Fire Rescue Wellness

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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

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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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Today s*** got weird and my IG friend Paul Pongratz interviewed me and asked all kinds of great questions about setting up FD health and wellness programs. I hope you'll get some good nuggets out of this one because he asked great questions.

Paul Pongratz has been a student of the Fire Service since 1998, he started his service as a volunteer in a combination department serving as a Firefighter and EMT. 

In 2001 he was hired by the Chesapeake Fire Department and has served in a variety of assignments as a firefighter, company officer, and training officer, and is currently serving as a Captain and Station Commander of a multi-company district station.  

In addition to his duties as a Captain, Paul has served as a member of the fire department peer support and behavioral health team since 2013.  In 2015 he became the Peer Support Team Program Coordinator with the goal of raising awareness level at all levels of the department from the candidates in recruit school to the Command staff.  While this was not an easy task, Paul gained the support of the command staff and with the assistance of like-minded members, the stigma of behavioral health has improved moving into the next generation of firefighters in his department.

Paul has seen how firefighters resistant to change can adapt to the changing of times while still being aggressive firefighters, and how rank can help support the ideas for improvement with the support of the next generation of firefighters.

Paul is married to wife Michelle, Father to Lily and Ashton, and Dog Dad to Annie.  His family is his number one support system and the key to his work-life balance.

So what, now what?

An honest needs assessment is a logical place to start with any health and wellness program.

Connect with Paul on IG

Check out the 62 Romeo course

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Get on the waitlist for Building Your Career in Fire: A Health and Wellness Professional's Roadmap

This week's episode is repeat guest Dr. Erin Terada and special guest Steve the Corgi. Steve got vocal and passionate about a topic, so he was escorted out by security. I'm not sure he'll be asked back on the podcast :) More to follow.

Erin and I spoke about disordered eating and eating disorders (not the same thing) and how they relate to public safety.

Check out Erin's previous episode!

Erin Terada, PsyD, LCP, CEDS-S is the Director of Clinical Training at Relief Mental Health in Oak Brook, IL. Highly regarded by her peers, she has decades of experience in treating Feeding and Eating Disorders, Anxiety Disorders, Obsessive Compulsive Disorders, and Trauma Disorders. She has practiced in multiple treatment settings throughout the Greater Chicagoland Area.  (Check out her full bio here!)

So what, now what?
Mindfulness and awareness of hunger and satiety cues are paramount and work alongside the hedonistic qualities of eating. We can do ourselves a huge favor by losing the morality guilt related to food and by simply paying attention!

Relief website

Find Relief on social media by searching for Relief mental health.

Email Dr. Terada: [email protected]

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The six degrees of Scott Caufield strike again. This week's guest is a recent acquaintance and a complete bada** who works with Scott at Norwich Military University. Rachele and I riffed on nutrition, fitness, and wellness for their student population and LEO/FIRE/MILITARY.

Rachele Pojednic, PhD, EdM, CSCS is an Associate Professor & Program Director of Exercise Science in the Department of Health and Human Performance at Norwich University and a research associate at the Institute of Lifestyle Medicine at Harvard Medical School. She is also the Director of Scientific Research and Education at Restore Hyperwellness. Her current research examines nutrition, supplementation, and physical activity interventions on muscle physiology, performance, and recovery, particularly in active women and tactical athletes. She has received NIH research funding from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and the Vermont Biomedical Research Network (VBRN) an IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) program. Dr. Pojednic serves on the Board of Governors for the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Exercise Is Medicine® initiative, was the Interim Executive Director for the Prescription for Activity Task Force, and serves on The American Council on Exercise (ACE) Industry Advisory Panel. Dr. Pojednic has been a nutrition and strength and conditioning coach for Olympic, Division I, sports, and tactical athletes for over 20 years. She has a passion for science communication and has been a consultant and writer for several organizations including NPR, Sirius Doctor Radio, Time, Popular Science, Self, Shape, Women's Health, Forbes, Runners World, and Boston Magazine.

So what, now what?
Simplicity is where it's at. We need more people translating science into action for the fire service and humans in general!

Email Rachele: [email protected]

Check out her website

Follow her on all socials by searching for RachelPojednic

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Keeping firefighters, warfighters, and athletes' core temperatures down is critical to optimized performance. I was introduced to CoolMitt two years ago at a conference, and at that point, they were getting into the bulk of their firefighter research.

Today, we sat down and discussed efficient and effective cooling methods for firefighters (hint: it's not sitting in a chair with your arms in ice sleeves or wearing a refrigerated vest at the hospital.)

Dr. Heller is a long-time Stanford researcher who studies temperature regulation and was challenged by an anesthesiologist to solve a recovery room temperature regulation problem. Dr. H said, "Hold my beer!" and won that bet.

Dr. Kauser is a former Chief and works diligently to translate science into action in the fire service. We became best friends during this episode because that goal warms my tiny heart!

So what, now what?

We're getting it wrong. Although cooling the skin may feel good, it's not effectively reducing core temperature. If you want to get back in the fight, you've got to decrease that core temperature. The artery/vein shunts (anastomosis) in your hands, feet, and above your lip are the spots to target.

Links to bios and resources

Contact Fred Kauser to find out how to bring CoolMitt to your department.

614-496-6319 

or [email protected]

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Guess what!?!

It's my podcast-versary! Congrats to me and my main genius producer, Jeremiah, for a whole year of shows!

I'm never going to try to monetize the podcast by begging for money with a button, but if you've ever wondered how to support me or the show, here's your way. Jeremiah was recently robbed of his sound equipment, including his hard drives. He lost several thousand dollars in gear, and his friends have also suffered losses. If you're inclined and able, please donate to the go-fund-me set up to help him and his friends. I'd appreciate it so much.

Support Jeremiah and his friends!

Today, I riffed on Return on Investment (ROI) for health and wellness programs and how we should measure it in value instead of dollars. The goal is to give you language and perspective when requesting that your department provide resources.

So what, now what?

We KNOW that health and wellness interventions work. We KNOW they improve quality of life and provide value. Let's focus on that instead of whether we will get a $1.50 or $15 return on our investment!

Click here for the research from the episode!

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FRW20 at Fluid Nutrition

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