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Veteran's Affairs Plus discusses the issues that veterans in Las Vegas deal with on a daily basis. Your host, David L. Washington connects listeners with relevant community resources and information that they need to help veterans or themselves.
Announcer 0:00
This is a K-Unb Studios original program.
Wesley Knight 0:04
You're listening to special programming sponsored by Making Moves Life Coaching Services. The content of this program does not reflect the views or opinions of 91.5 Jazz and More, the University of Nevada Las Vegas, or the Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education.
Music 0:30
You can see what's going great
Dave Washington 0:49
day, Las Vegas, great day. This is Veterans Affairs Plus on 91.5 jazz and more. I'm Dave Washington, your host. We will have an EDI, Carl Holmes Executive Development Institute student on the line shortly, Miss Sheena, and we will talk to her shortly after I make a few announcements. Once again, this is Dave Washington, your host with Veterans Affairs Plus on 91.5 jazz and more. Want to express condolences to Vern Jordan, Arcola Stafford, Dr. Morse, those families just lost loved ones, and we just want to recognize them and express condolences to those families. So, hey, we hope that God will be pleased with those individuals who've gone to the other side as they did their work here on earth. Upcoming, in fact, tomorrow we're taping today, Tuesday. Tomorrow is Marcia and my 54th wedding anniversary. Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap. Yep, me and my wonderful wife, 54 years, four children, 12 grandchildren later. So, happy anniversary, Marcia. Juneteenth is coming up this month, and I want to encourage people to do this in honor of Dr. Ruby Duncan, try and get the family to sit around, it's an hour long, it's when they storm Caesar's Palace, and I know Channel 10, if I remember correctly, was the ones who showed it, I figure you can, you can get that pulled up some way, somehow, but I think it's something certainly that will be a good thing for young people to watch at this day and age. All right, with that, I want to introduce Miss Sheena. Hey, Sheena, how you doing?
Sheena Glover 2:33
Hi, I'm great. How are you?
Dave Washington 2:36
I am well, and I am so pleased that you were able to make it today, and I will let me, let me do a couple birthdays that I did, I need to do that, try to get that done as well, and then I'm gonna come back to you. First of all, Miss Lucy Eatman, birthday this month, Glenda Poole, a longtime family friend, Kenita Jackson, Trina Robinson, these are people that we know in our neighborhood, Curtis Burton, he actually lives over in LA now, Karen, and Tina, and Christina Sea Strump, and Victor Bunch, birthdays this month. So I was pleased that you were able to make it. So tell our listening audience, if you will, a little bit about who you are, and I know that you are an outstanding individual who is a student at the Carl Holmes Executive Development Institute. And once again, this is Sheena Glover. So tell us our listening audience a little bit about who you are.
Sheena Glover 3:37
Yes, like you said, my name is Sheena Glover. I'm from Omaha, Nebraska. I'm currently the assistant fire marshal for the Omaha Fire Department. I am the highest ranking black female ever for my organization. I am currently the only sworn black female. However, we do have another female of color that is coming through our academy class, which we're really excited about. I'm the fourth black female in history, so you know, coming to EDI was really transformational. So I do a lot of things within my department. I have a lot of different frameworks that I teach across the country, from my Small Bites program to my Burnout Matrix. So it was really enlightening to be able to come and be amongst a lot of different people that share a passion for the fire service.
Dave Washington 4:29
Excellent. And tell us a little bit about the programs you say you go across the country and actually teach.
Sheena Glover 4:35
So I have a small bites program that was originally developed after I lost two close friends to suicide in the fire service. Their deaths happen almost exactly five years apart from each other. One taught me how to be a paramedic, and I trained the other how to be a medic, and my Small Bite program talks about how to handle difficult. Situations and look at problems in a way that breaks them down into small pieces and allows you to digest them more easily. I found that coming into the fire service as the fourth black female in the history, I myself was the perpetual elephant in the room. And what do we do to work around that, how do we get people to get more comfortable, and those are kind of the foundations of where it started, and then it kind of changed and transformed as I progressed in my years in the fire service itself.
Dave Washington 5:35
So, how long have you been with the department?
Sheena Glover 5:38
So, I started with the Omaha Fire Department in 2008 so as of today it's 18 years, three months, and about six days,
Dave Washington 5:46
18 years. That's great. And you're currently serving as you say assistant fire marshal.
