Forged by FIRE with Ryan Rodriquez

With all the craziness of what’s going on in the world right now; rioting, looting and murders going unchecked, our brothers in blue have a lot on their plate.  Those working the front lines when it comes to maintaining order have some particular challenges that they’re currently facing.  Those of us in the fire service know what it’s like to work toward mitigating the stressors of the things that we see and the jobs that we are tasked with.  However, I wanted to get the perspective of a police officer who has worked in the field for over 20 years.

Today, I share with you a conversation I had with Chris Hoyer.  He just retired from the Phoenix Police Department two years ago and in that time he’s been busy speaking to officers and public safety workers across the country about his experiences and how he dealt with them.  He also wrote a book called, “When That Day Comes” where he goes into more depth about the things he saw and how he handled them, and continues to keep the demons at bay today.

I hope this interview helps to shine a light on the role that we don’t necessarily get to see all that often.  And by the end, I hope you come away with a sense that we are all people, trying to do a job, and not be taken over by the darkness that would otherwise envelop us.

--

The David Glasser Foundation

Nothing But Love Notes

When That Day Comes (Book)

IGNITEd Firefighter Podcast Facebook Community

IGNITEd Readers Book Club

IGNITEd Online Shop

IGNITEd FNX Fitness

Getting proper sleep is one of the most challenging parts of being a firefighter and doing shift work.

I’ve witnessed firefighters stay up all night at the firehouse, watching TV, neglecting any opportunity to sleep.  I’ve seen supervisors criticise firefighters when they try to take naps to make sure they’re rested and ready for when the tones kick out.  I’ve personally been up all night running calls and then up all day the next day running calls into the night.  Coming off of a shift like that doesn’t help when it comes to being present with your family or the people you love.  If you’re coming home to pets, then you’ve got it a bit better off in regards to being able to take a nap whenever you’d like.

However, today I’m going to focus on why sleep is so important, why we shouldn’t demonize it or feel guilty for taking naps, and I will provide some strategies to help facilitate your mind and body into a place where you can get quality sleep.

--

IGNITEd Firefighter Podcast Facebook Community

IGNITEd Readers Book Club

IGNITEd Online Shop

FNX Fitness Supplements

FNX Relax - Sleep Aid

WHOOP

Blue Light and Sleep: What’s the Connection?

With all the nutrition supplements out there in the market, there can be a lot of confusion and misdirection for the sake of selling a shoddy product.

As a professional strength and fitness coach, and as a certified nutrition coach, I am VERY leery of nutrition supplement companies and I have spent years researching and testing out over the counter products on myself.

I’ve come up with a great formula for supplementation for myself and strive to keep it simple in regards to that, and so should YOU.  You don’t need a counter or a cabinet full of supplements.

In today’s episode, I will tell you why that is.  Not only that, I will go over my personal supplement stack, make some recommendations, and at the end I have a big announcement to make!

--

IGNITEd Firefighter Podcast Facebook Community

IGNITEd Readers Book Club

IGNITEd Online Shop

IGNITEd FNX Fitness Ambassador Link

FNX Fitness Homepage

FNX Live

THIRST: CharityWater

28-Day Ignition Workout Program

You may have heard a lot of talk lately about fasting, particularly intermittent fasting (or IF).  Despite this recent surge in popularity, fasting is a practice that dates back centuries and plays an important role in many cultures and religions.

In general, most types of fasts are performed over 24-72 hours.  Intermittent fasting, on the other hand, involves cycling between periods of eating and fasting, ranging from a few hours to a few days at a time.

Fasting has been shown to have many health benefits, from increased weight loss to better brain function.

Today, I’m going to talk about 8 health benefits of fasting - backed by science.

--

IGNITEd Firefighter Podcast Facebook Community

IGNITEd Readers Book Club

IGNITEd Online Shop

Intermittent Fasting: Surprising Update

Fasting: Health Benefits and Risks

Blood Sugar Testing: When, Why, and How

If you’re a child of the 80’s like I am and watched Saturday morning cartoons, then you probably watched GI Joe.  One of the most impactful things I remember is how each episode ended.

