CRACKYL Magazine Issue No. 16 (Winter 2025)

POWER OF THE PLACEBO EFFECT

GRIEF EXPLAINED

WHY WE DO IT STRESS EATING

AARON ZAMZOW

TAKING ON FIRE SERVICE

HEALTH ONE REP AT A TIME

CARE FOR YOUR PARTNER BY CARING FOR YOURSELF

CLINICIANS ON THE FRONTLINES

WHY ‘BORING’ INVESTING IS SMART MONEY

Personalized health turns your data into action InsideTracker uses blood testing, DNA analysis, and fitness tracker data to form a high-resolution picture of your health. Then we show you which foods, supplements, and workouts you need to unlock your body’s potential.

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Grief Explained

A LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER

With the arrival of the new year, we’re presented with yet another great opportunity to reflect on our resolutions and focus on areas for growth. Whether your goal is to improve or maintain stability, every effort counts and brings us closer to being our best selves.

This year at CRACKYL, we’re thrilled to announce the release of seven publications: four of our traditional magazines and three supplemental issues with specialized focuses. These supplements will tackle critical themes, such as A Focus on Cancer in collaboration with the FCSN, our second edition of Fire Station Design with F.I.E.R.O., and our first-ever Women in Fire issue, created in partnership with the Women in Fire organization.

Be sure to keep an eye on our mobile app – it’s about to get even better, with exciting new enhancements designed to put more health resources at your fingertips. And we’re taking things to the next level with the launch of The CRACKYL Podcast. Episode one is coming soon, and we can’t wait to share it with you!

Here’s to 2025 and all the life, growth, and learning it brings. Remember, “What you’re not changing, you’re choosing.”

REDESIGNED WITH YOU IN MIND

Whether you’re joining our NEW ambassador program, subscribing to our magazine, or sharing your story, it’s now easier than ever to connect and engage within the fire community. Explore new ways to be part of CRACKYL’s firefighter driven mission.

Kory Pearn

PUBLISHER / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

GOING FURTHER TOGETHER, LIVE, THRIVE, SERVE

EDITORIAL

PUBLISHER / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF KORY PEARN KPEARN@CRACKYLBUSINESSMEDIA.COM

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER LEAH SOBON

EXECUTIVE EDITOR RICK MARKLEY

MANAGING EDITOR LIZ FLEMING

COPY EDITOR MARTHA CHAPMAN

DIGITAL EDITOR TINA COSTANZA EDITOR@CRACKYLBUSINESSMEDIA.COM

DESIGN

ART DIRECTION / EDITORIAL DESIGN SARAH ROSS

ART DIRECTION / EDITORIAL DESIGN NICOLE MANNELL

EDITORIAL DESIGNER CHELSEA PETERS

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DYLAN LABELLE DLABELLE@CRACKYLBUSINESSMEDIA.COM

STRATEGIC DIGITAL ADVISOR JON HUGHES JHUGHES@CRACKYLBUSINESSMEDIA.COM

SALES

PUBLISHER / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF KORY PEARN KPEARN@CRACKYLBUSINESSMEDIA.COM

DIRECTOR OF ACCOUNTS, SALES & MARKETING MARIA PELLETIER MPELLETIER@CRACKYLBUSINESSMEDIA.COM

CONTRIBUTORS

ATUL AGNIHOTRI, DAVID DACHINGER, CHRISTINA DIZON, TONY DONG, LIZ FLEMING, MEGAN LAUTZ, RICK MARKLEY, JACOB MOTA, WENDY NORRIS, RYAN PROVENCHER, LEAH SOBON, JASON VILLEGGIANTE, FRANK VISCUSO, JESS WARD

PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTOGRAPHER STEPHEN BAER

CRACKYL Magazine is published four times a year by CRACKYL Media Inc. with copies delivered to firefighters across North America and beyond. No part of the content, including but not limited to editorial, advertising or photography, may be copied or reprinted without the permission of the publisher. ISSN # 2563-612X PUBLISHED AND PRODUCED BY: CRACKYL MEDIA INC.

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The opinions presented in our magazine are those of the authors of the articles. We enjoy the opportunity to present a variety of viewpoints but do not necessarily endorse them.

COVER PHOTO OF: AARON ZAMZOW

CRACKYL EXPERTS

PSYCHOLOGY

DR. KRISTEN WHELDON, DR. BURTON CLARK

DR. ZACK ISOMA, PSYD, STEVE GILLESPIE

DR. JONATHAN MILBURN, DR. ANNE BISEK

DR. BROOKE BARTLETT, KAREN F. DEPPA, MAPP

JEN LEFTWICH, LMSW, CCISM

SHAUGHN MAXWELL, PSY.M

MICHAEL A. DONAHUE, PH.D

NICK HALMASY, MACP, PSY. D.

EMERGENCY MEDICINE

MICHAEL GUIRGUIS, M.D.

BEN TANNER, EMERGENCY MEDICINE PA

EXERCISE SCIENCE

ANTHONY DE BENEDICTIS, CAT(C), CSCS

TODD CAMBIO, BS, BA, CSCS

BRITTANY S. HOLLERBACH, PH.D.

JIM MCDONALD, NSCA, CPT, CSCS, TSAC-F

HUSSIEN JABAI, MS, CSCS, TSAC-F, CPT

JOE KOZIKOWSKI, NSCA-TSAC-F, PN2, PPSC

FINANCE

TRISH VAN SICKLE, LLQP, CSC, TONY DONG, MSC

MATTHEW BROOM, BBA, CFP

INTEGRATIVE HEALTH

NOAH GENTNER, PH.D., NBC-HWC

MENTAL HEALTH

ASHWIN PATEL, PH.D , ANASTASIA MILLER, PH.D.

SIMON MATTHEWS, FASLM DIPLLBLM, MHLTH SC, NBC-HWC, ICF-PCC, SARA A. JAHNKE, PH.D.

NUTRITION

MAUREEN STOECKLEIN, RD

MEGAN LAUTZ, MS, RD, TSAC-F

PATRICK MCCARTHY, MS

KATIE BREAZEALE, MS, RD, LD

SEX & RELATIONSHIPS

CARRIE FLEETWOOD, B.A., M.ED., R.P. O.A.M.H.P.

MYNDA OHS, PHD

DERMATOLOGY

SANOBER PEZAD DOCTOR, PH.D

SLEEP HEALTH

BEVERLY DAVID, REGISTERED PSYCHOLOGIST

PH.D., CLIN.PSY.D, CLIN.PSYCH

STRESS

WENDY LUND, BSCN, MSC

DONNIE HUTCHINSON, MBA, PHD

TINA BONNETT, ED.D, M.ECED., R.E.C.E.,

CERTIFIED TRAUMA INTEGRATION CLINICIAN

TRAINING

JOHN HOFMAN, CSCS-D, TSAC-F D, MS

JAKE PATTEN, SCCC, TSAC-F, USAW, PN-1

AARON ZAMZOW, BS-HEALTH AND WELLNESS, NSCA-CSCS, NASM-CPT, ACE-PEER FITNESS, PN1

DAVID VAUX, MSC

WELLNESS

DANIELLE COOK KAWASH, MS, RD, NBC-HWC

ALWYN WONG, BSC, DC, ART, MED. AC.

ARJUNA GEORGE, TRE COACH/PROVIDER

DR. DONNIE HUTCHINSON, PH.D, MBA

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THANK YOU FIRST RESPONDERS

WE CAN’T THANK YOU ENOUGH.

We’re inspired by your commitment to the community. Your support of Movember is more than we could’ve asked for – and has blown us away.

And even though moustache season is over, let’s make mental health a bigger part of the day-to-day. We’re here to help. It’s the least we can do to show how much we appreciate you.

PROTECT YOURSELF FROM HAZARDOUS EXHAUST FUMES IN THE STATION.

Can we reframe stress?

By Christina Dizon Co-Founder Biohacked Firefighter

Rethink your relationship with stress to prolong your career - anD your life.

Iwasn’t even out of training when a senior firefighter took me aside, sat me down, and told me how necessary it would be to take care of myself as a firefighter. I didn’t disagree. It's a hard job, after all.

But he shook his head when I was quick to agree, as if my quick response indicated I wasn’t taking his words seriously. “You have to take care of yourself or you’ll end up like me.”

The senior firefighter proceeded to tell me his story. He was the picture of health in his early 40s when his normal training tower runs on shift suddenly didn’t feel like they used to. He felt slower, and experienced labored breathing.

He thought perhaps he was just “losing his mojo” as he aged, so he pushed harder to stay in shape. Within a few weeks, he was again running towers and barely made it through the first one before he knew something was very wrong.

No wonder. Turned out he was having a heart attack.

"My doctor said the heart attack was due to stress,” he told me. “But I told him that I didn’t feel stressed.”

The doctor's response reset his entire outlook. “It doesn’t matter that you don’t feel stressed. Your heart is stressed. Your job is massively stressing your heart."

I’ve thought a good deal about this conversation and its relevance to what I see in my fellow brothers and sisters in the fire service. This senior firefighter’s story is relevant for the majority of us regardless of experience, number of years in, or rank.

We frequently hear: "Firefighters have a stressful job.” Our friends say it. Our partners say it. Our doctors and wellness providers say it. The industry says it.

And while there’s a part of us that hears it, many of us really don’t. How often do we reply: “Me? I don't feel stressed.” We don’t make those statements out of bravado or for

show. For many of us, it’s completely true. Mentally and emotionally, we simply don’t feel stressed.

It's as if, after a few years on the job, after we’ve gone through the academy, made it through probation and those awkward first adjustments to being on the line, conscious stress fades away with each passing day. Suddenly, the day-to-day stresses of the job don’t feel stressful at all. Our cognitive and emotional tolerance has built up a resistance to the stress, and we think we’ve adapted to it.

Here’s the problem: We train and condition ourselves to process and deal with stress mentally and emotionally, but the truth is, stress doesn't target only the mind. Stress also affects the body.

Take a moment to consider that. Stress doesn’t simply target the mind — stress also affects the body. And unfortunately, the body does not adapt to long-term stress in healthy ways. It adapts in ways necessary to our short-term survival — ways that are not in alignment with our long-term healthy performance.

We see the not-so-subtle results of physical stress adaption clearly in our brothers and sisters on the line.

stress doesn’t doesn't target only the mind. Stress also affects the body.

The stress on our hearts affects our cardiac health.

The stress on our immune system affects our ability to fight cancer.

The stress on our nervous system affects our ability to regulate our mood and motivation.

The stress on our musculature affects our muscles’ ability to relax.

The stress on our metabolic systems affects our cortisol and blood sugar levels.

The stress on every system in the body affects our ability to fall asleep, stay asleep, and repair from the loads we carry every day.

It's abundantly clear: The human body doesn’t like the stress of the job. It’s simply not built to handle 20 to 30 years of the accumulated load.

At some point, every firefighter is faced with the harsh realities of our job: injuries, heart attacks, cancer, sleep apnea, and memory struggles. The question is, do we have the ability to mitigate this stress, or do we simply resign ourselves to that inevitable deadly diagnosis?

Perhaps it's possible to change the way we respond to the stress of the job by first changing the way we define stress and what it actually means for us.

Stress is defined as mental, emotional, or physical strain. But stress is also subjective – a personal experience. We will each see, experience and define it in very personal ways, with highly individual meanings. But what would happen if we added scaffolding and structure to our approach to stress, and instead used a word with objective measures?

What if we replaced the word stress with the more objective term strain?