Sheena Glover 5:55
Yes,
Dave Washington 5:56
sir. Explain to our audience what some of those duties consist of.
Sheena Glover 6:01
So, as the assistant fire marshal, I am the authority having jurisdiction within my district,
Dave Washington 6:08
meaning
Sheena Glover 6:09
I do a lot of overseeing of the code enforcement aspects and duties with our fire inspectors who go out and make sure that our life safety code is being upheld, that the buildings are compliant for safety for the individuals within the community. Anybody who has complaints about structures within our jurisdiction, I make sure that we address them quickly and we resolve the issues so that they can be mitigated.
Dave Washington 6:38
Great, great. Now, I mentioned that you are an EDI student, so give us a little bit of feedback, and you're a first year student, right?
Sheena Glover 6:47
Yes, sir.
Dave Washington 6:48
All right, tell me, honest, a little bit about that experience, if you will.
Sheena Glover 6:53
EDI is nothing like anybody can describe to you. The experience that I had, like I said earlier, it was transformational to be able to come into a space that you hear people talk about. I just was really truly introduced to EDI earlier this year from four different firefighters, three of which worked for the Chattanooga Fire Department in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Captain Damian Vincent, Lieutenants Al Green, and Jamir Lanier were speaking very highly of it, and there was a young lady out of Cleveland, Miss Yolanda McKay, who suggested, like, you need to be here, I don't know why you haven't been, you'll do phenomenal, you'll have an amazing time, come to EDI, and so I trusted what they said, they were, they were so impacted by it in the way that they presented EDI to me, I had to see for myself.
Dave Washington 7:51
Excellent. So give us indication of at least two of the different classes that you took in its impact on your thought process as it relates to fire service,
Sheena Glover 8:02
one of the classes that I found a really good - all of the classes were great, but the assessment center class kind of put a lot of things into perspective for me, because that is something real that I am going to be going through again right now. I sometimes act as a battalion chief, but I am in the process of retesting for that role, and so some of the tips and tools that were given were great takeaways to go back and potentially do better on that facet of the testing. One of the other classes that was really impactful, and it wasn't necessarily for the content, but for the statement that was made by one of the instructors, Fire Chief Mick Smith had called out all the women in the room, had a stand, and basically declared safety over all of us and required the men in the room to uphold that, which was the first time in my life, and I'm 44 years old. The first time in my life a man has ever required anyone to keep and hold me safe, and so that in itself was something that I will never forget, and always will honor.
Dave Washington 9:15
Okay, well, it's nice to know that you, you had some impact by several. In fact, you said they were all good, but generally there's something that will stand out in one or two classes for sure. So we are grateful that we had some impact on you. Now tell me why, and I assume that there was definitely a reason why you came to me knowing about my journey with cancer, and you came up. You don't have to give a name or anything like that, but your mom is going through some things that you came up and shared with me. Why did you feel compelled to talk to me about that, to
Sheena Glover 9:50
see all the hard work that you've put in, to hear the stories, to be able to receive the history? Me, not only your experience, but the experiences of other people in the room, and to see how hard you were working was really inspiring for me, because I lived with assisting my mother through her cancer journey. I was there when she first found out, and I've been the one being there trying to coordinate all of her treatments, and I understand how hard that is, just from being a daughter who has been on the side of trying to assist a parent in that, but to see you present in the room through your journey, right, because my mom, right now, is still undergoing treatment, and it's not easy, and just to know that you're standing in your passion, like it really meant a lot to me to see that, because there was hope that came from that, there was a lot of just connection in general, you know, like to be able to say you being present, you doing what you do right is amazing, given what you're going through, and the fact that you would sacrifice yourself to a degree of being around other people as you transition through your journey with cancer is really truly like to know it was like, okay, he has a heart, not it, just it just connected with me 100%
Dave Washington 11:28
Well, I appreciate that. And we got a couple more minutes. I asked our director, producer West, to give me a couple more minutes with you, because I think it was very, very impacting that what you did to come to me and talk to me about what was going on with your mom, that was very important to share, because of the various journeys, and all of them are different, but we really appreciate you. So, is there any closing remarks you'd like to say with respect to your mom, and or about your experience with EDI?
