00:10 – They kick off the episode talking about ghost hauntings, Justin welcomes Cody and Vern, and Vern shares when he was last at the Union Club. They talk about how The Union Club has evolved over the years, Cody talks about the station he's been at and how long he's been there. He talks about the area he covers, the levels of care in the field, and Vern explains why firefighters go to every call. He talks about how long he's been a firefighter, how he ended up as a Tacoma firefighter, and Cody talks about feeling the pulse of the city living downtown. He explains how the app Pulse Point has changed their job, the competitive nature of firefighting, and what brought him into this line of work.

19:57 – Cody talks about what got him started with doing social media for the Tacoma Fire Department, what led him to make the documentary, and Justin talks about the power behind Vern's story. Vern discusses what it feels like since the making of the video, the struggles he's faced since the documentary's release, and how firefighters are counselors for people in the community. Justin speaks on how the movie highlights the emergency call volume increase over the years, Scotts talks about the importance for other firefighters across the country to watch the video, and Jeff shares his appreciation for the cinematography within the movie.

38:25 – Vern speaks to how the job takes a particular type of people to do it, the various adrenalin things they do for extra hobbies, and Cody talks about the amazing honesty behind Vern's story. Justin talks about getting in on the last showing of the documentary, Cody shares that he didn't know the film was going to go the way it has, and Vern talks about the impact PTSD has on their significant others and children in their lives. Justin jumps into coaster questions, Vern shares his love of the show Tacoma FD, and Cody talks about his respect for the show.

58:40 – Vern talks about the funding restraints in Tacoma, Cody talks about the population increase in the community, and Vern shares how many new stations Tacoma has put in in the past 20 years. He talks about the stress on the crews, the mandatory overtime involved, and the city's workforce limitations. Vern explains how Seattle has done a better job at expanding its fire departments than Tacoma, the city council's shortcomings, and how they have a backup from other areas to cover for them if they don't have the manpower available when calls come in.

Thank you, Cody and Vern, for sharing your story and the amazing work you do for our community!!

Special Guest: The Call We Carry.

Sponsored By:

• The Union Club: The Union Club is a coworking space contributing to Tacoma's growing artistic and entrepreneurial communities. It combines a maker studio, event hall, and office coworking space, in a 15,000 square foot historic building in downtown Tacoma, Washington.

Support The Grit City Podcast

Links:

• The Call We Carry: Confronting PTSD In The Fire Service | Tacoma Fire Documentary Film - YouTube — The Call We Carry: Confronting PTSD In The Fire Service | Tacoma Fire Documentary Film
• The Call We Carry: Confronting PTSD In The Fire Service - TFD Documentary | Facebook — The ground-breaking documentary film, challenges the status quo on the impacts of trauma exposure in
• Tacoma Firefighters | IAFF Local 31 (@tacomafirefighters) • Instagram photos and videos — City of Tacoma Professional Firefighters
• Tacoma FD | truTV.com
• IAFF Center of Excellence - Rehab & Treatment for Fire Fighters — Treatment for successful recovery from substance abuse, PTSD and other behavioral health issues.
• PulsePoint — PulsePoint Respond is a 911-connected app that can immediately inform you of emergencies occurring in your community and can request your help when CPR is needed nearby.
• Code 4 NW - First Responder Crisis Response and Referral Network — Code 4 Northwest provides a comprehensive and holistic community of confidential support to people within the first responder and critical care family.

01:36 – Jeff announces this episode's word of the day, Justin shares love for Fire Chicken giving GCP shout-outs during the fights, and talks about Ken's Hell Bound Slant 6 #4 Kickstarter. They speak about their friend Billy joining the podcast in the upcoming weeks, if they are incense guys, and Justin reflects on the Harley Hippie Hut by PLU. He talks about Seattle Mariners making it into this year's playoff, the fact that it's been 21 years since they've been, and what was going on 21 years ago. They talk about what they were all doing during that time, Scott talks about taking correspondence courses back in the day, and how 2000 was a significant technology shift.

20:08 – Justin talks about the shift from dial-up internet to DSL, Brogan living with him back in the day, and Jeff talks about the different things available to watch on an airplane. Justin talks about his recent purchase during his visit to Art On The Ave, how GCP is moving to dropping episodes on Wednesday instead of Monday, and Scott talks about his recent trip to Nevada. He talks about how nice it is to take a drink from one bar to another in Nevada, the weather there, and the setup of Nevada weed dispensaries.

38:32 – Justin talks about the flux of weed shops in the PNW, Scott talks about how people in Nevada can grow marijuana if they live 20 miles from a dispensary, and the people from Nevada that he ran into that listen to the podcast. Justin talks about Scott hitting up The Valley that morning before recording, Scott encourages people to try the restaurant out even though its location isn't in the best part of town, and he and Jeff talk about the fences going up around tents in Tacoma. Justin talks about the increase in drag racing around Tacoma, Scott talks about his appreciation for living in the PNW, and Justin talks about the great bands that play at The Valley.

