Fire Rescue Wellness

Ask a better question, get a better answer-at least when you're querying an expert. Unless you're a guru, answers are nuanced, and context matters! Hear the original episode here . ***** Register for 7-Minute Science here Purchase FRW Swag here Get on the Waitlist for Building Your Career in Fire Follow Fire Rescue Wellness on the socials... IG | LinkedIn | Twitter Discount Code: FRW20 a...

In today's episode, you'll hear about training for Wildland Firefighters from Austin Womack, owner of Rugged Athlete.  Austin Womack is a strength and conditioning coach, wildland firefighter, Army Infantry Officer, and owner of Rugged Athlete LLC. His company's mission is to lead from the front in facilitating a new era of human performance in wildland firefighting. Austin accompli...

Life runs at hyper speed, and sometimes simply setting yourself up for success in the future helps more than you could ever anticipate! I use the concept of taking care of future me a lot as it applies to health and wellness, but in today's Spotlight you'll hear some anecdotes about how this concept applied to me in the wild. Check out the original episode here . ***** Register for 7-Min...

Kelly Kennedy is back, and today we're talking about academy injuries and heat-related illnesses. As always, there were side tangents, and today included one on the nasty taste of essential amino acids (BLECH!) and the Society for Sport Neuroscience Conference. Kelly has been the exercise physiologist for a large police agency in the southeastern US for over 25 years. She's a fellow nutr...

I fought starting a podcast for five years. But once I did, I was so happy I took the plunge. Now we're three years in and Episode 200 is looming. Hear a little bit from my very first episode with Vince Zittnan from Fire and Iron Media, my production company. Check out the original episode here. ***** Register for 7-Minute Science here Purchase FRW Swag here Get on the Waitlist for Building Y...

Two things can be true at once. Maura Shea is one of the best speakers and podcast guests I've ever had, and Maura Shea absolutely hates being on podcasts. In fact, she's now been on a grand total of three, and they've all been with me! I'm so appreciative of her time, insight, and expertise, and you're going to love hearing about her transition from being an Athletic Trai...

Almost two years ago, James Geering originally appeared on my podcast ( catch the entire episode here ), and since then, several departments across the country have adopted a shorter work week. We need to keep pushing toward creating healthier work environments for firefighters because change is possible! ***** Register for 7-Minute Science here Purchase FRW Swag here Get on the Waitlist for Build...

Exercise snacks are not food, but rather brief bouts of moderate to intense exercise that do not require equipment. The coolest part is that they can improve cardiometabolic and mental health, and even potentially performance in firefighters. So what, now what?!? Anchor these snacks to events that are already happening in your day! Email AZ to find out how to set up a training at your department:...

Innovation is found outside of silos and sometimes you learn the most in places you might not belong. AZ recaps echo chambers in this week's FRW Spotlight.  Hear the entire original episode here. ***** Register for 7-Minute Science here Purchase FRW Swag here Get on the Waitlist for Building Your Career in Fire Follow Fire Rescue Wellness on the socials... IG | LinkedIn | Twitter Discount Cod...

Check out Part II of how I think about programming for an academy. So what, now what? Rules I live by: 1-Arbitrary is not the way. 2-We don't train for fictional demands. 3-Do no harm! 4-A rising tide lifts all ships. Be a tide. 5-Wash, Rinse, Repeat Hit this link to request a consult to figure out your training academy challenges! ***** Register for 7-Minute Science here Purchase FRW Swag he...

Alyson Evans talks about fringe medicine in this week's FRW Spotlight. Hear what she says about CBD and efficacy in the fire service. Hear the original episode here. ***** Register for 7-Minute Science here Purchase FRW Swag here Get on the Waitlist for Building Your Career in Fire Follow Fire Rescue Wellness on the socials... IG | LinkedIn | Twitter Discount Code: FRW20 at Fluid Nutrition Af...

Register for the Teambuildr event on 8.11! It's free-99! Listen to the Episode on NFPA 1582 vs 1580 ***** Register for 7-Minute Science here Purchase FRW Swag here Get on the Waitlist for Building Your Career in Fire Follow Fire Rescue Wellness on the socials... IG | LinkedIn | Twitter Discount Code: FRW20 at Fluid Nutrition Affiliate Links Check out my Fringe Affiliate Link Check out my TryC...

