Forged by FIRE with Ryan Rodriquez

Part 3!  The last section of my 3-part miniseries on the IGNITEd Core Values!  So far, we’ve covered ACTION, and OWNERSHIP.  These core values can be found stamped onto the new IGNITEd challenge coin, which you can find on the IGNITEd shop! Core values are those things that you naturally operate under.  If you have to force a value, it’s not a core value.  Core values make...

Welcome to part two of my 3-part miniseries on the IGNITEd Core Values!  Like I said in the first episode, with the release of the new IGNITEd challenge coin, I thought it would be fitting to do a 3-part miniseries on the IGNITEd core values that are stamped on that coin; ACTION, OWNERSHIP, BROTHERHOOD. We should all have a set of identifiable core values that we operate by and we should be a...

With the release of the new IGNITEd challenge coin, I thought it would be fitting to do a 3-part miniseries on the IGNITEd core values that are stamped on that coin; ACTION, OWNERSHIP, BROTHERHOOD. We should all have a set of identifiable core values that we operate by and we should be able to talk about them and why they matter to us at any given moment. So, take these next three weeks, listen to...

This is not going to be a particularly fun and exciting episode.  However, I’d encourage you to listen so that what I’m about to tell you can hang in the back of your head while on the fireground and after you get back to the station after a fire. The more we can be mindful of the things that are trying to kill us, the better off we are at formulating a defense against them. In today’s episod...

Whether you’re a paper and pencil type of person or an all digital-demigod, I can’t stress to you the importance of writing down a list of things you want to get accomplished on a daily basis. Without an idea of the things you need to get accomplished daily, you will wind up letting your time slip away to things less important than contributing to the reason you were put on this earth. In this epi...

In the fire service, we have a designated hierarchy of rank.  The influence of this chain of command is supposed to be followed up and down.  However, what happens when people in the high ranked positions are a big reason why people are feeling disenfranchised down the chain? We look to our leaders to set the tone for the organization and help with disbursement of information as well as...

Going into our panel interviews when trying to land a career in the fire service, you may hear the question, “what does success mean to you?”  For all of the questions you will get asked, you should be sure enough in what drives you, who you are, and what you want that you shouldn’t skip a beat. If you don’t have an idea of what it looks like to be successful, then how will you know what you...

There’s a lot of different ways to track your fitness out there with Fitbit, Apple Watch, Garmin, Polar and all the other products popping up every day.  But which one is the best for you?  What exactly should you be measuring and why? You’ve heard me say it before, “what gets measured gets improved”.  Today I’m going to specifically talk about Heart Rate Variability.  I’ve tou...

I worked with a guy the other day who was talking about how he holds a medical marijuana card and after he retires, he was thinking about going into the CBD and marijuana business. Now, I don’t have much experience with this kind of stuff because I have never smoked marijuana or done drugs.  However, that doesn’t mean I couldn’t talk to him about his thoughts and ideas on the topic.  He...

When it comes to having six-pack abs, we all want results ASAP.  But when it comes to this particular fitness feat, time and dedication are the key.  But where do we start?  And how long can we expect it to take?  A few weeks?  A few months?  Well, things aren’t that simple.  There are many factors that go into this accomplishment and everyone is different. &nbsp...

With all the craziness of what’s going on in the world right now; rioting, looting and murders going unchecked, our brothers in blue have a lot on their plate.  Those working the front lines when it comes to maintaining order have some particular challenges that they’re currently facing.  Those of us in the fire service know what it’s like to work toward mitigating the stressors of the t...

Getting proper sleep is one of the most challenging parts of being a firefighter and doing shift work. I’ve witnessed firefighters stay up all night at the firehouse, watching TV, neglecting any opportunity to sleep.  I’ve seen supervisors criticise firefighters when they try to take naps to make sure they’re rested and ready for when the tones kick out.  I’ve personally been up all nigh...