Anyone who has subjected themselves to physical training of any kind has likely experienced strain. Strain is what we experience when we push

a complete readjustment of how we’re operating. A strained wrist causes us to flip a pan differently. A strained knee requires adjustments in how we walk. A strained back requires a break from lifting.

Anyone who has experienced a bad strain remembers the feelings that accompany those weeks of adjustment to normal life. It’s inconvenient at best, and life-altering at worst.

In short, we understand innately that too much strain will actually inhibit us from doing what we want to do or what is normal, and in exchange demand a highly inconvenient adjustment.

What would happen if we exchanged stress for strain as it relates to our job?

We might recognize that a busy and demanding tour puts a strain on our ability to bounce back to our usual selves, requiring us to incorporate down time to recharge our batteries. We might recognize that six calls after midnight puts strain on our cognitive

shifts with back-to-back fires, stabbings, shootings and extrications strained our performance hormones with the heavy demand of adrenaline and cortisol.

That strain now requires us to pass on the workout of the day, and instead find time for modes of recovery such as stretching or mobility training. We might recognize that incidents of a traumatic nature put unhealthy strain on our spirit, requiring care and support from outside resources for our mental and emotional health.

We might just start living differently. We might just start saving ourselves from avoidable consequences.

If we see the demanding circumstances we experience on the job as strain, we make adjustments that support our ability to perform in the future. The possible benefits may be well worth the effort for our families and our departments. And, above all, for us.

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PLACEBOS

AND THE POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING

By Liz Fleming, Managing Editor CRACKYL Magazine

If I told you that taking one of these pills everyday will make you happier, would you try it?

If I were wearing a white lab coat when I told you this, would you be more willing to try it?

If you learned that three of your closest friends on the department had taken my advice and seemed happier, would you try it then?

If you tried it and felt better, then learned it was merely a multivitamin dressed up in happinessboosting packaging, would you feel betrayed? Or, would you keep taking it?

UNDERSTANDING THE EFFECTS OF PLACEBOS

The placebo effect is a compelling psychological phenomenon in which individuals experience real improvements in their health after receiving a treatment with absolutely no active therapeutic value. The medicine is often a sugar pill or a harmless saline injection.

The fact that the recipients of these placebos actually feel relief from symptoms underscores the profound connection between mind and body, illustrating how belief and expectation can shape our experiences of illness and recovery. According to a study by W.A. Brown, The Placebo Effect in Clinical Practice available from the National Library of Medicine:

“Placebos encompass all the elements common to any treatment or healing situation. These include a recognized healer, evaluation, diagnosis, prognosis, plausible treatment, and most importantly, the expectation that one will recover. Along these lines, the placebo response can be thought of as

the response to the common elements of the treatment or healing situation.”

WHEN WE BELIEVE WE ARE RECEIVING EFFECTIVE TREATMENT, OUR BODIES CAN RESPOND IN WAYS THAT MIMIC THE POSITIVE, HEALING EFFECTS OF ACTUAL MEDICATION.

Research indicates that the placebo effect can actually lead to the release of endorphins and other neurotransmitters, which can alleviate pain and improve mood.

THIS RESPONSE EMPHASIZES THE POWER OF EXPECTATION – IF WE CAN BELIEVE IN THE POTENTIAL FOR HEALING, WE CAN TAP INTO OUR OWN MENTAL RESILIENCE TO COMBAT ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION.

Conversely, the nocebo effect taps into our negative beliefs and can be just as compelling as a placebo. If we begin a treatment believing that it may cause unpleasant or painful side-effects, we are very likely to experience them

– far more likely than if we’d never been made aware of the possibility.

Similarly, if we are given medication or treatment that hasn’t been successful for someone who’s shared their negative opinion, we’re likely to experience what they did. This is yet another instance of the incredible power of belief and expectation.

It’s no surprise that firefighters are at a heightened risk for mental health issues. The very nature of the job involves regular exposure to traumatic events: grappling with life-threatening situations, witnessing loss, and often working long hours under intense pressure. Worse, the lingering stigma surrounding mental health in first responders often prevents them from seeking help, leading to a cycle of untreated mental health issues and exacerbating stress.

Could the placebo effect offer a unique approach to treatment, encouraging firefighters to engage in their own healing process? Can we turn off the nocebo effect?

CREATING A SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT

One of the keys to the placebo effect’s success is the environment in which treatment occurs. We often work in close-knit teams that can foster camaraderie and mutual support. Creating a supportive atmosphere in which mental health discussions are normalized means team members will feel empowered to engage in treatment.

Counseling sessions should be offered, incorporating elements emphasizing positive expectations while framing mental health interventions as collaborative efforts.

WHEN WE BELIEVE WE ARE RECEIVING THE BEST POSSIBLE CARE, WE TEND TO EXPERIENCE ENHANCED OUTCOMES

EDUCATION IS KEY

Education plays a crucial role in harnessing the placebo effect. Understanding how our mindset can influence our mental health may make us more likely to engage in therapeutic practices. Training programs that include discussions on the power of belief and expectation can help reinforce the idea that mental resilience can be a potent tool in managing anxiety and depression.

Workshops that focus on mindfulness techniques and cognitive-behavioral strategies can be helpful in empowering participants to cultivate positive thinking patterns. Such proactive approaches can help us to recognize our own ability to influence our mental state, reinforcing the efficacy of treatment.

THE ETHICS OF OPEN-LABEL PLACEBOS

Perhaps the most important element of placebo treatment is honesty. No one likes to be tricked or lied to – and that’s a challenge for the argument for using placebos. One promising avenue within the framework, however, is the concept of Open-Label Placebos.

From the beginning of the treatment, patients are informed that they are receiving a placebo but are educated about the potential benefits of positive expectations. Research has shown that OLPs can actually yield significant improvements in conditions such as chronic pain and irritable bowel syndrome, suggesting they may also be effective in mental health treatments.

For firefighters, OLPs could be integrated into mental health programs and discussed openly, encouraging participants to believe in their capacity to heal. The key lies in fostering a culture of trust and understanding, allowing individuals to embrace their mental health journey without fear or shame.

PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENT OF PLACEBO TREATMENT IS HONESTY.

While the potential for using the placebo effect in mental health treatment is exciting, it also raises ethical questions. The traditional use of placebo involves deception, undermining trust between healthcare providers and patients.

It’s crucial to ensure that mental health strategies do not trivialize the real challenges being faced.

THE FOCUS MUST REMAIN ON EMPOWERING INDIVIDUALS TO TAKE AN ACTIVE ROLE IN THEIR MENTAL HEALTH, RATHER THAN MASKING SYMPTOMS WITH INEFFECTIVE TREATMENTS.

The other problem area is that we are careful not to replace proven treatments with gimmicks and snake oils sold under the guise of "if you just believe hard enough, this will heal you." History is fraught with people who died because

they took questionable potions or refused real medical interventions in favor of misguided faith.

MINDFULNESS AND COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY

Mindfulness practices can also be tailored to leverage the placebo effect. By learning to focus on the present moment and develop a non-judgmental awareness of our thoughts and feelings, we can cultivate a sense of control over our mental health. Techniques such as meditation and deep breathing can help reduce anxiety and promote emotional regulation.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can further amplify this approach by challenging negative thought patterns and reinforcing positive beliefs. Using these methods, we can learn to frame experiences in a way that enhances our expectations of recovery.

POSITIVE THINKING REALLY DOES HAVE POWER

Even back in the 1950s, author Norman Vincent Peale had it right in his classic self-help book The Power of Positive Thinking. The integration of the placebo effect into mental health treatment for firefighters holds promise for addressing the urgent need for effective interventions. By fostering a supportive environment that emphasizes education and utilizes open-label placebos, we can reclaim agency over our mental well-being.

As awareness of mental health issues continues to grow within the firefighting community, innovative approaches that leverage the mindbody connection may pave the way for more holistic care. Ultimately, the goal is to create resilient individuals who can navigate the challenges of their profession while prioritizing their mental health.

The power of the placebo effect serves as a reminder that healing begins not just with treatment, but with belief in the possibility of recovery.

EAT WHStRESS y MAKES US

By Megan Lautz, MS, RD, CSCS, TSAC-F

After a fight with your spouse, have you ever felt a strong, almost gravitational pull toward a sleeve of Oreos? Or, after an annoying call, shoved half a donut into your mouth?

You're not alone. Many of us, including first responders, experience stress or emotional eating, and it can have a devastating impact on your relationship with food.

Emotional eating is what happens when you respond to an emotional, but not physical, hunger. Sometimes the emotions are negative but some may be positive, like your engineer's retirement. Mild emotional eating can be okay occasionally – after all, we often eat when we’re celebrating. But it becomes a larger issue when emotional eating impacts health goals and mental state.

First responders are no strangers to stress. But chronic, long-term stress can ramp up appetite. The adrenal glands release a hormone called cortisol, which increases the drive to eat to ensure fuel is available to fight the tiger or get to safety. Typically, appetite wanes when cortisol drops – so if stress stays high, so does cortisol.

Uncontrolled stress can also promote neurobiological adaption in the brain that results in compulsive consumption of what’s called hyperpalatable foods. This means chronic stress can rewire the brain to prefer sweet, salty, and fatty foods. And sleep deprivation only fuels this.

One night of bad sleep can lead to a 24% increase in appetite thanks to a shift in hormones that regulate appetite. After that one bad night, leptin (the appetite suppressor) decreases by 18%, and ghrelin (the hunger stimulator) increases by 28%. Sleep deprivation also shifts food choices towards sweet, salty, and fatty foods.

Changes in hormonal response and brain chemistry sound scary, especially when stress is part of the job. The good news? There is something you can do about it.

Try these tips to cut back on stress eating:

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MEDITATE: Take a break to breathe for two to five minutes. Meditation can help reduce stress and impulse control, reducing the instinct to grab a treat right after the call.

CHANGE THE ENVIRONMENT: Hide the treats and donuts behind a closed door. Yes, this works in the firehouse! Dr. Jill Joyce from Oklahoma State University received grant funding to provide fire stations with tangerines, apples, granola bars, trail mix, veggies/dip, and other healthy snacks. There was one rule for receiving snacks: Firefighters had to hide all treats behind a closed door, and only Joyce's snacks could be on the counters. Joyce found that firefighters ate an extra pound of produce per shift when healthier options were visually available and the treats were out of sight.

CHANGE YOUR ROUTE: Do you walk into the kitchen after every call, even if it’s out of the way? It's time to change your route to reduce the temptation to grab another quarter of a donut. Try the breathing break discussed above, even if it’s only for a minute.

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ADD A HEALTHIER SNACK: Cutting out snacks might seem like a simple solution, but this can lead to overeating later in the shift. Edge out the sweets with Greek yogurt, fruit, jerky, nuts, unbuttered popcorn, or a protein bar.

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TRY A MINDFUL EATING APP: Choose one that tracks your hunger cues and emotions around eating, rather than simply calories. Calls can force you to override your hunger cues but these apps will show patterns in hunger levels and emotions, helping you learn what your triggers are.

Emotional eating is a spectrum and if you feel it impacts your quality of life, it’s time to consider professional help. This would ideally include a behavioral health therapist and a dietitian who can help with nutrition, ensuring that you eat enough to support your goals. A therapist will help process the emotional component of food, which can be key for a first responder.

If you feel you can't make a behavioral change, a good therapist can help you work through that mental block and move confidently toward change.

The soft glow from an overhead fan light cast long shadows across the wall. In my head, I was singing the Bee Gees song Staying Alive to keep tempo as I delivered CPR compressions. It was the early morning hours, and I was tired after working a structure fire for most of the night, but I pushed through the ache of fatigue and worked feverishly to get a heartbeat from this man.

