What First Responders Carry: Chris Fields’ Journey Through PTSD (REPLAY)

As the country reflects on 25 years since 9/11, we’re revisiting this conversation about the lasting trauma first responders can carry long after an emergency is over. Chris Fields spent 31 years with the Oklahoma City Fire Department. In 1995, he responded to the Oklahoma City bombing and became part of one of the tragedy’s most iconic images, carrying three-month-old Baylee Almon from the wreckage. Years later, after cumulative trauma and PTSD began to take a toll, Fields had to confront what it meant to ask for help. Chris joins host Julie Rose to talk about the pressure first responders feel to stay strong, the cost of burying painful experiences, and how vulnerability and treatment helped him begin to heal. Resources mentioned: Trauma Behind the Badge - https://www.traumabehindthebadge.us/ Survive First - https://www.survivefirst.us/ Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (US) - Call or text 988 Original airdate: July 9, 2025 CHAPTERS (0:00) Introduction (0:47) Meet Chris Fields: A Firefighter's Journey (4:59) The 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing (6:34) The Iconic Photo (8:52) The Long Road to Healing (12:19) Helping Others Through Trauma (17:16) Oklahoma First Responders Wellness Division (19:06) Resources and Final Thoughts