59:14 - Justin talks about going to the recent Seattle Hockey Game where they announced the mascot, what he enjoyed eating there, and the different types of food at the event. He talks about seeing the mascot, they each give their feels on the mascot choice, and they each suggest what they think alternative mascots could be. Justin talks about going to Mac Sabbath the same night, learning about the band through Clownvis, and how he felt about going to his first show post-Covid.

Sponsored By:

• Cosmic Bottles: Tap into the universe of craft beer! CRAFT BEER FOR YOU! Tired of the same old grocery store beer selection? Looking for a beer selection that caters to your taste? At Cosmic Bottles the choice is always yours. Every day: 11am - 10pm 27116 167th Place SE Suite 108 Covington, WA 98042
• Die Cut Stickers: Use the code GRITCITY15 at checkout and get 15% off your entire order! · Insanely custom stickers crafted to survive the PNW and beyond! Promo Code: GRITCITY15

Support The Grit City Podcast

Links:

• Hellbound Slant 6 #4 by Ken Carlson — Kickstarter — Heavy Metal Hot-Rod Horror Comic in Classic Grindhouse Style!
• Rainier: A Beer Odyssey by Rainier Beer Movie — Kickstarter — Help us restore hours and hours of classic Rainier Beer TV ads and outtakes and make a landmark feature length independent documentary!
• Al's Hot Chicken Tacoma
• Oh, 'Buoy!' Mascot Reveal! — To lots of noise, Kraken unveils newest roster move, a six-foot, blue, flow-haired sea troll inspired by Seattle landmark Fremont Troll
• Mac Sabbath | Facebook

01:17 – Jeff kicks off the podcast with the safe word of the day, Justin welcomes Tacompton Files back on Facebook, and his and Jeff’s recent experience setting off fireworks at the Puyallup Fair. He plays their recording the did at the fair, GCP patron Cnote shares how he got involved with setting off fireworks, and Chad talks about what Wolverine West Fireworks does. He talks about how he got started in fireworks, how long he’s been doing it, and the different events he sets fireworks off for.

21:50 – Chad talks about how interested people can get involved, the areas they serve, and Justin talks about where they ate before the fair. He talks about the haps of the food during the fair, wandering around while enjoying the food, and the different animals they saw. Jeff drops the pumpkin stats, Justin talks about the super pumpkin winners, and Jeff talks about rumors of how Joel Holland won in the past.

44:38 – Scott and Jeff talk about car fundraisers as kids where people paid to hit a car, the different pricing at the events, and Justin talks about his love of meeting listeners. He talks about his favorite stoner shows, getting the honor of lighting off the fireworks, and Jeff talks about the reward people who light off fireworks feel when people cheer after they go off. Justin talks about the art he found at the event, taking metal shop when younger, and gives a shout-out to the Peterson Brothers.

66:40 – Justin talks about his continuing werewolf movie quest, watching back-to-back of The Wolfman movies, and what stuck with him from the classic film. They talk about the psychological perspective behind the werewolf stories, plans for visiting haunted houses and corn mazes this fall, and Jeff talks about his grandkids making a horror movie. Justin talks about paintball bus rides, Jeff talks about making a music video petting goats, and the props he got for making the video.

Special Guest: Wolverine West Fireworks.

Sponsored By:

• Cosmic Bottles: Tap into the universe of craft beer! CRAFT BEER FOR YOU! Tired of the same old grocery store beer selection? Looking for a beer selection that caters to your taste? At Cosmic Bottles the choice is always yours. Every day: 11am - 10pm 27116 167th Place SE Suite 108 Covington, WA 98042
• Die Cut Stickers: Use the code GRITCITY15 at checkout and get 15% off your entire order! · Insanely custom stickers crafted to survive the PNW and beyond! Promo Code: GRITCITY15

Support The Grit City Podcast

Links:

• Wolverine West Fireworks
• Rainier: A Beer Odyssey by Rainier Beer Movie — Kickstarter — Help us restore hours and hours of classic Rainier Beer TV ads and outtakes and make a landmark feature length independent documentary!
• Rainier Beer Official Documentary Preview- Classic TV Commercials - YouTube
• Art Chantry - Wikipedia — Arthur Samuel Wilbur Chantry II (born April 9, 1954) is a graphic designer often associated with the posters and album covers he has done for bands from the Pacific Northwest, such as Mudhoney, Mono Men, Soundgarden, and The Sonics.
• Tacoma Film Festival
• Lets make a Video! - YouTube
• Grit City Comic Show - Tacoma, WA Comic Book Convention — An Old School Style Comic Book Convention at the Greater Tacoma Convention Center

01:27 – Justin welcomes Ross, where listeners can find information online about AGHOST, and Ross talks about what got him into ghost hunting. He talks about forming the group in Seattle, being a full-time ghost hunter, and Justin talks about personal ghost experiences. Ross discusses the patience needed for ghost hunting, Scott talks about his experiences in the area, and Ross talks about how he peruses places to hunt ghosts.

