After more than 30 years with Peel Regional Police, Constable Dave McLennan retired but wasn’t done service. He founded Boots On The Ground, a 24/7 volunteer-powered peer support line for first responders. What began as ten to twenty calls a month has grown to more than 150 monthly, with over 4,700 calls answered and 51 life-saving interventions since the line launched in 2018.
In our season premiere of The Other Side of the Call, Dave shares how a small team with a big mission built a trusted, confidential network that now services police fire, EMS, corrections, dispatchers, nurses and military members. He talks about leadership after the badge, the power of lived experience, and the growing national movement to make sure no one who services left to struggle alone.
Recorded just ahead of the seven-year anniversary of Boots On the Ground November 26, 2025.