Sheena Glover 11:56
You know, like being here in respect to my mother's situation, and seeing all the things that you're doing, like I said, it gives me hope, and knowing that I'm pouring my heart and my love into the right places, right? It helps me to understand that even through the journey of what I experienced through EDI, which was a complete refilling of my cup that had been so depleted from all the challenges that I am currently juggling, and to have those things be reinforced with the level of support, and not only support, but understanding that there are people who are still digging deep, even when times get hard, and that is the part that really resonated in my spirit, and that is what I saw in you, and all the things that you were showing up for every day without complaint, you know, really to pour back into
Dave Washington 12:53
right
Sheena Glover 12:54
people's cups, and you don't know what level they were on when they got there, and the fact that you were willing to share your story so openly it was very compelling, and for me, moving forward, I will never forget that.
Dave Washington 13:08
All right. Well, we thank you for your time, and we will be back on the other side, and hopefully I will have Chef Cooper on the line. So, with that, once again, we thank you so much, and hope that you continue your journey through EDI, and we will continue to be prayerful for your mom, and hope that she recovers well. Alrighty, thank you for your time.
Sheena Glover 13:28
Thanks for having me.
Dave Washington 13:29
All right, once again, this is Veterans Affairs Plus on 91.5 jazz and more. We just had Sheena Glover, she is Assistant Fire Marshal with the Omaha Fire Department, I once again, this is Veterans Affairs Plus on 91.5 jazz and more. I am Dave Washington, your host, and I'm so excited to be here. We have Miss Zaina Kent, rather than Chef Joe Cooper, he was tied up. I had informed him that I had a guest that may or may not make it, which Royal Ramey did not make it. So, I tried to get the chef on. He's too busy right now working on a big project. So, I have a person, a young lady who was a.. you're mod one, right, Zaina?
Zanah Kent 14:15
Yes, sir, I'm in mod one.
Dave Washington 14:17
She's in mod one of the Carl Holmes Executive Development Institute. Would you please tell our listening audience a little bit about who you are, where you're from, and what department?
Zanah Kent 14:28
I am my name is Dana Kent with Memphis Fire Department. We're the largest fire department in the state of Tennessee. I hold the rank of firefighter paramedic. I just got my paramedic license in February. I will be completing my FTO next week, so I'll be a solo paramedic firefighter next month, which is very exciting. I've been on a service for five years, one year with Chattanooga Fire and four years with mrs. Fire.
Dave Washington 14:58
Oh, so you said one year. With Chattanooga, and then move.
Zanah Kent 15:01
Yes,
Dave Washington 15:02
sir. So, why did you decide to make that move?
Zanah Kent 15:06
So, I wanted to go when I started this career choice. I wanted to always be a firefighter paramedic. I didn't just want to limit myself just to fire, and the highest level of care with Chattanooga is just advanced EMT. So, I just came back closer to home, and mrs. Fire pays for you to go through school like we have our own on-site EMS school. So I just went through that, and it allowed me to become a paramedic.
Dave Washington 15:33
And your total time in the service now is what, five, six years?
Zanah Kent 15:37
Five years? Yes,
Dave Washington 15:38
sir. Five years. All right. Once again, this is Veterans Affairs Plus on 91.5 jazz and more. We have Miss Zaina. Tell us a little bit about your experience as a mod one student with the Carl Holmes Executive Development Institute, if you will.
Zanah Kent 15:52
I will. So, going in, initially I checked in on Saturday. There weren't many people there. It seemed like no one was here, actually. So, it felt like I was going into my freshman year of college at HBCU, like I was very nervous. I didn't really know what to expect, but everyone was very welcoming when I met them. And then on Sunday is when everyone came, and that's when the real experience started happening. Everyone, it seemed like, like all the other mobs that already knew each other, it was like a reunion for them. They're all excited to see each other, and I'm just around, just like, oh my goodness, like, what's going to happen? I was really out of my comfort zone, because I'm very much an introvert, but I'll be extroverted when needed. But I like my space to myself. But with that being said, it was very out of my comfort zone, but I felt very comfortable, like everyone showed so much love when you woke up in the morning, walking to breakfast, everyone's like, "Good morning, beautiful, good morning, cheese, like, hope you have a good day. There was no walking past someone and not saying anything, which is like my usual, everyone spoke, and you're going to speak back, or you're going to speak to them, and I just love how everyone just welcomed you in as mod one, and it was just a very great experience. It was very long days of class, but it was such good information. We got to be taught by the best of the best, and just being able to hear like these trail blazers give their stories right, and what they had to endure and what they accomplished was very encouraging, because I am, I don't have to be one of many, I can be one with others, and I have a community now, and you get to be able to bounce ideas and learn things from people in different departments, and have people to call on, and I started mod one, not knowing anyone, because I went by myself, and now I have a whole family. It's just really a hard experience to explain, because it's something you truly have to experience for yourself. It's like trying to tell someone to go to an HBCU that's never been to one. Until you experience it for yourself, you won't truly get it. But I recommend this for anyone young or older in the service that's looking to elevate your career, because it's definitely going to put you in places you didn't even think that you could be in,
Dave Washington 18:06
that is excellent. So, what is your.. how much formal education do you have?