18:18 – Ross explains why the apps people use may not be legit, the problems he faces in the ghost hunting field, and how he validates ghost encounters. He talks about the equipment he uses to read the environment, Justin talks about his theories of what ghosts are, and Ross shares what the secrets are to his success. He talks about the most challenging parts of ghost hunting, they talk about the ease of people manipulating videos, and Ross talks about the romanticism in working with the media.

36:41 – Jeff asks the first Coaster Question, Ross talks about his best personal ghost encounter, and always being respectful of the spirits he communicates with. Justin talks about GCP’s haunting experience at Union Club, Ross shares that he’d like to do an investigation there, and his want to also do a ghost investigation at the Pentium Temple in Tacoma.

55:15 – Ross talks about developing the system to prove touch, where listeners can watch ParaSense, and how long he’s been doing the ghost tours in Seattle. He talks about ghost research bias, the importance of stripping things down to their simplest form when investigating, and the importance of interviewing people who have had the experience. He talks about why the Amityville ghost case is so well known, being able to walk through the house, and AGHOST open memberships.

Thanks to Ross for joining GCP for an exciting look into the paranormal!

Special Guest: Ross Allison.

Sponsored By:

• Die Cut Stickers: Use the code GRITCITY15 at checkout and get 15% off your entire order! · Insanely custom stickers crafted to survive the PNW and beyond! Promo Code: GRITCITY15
• The Union Club: The Union Club is a coworking space contributing to Tacoma's growing artistic and entrepreneurial communities. It combines a maker studio, event hall, and office coworking space, in a 15,000 square foot historic building in downtown Tacoma, Washington.

Support The Grit City Podcast

Links:

• ParaSense
• AGHOST | Advanced Ghost Hunters of Seattle-Tacoma — The Pacific Northwests Oldest Working Ghost Hunting Team Seattle/Tacoma - all of the outlying areas - for Washington State
• Spooked in Seattle Tours — SINCE 2004, SPOOKED IN SEATTLE TOURS, IN ASSOCIATION WITH AGHOST (ADVANCED GHOST HUNTERS OF SEATTLE TACOMA), THE OLDEST AND LONGEST RUNNING GHOST TOUR IN THE AREA, HAS BEEN TELLING THE REAL STORIES OF HAUNTED SEATTLE AND PRESENTING EVIDENCE COLLECTED ON ACTUAL PARANORMAL INVESTIGATIONS.
• The Manrea Castle Hotel in Port Townsend, Washington.

2:08 – Mark discusses how he got involved in the Flat Earth movement in 2014, Jeff talks about watching the recent documentary Mark was in, Behind The Curve, and Mark talks about manufacturing fireworks when he was attending Western in the 80’s. He talks about moving to Boulder, Colorado in the 90’s to working to develop games, the gaming crowd he hung out with in the early days of computer gaming, and he explains the concept of Flat Earth.

22:19 – Mark talks about the events around the world that he’s attended since the documentary came out, Jeff brings up the weird things that happen at Mount Adams, and Brogan talks about the Titanic conspiracy around insurance fraud. Justin talks about their upcoming pub-crawl, Brogan shares his recent bar discussion of Flat Earth, and Mark shares how climate change can happen in a dome. He explains spending 9 months trying to disprove the Flat Earth theory and answers the question on if people could actually dig to China.

50:30 – Brogan asks about Star Fish Prime, the ring of fire, and the tides. Mark talks about watching his first video on Flat Earth, the type of atmosphere at the flat earth conventions, and how spirituality is linked with the flat earth concept. Conversation turns to each person’s review on HBO’s Chernobyl, PBS’s NOVA, and Mark talks about his other favorite conspiracy theories, including the Panama Canal. Brogan inquiries about falling stars and Mark breaks down Sandy Hook shooting conspiracy for the group.

84:23 – Jeff shares his appreciation to Mark for taking all the arrows and slings from people against on this theory, Mark shares how long he’s been doing his YouTube channel, and how people can find it. He talks about his book Flat Earth Clues, The Skies the Limit, his upcoming book Flat Earth Clues, End of the World and he covers the Cruise to the Edge of the World.

Thanks Mark for an eye opening conversation on Flat Earth!

Special Guest: Mark Sargent.

Sponsored By:

• The Union Club: The Union Club is a coworking space contributing to Tacoma's growing artistic and entrepreneurial communities. It combines a maker studio, event hall, and office coworking space, in a 15,000 square foot historic building in downtown Tacoma, Washington.
• Grit City Magazine: Grit City Magazine was founded on the notion that Tacoma has good stories to tell. We explore the places that define it, pay homage to the history that built it, and celebrate the people who make it what it is today.

Support The Grit City Podcast

Links:

• Behind the Curve
• Mark Sargent - YouTube