I get it. Firefighters see black and white, and shades of grey don't exist. Therefore, it's easier for them to believe in absolutes vs nuance. Today's FRW Spotlight outlines why that might not be a great idea. Hear the full episode here . ***** Register for 7-Minute Science here Purchase FRW Swag here Get on the Waitlist for Building Your Career in Fire Follow Fire Rescue Wellness o...

NFPA 1582 has been updated and renamed as 1580. Come along on my conversation with Dr. Jacob Mota and Mike Conner as they discuss the changes. Hear Jake's first FRW appearance here Hear Mike's first FRW appearance here So what, now what?!? The NFPA changes may have wide-reaching effects, some unintended. It’s important to know what the guidelines mean. Additional resources: Purchase NFPA...

Acutely, C-19 took the fire service out at our knees, and many members are still suffering from long-term issues. Hear what Dr. Burriesci, DPT, says about some of the impacts. Check out the full-length episode here . ***** Register for 7-Minute Science here Purchase FRW Swag here Get on the Waitlist for Building Your Career in Fire Follow Fire Rescue Wellness on the socials... IG | LinkedIn | Twit...

I had the opportunity to meet Dr. Tessa Koschel at the NSCA Northwest regional conference last summer, and I knew we had to be friends. Tessa also recently spoke at the inaugural Women's Tactical Human Performance Summit in OKC Tessa Koschel is married to an Iraq War Veteran who is now an ER Physician, and the daughter of a military family. Dr. Koschel works closely with the first responder p...

Goal setting is tricky, and behavioral goals work far better than outcome goals. Terms like "more," "less," and "try" trip us up during execution. Hear about SMAR goal setting in today's Spotlight. Hear the original episode here ***** Register for 7-Minute Science here Purchase FRW Swag here Get on the Waitlist for Building Your Career in Fire Follow Fire Rescue...

In today’s episode, Dawes and I kicked back with some crispy beverages and reflected on fire academy training. It’s a hot topic among instructors, and in my opinion, too often, random acts of fitness dominate the physical training sessions. But here’s the thing...during the 24-1 OSU-OKC academy, I implemented a structured and ability-based program that helped recruits lose body fat, gain skeletal...

Maureen Stoecklein is a retired firefighter and current dietitian for the Detroit Tigers. Today, Moe shines a spotlight on nutrition basics for firefighters. Hear the original episode here . ***** Register for 7-Minute Science here Purchase FRW Swag here Get on the Waitlist for Building Your Career in Fire Follow Fire Rescue Wellness on the socials... IG | LinkedIn | Twitter Discount Code: FRW20 a...

In today's episode, Dr. Burgess and I chatted about a singular study he conducted using an infrared sauna in firefighters who were conducting training evolutions. Much more research needs to be conducted before making overarching recommendations in fire. Dr. Jeff Burgess is the Associate Dean for Research in Public Health, Community, Environment, and Policy at the University of Arizona. Dr. B...

The objective: Prepare academy recruits for the physical demands of the job. The typical result: Certain fitness metrics improve, injuries occur among some recruits, and it remains unclear whether these gains actually enhance job performance. Sport science has entered the chat and labs such as Dr. Mota's are looking at what really matters and what translates to performance. Hear the entire or...

Get involved in the female firefighter body scanning project! Hear the previous FRW Podcast Episode here So what, now what?!? All research isn't created equal. Be a savvy research consumer by following the 12 tips presented on this episode! ***** Register for 7-Minute Science here Purchase FRW Swag here Get on the Waitlist for Building Your Career in Fire Follow Fire Rescue Wellness on the so...

The state of unfitness in our country puts the United States at both a national security and public safety risk. Hear Dan Bornstein's take on the situation and listen to the entire episode here . ***** Register for 7-Minute Science here Purchase FRW Swag here Get on the Waitlist for Building Your Career in Fire Follow Fire Rescue Wellness on the socials... IG | LinkedIn | Twitter Discount Cod...

I’m teaching my fourth cohort of Building Your Career in Fire: A Health and Wellness Professionals' Roadmap (you can join the waitlist for the next one here) .  While fire departments need support, they often don’t know exactly what they need—and neither do the professionals trying to help them. That's where the comprehensive needs analysis comes in. Most departments struggle quietly unt...

In today’s Spotlight, I discuss caring for ourselves before turning to others for help. Don’t get me wrong—asking for help is valuable! But if you’re unwilling to take even the smallest steps on your own, no outside support will truly make a difference. Bottom line: You can't outsource the entirety of your health and wellness! ***** Register for 7-Minute Science here Purchase FRW Swag here Ge...