Zanah Kent 18:10
I have a bachelor's
Dave Washington 18:11
in what,
Zanah Kent 18:12
in chemistry?
Dave Washington 18:14
In chemistry.
Zanah Kent 18:15
Yes, Lord
Dave Washington 18:16
have mercy, you're one of them brainy young folks. Chemistry, oh my goodness, I'd be running from that class, man. Oh my goodness. So you know it's very inspiring to hear your compliments and thoughts about your experience there, being a first year student at EDI, and I can tell you that you will hear similar stories from people like me and others. In fact, we started at Florida A and M University, and one of the things that I loved about that, there was a - all of us were in the same dorm, you know? I think it was a four or five story building, and we all had to go through this one great area where people played cards, dominoes. It was just an exciting time, and to meet people from all over the world, in fact, because we have people from the Caribbean, of course, Africa, we had some coming in from England, and one thing I saw this year that had a tremendous impact on me, I think it was mod three, and I watched how they got up and they had prayer. Now we had prayer before, and we had some guys from England, and they just had a fit. We didn't come here to be praying, and we're like, what? And I think they were Muslim, but we told them we recognize all religions at the Carl Holmes Executive Development Institute. That's not an issue for us, and but we always let people know if it's uncomfortable for you to have prayer, you can, you can leave the room, and no one will feel offended by that. But generally speaking, no one, no one ever leaves. It's exciting to hear your thoughts about what is going on, and I trust that you plan to be back next year.
Zanah Kent 19:52
Yes, hopefully I'll have someone come with me this year. Next year,
Dave Washington 19:57
excellent. And I hope that. People will listen to what you have to say, and, and trust me, you have a lot of EDI family members who do listen to our show, and I am grateful for you being here, because it's going to be so much of a help to others as we continue to recruit, and do you know, there was 273 74 students on campus, and I think you guys are one of the larger mod one classes. You had either 73 or 74 students amongst your group, and we are very excited. Everyone who is there as instructors, whether you're logistics or any other area of responsibility, from Annette and her group, you know, in the administrative part, bringing people, getting folks signed up, and all those things are important to us in our care for you guys as students, because you got to know, and I hope you know that we care and love you guys so very much. Anything else you like to say about overall about the program and about what you plan to do coming forward in your career.
Zanah Kent 21:01
No, I do want to just say that I do appreciate this space and what y'all created for us, because I had a baby two years ago, so like freshly into my career, and after that baby I lost like all my drive, like I just felt like I was counted out that I wouldn't be able to do more than just be a firefighter paramedic, but after this week I now see that I can do a lot more than that. It gave me so much push and drive, and like I could be chief, like I don't want to be like the deputy chief or fire chief, but I do want to be fire marshal, which is a very big title in our department, and it gave me that passion again to push and to see for what I truly want to be.
Dave Washington 21:39
That is excellent. I tell people all the time, second to the fire chief, the most powerful, and you don't look at it in terms of power, but the fire marshal is a very powerful position, because you can shut down, of course, through the fire chief and city management, you can shut down businesses if they're totally, you know, violation in total violation of various codes that we have to make sure we enforce for the safety of our public, so it's a good area to be thinking about moving into, and you said you just had a child, what, two years ago?
Zanah Kent 22:13
Yes, sir.