WHO ALSO HAPPENED TO BE MY HUSBAND.

Snapping back to attention, I heard instructions called out by the other firefighters and the shuffling of equipment from the medical bags behind me. When I turned to look, my gaze met that of my captain’s, and in that brief moment, I saw the concern and sadness in his eyes. And I felt it just as deeply.

I sat back on my heels and let the medics work as another firefighter took over the compressions. I stood up, with the Bee Gees still my internal soundtrack, stepped to the side, and looked at the organized chaos. The fight between life and death was tense.

Over the years, I’d been in this place more times than I could count, but this was different. This time, it was my husband John – who was also our fire chief – who had collapsed.

As hard as we tried to save his life – and we fought like hell for over an hour – we lost and had to let him go. John died less than an hour and a half after we returned home from the fire, surrounded by his crew and other agency first responders and hospital staff who also knew him. It was a moment that changed us all.

The days and weeks following John’s death brought devastation, sadness, disbelief, guilt, and anger to many of his fellow firefighters and first responders from surrounding departments. As a first responder, chaplain and grief educator, I have been deeply entrenched in death work for nearly half of my life. And 24 years ago I founded and remain CEO of the Texas Line of Duty Death Task Force, an organization that has cared for hundreds of families and agencies of the fallen.

I was no stranger to the grief of others, but now I felt completely helpless as I struggled with the emotions that came with my own sudden, unexpected loss. I had witnessed grief strangling and smothering my coworkers. I wrestled with not knowing what to say or how to respond, just as I had struggled many times before. Yes, I was grappling with the loss of my husband, yet I felt a strong need to care for my brothers and sisters.

But I simply didn’t have the words or actions to ease their pain.

Grief is a complex, complicated emotion. The feelings brought on by death, especially sudden, unexpected, or traumatic death, can be highly distressing. Grief becomes even more complex when you are dealing with it from a Western cultural perspective.

RESPONSES TO DEATH AND DYING, ESPECIALLY IN FAST-PACED NORTH AMERICA, DON’T ALLOW TIME OR SPACE FOR PROCESSING SUCH DIFFICULT EMOTIONS.

A hurried life requires us to live a sanitized life in a very chaotic world. Death and its accompanying emotions are messy and hard and, therefore, must be dealt with quickly and efficiently.

But there is no such thing as quick or efficient when it comes to grief, as hard as we may try to move quickly past the sting of death.

We first responders, by the very nature of our profession, are frequently exposed to death and traumatic situations. We are often the first to arrive at the scene of accidents, violence, and natural disasters, where we confront our mortality head-on. This repeated exposure can lead not only to issues with post-traumatic stress but also to a complicated relationship with

By Wendy Norris, Founder/CEO at Texas LODD Task Force

WE NEED TO:

Acknowledge the dual nature of our grief – personal and professional – individually and collectively.

Address not only the potential for cumulative trauma but also the compounding emotions of grief from repeated exposure to death and tragedy.

grief, especially when we try to move past the death too quickly.

There is an unspoken expectation that first responders will remain stoic and emotionally detached in the face of tragedy. That expectation, while potentially helpful in the immediate response to emergencies, can become problematic when it affects the way we process our own grief and emotions. The ability to compartmentalize, the belief that we must remain detached from our feelings long after the situation has ended, and the culture of moving quickly through processing death can often create barriers to expressing our feelings or seeking help when needed.

The lack of education and the feelings of discomfort that surround grief can also prevent us from providing support to others impacted by death. While the culture within the first responder world is shifting when it comes to reducing the stigma surrounding mental health and wellness, especially regarding trauma, there is still a lot of work to do around grief and loss.

Grief experienced by first responders is complex, especially when it involves the loss of one of our own.

Provide safe spaces for emotional expressions of grief that don't conflict with our professional identity, grit and stoicism.

Normalize the human responses that we have to death and dying and lean into the discomfort of the messy feelings that come with grief.

When death occurs within the agency, there is the personal grief of losing someone we know and respect. There is collective grief in the department. The loss of a fellow first responder opens a gaping hole that cannot be filled by hiring a new person or promoting someone.

Grappling with the loss of a leader and the changes that inevitably follow can cause a monumental upheaval in the agency. Survivor guilt and even shame can haunt those left behind.

The loss of a colleague to cardiac arrest, as in my husband John's case, can serve as a stark reminder of the physical toll taken by our profession. The death of one of our own, no matter the cause, underscores the reality of our mortality and the risks we face daily.

As our understanding of grief and its impact on our profession continues to evolve, we need to recognize that we will all face an abnormal exposure to death that may potentially affect how we deal with our own personal losses. This excessive exposure often comes at a personal cost, and when tragedy strikes close to home, the effects can be profound and long-lasting.

Provide more education on grief within our peer support training programs.

Include more education to department members about the physical and emotional impact of chronic exposure to death and how we process grief responses.

In supporting John’s crew through their grief – and working through my own – I was reminded that healing is not a linear process. Acknowledging and sorting through grief's complex emotions requires education, time, patience, and a willingness to confront difficult feelings. By creating a culture that acknowledges the human side of first responders (our vulnerabilities following a death, our grief, and our crucial need for support), we can better equip ourselves to continue our vital work while also taking care of our emotional well-being.

In the end, the resilience of first responders isn't about being untouched by the tragic circumstances that come with death, but about finding ways to integrate healing from these experiences into our lives. We can grow from them, educate our brothers and sisters, and continue serving our communities with compassion and empathy. It's a testament to the human spirit's capacity to endure, heal, and find meaning despite profound loss.

It’s something I’m witnessing in myself and in my fellow first responders who fought so valiantly to save John’s life.

ON THE

Clinicians Frontlines

By

WORKING ALONGSIDE FIRST RESPONDERS TO IMPROVE MENTAL WELLBEING AND PREVENT SUICIDES

It’s a sad reality. According to the Ruderman White Paper on Mental Health and Suicide, police officers and firefighters face a higher risk of dying by suicide than by line-of-duty causes.

This alarming trend is attributed to the prolonged stress associated with their professions, which significantly elevates their vulnerability to suicide and mental health challenges. Experts

say these conditions are exacerbated by the intense and often traumatic experiences first responders face on a regular basis.

In the fast-paced and high-stress environments of police and fire departments, EMS agencies, and 911 dispatch centers, the mental health of personnel is now considered as crucial as their physical readiness. Therefore, the integration of embedded clinicians within these settings is proving to be an invaluable asset. And it's not just for the individuals involved, but also for the communities they serve.

Lt. David Dachinger (ret.)

What do embedded clinicians do?

Embedded clinicians work closely with first responders, providing mental health support tailored to the unique challenges of emergency service work. Trust and communication are crucial, considering the nature of the work and the typical hesitation among first responders to seek mental health support.

Clinicians embedded within these agencies can break down barriers through their constant presence, fostering a sense of familiarity and comfort, and encouraging open communication.

Not only can clinicians more effectively educate first responders on the importance of mental health, resilience strategies and when to seek help, but they can also observe changes in behavior or performance that may indicate a need for support. This early intervention can help to prevent issues from escalating.

A mental health mayday

“When a firefighter gets to the point where they're going to reach out on their own for help, you've got one shot,” says Acting Chief David Motes of Clay County Fire Rescue in Florida. “And if you don't capitalize on that one shot, there's a risk of losing them."

Marie Gumá, the founder of Command Counseling Center in Florida, adds, "Our services are unique because we have a behavioral health manager embedded within the department, a role that sets us apart from other integrated mental health programs in public safety.

“The behavioral health manager, an experienced and culturally competent mental health provider, doesn't conduct therapy within the department. Instead, they serve as an integrated, trusted resource who has built a strong rapport with the department members. Firefighters can simply text them if they have a question, and we offer a therapist on call 24/7/365 for the entire department and their families."

Cultural competence

The close connection and ongoing interaction between clinicians and first responders facilitates a deeper understanding of emergency service work's unique stressors and traumas. This insight allows clinicians to offer more relevant and effective support, a cultural competence tailored to the specific experiences and needs of the personnel.

Embedded clinicians can bridge the gap between mental health support and the realities of the job by being part of the daily operations, and by developing an understanding of the culture and challenges of first responder work.

"The behavioral health manager coordinates the rapid deployment of therapists for critical incidents, conducts monthly station visits, and maintains a constant presence at the fire stations,” Gumá says. “This visibility reminds firefighters that we are here to support them.

“We meet with everyone in the department one-on-one, continue to build rapport, and allow them to sit down with a mental health provider, even though it's not an official meeting. We want to break that stigma of ‘I've never been in front of a mental health professional before.’ And I say to them, ‘Well, you just have!’”

Embedded wellness programs

Jason Corthell is the director of Ironclad Wellness and division chief of fire training in Harris, Texas. He created an embedded wellness program with Dr. Liz Fletcher to provide a safe space for first responders and offer in-house resources for mental health through chaplaincy, peer support, and therapy.

"We have integrated counselors into our fire stations to conduct on-site appointments,” Corthell says. “This eliminates the need for firefighters to schedule appointments during work hours or worry about insurance, since they are compensated for their time at the station."

Furthermore, Corthell and Fletcher have developed program documentation, including standard operating procedures and standard operating guidelines to streamline the process. Corthell's team also drafted a memorandum of understanding with licenced clinicians, detailing the scope of counseling services available to firefighters and their families, even including play therapy for children.

This agreement also outlines a mandatory quarterly training program for all personnel and clarifies the financial aspects and integration phase of the counselors.

Motes emphasizes the significance of mental health in a firefighter's ability to fulfill the department's mission.

"It's the responsibility of the fire chief to ensure the team is operationally ready in all aspects, and mental health is a critical component of that,” Motes says. “I think I would risk facing a vote of no confidence if we removed this program from our firefighters, considering its significant contribution to their well-being.”

WILL IT MAKE THE BOAT GO FASTER?

FASTER?

THE IMPORTANCE OF TEAMWORK ON AND OFF THE WATER

By

Most of us who competed in athletics as kids would agree that there were life lessons to be learned from every sport. Every sport requires a specific skill set and presents different challenges, but one sport taught me more about teamwork than all the others. It’s a sport that has helped me be a better firefighter and teammate many years later: the sport of rowing, also known as crew.

Deputy Chief Frank Viscuso (ret), author of 10 leadership and team development books

RELATIONSHIPS

Those who row refer to it as the ultimate team sport, where every member must pull their weight if the team hopes to win. Trust is the single most important component for the team’s success. If one rower is out of sync or if the coxswain — the person in charge — steers a bad course, the team fails to perform to its utmost ability.

To achieve rowing success, each member of the crew needs to see themselves as one piece in a puzzle. They need to be willing to become part of something bigger than themselves. When one crew member puts their entire effort into a stroke, they are counting on each of the others to do the same, every stroke.

If one member becomes tired, that individual needs to find an extra burst of strength to pull harder so they won’t let their teammates down. Somehow, everyone knows when one person in the boat isn’t giving their best effort.

When a crew rows well together, there is no better feeling. From the sound

of eight seats sliding in unison to the sound of the oars entering and exiting the water together, it's a thing of beauty.

At the same time, the sport is unrelenting, requiring a high level of discipline and pain tolerance. Yes, rowing is a painful sport that requires you to push the limits of your body from the first stroke of a race to the last. There are no breaks and no injury timeouts, just effort, pain, and exhaustion.

This could be overwhelmingly daunting and dismal if you are suffering on your own, but not when it's shared with a team of determined warriors. Who wouldn't love that?

