org. To learn more about romance scams, and to access specialised support, visit https://fightcybercrime.org/ The Girlfriends: Trust Me Babe is produced by Novel for iHeartPodcasts. For more from Novel, visit https://novel.audio/. You can listen to new episodes of The Girlfriends: Trust Me Babe completely ad-free and 1 week early with an iHeart True Crime+ subscription, available exclusively on Apple Podcasts. Open your Apple Podcasts app, search for “iHeart True Crime+, and subscribe today!
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!