Fire Rescue Wellness

Coach Jo Zabal (JZ to me) is one badass coach and superstar friend. We met just before C***id and became fast friends, supporting one another through various life trials and tribulations. I am honored to have her as my 71st podcast guest.

Johannah comes from a diverse athletic background, with a demonstrated history of coaching in high school, collegiate & private industry for over 20 years. She is currently a Contract Strength & Conditioning Specialist for the Army at Fort Liberty (formerly known as Bragg). Jo also serves as Director of Sports Performance for Soldiers to Sidelines, a non-profit that empowers all branches of active duty, retired or wounded military members & military spouses to become coaches through seminars & clinics. 

 Earning her Bachelor of Science in Health Promotion Management from Marymount University, and her Master’s of Science in Exercise Science with a concentration in Strength & Conditioning from George Washington University, she has worked in several roles in the private sector, including sports performance & football combine coaching. In 2013, she started the inaugural Strength & Conditioning program at Marymount University, where she headed up a weight room renovation and trained 12 teams independently. From 2016 to 2021, she worked at George Washington University, where she was the Metabolism & Exercise Testing Laboratories Coordinator and adjunct Faculty while helping manage the graduate assistant program for the Exercise & Nutrition Sciences Department. 

 Johannah has extensive experience coaching sports performance, football combine prep and team sports. Her identification with sport, teamwork, competition and the discipline that drives all of those areas, steered her toward this career in the strength & conditioning field. It was in the weight room, on the court, and on the field that she fell in love with the art of coaching. This pursuit to be a lifelong learner, a better communicator & an inspiring coach drives her every day.

So what, now what?

Be capable, unoffended, and excellent. And while you're at it, stop doing physical fitness training in your bunker gear.

Contact Coach Jo: [email protected]

Check out Jo's IG

Soldiers to Sidelines

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The Rescue RD has been on the podcast so many times, that I'm going to need to make her a co-host! Please welcome 3-time guest Megan Lautz!!!

Megan Lautz is a Registered Dietitian and strength coach with a Master's in Sports Nutrition. Megan’s mission is to help firefighters perform better, recover faster, and enjoy long healthy retirements.

Before joining Fairfax Fire in 2021, Megan worked with Montgomery County Fire and Police from 2017-2021.  While a civilian, Megan has strived to understand the challenges firefighters face when trying to stay healthy.  She has trained for and passed CPAT, completed 24-hour ride-alongs, and is heavily involved in fire recruit training and nutrition. Megan provides healthy dinner demonstrations, nutrition roundtable discussions,  workouts, and mobility sessions to career firefighters out in the field. 

Megan owns RescueRD LLC, which provides nutrition seminars and coaching for tactical athletes across the country. Check out @Rescue.RD on Facebook and Instagram. A free Firehouse Dinner Recipe  Book is available on her website RescueRD.com.

So what, now what?

Fueling needs can radically change during a fire career. It's not just 'age' that gets you. New job assignments that decrease activity also change your nutritional requirements. Pay attention!

Megan's Website

Free Resources-Scroll down to posters

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Today I share eight tips that I feel are important for Firefighter health, wellness, and longevity.

1-Life balance/find joy
2-Prioritize sleep
3-Exercise a little most days instead of a lot every once in a while
4-Discover a sustainable method of eating that works for you
5-Medical monitoring-do it!
6-Maximize mental health
7-Breathe!
8-Manage your time

What would you add? Send me an email at: [email protected] and sound off!

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Risk vs Reward

I've had cancer.
 
 Don't let that be your story too.

The *good* kind...{please, for the love of god, never ever say that to another human.}

Therefore, watching other firefighters and coaches do physical fitness training such as burpees, assault bike, pull-ups, and jumping jacks in gear grinds MY GEARS.

It's reckless and, worse yet, just plain ignorant. And saying you know the risks and are assuming them because it's worth it doesn't shelter you from them or make your training effective when it's not.

I promise you will never be called on to ride an assault bike into the fire ground battle.  You'll never jumping jack your way from the truck to the ladder and onto the roof. You're sure as hell not going to single-leg ball crunch your way to saving a toddler.

There are better ways to train and condition yourself than doing those activities in your fire gear. I promise you.

Risk vs Reward

I've had cancer.

Don't let that be your story too.

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Don't forget to leave me a podcast review, and let me know via [email protected] so I can put you into the Flame Decon care package giveaway drawing! The deadline is 8.15.2023.

I met Rob Hartman at the NSCA Coaches Conference in 2020. We bonded over Diet Dew, motorized scooters, margaritas with the Bridge Athletic crew et al., and conversations about training, and the rest is history. 

Rob Hartman has been a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist since 2004. In 2010, he joined the THOR3 initiative, spending six years with the 1st Special Forces Group (A). Broadening his perspective and support efforts, he transitioned to the 4/160th SOAR, where he spent nearly four years. After the 4/160th, he became the Director of Tactical and Elite Sport for BridgeAthletic, supporting organizations in their digital transition. Most recently, he was the Supervisory Strength and Conditioning Specialist with the United States Air Force Special Warfare Human Performance Support Group and is now back at BridgeAthletic as the Director of Tactical and Education. Rob is also an avid educator in the tactical setting, having supported numerous efforts by the NSCA and EXOS, presenting nationally and internationally, and co-authoring the book Preparing for the Army Combat Fitness Test published by Human Kinetics.

He can be contacted via [email protected] or, for private training consults, he can be reached at [email protected]. You can also find him on LinkedIn.

If you're attending the NSCA Tactical Annual 2023, you can catch him twice!

ACE Talk Test

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 My claim to fame on my pod is that all my guests are personal friends. As of a few weeks ago, Dr. Bartlett was simply a friend I hadn't met yet! In this episode, we spoke a lot about scientifically backed treatment options and protocols and I'm so excited for you to hear it.