In my senior year in Kearny High School, I had the honor of rowing in one of the fastest boats in America. We were a team from a working-class, blue-collar town in northern New Jersey who practiced on the polluted Passaic River. Our competition included the privileged prep school kids who called swanky boathouse row in Philadelphia their

home. We used to joke that those kids received oars on their first birthdays.

My lightweight eight team was one of the most successful I have ever rowed with. I’ve spent a lot of time analyzing why and have come up with three reasons.

First, we set the goal of being the first crew of eight from our school to make it into the national championship heat. Second, we had complete faith in one another. Third, we constantly asked ourselves one unifying question: Will it make the boat go faster?

The way we trained on the water was always effective, but as a team, we began to think about what we were and weren’t doing when we were not on water. When it came to our land training, when we wondered if we’d run enough hills or needed to run one more, we’d ask that question: Will it make the boat go faster?

Every member was so committed to that goal that we rarely made any decisions without

thinking about the rest of the crew. What are you eating to keep your weight down? Are you going to the prom the weekend of the regatta? Should we go for a run on our day off?

Will it make the boat go faster?

That was how our daily decisions were made. Individually, none of us felt very powerful, but as a team, we felt invincible. The confidence, the camaraderie, the humility, and the effort were all there.

We didn’t beat every team we raced against. But we beat most of them, and we were within a seat-length or two of beating the others. I remember we were feeling great as we approached the national regatta that year.

We were sitting in the locker room when our coach, Andy, came in. He had just come from a meeting with the head coach of the program and the look on his face told us all that whatever was about to come out of his mouth was not anything we we wanted to hear.

“Coach wants to split us into two teams of four again this year,” he said. There was a collective groan in the room. This was our biggest concern — a worst-case scenario.

During our junior varsity year, we wanted to be the first eight to make it to the national championship heat, but just before the event, we’d been told we needed to split into two fours because the head coach thought that would give us a better chance of winning.

We came back for our senior year more determined than ever to make our mark as an eight. We’d spent our entire time bonding, and now we were going to have to split up and compete against each other, again. We would never know if we were good enough to make the finals as a complete team. No one would ever know. All that work would be for nothing.

Then, one of the boys on the team spoke up and said what we all felt but didn’t dare say. With one word, he summed up our collective thoughts: “No.” The room fell silent, then came the words I

will never forget him adding: “We would rather go down and lose as an eight than win as a four.” The entire crew agreed. We wanted to keep this crew intact.

We were more than a team – we had become a family.

“Okay, I’ll tell him,” Coach Andy said, with a proud smile that let us know that he knew how we felt about the situation. He left the room to relay the message.

To our delight, we received permission to go to Virginia and compete as an eight. No one apart from us thought we had a chance to make it into the championship heat to compete for a national title.

But we won our qualifying heat in dominant fashion, breaking the course record and entering the championship as the fastest boat in the country.

I would love to tell you that we went on to win the national title, but we didn’t. That year, the top prize went to a more experienced, more-deserving team. But 20 years after that race, our boat crew reunited to be inducted into the Kearny

High School Athletic Hall of Fame as one of the best sports teams in the school’s history.

As we sat there in the auditorium, along with many other great teams from various sports, I looked around at the faces of the men with whom I’d shared that experience and realized what had made our team so great. It was simply a matter of priority. We put the boat and our mission first.

Consider for a moment the parallels between rowing and firefighting. In either arena, in order for the team to perform at the highest level, there must be total commitment from every member, as well as a high level of trust and belief in one another.

Imagine, for a moment, what would happen if your firefighting crew were to operate with the mindset I’ve described. You’d set your goals together, and every action you took thereafter would be with specific intent.

Before they acted, everyone on your team would answer

the following question: “Is what I am about to do going to help us accomplish our goal?” If the answer is yes, they’d do it. If not, they wouldn’t do it. It’s that simple.

Whatever your goals are, if you are trying to make your boat go faster, every action you take or don’t take must be attached to that goal.

Poking holes in a boat will not make it go faster. You are either trying to help your team win, or you are preventing them from doing so. The same can be said about every member of the team.

The next time you are contemplating what your team needs to work on in order for you to achieve your goals, take a moment to sit back and consider whether anyone on your team is poking holes. And who are the hard chargers trying to make the boat go faster?

Sit down with your team to set expectations and make sure everyone is aligned with the goals and the mission. And then start rowing together.

HOME HEROES AT WORK AND AT

Ensuring Safety for Pregnant Firefighters

Join the FRCE in partnership with Fire Rescue and EMS Health Research Center, in raising awareness and enhancing healthcare for women in firefighting.

Scan the QR code to access the guide and be at the forefront of empowering pregnant firefighters with the care they deserve.

PUT YOUR KIDNEY

WHERE YOUR HEART IS

By Atul Agnihotri, CEO and Chairman of Kidneys for Communities

HOW KIDNEYS FOR COMMUNITIES AND KIDNEYS FOR FIRST RESPONDERS SAVE FIREFIGHTERS’ LIVES

Imagine a row of people standing shoulder to shoulder. Now imagine this row of people stretching more than 28 miles long. That’s what 100,000 people look like. And it’s how many people in the United States who are currently waiting for a life-saving kidney.

That line is even longer globally.

Kidneys for Communities is taking aim at that statistic, making living/altruistic kidney donation more accessible and more widespread by tapping into the bonds within communities.

This new approach to living kidney donation is built on the understanding that people are more likely to help those they identify with – whether through family, shared professions, social groups or other affiliations. So a community-directed donation model allows potential donors to give a kidney to someone within their extended community, such as faith-based groups, fellow union members, or first responders.

For first responders, this initiative holds special importance. Recognizing the need within the community,

the organization launched Kidneys for First Responders to empower firefighters, police officers, and EMTs to support each other by facilitating living donations within their professional community.

WITH APPROXIMATELY 13 PEOPLE DYING EACH DAY IN THE U.S. WHILE WAITING FOR A KIDNEY TRANSPLANT, INCREASING THE POOL OF LIVING KIDNEY DONORS IS CRITICAL.

First responders – thanks to their strong sense of service – are uniquely positioned to make a significant impact by becoming donors and helping save the lives of their colleagues.

The Kidneys for First Responders initiative has helped facilitate donations such as one made to a New York Police Department officer, initiated when an altruistic donor committed their kidney donation specifically to support a police officer in the United States. Since its launch, Kidneys for First Responders has assisted several first responders and their family members in need of a kidney transplant.

Remarkably, a single kidney donor can save multiple lives. Kidneys for Communities also works with kidney exchange partners, enabling a chain of donations that can benefit multiple people. Through paired donations, if a donor is not a direct match for their intended recipient, their kidney can be matched to someone else, and the initial recipient can be matched with another donor. This creates a ripple effect, helping to maximize the number of lives saved through each donation.

Kidneys for Communities has also launched Living Donor Connections, a group of living kidney donors who offer a valuable resource to potential organ donors. Living Donor Connections allows for one-on-one dialogue with someone who understands firsthand the unique experience of the living kidney donation journey.

ONE KIDNEY DONATION CAN START A CHAIN THAT SAVES MULTIPLE LIVES

GREGG TETRO’S JOURNEY

For retired firefighter Gregg Tetro, giving back is second nature. After a service-defined career, Tetro embarked on a new mission: donating a kidney to a recipient, identified simply as "Rodney".

Tetro’s journey began long before the donation. Early in his career, a fire chief gave him a second chance during a tough time, instilling a commitment to pay it forward. With unwavering support from his wife Cate, Tetro took on the extensive process of becoming a living donor. A dedicated team, including a personal coordinator, nurses, and his surgeon, supported him every step of the way.

On the day he received the call that a match had been found, Tetro described the moment as magical. In the end, his donation not only helped Rodney, but also started a kidney chain, where at least six people so far have been given a second chance at life.

After sharing his experience through Kidneys for Communities, Tetro received a heartfelt message from a fellow firefighter battling kidney disease, grateful for the hope his story provided.

Today, Tetro continues to serve through volunteering as part of the Living Donor Connections group, helping others consider organ donation.

In 2020, Battalion Chief Clay Estes of Murfreesboro Fire Rescue in Tennessee was facing a serious challenge: his kidneys were failing due to polycystic kidney disease. After years of managing the condition, Estes’ only option for survival was a transplant. Though he was on the organ donor list, he was told the wait could take years. Determined to help her husband, Holly Estes posted a request for help on Facebook, hoping to find a living donor.

The answer came from their community. Christy, the wife of a firefighting colleague and friend of Estes, was a match. Before the Facebook post, Christy hadn’t known the anguish that the Estes were going through.

When people share their struggles, the answer often comes from within their community of friends, colleagues, neighbors and other groups, and it opens opportunities for support and connection. Estes’ experience shows that reaching out to ask for help can lead to life-changing acts of kindness.

On April 8, 2021, he underwent a successful transplant, and every year on that date, he sends flowers to Christy as a way to honor her selfless act of courage.

Estes' story exemplifies how communities — especially closeknit groups such as firefighters — can step up in times of need. It highlights the incredible impact of community-directed donation, where lives are saved through connections, compassion and a willingness to give.

CLAY ESTES' STORY

THE JOURNEY FROM A MACRO LENS FROM START TO FINISH

Paired donation is based partly on the work of 2012 Nobel Prize winner and Stanford Economist Alvin Roth, who developed an algorithm to match incompatible patient-donor pairs within a pool. This system ensures that each patient receives a wellmatched kidney transplant.

“Kidney donors save lives,” said Roth. “Living kidney donation is often left to happenstance or a hopeful recipient’s individual outreach efforts. Kidneys for Communities opens up the idea of donating based on mutual community affiliation. Together with paired donation, it means that donors can help members of their community, while also helping others in a streamlined process."

OTHER TYPES OF LIVING KIDNEY DONATION

Direct Donation: the organ is intended for an individual named or specified by the living organ donor.

Non-Directed: Kidney is intended for an individual neither named nor specified by the donor. This donation can be done in a paired kidney exchange, but a community patient is not an intended recipient.

Source: OPTN Organ Procurement Transplantation Network.

PAIRED KIDNEY EXCHANGE

ALTRUISTIC DONOR

• The Kidney Donor kicks off a Community-Directed donation through a Paired Kidney Chain. They request that their kidney be donated to a First Responder, someone they do not personally know. The Donor makes this gift without expecting anything in return.

• Altruistic Donor donates to Recipient One in PAIR 1

PAIR 1: RECIPIENT ONE AND THEIR INCOMPATIBLE DONOR

• Recipient One receives a kidney from the altruistic donor

• PAIR 1 Donor cannot donate to Recipient One as originally intended due to incompatibility, so PAIR 1 Donor agrees to donate their kidney to Recipient Two in PAIR 2

PAIR 2: RECIPIENT TWO AND THEIR INCOMPATIBLE DONOR 2

• Recipient Two to receive a kidney from PAIR 1 Donor

•PAIR 2 Donor is incompatible with Recipient Two, and agrees to donate to Recipient Three in PAIR 3

PAIR 3: RECIPIENT 3 AND THEIR INCOMPATIBLE DONOR 3

• Recipient Three receives a kidney from PAIR 2 Donor

• PAIR 3 Donor who is incompatible with Recipient Three donates to the First Responder

FIRST RESPONDER RECIPIENT WITHOUT A DONOR

• The First Responder Recipient receives a kidney from PAIR 3 Donor completing the chain

OF PEOPLE WITH KIDNEY DISEASE

DON’T KNOW THEY HAVE IT

DONOR PROTECTION

Donating a kidney is one of the most rewarding and fulfilling acts a person can do. Yet, the cost can be prohibitive to the donor. Kidneys for Communities works to eliminate financial or familial risk barriers to living kidney donation. We also partner with multiple organizations that provide additional protections and reimbursements throughout the donation process.

