Fire Rescue Wellness

Ironically, the less competent you are, the more confident you'll feel about your level of expertise. This phenomenon, known as the Dunning-Kruger effect, is why career firefighters feel compelled to lecture their coworkers on the benefits of cold plunges or Wendler 5-3-1 after reading one article or listening to one podcast. Knowing about Dunning-Kruger might assist a firefighter or a fire d...

Covid did a number on the world and unfortunately, we still don't know all of the impacts. In Episode 31, I sat down with my girl Rachele B to talk all things cardiopulm physical therapy and Covid/Long Covid as it relates to firefighters. Rachele Burriesci received her Doctor of Physical Therapy from the New York Institute of Technology in 2009. Rachele received her board certification from t...

It's the nature of the beast. As firefighters, we are very clear-cut. The world is black or white, with no shades of grey. We are on or off the wagon entirely, not doing 'something.' My girl Dana asked for an episode to help her crew set goals, and here we are! So what, now what? Making behavioral rather than outcome goals is clutch. You have control ! Keeping those behavioral goals...

What do professional athletes and firefighters have in common? They both likely struggle with their nutrition and more than likely overcomplicate it! Enter Maureen Stoecklein, RD. Moe is not only a retired career firefighter but a dietitian and the woman in charge of the Detroit Tiger's team nutrition. Hear about how she got to where she is today, her grouchy dog Bailey (and his BFF Kevin), a...

 When Dr. Katie Hirsch (Episode 18) recommends an interview, I listen! Vince Zittnan from Chicago's Bravest Stories Podcast and I sat down with Jacob Mota to discuss his research on fitness in a recruit academy. Dr. Jacob Mota is an Assistant Professor of Kinesiology in the Department of Kinesiology and Sport Management at Texas Tech University. He also directs the Neuromuscular and Occupatio...

My friend Dan might be the 'most interesting man in the world': Ph. D., adrenaline junkie, rock band member, and he's on a mission to change the world, or at least make it safer. Daniel B. Bornstein, Ph. D., is the Founding Principal at DBornsteinSolutions, LLC, a company providing consulting services at the unique intersection of fitness, health, and national security. Dr. Bornstei...

Asking for help from others is admirable, but buying into first helping yourself is crucial for success. Come along with AZ on a snow-removal journey where she draws parallels between precipitation relocation and putting skin in your self-improvement game. So what, now what? If you're going to ask someone for help, especially if you're not compensating them, make sure you're ready t...

A random story on IG is what brought Sarah into my life!  I'll never forget her repost of one of my videos and her comment, "I want to be FireSQFitness when I grow up!" {FireSQFitness was my previous business name.} I reached out, and we've been friends ever since. Sarah Johnson is a firefighter, strength athlete, and strength coach in Winston-Salem. Before becoming a firefight...

Listen.  My vision challenges go waaaaayyyy back to third grade. And then the miracle of Lasik Surgery gave me crystal clear, smooth sailing for 2+ decades.  So when things went south about 18 months ago, I was all kinds of upset. Find out how my vision challenges can be very similar to your fitness challenges and how we can think a little differently. So what, now what? Get started.  Make your be...

Episode 23 features my girl Vanessa Frost Piedrahita.  We talked about her 6-year tenure at the Pflugerville Fire Department and the changes she's seen over that time.  We hit on her department's fitness assessments and their amAZing commitment to health and wellness.  Check it out! Disclaimer: Vanessa's views and opinions do not necessarily reflect her employer's. Vanessa Fros...

In episode 20, I riffed on why I don't think in-house, on-duty, DIY is the best way to serve our firefighters.  In this episode I break down the qualities and credentials to look for in an outside professional. A nearly 20-year fire service veteran, Zapp holds the rank of Lieutenant and owns Fire Rescue Wellness, a coaching business dedicated to elevating the mental and physical wellness of f...

Joey Antonio has been a positive force in my life since 2013 when I first heard of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN).  It took me a couple of years to get up the courage to get involved, and I attended my first conference in 2015 and finally had the guts to introduce myself to him and now Dr. Katie Hirsch ( episode 18 ) in 2016. In episode 21, we talk about his renegade career a...