With all the nutrition supplements out there in the market, there can be a lot of confusion and misdirection for the sake of selling a shoddy product. As a professional strength and fitness coach, and as a certified nutrition coach, I am VERY leery of nutrition supplement companies and I have spent years researching and testing out over the counter products on myself. I’ve come up with a great for...

You may have heard a lot of talk lately about fasting, particularly intermittent fasting (or IF).  Despite this recent surge in popularity, fasting is a practice that dates back centuries and plays an important role in many cultures and religions. In general, most types of fasts are performed over 24-72 hours.  Intermittent fasting, on the other hand, involves cycling between periods of...

I wanted to start out today and first say “thank you” for listening to the show.  I was reviewing the numbers and the IGNITEd Firefighter Podcast has surpassed 35k downloads.  I’m really humbled by all of this and am honored that you all find value in the things that I’m sharing with you.  This all started because I wanted to provide something that I never had when trying to get into the fire serv...

If you’re a child of the 80’s like I am and watched Saturday morning cartoons, then you probably watched GI Joe.  One of the most impactful things I remember is how each episode ended. There was always a lesson to be learned and at the end, and it was always capped off with the saying, “Knowing is half the battle.” In today’s episode, I’m going to talk about how knowing IS only half the battl...

Today is a first for the IGNITEd Firefighter Podcast!  Today I’m going to be doing an “Ask Me Anything” episode.  Over the past several weeks I’ve asked you guys to submit questions that might be on your mind and you didn’t disappoint! I got all kinds of questions!  Some related to the show, some related to the fire service, and some not related to any of that.  Regardless of t...

The ability to envision possibilities for the future and share that vision with others is something that distinguishes leaders from nonleaders.  It also separates the performers from the spectators. If you don’t have an idea of where you’re going, you’ll end up just going in circles.  Ultimately, when we’re on a fireground, the vision is to put the fire out.  The strategy is how we...

When we go through EMT or paramedic school, we learn of the two different responses that our nervous system has; sympathetic and parasympathetic.  What’s really incredible, specifically about the parasympathetic system, is that it can be manipulated and used to our advantage so that we can have a better impact on our cardiovascular system by removing stress and shock. In today’s episode, I wi...

In the fire service, there is an ocean of acronyms out there; CAFS, ALS, AAR, FMP, SOP, ETA, you get the idea.  One of the most recent ones to emerge is SLICERS. In today’s episode, I will be focusing on this latest acronym, what it means, and why we should think about possibly adding it to our ever-growing repertoire. If you’re unfamiliar with SLICERS, don’t feel guilty about it.  Not a...

We already know that we can’t fully control whether or not we catch a cold, the flu, or even COVID-19.  We also know that we can’t fully control how our body will react once exposed to a pathogen. There are all kinds of different factors that determine your body’s response.  Some you can have an impact on, like nutrient deficiencies.  Others, you can’t do anything about, like your a...

During this pandemic, working from home obviously isn’t an option for those of us on the frontline working FIRE and EMS.  That’s what we signed up for!  This means that we’ll be exposed to all kinds of nasty stuff that’s out there and we will have a direct connection to the thing that’s causing the pandemic.  But just because WE may get exposed to all that nasty stuff, doesn’t mean...

The continual changes and innovation in building materials has us constantly refining our tactical approach when it comes to firefighting.  There are so many different factors that contribute to what we see on the fireground; things like building materials, synthetic furniture, not to mention all the unknowns.  So, we have to be just as adaptable as the fire is. Fortunately, there is an...

With the way our lives have been disrupted due to COVID-19, we can look around and see the panic in the uncertainty of the people who are making mad dashes to the grocery store and having fights in the aisles in order to stock up on toilet paper. I feel like a lot of this kind of behavior can be directly attributed to the fact that we live in a society that is constantly telling us to avoid stress...

There are two things that firefighters hate; change, and the way things are... The world can seem like a daunting and complicated place at times, especially considering the perpetually increasing complexity of our chosen career.  As building materials and textiles change chemical composition, the time of survivability and rate of fire spread rapidly decrease.  If we choose not to adapt t...