In this episode we talk with Sergeant Jake Viano, who was raised in Long Beach during the height of gang violence and grew up to become the hero who saved Corporal Matt Aitken’s life when he was ambushed and shot during a K-9 track. As if that isn’t enough, he had a professional baseball career in between. Hear about the life-and-death fashion choices a kid has to make when navigating between the Crips and the Bloods, and how to play baseball when the opposing team calls in gang members to threaten your life if you score again. He was drafted by the Rockies for his killer curveball and changeup, and played locally for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, but eventually his childhood dream of law enforcement lured him to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. Hear stories from his time in Narcotics, on the SWAT Team, and as a K-9 handler, including the tale of how a potato became the key piece of evidence in a conspiracy to commit murder. Whether in the ballpark or on patrol, Jake is the one you call for the win.

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Mental Health For Heroes

You don’t have to do much to become one of the best-known people at the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office – just get shot three times (once in the neck), and fight through surgery, physical therapy, fears of painkiller addiction, and the monsters in your own mind to emerge stronger than ever as a powerful example of how to not only survive but thrive through adversity. Corporal Matt Aitken is best known for that harrowing incident of March 12, 2023, when a routine track turned deadly and he was saved by his K-9 partner Taco and Sergeant Jake Viano. But no one is defined by a single day. Matt is a drummer who wanted to go pro before answering the siren call of law enforcement. He’s a former K-9 handler who is now putting his tactical mind to work in our Training Division. He’s a family man whose strong bond with his daughter reminds him there is light in the darkest days. Above all, he’s a man who understands that it is okay to be broken, to admit that you don’t always know how to navigate what the world throws at you. Join us as we talk with someone who has learned how to use his pain, and now hopes to help others who battle PTSD, sadness, or loss.

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Mental Health For Heroes

In this episode we talk with Tactical Paramedic Supervisor Joey Greco, who carries guns AND tourniquets. If he ever has to shoot you, he’ll probably be able to save your life afterward. Joey is one of the TacMeds who train with SWAT and accompany them on callouts, positioned in the hot zone. Although he’s not on the entry team, he’s trained to respond under fire if one of the SWAT operators is harmed. Joey began his lifesaving career as an Explorer with Clearwater FD, where at age 16 he responded to his first cardiac arrest. Hear about his SWAT tryouts, going through the same obstacle course as the operators but then having to save a life while the operator candidates rested, and learn how he graduated from New Guy #2 to New Guy #1. We’re proud to say that Joey has gotten first place in the SWAT Roundup TacMed Challenge two years in a row. Since that’s an international competition, does that mean he’s the best tactical paramedic in the world? We like to think so.

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