The Professional Brotherhood™

126 - "Dirty Doesn't Make You Salty!" with Dee Howard from SootSoap

Chief Brian Soller, Lt. Kara Judd, Dee Howard Season 4

Prior to working with and on behalf of first responders, Dee racked up close to 20 years as a marketing professional, specializing in integrated “Experiential” programming (interactive experiences between brands and their consumers), working with clients like PepsiCo, UFC, Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment, BlackBerry, Ford and Reebok. Following her agency years, Dee launched a consulting ‘collective’, where she led a team of extraordinary senior marketing freelancers in brand strategy and activation. 

SOOTSOAP, a line of detoxifying and deodorizing products specifically designed for firefighter decontamination, was born out of Dee’s passion and determination to help keep her husband - a first class firefighter - and their fire family clean from toxins and that smoky smell.

Dee is a mom, an entrepreneur, a consultant, and a proud fire wife living in southwestern Ontario with her husband, their daughter and their pup.

About our hosts:

Brian Soller has been an active volunteer for the last 30+ years.  He currently serves as assistant chief of the Rock Hill Fire Department and for the past 17 years has been a New York state fire instructor assigned to Sullivan County, NY.  Soller also served as chief of the Rock Hill Fire Department from 2018 - 2020 and chief of the Monticello Fire Department from 2001-2002.

Soller has also been a New York State emergency medical technician for the last 25+ years. 

He speaks extensively on the promotion of professionalism in the volunteer fire service through his podcast and YouTube channel. 


Kara Judd, is a six year member of the Cazenovia Fire Department where she currently serves as a Lieutenant and Emergency Medical Technician. Kara is also a certified Critical Incident Stress Debriefer as well as an AFAA certified fitness instructor and the owner of Saint Florian Fitness. 

Her full time career is at the Upstate Medical Hospital in Syracuse, NY where she is a Juvenile Fire Setter Intervention Specialist and Burn Prevention Outreach Educator.

On social @st.florianfitness