• Cost reimbursement:

• Travel and lodging expenses for donor and companion

• Lost wages for missed work for surgery and recovery

• Child care/adult care

• A kidney prioritization for donor or family, if needed

1 IN 3

While the consideration is life-changing and lifesaving, we want to make the decision as easy as possible as you consider how you can help change the world by saving lives.

AT RISK OF KIDNEY DISEASE

2,800

FIREFIGHTERS

AMERICAN ADULTS ARE ARE ESTIMATED TO BE SUFFERING FROM END-STAGE RENAL DISEASE AND IN NEED OF A LIFE-SAVING KIDNEY*

* Based on U.S. ESRD population data from NIH

RECIPIENT SUPPORT

We help those in search of a kidney reach into their community and ask for help. Asking for a kidney donation is incredibly personal. We’re here to facilitate this important conversation between your communities and our connections.

We provide tools and experience for a personalized approach to finding a living kidney donor, including:

• Experienced guidance and support from our Living Donor Connections

• Best-practice social media and recipient campaigns

• Recipient stories via online platform

• The power of kidney exchange

First responders interested in becoming donors can find detailed information, resources, and guidance on the Kidneys for Communities website. The organization provides a seamless process, offering personalized support and covering out-of-pocket expenses to ensure donors are supported throughout their journey. This package includes reimbursement for travel, lodging, and even loss of wages. There’s also a Future Kidney Pledge, which ensures that if a donor ever needs a kidney, they will be prioritized for a transplant.

KIDNEYS FOR FIRST RESPONDERS’ PARTNERS

The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and its affiliates, the First Responder Center for Excellence, Knox Company, National Association of State Fire Marshals, Arizona Police Association, Phoenix Law Enforcement Association, and Police Benevolent Association of the City of New York.

The Fire Department Safety Officers Association (FDSOA) was established in 1989 as a non-profit association. Its mission is to promote safety standards and practices in the fire, rescue, and emergency services community.

The FDSOA plays a crucial role in addressing health and safety challenges facing firefighters globally.

The FDSOA is here to provide individual fire departments resources, training, and guidance on everyday safety initiatives along with a focus on crucial health and wellness topics including occupational cancer, cardiac health, and the mental well-being of first responders, as well as resources for the Emergency Vehicle Technician (EVT) and Fleet Managers.

Stay informed with the

PROTECTION, WITHOUT COMPROMISE.

FR station wear built specifically with you in mind. Offering superior quality, safety, durability, and performance. Protection that works with you, during any part of your work day.

AARON ZAM ZOW

TAKING ON FIRE SERVICE HEALTH: ONE REP AT A TIME

By Leah Sobon, Associate Publisher CRACKYL Magazine

IF TODAY’S NOT A GOOD DAY TO START, TOMORROW WON'T BE ANY BETTER

30+ years

15 years

If Aaron Zamzow, owner of Fire Rescue Fitness and a career firefighter for 15 years isn’t the first person who comes to mind when you think about firefighter fitness – we’d be surprised. With his hand in a vast number of fitness-focused pots, Zamzow (or Zam as he prefers to be called, and yes, we almost referred to him as Zamzow in this story just to mess with him) has really done it all.

Zam will say that he is a firefighter/ EMT first and foremost, and then a personal trainer. Even so, he is probably the most entertaining and relatable fitness expert in the market (though we give a nod to the professionals who previously and successfully laid the groundwork and foundation for firefighters).

His sense of humor is selfdeprecating. His energy is borderless and his banter is rapid fire. He's been known to bound onto a stage in a superhero costume and confess his love of ice cream and tequila (he got us wondering how we’ve missed this dynamic combo).

ZAM HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE “GIVE ME THE MIC AND POINT THE CAMERA HERE" GUY.

Fitness has been talked to death in the fire service. And for a good reason, because if we don’t focus on it, death or disability could become our reality. So, how does Zam make his contributions and fitness advice so powerful?

One way is through FRF, which offers various online programs and packages that help firefighters attain their fitness goals in combination with professional coaching and support. After all, he used to work with pro athletes.

But the cherry on the top is Zam’s personality – it is, to say the least, colorful. Couple that with his genuine and compassionate nature and you have a recipe for a passionate and contagious love of promoting health and wellness to firefighters.

If you’ve made it to one of his presentations, you’ll have heard a story Zam likes to tell of his dad’s lessthan-flattering advice. When he was growing up, Zam’s dad (with whom he remains close) let him down gently by telling just how hard he might need to work in life to be successful.

“Son, you don't have a lot of athletic talent, and with a room-temperature IQ, you’ll need to figure out life through hard work and great self-talk

to evaluate what’s going on and what you’ll need.” Sage advice, Zam says.

While we certainly can’t evaluate the temperature of Zam’s IQ, we do agree that getting gritty in life can often have favorable outcomes – especially in an emergency services career.

BUT SELF-TALK AND CONSTANT RE-EVALUATION? THAT’S THE FOUNDATION OF ALMOST EVERYTHING ZAM DOES FOR THE FIRE SERVICE.

With an array of health and wellness programs and challenges, Zam illustrates just how important it is to re-evaluate where you are in your health and wellness journey, keeping a sharp eye on whether or not your expectations match your reality.

“Over the years, the old man has come out in me and said, ‘Hey dude, you can’t just go do pushups and think that everything in your life is fine because you're working out.’ I work out and feel great, but after some time, there is so much that comes out against us.”

As he puts it, “When you're young, you don’t think you need sleep

and can eat that Whopper, but the older you get, the more you realize, man, I didn’t have it right at all.

WHEN I PRESENT, I USED TO SAY (HEY, I APOLOGIZE) ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS START MOVING. BUT THERE IS SO MUCH MORE TO IT THAN THAT.”

“Just get up and move works for only a percentage of the population. When it comes to firefighting, movement encompasses so much more. As first responders, we say we are super self-aware, but that statement is multifaceted. We have oversimplified what awareness means, such as why we overeat or exercise. Why we make the decisions we make. Alongside that thinking, we have become expert procrastinators with an answer and a reason (excuse) for everything we do.

WHEN I STARTED TO MAKE GOOD PROGRESS IN MY HEALTH AND WELLNESS JOURNEY, I LOST MY EGO AND STARTED PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT I WAS DOING AND WHERE I WAS

“First responder procrastination: it's part of our denial process. When I started to make good progress in my health and wellness journey, I lost my ego and started paying attention to what I was doing and where I was. We use our jobs as an excuse. We work overtime or help someone else. We constantly go into our giving mindset and think it gives us a free pass that isn’t really free.

"I DON'T WANT TO LOOK

IN THE

MIRROR BECAUSE I KNOW WHAT I'LL SEE. YET I’M STILL WILLING TO HELP EVERYONE ELSE OUT BEFORE MYSELF. IT’S BROKEN THINKING,” ZAM SAYS.

What is a surefire way to reset your mindset and ground yourself to your potential?

“If you were once an athlete, you return to what you knew as an athlete,” Zam explains. “But that might not work for you anymore. That doesn’t mean you’re no

longer an athlete. It means you’re probably not the same and what worked for you then might not work for you now.”

As a professional trainer with over 30 years with experience training pro athletes, Zam has heard all the excuses. Money is a great motivator, but it wasn’t always enough. Athletes still lacked motivation at times, even in the presence of big money.

So if pro athletes can’t always stay motivated, how can first responders when they’re also parents, caretakers, providers and multiprofessionals? How can we keep our focus on what’s important?

Zam swears by the practice of creating attainable goals and habits. How does that work? Well, lose the thinking that you need to do one thing over and over for at least 21 days and instead open yourself to the idea that habit forming is a long-term commitment that requires selfevaluation at every turn. There are

no quick fixes when it comes to your health and wellness. This is why Zam created “Resilient 50Five for Fifty” - a free resource for those who want to steer their boat in an attainable direction.

“It's not about losing weight, getting a better bench press, or deciding which protein drink you should be buying. Resilient 50 is simple.

'INSTEAD OF LOOKING AT YOUR END GOAL, YOU BREAK IT DOWN INTO ITS SIMPLEST FORM.

"What must I do today to help me achieve my goal 50 days from now? Take five attainable habits and implement them every day.

“They don’t need to be lofty or extreme. But by practicing these goals each day, you’ll eventually be led towards your bigger goal. Not every goal is fitness-driven. Some folks wish to be better partners and listeners; some want to drink more water or get better sleep. Others might have bigger goals with their health, which means this process will help.

"SMALL GOALS LEAD TO BIGGER GOALS.

"We attend conferences all the time where speakers hand out fantastic advice for first responders, but if you don't implement it, it falls flat. So choose five things you need to do, join the challenge and start the journey.”

We asked Zam what he believed the biggest challenges were when it came to the beginning, middle and end of the firefighting career, and to no one's surprise, he came up with some great words of wisdom.

“When we start our careers, we don’t emphasize the value of a healthy lifestyle and how to attain it as a new firefighter. It's a macro answer but firefighters need to build a support system from day one, including family and friends. And they should save time for themselves and their

families. Time to build relationships. It’s called ‘ten percenting’ – we have a lot of relationships, but if you have a core group (representing 10%) who tell you what you don't want to hear or be called out for because they know what you stand for, then you have to invest in that 10%. They’re your significant others, family, and really good friends and they’ll keep you true to yourself.”

Midway career problems?

“We let egos get in the way. That's the time when you start to feel the job a little bit more in your mind and your body. But you say you feel the same way and believe you can do the same things. You lose track of who you truly are.

“When you're at the five to 10 year mark, you might be 20 or 30 pounds heavier than when you started. But that’s not muscle. Someone once said, ‘You know what, Zam, you’re right, but in my mind, I still think I'm that athlete that I was when I came into the fire service.’ Everyone can relate to that. Drop the ego, look in the mirror, and evaluate your habits and where they're getting you.

“If you are in a position where you’re struggling, look at the things that you didn't do. Did you establish a lifestyle? Did you drop your ego and look at your life with an honest lens? If your fitness is ok, what do you need to do to stay there to be your best?”

And the end?

“They need to realize it's not the end. A lot of first responders will say that they have six months left and they're trying to make it. That is a terrible answer,” Zam says. “You want to feel good when you retire, and watching firefighters retire and deteriorate kills me. They sacrificed so much for this job and want to reap the benefits of that blood, sweat, and tears. The biggest thing

A 50-DAY JOURNEY DESIGNED FOR FIRST RESPONDERS WHERE

Free Resources

Learn how to break down goals into attainable habits

Upon completion, you will get a Resilient 50 Challenge Coin

This is not a fitness or weight loss challenge, but a transformative journey

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POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS MAY INCLUDE:

• Restful Sleep

• Elevated Energy

• Improved Focus

• Mental Clarity

• Boosted Morale

• Stress Relief

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• Stabilized Mood

• Balanced Life

• Increased Focus

to understand is that there isn’t an end. You’re leaving a legacy and setting yourself up for a bigger end. You must continually take care of yourself – and if you haven’t so far, start now. It can have a lasting impact on yourself and those around you watching. That’s the essence of leaving something better than when you came in.”

So how does one reconnect and restart a journey to health, wellness, and ultimately fulfillment and happiness? Zam would say it begins and ends with gratitude, something he practices daily and firmly believes in.

“By practicing gratitude, working out, or checking a box, you can get a dopamine rush that is in contrast to the dopamine rushes that we get from sugar, seeing likes on a social post or even energy drinks. Gratitude doesn’t need likes, caffeine or sugar to fuel its purpose.

