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In this two-part series I’m going to explain the best ways to work your core because firefighters must have a strong core to protect themselves from back injuries. Back injuries are the most common, and often the most debilitating type of injury that firefighters suffer from. The...

In my department I have been recently promoted to the position of company officer. I realized that my degrees and certifications did not prepare me the way I expected they would; I still had a lot to learn and I was not sure where to get this knowledge or how to find it. I wanted...

In Part 1, we went over my back injury moment and the types of back pain common to firefighters and common causes. In this article, we’ll cover exercises that helped me and can help you with managing back pain. The following 4 amazing exercises will help with back pain....

The Whole Person Concept is a developmental tool that fire service leaders can use to push firefighters to succeed in life on the job, at home and in the community.  The lives of our firefighters don’t suddenly end when they complete a tour and head home.  They have family...

In general, there are four major components attached to firefighter health and wellness: Medical evaluations, functional fitness, nutrition, and behavioral health. Within these components are many parts and pieces, and when we bring them all together, we can start to develop...

In the first article in this series, I cleared up some myths about stretching including when firefighters should not stretch and when they should. Next, I explained which stretches firefighters should NOT do, and lastly some great stretches for firefighters to do to avoid injury....

We all lose motivation at one time or another. The key to getting and staying motivated is to keep goals and vision top of mind. In one of our most recent podcasts, we talked about how to stay focused on the end goal without getting overwhelmed. The Key to Staying Motivated:...

In a previous article, we discussed communication’s training (or lack thereof) and how it translates from day one instructions to a probie, all the way up to a battalion chief sounding like a goof on the radio. We’ve all heard the radio reports that make you cringe,...

A trend in apparatus design in recent years, has been placing the pump panel and hoses all at the rear of the fire apparatus. This is a terrible idea. For years, being struck by a vehicle is one of the top reasons firefighters are injured or killed on a fire ground. We are taught...

I’m not a bad fire service leader…am I? Unfortunately, much of what’s written about leadership paints it as a neat and tidy skill set. That if you follow a simple algorithm or read a leadership blog, you’ll reach your objective 100% of the time. In...