Leah Fleischmann, Senior Vice President, Peer Support Team Leader

I was born in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, into a very loving, Christian family and grew up in the beautiful state of Colorado. My father, a naval veteran, served in the Korean War. He always had dreams of being a farmer and rancher and saw his dreams come true in the early 70s when he purchased farmland in Colorado and taught our family a different way of life. I absolutely loved the rural, self-sustaining lifestyle. My mother was a registered nurse and worked into her late 70s for a medical practice with several physicians. I wanted to be just like her and, indeed, followed in her footsteps into the medical field.

Educational Beginnings and Career Transition

Upon graduation from high school, I attended the University of Colorado, where I was in the premed program. I was firmly focused on that path to become an emergency room physician until I took an EMT class that was taught by a firefighter. He introduced me to the fire service and paramedicine, and I decided to alter my path in life and pursue the medical field as a civil servant. I served for 32 years with the Los Angeles City Fire Department as a firefighter/paramedic and was honored to be in the first emerging group of females to earn that position.

Distinguished Service with the LAFD

During my career, I spent most of my time assigned to fire stations serving the downtown Los Angeles area. In 1995, I became the first female to be assigned as an LA City Fire Dispatcher—an assignment I thoroughly enjoyed. I also held the position of EMT instructor in our training academy and returned to the field in 2002, where I eventually retired from Fire Station 99 in Beverly Hills in Sept. of 2020. My career choice truly fulfilled my goal to be a medical professional and make a positive difference in the world.

Athleticism and Volunteerism

I remain very active in sports to this day and have traveled all over the world competing in the World Police and Fire Games and the Police and Fire Olympics. I also have a love of dogs and volunteer at the Patriotic Service Dog Foundation. We train service dogs for veterans and first responders and train peer support dogs for fire departments and police departments to strengthen their behavioral health programs. I became a trained peer support member for the LAFD several years before I retired, and I continue to use that valuable training to help firefighters overcome the effects of PTSD.

Impact Through Bud’s Odyssey and Peer Support

Being involved with Bud’s Odyssey allows me to offer a proven therapy to these first responders which improves their quality of life and can even make the difference between life and death for some of them. I am proud to say that I was instrumental in establishing the Peer Support Therapy Dog Program for the Los Angeles City Fire Department and have helped other fire departments develop their programs too. It keeps me busy in retirement.

Personal Life and Artistic Pursuits

I am an accomplished musician and play the piano and I have taken up a new hobby of throwing pottery. I have found great purpose and joy in retirement. I am married to a retired Detective and have 2 children who are also civil servants, and we have a K9 named Carro.

Commitment to the Board of Directors

I am very honored to serve on the Board of Directors for Bud’s Odyssey to help our foundation connect with first responders and veterans in need, provide education on Brain Paint and offer this life changing therapy to our deserving heroes.