"WE NEED TO STAY FOCUSED ON EMS – WHICH IS WHAT I CALL EXERCISE, MINDING YOUR NUTRITION, AND SLEEP AND RECOVERY.”

The acronym may be a stretch, but you get it.

“Once you couple EMS with gratitude practice, you start to feel the changes,” he says. “If you break it down into

simpler terms, you get a dopamine rush from taking care of yourself. You’ll begin to ask yourself questions like: Why am I eating this? Why do I need this? And you’ll have more motivation because you will have more energy. Food is fuel, but we’ve lost track of its purpose.”

Zam’s advice: “It’s very easy to get negative in our profession because there are opportunities everywhere. Whether we point to leadership, co-workers, or patients, once you start to assess and lose the ego and practice one gratitude a day, it can put you into a different mindset.”

Motivation can be tough. Zam can relate to that wholeheartedly as an exhausted and overworked first responder, podcast host and public speaker. But you won’t hear him complaining.

“The best day to start is today. If you’re waiting for a better time, it will never happen. If you just wait until Billy finishes his hockey season, or for when you get through this work set, or maybe after the holidays, it simply won’t happen. Don't wait. Because when we are really truly stressed and life gets demanding, we need to be our best.

“I often see people put off things that will make them their best. We want first responders to thrive in the eye of stress.

"SO, INSTEAD OF THINKING ABOUT SURVIVING AND JUST GETTING THROUGH, THINK ABOUT THRIVING INSTEAD.

"If you took the Resilient 50 challenge and didn't make all five for 50, are you still better off than before? Of course you are.”

Zam jokingly refers to his people and fellow first responders as misfits and encourages everyone to be proud of that status. He pictures the fire service and its band of misfits as a group of amazing individuals capable of improving their lives daily – something we can’t disagree with. Imagine an entire profession that –despite the trials and tribulations of life and the job – comes together for better health, wellness and happiness.

Now, that’s something anyone can get behind.

“When things are shitty, and you're tired, just measure your perspective and practice gratitude, and your outlook will change,” says Zam. “Seek counseling, whether it's preventative or in response to trauma. Do your annual medical. Work out daily (notice how I didn’t say ‘just move’). Aim for better sleep – one of my goals in the Resilient 50.

“And lastly, focus on all aspects of recovery – no matter the journey.”

YOUR INPUT DETERMINES YOUR OUTLOOK. YOUR OUTLOOK DETERMINES YOUR OUTPUT, AND YOUR OUTPUT DETERMINES YOUR FUTURE.

ZIG ZIGLAR

HEALTH

By Jason Villeggiante, Co-Founder Biohacked

The results of a 2016 clinical trial really grabbed the attention of the fire service community. Why?

IT WAS ALL ABOUT SAUNAS.

As we become more receptive to alternative forms of health and wellness, saunas have become a topic of discussion at many firehouse kitchen tables.

Time-limited exposure to high heat for wellbeing has been used for hundreds of years, dating back to the use of sweat lodges in the Bronze Age. Over time, we've come to theorize that saunas impact not only physical health, but also certain components of mental health.

Suicide is a high ranking killer of both firefighters and law enforcement officers, so any and all pathways to improve mental health and prevent suicides need to be explored. That

2016 study, Whole Body Hyperthermia for the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder published in the JAMA Psychiatry Journal, revealed findings that were both surprising and encouraging.

By now many of us know the broad benefits of regular sauna use for overall physical health and longevity. For example, a 2018 JAMA Internal Medicine Journal article showed that regular sauna use is associated with reduced cardiovascular mortality and improves risk prediction in both men and women.

Using a sauna two or three times weekly was associated with a 22% decrease in cardiovascular disease and sudden cardiac death, while using a sauna more frequently (four to seven times weekly) was associated with a 63% reduction.

Apart from suicides, sudden cardiac death is consistently the leading cause of on-duty firefighter fatalities. In addition

THE SURPRISING SCIENCE BEHIND SAUNA USE IN THE PREVENTION OF DEPRESSION

to the cardiovascular benefits, data indicates benefits with both injury recovery as well as heavy metal detox.

Psychiatrists have known since the 1980s that people suffering from depression either do not sweat or have difficulty doing so. When all factors are accounted for (age, gender, etc.), people who are diagnosed with depression have elevated body temperatures when compared to general population. This suggested to the studies’ evaluators that depression may be a hyperthermic state.

Interestingly, the pathways in our brain that control our bodies’ ability to cool down overlap exactly with neural pathways that regulate our mood. Mood and temperature run down the same brain rails. The question the studies’ organizers wanted to answer was: if they stimulated the temperature pathways through the use of a sauna, would they also stimulate the mood pathways?

USING A SAUNA TWO OR THREE TIMES WEEKLY WAS ASSOCIATED WITH A

IN CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE AND SUDDEN CARDIAC DEATH 22% DECREASE

Firefighter LLC

A six-week, randomized, double-blind study was conducted at a universitybased medical center comparing whole body hyperthermia with a sham condition. The sham condition in this study was a machine, used by half the participants, that had a bright light and a mild warming pad to give the illusion they were receiving whole body hyperthermia. The other group actually received whole body hyperthermia.

Dr. Charles Raison, who conducted the study, said in an interview with the British Sauna Society, “The more ‘undepressed’ they got after the treatment, the hotter they were before the treatment. So the people who did the best or had the most significant changes in their depression scores were the hottest (i.e. had an elevated body temperature) prior to whole body hyperthermia exposure.”

SAUNA USE IS NOT THE BE-ALL AND END-ALL FOR ADDRESSING MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES OF FIRST RESPONDERS, BUT IT IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

The participants were between 18 and 65 years old, met the criteria for major depressive disorder, were not taking antidepressant medications, and had a Hamilton Depression Rating score of 16 or greater. (The Hamilton Depression Score is the most widely used clinician-administered depression assessment scale.)

THE RESULTS OF THIS STUDY WERE STRIKING.

Subjects receiving one single whole body hyperthermia treatment showed a rapid drop in depression scores after three days, which remained significant up to six weeks. If you are depressed and you are hot, it’s because the pathways that should be working to cool you off aren’t working very well.

Raison went on to say that heating up depressed patients allows for a paradoxical effect. Sensitizing thermoregulatory pathways allows people to better shed and regulate heat moving forward.

While additional studies are required to evaluate whether different levels of heat exposure, or repeated treatments, might increase the intervention’s antidepressant signal, this is great news for the general population and firefighters.

As more and more fire departments adopt sauna use protocols into their wellness and decontamination procedures, they can, by default, assist with addressing some of the mental health issues of

their membership with whole body hyperthermia.

Sauna use is not the be-all and end-all for addressing mental health issues of first responders, but it is a step in the right direction.

There has been a dramatic change in the International Association of Firefighters’ position on benefits of saunas for firefighters.

In 2017, IAFF wrote, “There is insufficient medical evidence to support a recommendation for use of saunas to remove toxicants from the body after fire fighting, and the potential adverse health effects outweigh potential benefits.”

Fast forward to 2024, IAFF had this to say regarding firefighter best practices to prevent exposure to harmful chemicals. “Saunas were found to be beneficial. They decrease inflammation and oxidative stress. Studies showed a non-significant decrease in PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) concentrations after use of saunas.”

Saunas appear to address a multitude of concerns for overall firefighter health and wellness. Promoting responsible use along with proper hydration and rest will help our brothers and sisters in the fire service have a long, happy, healthy career and retirement.

YOUR BIOHACKED FIRE & RESCUE PAYMENTS COULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR HSA/FSA REIMBURSEMENT.

Quality sleep is essential and can be tax-free, saving an average of 30%. We're partnering with @truemedpayments to make using your HSA/FSA funds seamless and hassle-free. If you have an HSA/FSA (or plan to contribute this year), scan the QR Code to see if you qualify.

MAKE A LASTING IMPACT

You can make a lasting impact on firefighter health and safety by joining the National Firefighter Registry (NFR) for Cancer.

All U.S. firefighters—with and without cancer, active and retired, and any specialty— can join. The more firefighters who sign up for the NFR, the more questions we can answer about the link between firefighting and cancer.

GET STARTED IN 5 MINUTES.

On-duty exercise

SHOULD WE ADD WORKOUTS TO OUR WORK DAY?

By Jacob A. Mota, Ph.D., CSCS, *D Assistant Professor of Kinesiology

WE ALL KNOW THE GRIND: AT LEAST 24 LONG, UNPREDICTABLE HOURS.

It affects everyone. Sometimes it’s the busy work, the mundane calls and the grocery runs. And sometimes, at hour 10 of overtime, that late-night tone drops for a working structure fire in a mutualaid neighboring city.

No matter where or when it hits us, we smother our problems with caffeine or nicotine and push through. It’s easy to let the unpredictable nature of the job convince us to let our health and wellness take a back seat.

How else are we going to get “me” time?

The theory is that being in the best physical shape will make this job easier for years to come and far into retirement. The reality is that we must convince ourselves to prioritize exercise and not be afraid of exercising on shift. (Besides, being paid to exercise makes us professional athletes … right?) Joking aside, we all know the logistical and physical difficulties of working out on shift.

The question is whether this challenge is worth overcoming.

Exercise has many physical and mental health benefits. The scientific literature presents strong evidence that a combination of cardiovascular, strength, and power training can improve occupational performance for air management, balance, and injury risk.

Other data suggest that exercise can reduce the risk of certain cancers. More recently, physical exercise has been shown to be a great way to improve mental health: in some studies is has been shown to be on par with drug therapy. Another great benefit is that exercise sessions can improve sleep quality and duration –and in this job who doesn’t want that?

THE TAKEAWAY IS CLEAR: EXERCISE HAS MANY BENEFITS FOR OVERALL HEALTH AND WELLNESS.

But you can’t just talk about it. Regular exercise must be built into the daily habits of firefighters both on and off shift. It must be carefully planned, and that may be difficult. Resistance training should be heavy, and runs or cardio sessions should sometimes make your heart rate approach your maximum.

As a scientist, I am unusual in that my background includes both firefighting and coaching in strength and conditioning. So I know that there are many challenges to be faced if you want to work out on shift.

Depending on your location, you may have limited resources available. Some cities have a single centralized fire department gym, others have gym memberships for their crews, while still others have gyms at each firehouse.

Assuming you have access to some sort of facility, your challenges may be exercise selection, proper form and technique, and program design. Arguably the biggest challenge may be time. How long and how frequent should workouts be? How will you manage incidents that occur during a workout?

Many departments may allocate one hour of each shift to physical training. But when that hour actually occurs may be the tough part. When do you (or, when does your captain) carve out that hour? At night? First thing in the morning?

Either way, it’s very possible that your tone will drop during or immediately after that workout. What are you supposed to do if you’re in the middle of a highintensity interval training session on

an exercise bike when dispatch calls? The answer is difficult, but simple: you stop exercising and turnout, just as you would with any other call.

This is what many firefighters, old and new alike, worry about — and I get it. I often hear some version of this argument: “If the tones drop for the big call, I want everyone to be fresh and ready.”

It's a valid argument, and it’s something I’ve experienced firsthand. But for many departments across the country, these big calls are few and far between. There is a long-term, net benefit for fire crews to risk working out right before an average call rather than not working out at all.

YES, I SAID RISK.

NOT EVERY SHIFT HAS TO HAVE INTENSE EXERCISE SESSIONS THAT EXHAUST YOU.

