Forged by FIRE with Ryan Rodriquez

Suicide awareness month is wrapping up as September comes to an end, but that doesn’t mean we should stop making plans to improve our mentalities as well as our bodies.  I’ve put a focus on mental health and wellness this month with a little bit of physical awareness thrown in.  It’s important to remember that the body follows the mind, but it’s EQUALLY as important to remember that the...

Back in Episode 033, I talked about the importance of mentorship.  In this episode, I have a conversation with Jonathan Santana, who is on a mission to teach individuals life balancing skills to cope with stress in their day to day lives. He is a Firefighter/Paramedic, Speaker, Mentor & Coach.   During our conversation, we discuss what it means to be mentored, qualities to look for i...

As September is suicide awareness month, I’m putting a focus on mental health and wellness.  We are already aware that exercise is good for the body.  But did you know that it’s also VERY effective in dealing with depression, anxiety, and stress? In today’s episode I will discuss the mental benefits of exercise and provide some strategies that can help keep you operating in a positive li...

A lot of firefighters base their level of fulfillment in their career.  We sometimes forget that we aren’t JUST firefighters.  We are also fathers and mothers, husbands and wives, friends and family.  Fulfillment can and should be found in other areas of our lives so once that time in our lives is over, we have a strong basis to continue our sense of meaning and purpose. Are you con...

**I apologize for the throat-clearing in advance.  I'm fighting a cold and I hit "mute", but my editing software still picked it up*** The different types of materials and hazards out there have changed the way we fight fire.  With all the new and different types of materials we are finding in homes and even commercial buildings and how quickly they burn, it's important to select the app...

People look at firefighters with a certain level of expectation when it comes to capability as well as professionalism.  There is a standard that the public holds us to.  We are public servants and in that expectation, they have every right to hold us to a standard.  But are we holding ourselves to that standard? If you are currently working as a firefighter or are taking steps towa...

When starting out on a new venture, whatever it may be, it can be difficult if you don’t have any ideas on where to start or how the process works. A lot of the times we may feel overwhelmed which causes us to stop in our tracks and never reach the potential that we could, and are meant to. In the fire service, mentorship is crucial for personal development and professional growth.  Without those...

Those of us in the first-responder community are expected to respond to the most harrowing and devastating situations imaginable.  We do it because we have the desire to help those in need.  Most of the time the last interaction people have with us is negative due to the circumstances of the situation.  How can we make a conscious effort to leave our last interactions we have with people on a posi...

The word “samurai” means “one who serves”.  It was a title given to the renowned warrior class of pre-modern Japan.  The elements that attract a lot of people (me included) to the ideals lived and practiced by the samurai are their fierce fighting style and strict sense of discipline.  The kind of discipline that made the samurai a very admired as well as feared culture was their de...

I talk a lot about the ‘status quo’ in this podcast and in the things that I write.  But what exactly does that mean? In this episode I talk about what the ‘status quo’ is, why it proposes a problem, why people are afraid to challenge it, and what WE can do to challenge it as agents of positive change.

In a profession where our physical fitness can literally mean the difference between life and death, it’s critical for us to do what we can to stay in ideal physical shape.  We do that by working out, but one of the aspects of living a healthy lifestyle is to maintain a proper diet. In this episode, I’m going to review the elements of going on a sugar detox.  It’s something that you can...

When bad stuff happens, you’ve probably heard people say things like, “Look on the bright side!” or  “No rain, no rainbows!” and you might feel like punching that person in the face.  But, what if I told you that they’re onto something? Sometimes all you wanna do is break something or punch a hole in the wall, but in a career where your mentality plays a big part on your own personal wel...

We've recently had some "probies" come out of their 16-week fire academy and we’ve been able to put eyes on them and see their personalities come out.  While in the academy, everything was regimented for them and planned out.  Now, they’re having to adapt to their crew, adapt to the interruption of emergency calls coming in, and adapt to the emergency situation itself.  It can be ov...

Firefighters are typically known for their physical strength, not necessarily their emotional strength.  When people stop to think about the job we do, they often realize just how much impact we absorb not only physically but mentally and especially emotionally. How many times do we hear members of our organizations say things like, “I come to work to relax and get away from the stress of hom...

People hear the word “conflict” and often think of it as a negative word.  I would challenge that way of thinking.  In fact, I would even go so far as to say that conflict on a crew or any team is a GOOD thing and very necessary. The fear of conflict is a dysfunction when it comes to building a productive and effective team. If something matters and you have a difference of opinion or perspective,...

As we’ve become more and more disenfranchised as individuals within our organizations, we tend to retreat into our little caves which does nothing for us as fire crews.  Some people think that by sitting and watching TV together is adequate, but it doesn’t build true bonds of brotherhood.  Some people retreat into their rooms to avoid any contact due to discomfort.  With all the distractions in ou...

Have you ever wondered what the process is to becoming a firefighter?  When I was starting out, I had no clue what I was doing or what the steps were that I needed to take.  I had to do a lot of footwork to gather information and understanding as to what it took to earn a career living my dream. In today's episode I take what I learned and share it with you.  This episode is dedicated to those who...

You may have heard the term “Servant Leadership” before. People talk about the different styles of leadership there are and servant leadership has been brought up many times lately in circles of conferences and presentations. But what does it look like and how can we become servant leaders? Today we explore what it means to be a servant-leader and how we can enact the principles of servant-leaders...

In order to be able to take care of others, you must first take care of yourself.  This can be difficult for us as firefighters as it is in our nature to help others in need and oftentimes risk our own well-being for the sake of others.  However, if you’ve ever flown in a plane and listened to the pre-flight safety instructions, you’ll remember that if the cabin pressure drops and the ox...

The entire plight of the IGNITEd movement is to challenge the status quo through self-improvement and accountability.  But how exactly does one take active steps toward accountability? When I say the “A-word”, people do one of two things; get quiet and change the subject OR they ask me what I mean by accountability.  Either way, it’s a HUGE red flag that lets me know that there is a seve...

I hear it argued all the time in the fire service; which is better to have, education or experience?  Aren't they BOTH a form of education?  Aren't they BOTH a form of experience?   In this episode we discuss how both are important and work in tandem and that there isn't one that is "better" than the other.  A well-rounded professional should have elements of BOTH!

When we think of the word TRIBE, we tend to think of indigenous people in a far off jungle.  But what does that word mean for us in modern society and is that a term or way of thinking that we need anymore? I would argue YES! In a world that continually sells independence and isolation, we are becoming less and less able to communicate with each other and more incapable of forming lasting and...

Everyone wants to feel like they've been heard.  Sometimes, that's all it takes to make the situation better.  As firefighters and EMS professionals, we sometimes get so focused on solving the problem that we forget to listen.  That tunnel vision bleeds into our personal lives and relationships. In this episode, we talk about how to recognize when we're doing that as well as some of...

Every human being needs to feel like the person they are working for cares about them.  This is the only way to foster and maintain a healthy organization.  But what do you do when you are met with biased leaders who focus on things other than their employees, i.e. YOU?  Today we identify some of the biases we may be facing within our organizations as well as some methods we ca...

Consistency is CRUCIAL when working toward a goal you have set for yourself. Today I give you some tools that you can use to implement some consistency in your fitness goals. Take what we talk about today and apply it!