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South Metro Fire has one of the most impressive and robust health and wellness programs of any agency in the United States. They run their program on the model of Human Performance Optimization (HPO) which includes physical and mental health, medical monitoring, and so much more.

This is Part II of a multi-part series where I sit down and speak with various providers at the agency. Today's episode features Kelsey Bailey, a performance dietitian who contracts with the agency to work with personnel on their nutrition.

If you missed part I, you can catch it here: CLICK

Kelsey Bailey is a Performance Dietitian for her LLC, B.Well. She spent 7 and a half years with Special Operations and is currently a consulting Performance Dietitian with the Colorado Rockies, Colorado Avalanche, South Metro Fire Rescue, and Lakewood Police Department. Her areas of specialty include performance nutrition and understanding the unique demands of the tactical world on one's physiology. Her special interest areas include optimizing health and performance related to sleep, stress management, job performance and prevention of long-term disease. She also has a vested interest in allostatic load and nutrition support, care for traumatic brain injury, heavy metal and environmental exposures, and GI recovery and support. She offers both individual consults and education sessions for teams or groups.

So what, now what?

Nutrition is critical for wellness, health and performance. Work with a sports/performance dietitian for best results!

Email Kelsey: [email protected]

Check out Kelsey's Website

Follow BWell on IG

Download the CPSDA Document

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Sign up for 7-Minute Science V2.0 on 1.22.24 at noon central!!!

South Metro Fire has one of the most impressive and robust health and wellness programs of any agency in the United States. They run their program on the model of Human Performance Optimization (HPO) which includes physical and mental health, medical monitoring, and so much more.

This is Part I of a multi-part series where I sit down and speak with various providers at the agency. Today's episode features Chris Macklin, the agency's Health and Wellness Director. Chris has an impressive pedigree in the fire service and you're going to love what he has to say!

Check out Chris' Bio here

So what, now what?

There's no downside to taking excellent care of agency's personnel. SMFR is setting the standard. Look in their direction if you need ideas for your agency!

Email Chris: [email protected]

Check out South Metro's Wellness Website

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There are usually only a few instances in a lifetime where thought processes get turned 180 degrees. For me, meeting Anna Hartman was one of those instances.

Anna is an incredible practitioner with a unique approach to assessment and treatment; unlike most hands-on clinicians, she can guarantee results for her clients and patients! I recently completed Anna's LTAP (Location Treatment and Assessment Protocol) course, and my mind was blown!

Anna Hartman MS, ATC, CSCS, is  an Athletic Trainer with 20 years of experience working with athletes in the NFL, MLB, NBA, USTA, WTA, PGA, LPGA, NHL, MLS, and Athletics. She is also a comprehensively trained Pilates instructor (Polestar Pilates), A 200-hour Vinyasa Yoga instructor, and a NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach. Since 2013, Anna has been studying and practicing The Barral Institute's™ Visceral, Neural, Vascular, and Articular Manipulation techniques for assessment and manual therapy, as well as exploring the integration of osteopathic philosophies within my movement, rehabilitation, and performance methods. As the founder of MovementREV, LLC, Anna is a private consultant to professional athletes in the NFL, MLB, NBA, and track and field. Anna provides mentorship and professional education to other sports healthcare professionals through online education programs and speaks internationally at various symposiums and conferences. Previously, Anna was one of the original team members of EXOS (formerly Athlete's Performance™) and spent the first 11 years of her career in various roles at EXOS, including the Director of Performance Physical Therapy and co-creator of EXOS Performance Physical Therapy methodology.

So what, now what?

Simply understanding that an unhappy liver or cranial nerve could be the root of a pain and injury cycle provides so much hope and power for firefighters who are suffering!

Email Anna: [email protected]

Anna's website

Grab the FREE Swelling Protocol PDF

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This week's episode was a conversation 5 years in the making. Scott and I bonded on the 'gram over rescue puppies in 2018. In December of that year, he adopted my dog bestie, ATM (Alfie the Mini), and we've been great friends ever since.

Scott hosted me as a guest on Episode 65 of the NSCA Coaching Podcast when our roles were quite different. I was a firefighter just getting my feet underneath me within the firefighter health and wellness space, and Scott was the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach and Coaching Program Manager for the NSCA (and most definitely NOT a firefighter). Hear how our lives have changed in 4 years since that interview!

Scott Caulfield's Bio

So what, now what?

Even within the volunteer fire service, health and wellness interventions can exist...sometimes you have to know who to ask!

Follow Scott on IG

Follow ATM on IG

Check out Scott's website

Check out Norwich University

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The FRW Swag store is open just in time for the holidays! Check it out here!

My podcast guests are all my friends; and in this case, Lee Throckmorton was simply a friend I hadn't met yet. Lee and I ran into one another at this year's NSCA Tactical Annual Training in Las Vegas and began chatting about health and wellness after the conference.

You're going to love Lee's take on getting on-duty crews involved with health and wellness training!

Lee Throckmorton recently retired from a 30-year career in public safety which began on the oceanfront as a lifeguard for a large volume tourist destination in Southeast Virginia.  In 1997, he began working for a high tempo, urban fire department concurrently with a seasonal lifeguard career.  Lee was able to have a diverse career within the fire service as a paramedic, hazardous material technician, code enforcement, and arson investigator.  His assignment to the Fire Marshal’s Office took Lee to the Police Academy and Field Training Program within the city’s Police Department.  Lee’s final assignment was as a Lieutenant on a busy ladder company at his department’s midtown location.  Lee is the Founder/CEO of Kaizen Groundworks which specializes in Tactical Athlete Preparation for individuals looking to enter into the tactical workspace within public safety.