We know that when dispatch tones you out for an incident, big or small, and you’re in the middle of a training session or have just finished one, you might be fatigued. Depending on how tired you are, you may be at an increased risk of slipping, tripping, falling or encountering other musculoskeletal issues that could cause an injury.

BUT HERE’S THE KICKER: IF YOU AVOID WORKING OUT FOR ANY REASON, YOUR BODY WILL DETERIORATE OVER TIME.

Compare the 23-year-old boot to a 35year veteran. Age-related deterioration can be slowed (and sometimes even reversed) with exercise.

The risk of regular physical training before a call-out is balanced, and so has many benefits.

Properly planned on-shift exercise sessions can help individual firefighters combat obesity, improve cardiometabolic health, and overcome mental health challenges. If individuals skip too many on-shift training sessions, the negative health consequences become more likely. And this may be why much of the fire service is in a difficult staffing position these days.

Not every shift has to have intense exercise sessions that exhaust you. In fact, as a strength coach,

I would argue those should be few and far between.

Exercising as a crew presents great opportunities for team building –just look up your favorite college football team on YouTube in August for evidence. By exercising on shift, you’ll find that you and your crew will have increased energy and greater focus when you need it most: for a big incident or even just a midnight run.

No online resource can provide exercise recommendations for every fire department. Each station and shift is unique. Strength and conditioning programs for the fire service need to be individualized based on the needs of each department.

In some circumstances, it is possible for training goals to be individualized across companies. Some departments and their relevant city leaders employ full-time, certified athletic performance staff rather than simply leaning on team members who are great at CrossFit or bodybuilding.

Despite the many logistical challenges, NFPA and most other organizations support exercising on-shift to promote health, wellness, and physical performance. Individual departments and firefighters should be provided with the information necessary to decide when and how to participate in exercise training.

PHOTO BY: FIREDOGPHOTOS - STEPHEN BAER

By Rick Markley, Executive Editor, CRACKYL Magazine

THE IMMEDIATE-PAST U.S. FIRE ADMINISTRATOR CAME INTO THE JOB WITH HUGE AMBITIONS AND A TAKE-NO-PRISONERS APPROACH. HERE’S HOW SHE KEPT HER SANITY THROUGH IT ALL

GAME CHANGER, DISRUPTER, HARD-CHARGER.

THOSE ARE TERMS USUALLY RESERVED TO DESCRIBE

THE CAPTAINS OF INDUSTRY.

service conference where fire service leaders from around the world could share and learn. And she held annual summits to assess the state of the fire service and adjust USFA’s priorities.

But when you are Dr. Lori MooreMerrell and head up a large federal agency like the U.S. Fire Administration and you revamp not only how the agency works, but change how the fire service works, all those terms apply. You are kind of a badass.

Don’t believe me?

My interview with Moore-Merrell was sandwiched between her site visits to two major hurricane events and the U.S. Fire Administrator’s annual summit. And a schedule like that was nothing new. She’ll tell you that she’s a workaholic driven by performance, something she expects from her staff as well.

MOORE-MERRELL PUTS THE “CHARGE” IN HARD-CHARGER.

Our conversation also took place back when the 2024 U.S. presidential race was essentially a dead heat. The fire administrator is a presidential appointment. We’ll come back to that later.

In her four years as fire administrator, she accomplished a lot. She replaced the antiquated, clunky National Fire Incident Reporting System (which used to take two years before it delivered meaningful data about recorded incidents). She launched a global fire

Moore-Merrell also created a “one voice” culture where differing (sometimes competing) fire service groups can collaborate on common goals. She put wildland fire as a main priority. She put a well-respected researcher in charge of research and completely gutted the position and department by going back to the original law (the 1974 Fire Prevention and Control Act) that created the Fire Administration, and rebuilt everything based on what they were charged to do.

She’s a total badass. And was a badass before becoming the fire administrator. She founded, and was the CEO of, the International Public Safety Data Institute. She spent 25 years at the International Association of Fire Firefighters as the chief executive of research and data analytics. And before that? She served as a firefighter and paramedic at a time when few women entered the profession.

MOORE-MERRELL’S OVER-THE-TOP WORK ETHIC WAS CENTRAL TO HER

REACHING BADASS STATUS.

It was her mother, educated only to the eighth grade level, who instilled that work ethic. Her parents, she says, taught her to never be a self-promoter and to focus on performing. When you perform well,

says Moore-Merrell, other people will treat you accordingly and give you increased responsibility.

And despite her mother’s being gone more than 10 years, the memory of and lessons learned from her continue to inspire and drive Moore-Merrell.

A hard-charger who is in charge can be difficult to work for. That’s something Moore-Merrell came to terms with when one employee had the courage to tell her they couldn’t keep up with her.

“Yeah, it's been a learning thing for me in that space to say, ‘Listen, everybody's not you. Not everybody has the same drive. They need some time.’”

Part of learning how to give staff their space came from some of the high-level leadership training she had as the fire administrator.

So, once the employees are looked after, how is Dr. Lori looking out for herself? Or is she?

She was, after all, seeing first-hand all the major devastation first responders are toned out for. And she was responsible for the entire U.S. fire service. During her presentation at the Fire Administrator’s Summit, Moore-Merrell paused briefly to regain composure while discussing the trauma experienced by the first responders and victims affected by hurricanes Helene and Milton.

“WELL, THANK YOU FOR ASKING,” SHE TOLD ME. “I RELY ON THE 3 FS: FAITH, FAMILY, AND FRIENDS.

"Those three things and just being able to feel comfortable, to tell others and to have an emotional reaction in front of 500 people (plus 4,000 people online). Feeling comfortable in that space is huge. And that, she says, is what we have to contribute to each other.

“My husband understands the space. He retired after 31 years on the job. I know we can talk. And so confiding in him and having a family, that helps.

“And then I spend a lot of time in prayer. I'm a very faith-based person, and

so I rely on that strength as well. Next is being able to lift up someone else and be there for them. That is motivational for me, and so I hold on to that as well.”

That type of resilience doesn't come from taking a supplement or an online class. It takes time, and MooreMerrell recommends that firefighters start building that network now.

“Build those relationships, have friends that you can confide in, and know you're there for each other – no matter what. And there’s your family,” she says. “Your family doesn't have to be blood relatives. Your family can be the family in your fire station. It can be a family in a neighborhood.

It can be the people you work with every day.”

EXERCISE, DIET AND SLEEP ARE ALSO AREAS SHE FOCUSES ON TO STAY SHARP.

Exercise, she laughs, is not a problem as she and her staff are constantly on the move. Eating right can be a challenge when traveling so often — so that’s a work in progress. And she’s resolved to shut down earlier to improve her sleep time and quality.

“I've tried to prioritize sleep,” she says. “I've had leadership coaching that teaches that you can't lead fully if you are tired and not rested. I need to go to bed by 11, because I'm a midnight or later person. So I'm just adding 15, 30 or 60 minutes to my sleep. That sounds really simple for a lot of people but it's not for me: turning off is hard. I have to selfdiscipline. Turn off. I'm going to sleep now, phone down, computer down, TV off.”

So with her mother instilling the hard-charging, badass work ethic, who has been there to keep Moore-Merrell from jumping off the rails? Who have her mentors been?

“I've always had male mentors, because there weren't a lot of women before me on the job,” she says. “Chief Denny Compton is one of the greatest mentors I've ever seen. And he's mentored several strong women leaders who are leading at the national level — not the least of whom is Dr. Sara Janke [who was on the cover of CRACKYL’s Summer 2023 edition]. She

goes to him for guidance. Chief Mary Cameli (current fire chief of Mesa, Ariz.), is another, is another who relies on him for guidance.

“Denny was there for me. He still is. I talk to him often. I will still call him to ask, ‘What do you think about this?’ I'm incredibly indebted to him for opening doors I could have never opened alone, and for believing that I could excel.”

Compton has a list of fire service accomplishments a country mile long. In addition to being a fire chief in Phoenix and Mesa, Ariz., he chaired the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation board of directors, and has spearheaded firefighter cancer research, firefighter education, and fire prevention efforts. He’s earned countless awards and accolades.

“The other is Chief Russ Sanders, who for many years led the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association. Russ would open the door for opportunities for me, particularly around the metro chiefs. So because of him, I was able to establish a reputation for delivering high quality.”

Sanders retired as Louisville’s fire chief and was a director with NFPA, as well as an executive director of the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association.

Being mentored and getting the opportunity to show what she could do was more than just its own reward.

Moore-Merrell is understandably proud of having been able to “lift up fire departments from an understanding of research from real knowledge, give them exposure to data and help them understand those things. So people opening doors for me has, I hope, in turn delivered information and expertise that the fire service might not have otherwise had. And I'm really, really grateful to those two men in particular.”

When you survey the fire service, there are more discussions, more presentations, more articles, more research and more findings on firefighter health and wellness than ever before.

ARE WE IN A PIVOTAL MOMENT IN FIRE SERVICE HISTORY? ONE THAT FUTURE GENERATIONS WILL POINT TO AS GAME-CHANGING?

“I absolutely concur, because we are making real evolutionary change,” she says. “I mean, just think about what has happened with the stigma around mental health, over the past 10 years.

“Firefighters now know that it's not only acceptable, but also appropriate for you to say, ‘I'm going to need some help. I can't see one more dead child or go extricate one more mutilated body,’ or whatever it is that is cueing you.

The evolution around the impact of the things we can't unsee in the field and holding each other up and being there for each other is incredible growth.

“And that's just one thing. The collaboration between the organizations that are working on pieces of the cancer issue — whether it's PPE, diagnosis and tracking, or the registry so that we can at least understand exposures long term. All of these different things in collaboration are monumental at this point in time. Watching the research evolve in our space is huge.”

One moment that always feels pivotal at the time is when the U.S. elects a president. Moore-Merrell was part of the transition team that helped President-elect Joe Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris take office in 2021. That is in part how she was offered the fire administrator’s position. Again, this interview took place prior to the election

and Moore-Merrell had to know if she would stay on as administrator if asked, regardless of who won.

“Well, depending on which way that goes. If I am asked, yes, I’ll obviously want to stay. We've accomplished great things during this administration. We have momentum and I don't want to see that momentum diminished by a change in administration. For the Fire Administration, it's important that we continue the course.”

Yeah, about those election results.

“I will say, however, that should it not go well for us at the election, I am putting in place sustainability and a team that can absolutely carry on and carry the momentum forward. So I think, either way, I'm very hopeful that the momentum we have within the nation's fire service, and with USFA at the helm.”

UPDATE:

Since our interview, MooreMerrell has appointed Fire Chief Donna Black as deputy fire administrator and issued a statement that she would be stepping down as fire administrator on January 20, 2025 - the day the Trump administration took office.

What happens to the fire administration and its reach over the fire service remains to be seen. And so too does what happens to Moore-Merrell. Yet it is difficult to imagine this hardcharging badass change agent not finding another outlet for guiding the fire service.

INTRODUCING OUR SPECIAL ISSUE:

FIRE STATION DESIGN

ARCHITECTURE, PLANNING, AND INNOVATION

: In the world of emergency services, the design of a fire station is not just about aesthetics – it's about functionality, planning, and community impact. This special issue dives deep into the cutting-edge architecture and innovative planning strategies that are shaping the fire stations of tomorrow.

EXPLORE INSIDE

Discover groundbreaking designs that enhance efficiency and support the vital work of firefighters. DON’T MISS YOUR CHANCE TO BE AT THE FOREFRONT OF FIRE STATION INNOVATION.

Innovative Planning Strategies: Learn how modern planning concepts are transforming fire stations into community hubs.