Dave Washington 22:14
So, how's that going in terms, in terms of getting to work in all those, those types of things that you have to do as a fire service professional,
Zanah Kent 22:24
it actually worked out very well. I had, I had, I switched battalions, but in the battalion that I had, I had the only woman battalion chief that we have on the job, and so she was very understanding. So there were times that she would let me go see my child, or to even, because I was also a breastfeeding mom, so she allowed me to go take care of that, and she understood, like, when I just couldn't handle some things anymore, she gave me that space to just talk to her and take time away and not feel like I was like being a bother to her, so it was just really, I was really blessed to have her as a battalion chief,
Dave Washington 23:00
and you know what, see, that's one of the things that I always tell people, it's important to have people from various ethnic groups, genders, to be participating in our profession, because a lot of times, and I'm not putting all men in that category, would go like, what you need to do, what this lady, and I trust that, once again, and I talk about it a lot on the show, is that we've lost our humanity. See, that's very human of your boss to allow you to do that, because it's important. And I remember one time during my career when I was training chief, they didn't want me, and I say they, some of the administrative personnel higher-ups didn't want me to allow this woman to go to schools from time to time to check on her children when they were sick, and I'm like, are you kidding me? I don't want her sitting here wondering, and she's not going to do good work if she's concerned about her child or her children. So I always say, look, if I got to let her go for a few minutes, you know, we'll cover, we'll make sure everything is done, and I say that's important. It's the human side of us, as fellow human beings. We need to look out for people just to ensure that they're comfortable, because I'm telling you, you will not get the best work out of a mother or any parent if they think their child is in trouble and they can't get
Zanah Kent 24:18
right to
Dave Washington 24:18
be where they are to take care of them, that's just, just, just common sense to me, but some people had had an issue with that, and when I got through talking about the position that I thought was important for us to hold as an agency, they kind of calmed down. Once again, this is a Veterans Affairs Plus on 91.5 Jazz and More. We have about another three and a half, four minutes. So, any further thoughts that you'd like to share with our listening audience, and again, we do have firefighters from all over this country that do listen to our program.
Zanah Kent 24:48
No, I'm just excited to one day be a graduate and say that I am a product of this of this institute.
Dave Washington 24:55
Well, you know, for you being a chemistry type person, and then you say you. You're more of an introvert. We really appreciate you, and I trust that during your time at the Carl Holmes Executive Development Institute, you will stand up and be counted and continue to grow as a fire service professional, and we will do all that we can to assist you in that growth, and always be willing to reach out if there's something that you need, even now, and just listening to the excitement that I heard in your voice, you already know that you got probably got contact numbers on people who you can call doing your journey on your doing your own growth with your particular department.
Zanah Kent 25:37
Yes, sir.
Dave Washington 25:38
So no closing remarks from her, other than me just happy to be here, a part of EDI.
Zanah Kent 25:45
Yes, sir.
Dave Washington 25:45
All right.
Zanah Kent 25:46
Yes, sir.
Dave Washington 25:47
Well, we wish you well, and hopefully everything will go well with your child. Now, is it male, female, and you say two years
Zanah Kent 25:54
old? Yeah, I have a son, two-year-old
Dave Washington 25:57
son, and he is, I would imagine daycare or something like that.
Zanah Kent 26:02
Actually, no, he just goes for to his father one week, and then with me, he's with my mom, so he'll be starting daycare actually tomorrow. All right, so it's just a like a young scholars program.
Dave Washington 26:15
Well, in other words, you got some help to transition and move along. Excellent. Well, once again, this is Veterans Affairs Plus on 91.5 jazz and more, and I thank you for your time, and we look forward to you back down at EDI next year. So, God bless you, and keep the faith, young lady.
Zanah Kent 26:34
Yes, sir. Thank you, cheese.
Dave Washington 26:35
Alright, for sure. And I want to remind folks that Angel's documentary on my journey with Pancreatic Cancer Wildfire will show june 27 at 2o'clock at the theater at the old West Side Library, but of course the library now is on MLK, but the theater is still there, holds about 300 people, hopefully you'll get to see it, and once again, it's about faith, family, and friends. Once again, this is Veterans Affairs Plus on 91.5 Jazz, and more. I thank Wes for kind of adjusting with me as we had one of our folks to not be able to make today. So, once again, thanks, Wes, and thank you, our listening audience. This is Veterans Affairs Plus on 91.5 Talk to me next week.
Music 27:51
All the smoke in the air, feel the hate when they stare, all the pain that we bear on.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai