Forged & Unbroken

I am so honored and stoked to have TJ Prieur on the podcast. In this episode, we dive into fatherhood, marriage, knowing thyself, embracing struggle, and building resiliency through daily discipline of doing the hard things. He is an absolute sage, a calming presence, and is leading a value-added life. This episode is rich with principles for betterment in our lives. In Episode 2, we will dive int...

In today's episode, we discuss what is required of teams and individuals for in-extremis readiness, in terms of physical prowess. https://www.patreon.com/user?u=89578184 Daily workouts Growth Mindset Podcast Early Access to the Forged and Unbroken Fire Podcast and the In-Extremis Readiness Podcast Mobility Videos for Injury Presentation and Rehabilitation 1/3 of all profits go to public safety cha...

In today's episode, we discuss what is required of teams and individuals for in-extremis readiness, in terms of adrenal durability and control of the SNS. https://www.patreon.com/user?u=89578184 Daily workouts Growth Mindset Podcast Early Access to the Forged and Unbroken Fire Podcast and the In-Extremis Readiness Podcast Mobility Videos for Injury Presentation and Rehabilitation 1/3 of all profit...

In today's episode, we discuss what is required of teams and individuals for in-extremis readiness, in terms of mental and emotional wellness. https://www.patreon.com/user?u=89578184 Daily workouts Growth Mindset Podcast Early Access to the Forged and Unbroken Fire Podcast and the In-Extremis Readiness Podcast Mobility Videos for Injury Presentation and Rehabilitation 1/3 of all profits go to publ...

Erik Vidal works for Miami-Dade Fire & Rescue and is a military veteran, separating from the US Army as a Chief Warrant Officer 2 and UH-60 Black Hawk pilot. He leads the UNCIVIL brand as well as TrainInGear. Most notably though, he doesn't define himself by these labels, he's much more than that. His drive is admirable, using his platform to showcase the need for physical and mental health, h...

“Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself.” Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Under stressful conditions and in PPE, firefighters should be able to execute and troubleshoot job specific tasks with comfort and ease to effectively mitigate the issue at hand. This is where knowledge, skills, and abilities all culminate. Further, you must possess and then act on the appropriate skill, at the appropriate time,...

On this week’s episode, we have Celeste Flynn and Sara Laird, part of the team behind the non-profit, the Phoenix Advocates. They have a truly powerful message that they deliver in a raw and meaningful way. We discuss the mission of their group, and how it stemmed from losing their husbands in fires from 2018 and 2021. We lean in on a lot of hard topics, and we are able to learn from them as they...

On todays’ episode, we start the building process of what it takes to be In-Extremis Ready, starting with the 5 Attributes of the Holistically Functioning Firefighter. We’re kicking off with Strategic Knowledge. We need to know what the expectations are, how units are going to function, and what things units are responsible for. Also, you have to know the rules to break them, to know when to devia...

This week, I had the privilege to sit down with John Graham of Berkley County, West Virginia. We discuss the unique challenges of small professional departments, a LODD and its effects on personnel, the struggles and purpose of the Union, how one department may differ in size from a big city - but the degree to which we all need to operate remains the same, and so much more! Want more? Join the Fo...

Hello everyone, There is an incredible physical, mental, and emotional toll that the fire service is placed under while we are responding to emergency incidents - simply put - human performance. It takes a massive amount of preparedness to ensure we are capable and ready to respond to these incidents. However, we can do everything right on this job, and things can still go bad - the fireground is...

Chris Tobin of @legacyfirefighting and Jeff Weffelmeyer of @enginehousetraining serve in the second oldest career fire service in the United States, the City of St Louis. In Part 1, Chris and Jeff discuss the cultural firefighting differences in St. Louis, and Chris unpacks a fire he was involved in that showcases the mental stress that firefighters face. In Part 2, Jeff is kind enough to share hi...

Chris Tobin of @legacyfirefighting and Jeff Weffelmeyer of @enginehousetraining serve in the second oldest career fire service in the United States, the City of St Louis. In Part 1, Chris and Jeff discuss the cultural firefighting differences in St. Louis, and Chris unpacks a fire he was involved in that showcases the mental stress that firefighters face. In Part 2, Jeff is kind enough to share hi...

This week, we have Jess Letoureanu, LCPC, discussing a variety of topics regarding her work with public safety providers. We discuss physical health supporting mental health, red flags, breath work, the physiology behind anxiety and panic, and so much more. Letourneau is a wealth of knowledge, a straight shooter, and pulls no punches. More of Jessica's work explaining the Polyvagal Theory: Explori...

Fire Chief Dave LeBlanc, of Harwich, Massachusetts, is a man I've looked up to for over a decade. His writings have steered and mentored the fire service and have stood the test of time. I consider myself so fortunate to be able to reach out to him and pick his brain. Listen in as we discuss cultural differences in New England, leadership principles, performance on the fireground, and the bias to...

This week we have Capt. Ronnie Lagana. Capt. Lagana spent over 30 years in the fire service, first as a volunteer in one of the Nation's busiest Department's, and then as a paramedic and officer throughout his time in service. He discusses the fire service in the 1980's, command and leadership, as well as his role as a Safety Officer managing a Mayday and Line of Duty Death in 2018.

In 1982, Bob Wiseman had 4 years of volunteer firefighting experience, but had only been out in the field for 3 weeks after graduating the academy.  He recounts the story of his and his partner's Mayday on the second floor of a townhouse, before we even called it "Mayday."  Communications, operations, mindset of go/no-go situations, technology, the burn unit, healing, lessons learned and...

In this episode, we have my dear friend, Jamey Dunlavey. Jamey has spent over two decades as a firefighter paramedic on the bordering outskirts of the Nation's capital. We’ll be discussing some of that, but the core tenant of today’s episode will be spent on grief. Jamey has been kind enough to share some of his life’s story, and through it, we learn what it takes to say, “I need help,” resiliency...

So fortunate to have this gentleman on the podcast. What a scholar. We don't leave any stones unturned. We dive into the struggles we face in the fire service, mental health, resiliency, divinity, and so much more.

This call changed many lives, especially mine. It had a tremendous impact on so many and continues on today. I had the opportunity to sit with Battalion Chief John Bean, an absolute wealth of knowledge. He was Battalion 2 and command of side Charlie the night of the July 23rd, 2018, LODD of Lt. Nathan Flynn. Listen in as we unpack the call and work together to review it from both sides, that of th...

Service, Wellness, Charity Be a durable, resilient human. Be Forged & Unbroken. https://www.patreon.com/user?u=89578184

On this episode, we sit down with one of my longtime friends, Roger Steger. He is a longtime servant and educator in the fire service, spending much of his time in some of the busiest fire companies in the entire Nation. Making his way through the ranks from firefighter to Chief of Kentland Volunteer Fire Department, and in his current role as the senior acting man on Baltimore City's Engine 8, he...

Dave "Otter" Olson was one of my mentors in the fire service. His drive is unparalleled, his passion for knowledge is insatiable. He's been through a ton of stuff from his start in the early '90s. Listen in as we discuss his early days and how he has managed rescues, MAYDAYs, training, leadership, family, and resiliency.

Ever heard of biohacking? No pun intended, it was like drinking through a fire hose with all of the knowledge bombs these two were dropping. I was left with so many more questions, but in all the best ways. Lauren Sombataro and Renee Belz, of the Biohacker Babes, are an absolute wealth of experience, and they have dedicated their lives to optimize the health and wellness for themselves and others....

https://youtu.be/w-sM-t1KI_Y "Don't Go Gentle Into That Good Night"Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Though wise men at their end know dark is right, Because their words had forked no lightning they Do not go gentle into that good night. Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright Their frail deeds migh...

As a follow up to a poll from the other week, Andy Hoffman, Ryan King and I discuss what goes into our decision-making when we must decide between choosing to work with a specific group of people, or choosing an assignment, given that you can't have both.