Forged by FIRE with Ryan Rodriquez

I hear it argued all the time in the fire service; which is better to have, education or experience?  Aren't they BOTH a form of education?  Aren't they BOTH a form of experience?  

In this episode we discuss how both are important and work in tandem and that there isn't one that is "better" than the other.  A well-rounded professional should have elements of BOTH!

When we think of the word TRIBE, we tend to think of indigenous people in a far off jungle.  But what does that word mean for us in modern society and is that a term or way of thinking that we need anymore?

I would argue YES!

In a world that continually sells independence and isolation, we are becoming less and less able to communicate with each other and more incapable of forming lasting and meaningful relationships.

In this episode we talk about what a TRIBE is, why it is important for us today, and how we can incorporate a TRIBE mentality into our firehouses and organizations.

Everyone wants to feel like they've been heard.  Sometimes, that's all it takes to make the situation better.  As firefighters and EMS professionals, we sometimes get so focused on solving the problem that we forget to listen.  That tunnel vision bleeds into our personal lives and relationships.

In this episode, we talk about how to recognize when we're doing that as well as some of the steps we can take to put a stop to it and and deepen our connections with the people we love and the people we serve by listening more.

Every human being needs to feel like the person they are working for cares about them.  This is the only way to foster and maintain a healthy organization.  But what do you do when you are met with biased leaders who focus on things other than their employees, i.e. YOU?  Today we identify some of the biases we may be facing within our organizations as well as some methods we can use to challenge them and change the status quo.

Stress isn't unique to anyone on this planet. However, certain stressors are unique to those of us who are firefighters. Today we talk about those stressors and what we can do to manage them. I also share the tale of two wolves to help keep our stress management in perspective.

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