There was always a lesson to be learned and at the end, and it was always capped off with the saying, “Knowing is half the battle.”

In today’s episode, I’m going to talk about how knowing IS only half the battle and I will provide you with 5 ways that you can move from knowing to doing!

--

IGNITEd Firefighter Podcast Facebook Community

IGNITEd Readers Book Club

IGNITEd Online Shop

IGNITEd Recruit Academy

Today is a first for the IGNITEd Firefighter Podcast!  Today I’m going to be doing an “Ask Me Anything” episode.  Over the past several weeks I’ve asked you guys to submit questions that might be on your mind and you didn’t disappoint!

I got all kinds of questions!  Some related to the show, some related to the fire service, and some not related to any of that.  Regardless of their nature, I thought it would be fun to take some of the questions that you guys submitted and answer them off the cuff today.

When I say “ask me anything”, I mean it.  It could be about ANYTHING!  So, if this AMA sparks any questions with you, please feel free to submit them via FB or IG and I will add them to the list for the next time I do this.

--

IGNITEd Firefighter Podcast Facebook Community

IGNITEd Readers Book Club

IGNITEd Online Shop

Incomparable by Brie and Nikki Bella

Extreme Ownership by Leif Babin and Jocko WIllink

The Proximity Principle by Ken Coleman

Fire Command by Alan Brunacini

The ability to envision possibilities for the future and share that vision with others is something that distinguishes leaders from nonleaders.  It also separates the performers from the spectators.

If you don’t have an idea of where you’re going, you’ll end up just going in circles.  Ultimately, when we’re on a fireground, the vision is to put the fire out.  The strategy is how we get there.  By having an ultimate vision for what we want to happen, we lay down a marker for what success looks like.

Today I’m going to talk about why we need vision.  I’ll talk about how having a personal vision statement can better prepare you for leadership roles, and I’ll provide you with ways to formulate your own vision in a practical way so that you can take action!

--

IGNITEd Firefighter Podcast Facebook Community

IGNITEd Readers Book Club

IGNITEd Online Shop

Start with Why by Simon Sinek

The Vision Driven Leader by Michael Hyatt

When we go through EMT or paramedic school, we learn of the two different responses that our nervous system has; sympathetic and parasympathetic.  What’s really incredible, specifically about the parasympathetic system, is that it can be manipulated and used to our advantage so that we can have a better impact on our cardiovascular system by removing stress and shock.

In today’s episode, I will do a quick review of these systems, how we can manipulate the parasympathetic system through vagal stimulation, what heart rate variability (HRV) is and how being conscious of all these things can greatly improve our physical condition and immunity.

--

IGNITEd Firefighter Podcast Facebook Community

IGNITEd Readers Book Club

The Wim Hof Method: Activate Your Full Human Potential

The Effect of Gag Reflex on Cardiac Sympathovagal Tone

WHOOP

EXOS

Studies in Heart Rate Variability (HRV)

In the fire service, there is an ocean of acronyms out there; CAFS, ALS, AAR, FMP, SOP, ETA, you get the idea.  One of the most recent ones to emerge is SLICERS.

In today’s episode, I will be focusing on this latest acronym, what it means, and why we should think about possibly adding it to our ever-growing repertoire.

If you’re unfamiliar with SLICERS, don’t feel guilty about it.  Not all organizations incorporate this specific methodology.  However, if after listening to this episode, you find yourself wanting to incorporate it into how you do things, I will also provide a way to acquire a SAMPLE DRILL that you can review with your crew and then try out for yourselves.

--

IGNITEd Firefighter Podcast Facebook Community

IGNITEd Readers Book Club

Bret Tarver | Phoenix Fire Foundation

National Fallen Firefighters Foundation - Bret Tarver

NIST/FIRE

IGNITEd Shop

SLICERS Sample Drill