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Serve the public, contribute to the community, progress the department, the fire service is bigger than you, put your people first. But when do you come first?

As your obligations, involvement, and family grow we end up with less and less that is just for us.  We can be busy all day long and still feel like we got nothing done.  But maybe that's because we got nothing done for ourselves.

Todays episode is about finding something that is just for you.  Firefighters are drawn to service at our own expense.  Finding something that you want to do, instead of 'have' to do is vitally important to our mental well being.

I run through some ways to narrow down what might work for you and some guidelines of how to choose something.

For many of us, this is more than just a hobby.  It is a way to avoid burn out and compassion fatigue by giving back to ourselves.  It helps us be more present when we need to be and able to withstand a 30+ year of giving to others.

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Firefighters hate two things, the way the things are now and change.  Changing the fire service can be approached the same way you eat a whale, one bite at a time.

Before we get into the details about thinking small for big results, there was a fantastic article on firefighternation.com titled The Aging Firefighter- Health and Fitness Considerations Throughout a Career, written by Alex Redshaw from O2X

I'm hitting some of the bullet points of his article but go read it for the second half, which is his advice on staying strong and healthy through your career

https://www.firefighternation.com/firerescue/the-aging-firefighter-health-and-fitness-considerations-throughout-a-career/

Then we get into some cultural nuances that are specific to the fire service.  Whether they are built from ancient policies, or just something we like (Trucks, leather, and boot zippers)

Adding or changing anything with firefighters can feel impossible but I give you a few ways to look at it that may change or help your mentality when approaching the subject.

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This week we spent spring break on the beach for our first camper trip of the year.  Please enjoy this replay of my conversation with Stephanie White.

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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Have you ever been real busy, but also real engaged and productive?  I have but I've also been stuck with a list of non-stimulating tasks that leave me paralyzed and stuck in neutral.

This episode hits the pop psychology world by storm with the ideas of psychological momentum and a little look at executive dysfunction.  Guess what, the fire service is full of people like us who could benefit from a little more regulation.

Of course I can't just let you know about these things but also give some ideas and methods to get the momentum built, and get some temporary function firing.

Firefighters are all different, but mostly the same so if any of these ideas sound painfully familiar, I'd love to hear about it.  Go to the @4thShiftFirefighter IG and tell me your stories.

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This is the sort of week when I'm especially grateful for the awesome community of this podcast.  I'm training for a massive gravel bike ride in August and prepping for our first big camper trip to Florida.  So thank you for answering my Instagram question box and giving me some content topics for the episode.

First I'm answering "What is one thing you want to learn about, on and off the job" and then I give you my preference between in-house training vs traveling to outside events and courses.

The episode wraps up when Sawyer gives the perfectly timed prompt by slamming her entire body into the office door and shouting like a she-devil because dinner is ready.

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Advice in the fire service is abundant, but GOOD advice is much more scarce.  I went to the IG polls to ask about the best advice, and best compliment you've received.

Firefighters are a critical, harsh, pessimistic bunch so when one goes out of their way to encourage, compliment, or offer good advice it can really stick in your head.

I share your answers as well as some stories and examples of advice I've gotten and compliments that hit home.

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How much weight does seniority carry in your fire department, and how much carrying do the senior members do?

Some departments have senior members who are bonafide recliner compressors while others use their senior membership as the backbone of the organization.  Regardless of which one you're involved with, those senior firefighters are getting paid more and have more time off, which can be a major pain point for the junior contingent.

Curt and I cover a bunch of aspects of this and some ways to survive with a slug of a senior firefighter.  We've both felt the pain of dragging someone along, and the benefit of the perpetually engaged informal leader.

There's not one answer to solve the problems of the fire service but we give a few options and ways to look at it.

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You have a long career, don't let a temporary inconvenience ruin other peoples perception of you.

Firefighters have an expansive perspective of patient and incident outcomes but a terrible ability to look past our immediate discomforts.

Finding someone who has been through what you're going through can save you from turning that inconvenience into a career defining event.

If you were waiting for me to break out the Chinese proverbs, you're in luck.  "Maybe so,  maybe not, we'll see" is a powerful lesson we can absolutely use in the fire service.

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Making something look easy is one of the greatest flexes.  Whether it's picking locks, being happy when you're not supposed to, flexing the seniority on the high hat badge, or tossing around the 4 inch when others are struggling.

Take advantage of the flex but be ready for your turn on the short end.  It's all in good fun so don't be afraid to laugh and get a little competitive.

Also, I read some terrible advice about what to do when the public asks you about bad calls.  Stop acting like a shelter dog that want's to be petted but snaps when someone get's too close.  The public doesn't even know what you really do so chill out when they ask a goofy question.

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The evergreen debate of performance over personal appearance.  Sure, it's easy to say that the patient doesn't care how you look when they need you, but how about everybody else on scene or that gets to witness your unzipped boots, untucked shirt, and belly hanging out when you're on more 'routine' calls.

Many departments have a minimum standard, for lots of things, and it is up to the individual if they're going to meet that standard, exceed it, or make your officer talk to you about it.

Curt and I dig into several perspectives from the sides we've been on in this episode.

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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.