Tailboard Talks Firefighter Podcast

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This episode originally aired in Feb of 2023, and we're still playing the 'sick or allergies' game today.  Some firefighters are stingy with their sick time and will always blame allergies no matter how obvious their illness is.  Others are just looking for a reason to call in and barely need a sniffle.

The decision to workout or not when you're sick can be an extremely easy one, or a real hand wringer.  But, in this episode I give a couple simple tips and guidelines to keep in mind.

We're also talking about a very common theory that suggests you are more prone to sickness and infection following bouts of intense exercise.  This has a strong foothold in the endurance world but there is a large body of evidence to dispute it.
Here is a great paper that goes into way more detail on the subject https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2018.00648/full

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Informal leadership is the absolute lifeblood of a functioning firehouse.  Firefighters want to be counted on in the streets and given massive responsibilities  during emergencies.  But for an officer to trust you during an emergency, they have to first trust that you can handle yourself the other 75% of the time.

Solving problems, pushing activity, and being the go-to crew is more than just showing up on game day for a fire.  Most of our careers and problems are not fire based, but they are personnel based. Becoming an informal leader in the station is the best way to be trusted with leadership on the streets.

Also, did you hear Athletic Greens ( AG1 ) is a total disaster and founded by a criminal?  Turns out the green powder is not only useless for health, but also rooted in crime and fraud. But their marketing was top notch so who knew.

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This episode was originally titled Diversify Your Happiness and was posted earlier this year.  After a short story about Nathan's bike crash record, we talk about building out a list of stuff you can do to get your mind right.

Having a pre set list or at least a mental algorithm of things to do can keep us happy and healthy instead of idle and frustrated.  Firefighters have an inherent drive to be busy but can also get completely locked up and lost in their phones when looking for a distraction.  Mental health in the fire service is no joke and too much screen time is a direct competitor to our wellbeing when used as a crutch.

Being nose deep in the phone has its place but it is easier than ever to make that the default setting.  By building out your menu of interests and activities you can better serve yourself and the public.

So build out your list and be the firefighter you know you want to be.

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Your ability to consider something a challenge or a threat has direct implications on you success.  And as ridiculous as it sounds, your body will fire off different chemicals for challenges than it does for things you consider threats.  Cortisol is the main player in so many of our health and wellness issues and threats make your body secrete it at a rapid pace.

Adrenaline is the challenge chemical and it's the one that will get you across the finish line.  Preparing for the job in ways that test your physical and mental capacity will help you view difficult tasks and situations and challenges and help you succeed.

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Stephanie White is the new Managing Editor of FirefighterNation.com. I spoke with her over year ago and we talked about all things pregnancy in the fire service.  Her work with the Beltane Guild assisted departments in writing policies and procedures for pregnancy and postpartum as well as grants for those struggling to start a family.  One thing to remember is that better policies for females equals better policies for all in the fire service.  Here is our conversation the first time we sat down, and you can absolutely look forward to a new on in the near future.

Original show notes: Stephanie White is a full time firefighter with over 20 years of experience who works with an organization called the Beltane Guild to assist departments in creating and instituting pregnancy and postpartum policies and programs.

She has presented along with the IAFF on the topic and Fire Engineering has given her the reigns of the Five After Midnight Podcast.

Stephanie speaks from personal experience and integrates contemporary science and research to inform, educate, and improve the fire service.

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Firefighter Nation launched earlier this month and they're doing some very good things.  I'm giving a quick look at their mission and what they are delivering to the fire service.

Then I'm giving a nod to a lieutenant who is retiring this month.  I worked with this guy in the last couple years and he has been throwing around a saying that stuck with me.  Suffering is not a prerequisite.  I'd like to hear your opinion on what that means to you and what you think of my interpretation.
 
There are lessons for old guys and new firefighters alike so please let me know if any of this resonates.

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This week is all about making training work for you.  Three ways that firefighters can increase their success on the training ground and the instructors can set the membership up for success.

The original air date of this episode was 70 episodes ago in 2023.  The points are still valid and I'm planning on taking them for some new content in the future.

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Thank you for listening and let's all keep working to be more capable and durable both on shift and away from it.

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Go to 4thShiftFirefighter.com and download the new free PDF's that are available.  Daily DOSE, 14-ish, the Firefighter Wellness Ladder, and the Strength Workout Template.

Training new firefighters is a tough task and even harder when we can't get out of the way.  I'm hitting some points that I've seen and used when training probationary members.

Patience is number one, limit their options, and give them the freedom to make the tasks work with the assets they already have.  These are three of the biggest lessons that will help build strong and effective firefighters.

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Thank you for listening and let's all keep working to be more capable and durable both on shift and away from it.

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No matter your rank, you will eventually asked to do more "Stuff". Whether that's run reports, EMS call review, training audits, lesson plans, or whatever other admin/clerical work needs to get done to keep the wheels moving.

That stuff is part of the job, but for many it can also be the thing that ruins the job.  Boundaries in the fire service are a weird thing and vary greatly depending on the setting and nature of the request.  Refusing to pump an additional line is easy if you don't have enough supply but telling the boss that you can't work on a spreadsheet because you don't have enough time is a different conversation.

Firefighters need to balance the street with the desk and doing that is more and more difficult.  I go over some common issues as well as some ideas for managing the situations we find ourselves in.

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Support the show

Affiliate links:

Rescue1CBD Use code TAILBOARD for 15% off

Fourth Frontier.com Use code FFTailboard for 25% discount on the X2 strap

Athletic Brewing- Code TTFP10

Submit topics/request guests

Thank you for listening and let's all keep working to be more capable and durable both on shift and away from it.

Send us a text

Thank you for listening, watching, donating coffee money, buying stickers, sharing posts, and sending messages.  This podcast is an evolving project and we're entering a new phase of growth.

We're also talking about some finer points on the wellness ladder.  The tendency of firefighters to regain control through destructive measures and the interplay of behavioral and mental health.

The 4th Shift Firefighter and Tailboard Talks Podcast are yours.  And I can't wait to see where we take it.

Support the show

Affiliate links:

Rescue1CBD Use code TAILBOARD for 15% off

Fourth Frontier.com Use code FFTailboard for 25% discount on the X2 strap

Athletic Brewing- Code TTFP10

Submit topics/request guests

Thank you for listening and let's all keep working to be more capable and durable both on shift and away from it.