So what, now what?

Even if you're not an officer or a department administrator, you can have enormous influence on the health and wellness of the department. Get involved!

Email Lee: [email protected]

Check out the Kaizen website here

Follow Lee on IG

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This week's episode was a pure delight to record. Sara Jahnke is moving the needle in big ways within the firefighter research community. We found out that we are kindred spirits in both the love of research and good hugs.

Dr. Sara Jahnke is the Director and a Senior Scientist with the Center for Fire, Rescue & EMS Health Research within NDRI-USA, Inc. With over a decade of research experience on firefighters, she has been the Principal Investigator on several national studies as well as dozens of studies as a co-investigator.  Her work has focused on a range of health concerns including the health of women firefighters, behavioral health, risk of injury, cancer, cardiovascular risk factors, and substance use with funding from FEMA, the National Institutes of Health and other foundations.

So what, now what?

Sara is optimistic that although we have a long way to go with firefighter research, we've come SO FAR! Get involved with consuming or conducting research. It matters!

Email Sara: [email protected]

Follow Sara on LinkedIn

Join Science Alliance!

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Fitness testing is only meaningful if it's reliable and actionable, so it's not the place to start a health and wellness program.

So what, now what?

Top tips if you're convinced fitness testing is right for your department:

*Make sure it's proctored by a credentialed and competent professional who can explain not only the testing process but also the results.

*Ensure that steps are in place to create action on the results. A candidate tests poorly on the strength tests? Who is going to mentor them so they can improve?

*Do not treat testing protocols as a box-checking exercise.

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AJ is back for a second guest appearance on the FRW podcast. We were supposed to record in person at ACSM Midwest, but your illustrious host forgot the power cord.

Listen to AJ's previous episode with Joel Luedke here!

We discussed the physiology of training for sport, training for firefighting, and the downsides of working out in structural firefighting gear.

Dr. Jagim is the Director of Sport Medicine Research for the Mayo Clinic Health System in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and an Associate Professor of Family Medicine. Dr. Jagim completed his PhD in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Exercise Physiology at Texas A&M University. Andrew is also a certified strength & conditioning specialist with distinction through the National Strength & Conditioning Association and a certified sports nutritionist through the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 

His primary research area focuses on how various nutrition and exercise-related strategies influence the performance and health of athletes. Dr. Jagim also has a focused interest in the physiological demands of various sports and tactical professions and how they pertain to injury, recovery status, and performance. This work has led to several publications in peer-reviewed journals, and presentations at national conference events. In addition to his time spent in academia, Andrew has worked as a personal trainer and sports nutrition consultant for various clients and athletes.

Contact AJ: [email protected]

Check out the website!

Listen to the episode with Sarah Johnsen, where she discussed velocity-based training here!

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Matt Spaid and I have been friends since 2020 when he heard me on the Power Athlete Radio podcast and reached out to connect.  You can hear what Matt listened to here

Matt Spaid is a Firefighter, Strength Coach, and a Marine Corps Combat Veteran. He is also a dedicated husband and father of two amazing kids. Matt fought in Iraq and Afghanistan with the 3rd Battalion 4th Marines and served from 2006-2010. 

After exiting the Marines, he eventually found a career in the Fire Service beginning in 2013. Before he started in the fire service, he worked in the fitness industry as a coach at a CrossFit gym. While working at the gym, he also coached Strongman and Mobility classes. This experience led to training a wide variety of athletes while learning different aspects of health and wellness. Matt believes that being healthy and strong is not one-dimensional, and you must have a balanced approach through the body, mind, and spirit.

Matt is also a mental health advocate, having suffered and grown from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from his service as a Marine and Firefighter. He is working to reduce the stigma of mental health challenges in the fire service and believes fitness is one of the best forms of treatment AND prevention for mental health issues. He hosts group workouts for First Responders and Veterans with the non-profit Project Resilience. 

Spaid has competed in the Middleweight Open class of Strongman, CrossFit competitions, and endurance events, including a Sprint Triathlon. He currently holds the rank of Captain at his department in Southeast Texas and is also a Power Athlete Certified Coach and an Adaptive Athlete Level 1 Trainer.

So what, now what?

PTS isn't a lifetime sentence. Resources are available and there's hope for recovery! Get involved in PTSDecember as one low-barrier-of-entry method of turning things around.

Connect with Matt on IG

Email Matt: [email protected]

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Today I spoke with my IG homie, Dr. Jen Hosler about the importance of keeping the nervous system feeling safe, downregulating the nervous system, and the power of breathing as well the awesome tool known as CARs (controlled articular rotations)-all important info for my firefighters out there.

 Dr. Jen is a fitness-forward physical therapist, who specializes in bridging the gap between rehab & performance. She helps people build more resilient bodies so they can do more of what they love with less pain & injuries, through a blend of strength & mobility training.

So what, now what?

Pain doesn't necessarily equal an injury and sleep, nutrition, attitude, and movement can all positively or negatively impact pain.  AND...do your CARs!

Check out Jen on IG

See what's going on at her website

Email Dr. Jen: [email protected]

Find out more about CARs, PAILs and RAILs and Kinstretch

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