Brooke Bartlett, Ph.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist and the CEO/owner of Center for Trauma, Anxiety, and Stress (CTAS). In addition to being a trauma specialist, Dr. Bartlett is highly specialized in working with first responders and military members and has over ten years of experience providing them with evidence-based clinical services in the therapy room and out in the field. She also has an extensive research history examining mental health correlates among first responders and military veterans. She has over 20 publications in scientific journals, a published book chapter, and numerous presentations at national and international conferences. Alongside her scientific research, she frequently publishes in first responder editorials such as FireRescue1. At CTAS, Dr. Bartlett provides services exclusively for first responders, military members, and their loved ones, including therapy, assessment, and report writing. Another primary focus of her professional work is promoting first responder wellness by assisting public safety agencies in creating and implementing effective mental wellness programs. She provides mental health presentations, peer support training and supervision, consultation, content development, and on-call critical incident response. She is immensely passionate about serving those who serve others and has the utmost respect and admiration for the men and women who courageously serve our communities, our citizens, and our nation.

So what, now what?

There are many approaches to improving mental health; simply understanding mental health's importance is a significant first step!

Brooke's Website

Email Brooke: [email protected]

Brooke's LinkedIn

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Last year I was invited to a female firefighter Facebook group and although I didn't join (I violently hate me some FB), I was privy to a few posts while I was an invitee.

One firefighter posted something of this flavor: "Hey! Is anyone else just SO CLUMSY? I seem to fall all the time on the fire ground." At least 40 others joined in with how clumsy they also are.

That experience inspired an Instagram post-> Girl you're not clumsy; your shit doesn't fit!

Not long after, I met Dr. McQuerry who confirmed my analysis of the situation.

You're going to love today's conversation with two Ph. Ds who study textiles and specifically the FIT and FUNCTION of firefighting gear. Hang on to your butts!

So what, now what?

Whether you are male or female, ask for what you need in terms of your gear fit. Ill-fitting gear leads to injury and could even lead to loss of life. Ask for what you need and keep asking until you get it!

Click here for Cassandra and Meredith's Bios

Contact the badasses:
 
[email protected]

[email protected]

Follow them on IG:

@mer_mcquerry

@casskwon

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Listener Roy asked, "Regarding firefighter and fire department training questions, my issues are less with leading the horses to the proverbial water and more with getting them to drink it. Strategies I see are usually focused on getting career firefighters to exercise on shift, but there are notable nuances between career and paid-on-call/ volunteer departments that result in those strategies falling flat in departments like mine."

I did clarify with Roy. He is a paid-on-call department.

“I’m hoping to crowdsource and or brainstorm ideas with others like me at the upcoming NVFC Summit do you have any thoughts or experiences?"

I sure do! Listen to this episode to find out some of my thoughts.

So what, now what?
Most people don't love to exercise, so meeting them where they are and lowering those barriers to entry are two big ways you can help them drink the water. Also, keep in mind that your job isn't to convince. You're not a used car salesman!

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My friend Dr. Z. and I sat down and talked about nutrition basics, dietary supplements, nutritional research, and how those topics relate to firefighter health and wellness. 

Tim Ziegenfuss is a Past President and Fellow of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, and a consultant to several professional sports teams, athletes, and elite tactical personnel around the world. He has been quoted in Scientific American, published over 600 articles in mainstream magazines, co-authored ~80 scientific publications and 8 book chapters, and has had numerous interview appearances in top 25 national print media. His research interests include nutritional strategies to maximize health and performance, adaptations to resistance exercise, and the identification of novel, naturally occurring bioactive nutrients. As a scientific advisor to the natural products market, his input has led to the creation of dozens of products that currently grace the shelves of every major retailer in numerous countries around the world and account for millions in revenues.

So what, now what?
A Mediterranean diet may be quite helpful for improving CVD risk profiles in firefighters. Frequent comprehensive blood panels can help drive the decision-making processes in at-risk populations such as firefighters. And...intelligent supplementation based on those blood panels might be one of the best decisions you could make.

Check out the Center for Applied Research Website

Connect with Dr. Z on LinkedIn

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Open Access ISSN Position Stand on Tactical Athlete Fueling

Hey friends! This week I spoke with my guy Drew Gonzalez, a budding young scientist and a big fan of firefighter research. We hit on the ISSN Position Stand on Tactical Athlete Fueling and spoke about a novel antioxidant, as well as diving into some of Drew's work on virtual reality (VR).

Check out the episode and share it with a firefighter you know!

Drew Gonzalez is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Kinesiology and Sports Management (KNSM) at Texas A&M University (TAMU). He currently works as a Graduate Teaching Assistant for KNSM, a student Research Assistant in the Exercise and Sport Nutrition Laboratory (ESNL), and the Chief Leader of the Tactical Athlete Research Unit (TARU) at TAMU. Drew’s research interest focuses on the impacts of nutrients, nutrient timing, and exercise on cardiorespiratory fitness, cognition, and cardiometabolic health. More specifically, Drew has worked on several projects focused on improving the physiological stress responses to tactical operations among firefighters and law enforcement officers. Drew has co-authored 17 peer-reviewed manuscripts, with several focused on tactical athlete populations. Drew has recently authored the International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand on Tactical Athlete Nutrition. Upon graduating, Drew aims to continue to conduct research to best optimize tactical athlete nutrition and improve the health, performance, and operational readiness of the operator.

So what, now what?

Nutrition matters, especially in a career where stakes and mortality risk are high. If you don't know what else to do...eat your veggies and make sure to focus on your protein intake! And read the ISSN position stand. It's linked above.

Email Drew: [email protected]

Drew's IG

Tito's IG

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