Welcome to my first solo episode! A nearly 20-year fire service veteran, Zapp holds the rank of Lieutenant and owns Fire Rescue Wellness, a coaching business dedicated to elevating the mental and physical wellness of firefighters worldwide. She earned a master’s degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of South Dakota School of Medicine and is a National Strength and Condit...

Have you ever had the magical experience of meeting someone and just knowing they were going to be important in your life? On October 23, 2015, I had just such an experience.  My physical therapist and I attended a RockTape course in a hotel a few blocks from my fire station, and my instructor was none other than Shanté Cofield. We kept in touch, and the rest is history.  The Movement Maestro has...

High-intensity interval training (HIIT), body composition, and good old exercise were discussed in Episode 18 of the Fire Rescue Wellness Podcast. Come along and meet my dear friend Katie Hirsch, a bright new star in the scientific community. Dr. Katie Hirsch is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Exercise Science at the University of South Carolina, Arnold School of Public Health. Her res...

Kelly Kennedy is one of the OGs in Tactical, and I had the honor of meeting her by accident at a restaurant and all because of a green backpack! In Episode 17, we talk about her long career as a civilian health and wellness expert for the largest police agency in the southwestern United States and her personal business Fit-to-Enforce.  We also discuss her lessons learned, the obstacles she's...

In Episode 16, I was honored to speak with my friend and mentor, Jorge Carvajal. We spoke about the brain and brain injuries, the specificity of training requirements for both hunting elk and fighting fires, and the real challenge of burnout in both fire and the coaching world. We also riffed on the magic that is Summer Strong. If you haven't attended, you need to go at least once. Jorge Carv...

Question:  What do pee, poop, and farts have in common?   Answer:  Sometimes, your ability to keep them where they belong hinges on the efficiency of your pelvic floor!   Wait! What the heck is a pelvic floor? In Episode 15 of the FRW podcast, my friend Kyle Brunelle and I discuss all things pelvic floor and the benefits of out-of-network (cash-based ) physical therapy. Kyle Brunelle graduated fro...

Jay Dawes and I were both recently in Indiana presenting at a conference, so as a bonus, we recorded Episode 14 of the FRW podcast in person. As is typical with our conversations, hilarity ensued, so apologies in advance for the hyena-style laughter throughout the episode. Jay and I spoke at length about how lifetime consistency and attention to being average are helpful for first responders who a...

In episode 13, I chat with Nate Palin while he chokes down a year-old Diet Mountain Dew and talks about his career in the tactical training space. Nate has decided he isn't a great chef; he's a decent dinner guest, but he excels at hosting 'dinner parties' in the tactical realm. He sets the table and makes sure the best people fill those seats.  Nate is a coach, speaker, author...

Lt Andy Scott was one of the first nine full-time employees hired by the Plainfield, IL Fire Protection District 17 years ago. As his wife, Sarah, might say, he got OBSESSED with fitness and later the health and wellness aspects of his fire department. He looked at what the hospital was offering for fitness testing and decided that he could do it better in-house, and he was correct. He's acco...

Dr. Maura Shea didn't set out to become an Athletic Trainer at all!  Her first career aspiration was serving in active duty military, then she decided Physical Therapy might be her calling.  She found Athletic Training only after she realized that PT wasn't her jam and she set out to become a military AT. That goal got derailed when she took a grad student position running an AT clinic f...

You’re not going to want to miss this conversation! I speak to Troy Torrence, an embedded civilian Strength and Conditioning Coach with the Indiana State Police. Troy’s job has evolved a lot since he started, but what he’s doing today is absolutely incredible. He has served as the Health Management Specialist for the Indiana State Police Department since 2000. He is the health and physical trainin...

In this outstanding conversation, Dr. Maura Shea and I speak about the power of having an embedded Athletic Trainer (AT) within a fire department. An AT can provide a huge return on investment for public safety agencies and Mo does a deep dive into the ROI she’s calculated for her current department as well as providing some best strategies to think about. We also discuss an AT’s scope of practice...

In this episode, we dive deep into creatine research. My good friend and brainiac, Scott Forbes, PhD tells the world about all the juicy details on this super supplement. Dr. Scott Forbes’ primary interest is in sport science and has focused on various nutritional and training interventions to enhance athlete performance. In addition, he has expertise in examining nutritional and exercise interven...