Sustainable Solutions: Uncover eco-friendly designs that reduce environmental impact while serving their critical functions.

Case Studies: Gain insights from renowned architects and planners on successful fire station projects around the world. THIS IS A MUST-HAVE RESOURCE FOR ARCHITECTS, PLANNERS, FIREFIGHTERS, AND ANYONE INTERESTED IN THE INTERSECTION OF DESIGN AND PUBLIC SAFETY.

YOU RELY ON INSTINCT, BECAUSE THE WORLD RELIES ON YOU.

INSTINCT® SOLAR THE SOLAR POWERED GPS SMARTWATCH WITH SMART NOTIFICATIONS, HEART RATE* AND BUILT IN SPORTS APPS.

CRACKYL

TA TICAL

By Ryan Provencher

GO TO THE FIREFIGHTER PEAK PERFORMANCE FITNESS PLATFORM FOR ACCESS TO FIREFIGHTER WORKOUTS, WELLNESS EDUCATION, AND MORE

QUESTIONS?

RYAN@FIREFIGHTER PEAKPERFORMANCE .COM

WORKOUT 25-1

FLEXIBILITY / RECOVERY TRAINING PROTOCOL:

30/30

30-second intervals

LOW-INTENSITY FLEXIBILITY /RECOVERY WORKOUT

THE 30/30 FLEXIBILITY / RECOVERY TRAINING PROTOCOL ADDS STRUCTURE AND INTENTION TO YOUR COOL - DOWN ON MODERATE AND HIGH - INTENSITY TRAINING DAYS, AS WELL AS CIRCUIT TRAINING ON FLEXIBILITY/RECOVERY DAYS.

WALKING OR LIGHT CARDIO

15-30 MINUTES

FOAM ROLL

TO TARGET AREAS OF TENSION OR SORENESS

COMPLETE THE FLEXIBILITY/ RECOVERY CIRCUIT:

CHILD’S POSE

KNEELING ARM THREAD

90/90 HIP STRETCH

HALF-KNEELING QUAD STRETCH

FLOOR SCORPION

REVERSE SCORPION

UPWARD FACING DOG

DOWNWARD FACING DOG

FLEXIBILITY / RECOVERY CIRCUIT INSTRUCTIONS:

FIRST 30-SECOND INTERVAL: A ctively contract the target area on your inhale (five-second count) and relax these muscles on the exhale (five-second count). Repeat this contract-relax cycle for the full 30 seconds.

NEXT 30-SECOND INTERVAL: F ocus entirely on relaxation, releasing any residual tension in the target area. Stay just below the edges of discomfort, and with each exhale, release deeper into your end range as the tissues relax into resting length.

Perform the flexibility/recovery circuit at least once to cool down after moderate- and high-intensity training, and three times on active recovery days after light cardio and foam rolling.

INTENTIONAL FIREFIGHTER FITNESS: ACTIVE RECOVERY

The goal of low-intensity flexibility/recovery days is to release any tension built up from physical training or work stress.

Keep intensity levels below six on a 10-scale and heart rate under 60% of your maximum heart rate.

To optimize recovery from physical training and shift work, aim to complete this recovery session two to three times per week.

Try this workout together as a crew after your next training session or firefighter workout. It’s also a great way to introduce intentional recovery into recruit academy physical training.

oney myths

By Tony Dong, MSc, CETF

WHY ‘BORING’ INVESTING IS SMART MONEY

Scroll through TikTok, and you'll find no shortage of financial influencers, or "finfluencers", offering the latest get-rich-quick tips and money hacks that promise to multiply your wealth overnight. Which tips actually hold water, and which fizzle into nothing?

C

an

you actually get rich investing in index funds?

Many believe that striking it rich in the stock market requires taking huge risks, like picking the perfect stocks or jumping on trendy investments such as Bitcoin. But can steady investing in a lowcost fund – a ready-made portfolio of stocks and bonds tracking a broad market index - like the S&P 500 really turn you into a millionaire?

The answer is a resounding yes. Let's imagine that as a young firefighter, you started investing in

1979. You started with $100 and committed to adding $100 every month to an S&P 500 index fund.

Fast forward to today. That consistent investment, compounding at an average annual rate of about 11.1%, would have grown to almost $1.2 million. Ka-ching!

How did this happen? Simply put, over time the 500 companies that comprise the S&P 500 index fund increased their earnings, distributed dividends and went up

in value as other investors were willing to pay more for each dollar of earnings they generated. In effect, you owned a big slice of the evergrowing North American economy.

All you had to do was routinely invest $100 monthly – the equivalent of skipping one night out a month – reinvest dividends, and maintain your investment during the market’s inevitable ups and downs. Not bad for a hands-off, low-cost investment.

T he Dave Ramsey Debt Snowball Method

List your debt amounts from smallest to largest.

Make the minimum payments on all debts except the smallest.

Throw as much money as possible at your smallest debt until it's fully paid off.

The primary benefit of this method is psychological, providing quick wins and boosting your motivation through the satisfaction of clearing smaller debts first. This can be particularly motivating for individuals who get overwhelmed by larger numbers and need to see progress to stay on track.

But the "avalanche method” – targeting debts with the highest interest rates first – may be more effective.

H ow good is gold?

Gold recently hit an all-time high of $2,674 per ounce, tempting many to consider it a lucrative investment. But before you rush to purchase gold bars from Costco, it's crucial to understand what gold really represents.

Contrary to popular belief, gold is not an investment; it's actually speculation. The price of gold merely reflects what others are willing to pay for it at any given moment. It doesn't produce anything or generate any income. Unlike stocks, gold is the definition of an unproductive asset.

For example, if you invest in a share of Coca-Cola, you're not just buying a piece of paper – you're acquiring a real part of the company. Each share represents a claim on Coca-Cola's assets and earnings.

This means that every time CocaCola sells a beverage, part of that revenue contributes to the company's earnings, from which dividends are

Roll the payments from the cleared debt into the next smallest debt.

Continue this process until all debts are paid off.

While this approach might delay the gratification of paying off an entire debt, it ultimately saves more money in interest over time.

By focusing on the most expensive debts, you reduce the amount of interest accumulated, making this method preferable from a logical, mathematical standpoint, even if it requires more patience to see the initial debts disappear.

paid. With each sale, therefore, you're earning a small piece of the profits by simply being a shareholder.

This kind of investment ties your returns to the company’s operational success, which over the years has proven robust, as evidenced by Coca-Cola's impressive track record of increasing dividends for 62 consecutive years. In fact, thanks to numerous splits, a single share of Coca-Cola bought in 1919 would be equivalent to 9,216 shares today.

Gold, on the other hand, remains inert. It doesn’t grow or generate income but sits until you decide to sell it. And selling isn’t free: you must contend with the bid-ask spread (the difference between what you buy the gold for and the price dealers will give for it), which can diminish your returns.

Don't believe me? Consider the perspective of Warren Buffett, one of the most successful investors alive.

In his 2011 shareholder letter, he criticized gold for its lack of utility and inability to produce cash flow:

“Gold … has two significant shortcomings, being neither of much use nor procreative. True, gold has some industrial and decorative utility, but the demand for these purposes is both limited and incapable of soaking up new production. Meanwhile, if you own one ounce of gold for an eternity, you will still own one ounce at its end.”

The takeaway? Focus on owning productive assets. Invest in profitable large North American businesses that benefit from economies of scale, possess widely used products or services, and return capital to shareholders through dividends or share buybacks.

And be prepared to reap the rewards.

CARE FOR YOUR PARTNER BY CARING FOR YOURSELF

By Jess Ward, CEO of Athinka and Neuro-Linguistic Programming Master Practitioner

LET’S GET REAL FOR A MINUTE: RELATIONSHIPS ARE A WILD, MESSY ADVENTURE.

You play emotional ping pong with your partner – back and forth, hit after hit – and if you’re lucky, no one’s broken a paddle or lost a ball yet. But here’s the thing: the game stops when the movement does. No matter how much you love your partner or want to give them the world, you’ve got to keep things in balance.

AND BALANCE STARTS WITH YOU.

Self-care isn’t selfish; it’s the foundation of being a healthy, functioning adult.

Forget the Instagram version of self-care with its bubble baths, fancy candles, and face masks. That’s all very nice, but taking great care of yourself goes much deeper. It’s about awareness and being tuned in to your own needs.

How well do you manage your state?

Do you recognize when you’re physically, mentally, or emotionally tapped out?

Do you take a break to recalibrate, or do you ignore it and push through until you crash?

For some people, ignoring their own needs is normal. They dive headfirst into rescuing their partner, always bailing them out or providing constant reassurance. We’ve all seen this in codependent relationships and it’s exhausting.

On the flip side, the perpetual victim repeatedly seeks comfort and validation from their other half. It’s a toxic pattern that keeps the victim stuck in a disempowered state, unable to soothe themselves first.

MASTERFUL RELATIONSHIPS, ON THE OTHER HAND, STRIKE A BALANCE BUILT ON MUTUAL SUPPORT, NOT CONSTANT SACRIFICE.

And let me be blunt: it’s not your partner’s job to fix you. That’s dependency, not romance. Sure, they can love you and support you. But they’ve got their own stuff to deal with.

You need to function as a semi-whole person to keep the relationship thriving, exciting, and worth working on.

FRANKLY, ANYTHING LESS THAN THAT IS A DRAIN.

IT’S NOT YOUR PARTNER’S JOB TO FIX YOU.

Your partner didn’t fall in love with you because they wanted to be your emotional pack mule. They fell for you because you were interesting, capable, and independent. If you stop taking care of yourself, you’re no longer showing up as the best version of yourself. Both you and your partner deserve that version.

If you keep pushing your needs aside, those unmet

needs will bubble up in unexpected ways –probably during a random, petty argument with your partner over something like dirty dishes. Trust me, the fight isn’t about the dishes. It’s about being stretched too thin and not taking the time to recharge.

How we treat ourselves sets the standard for how others treat us. If you’re kind to yourself, forgiving your flaws and focusing on

growth, you set a healthy norm. Your partner, often without realizing it, will adapt to that standard. But if you’re always running on empty, don’t be surprised when your relationship starts feeling the strain. It’s easy to point the finger at your partner, blaming them for not giving you enough, but ask yourself: Am I giving enough to myself?

It may seem like situations beyond our control dictate

how we feel. But the final say always comes from within. As Holocaust survivor and psychologist Viktor Frankl once said, “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms — to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way. When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”

Caring for each other isn’t only about recovering from life's bumps but also moving beyond them. Personal development is a crucial part of selfcare in a relationship. Continuously working on yourself – whether it’s improving communication,

managing stress, or pursuing personal goals – keeps you fulfilled as an individual and helps you show up better for your partner. Growth prevents stagnation, ensuring that you're not just maintaining, but evolving into a better

version of yourself. This benefits both you and your relationship. Humans get bored. We crave novelty.

When both partners are committed to their own progress, they bring new energy and inspiration to the relationship.

This fosters mutual respect and admiration and keeps the connection dynamic and fresh. By investing in personal development, you not only stay interested and engaged in your own life but also create a foundation for a stronger, more resilient partnership.

Every relationship should come with an unspoken agreement: I’ll take care of me for you, if you take care of you for me.

This isn’t a sneaky way to get out of showing up for your partner. It’s the opposite. By taking care of yourself first, you’re putting

yourself in the best position to be a strong, supportive partner. And when both people in a relationship commit to their own wellness first and foremost, the partnership becomes stable and sustainable.

So, stop pretending you can give endlessly

without taking time to prioritize yourself.

You’ve got to get your mind, body, and spirit in check so you can show up fully – not just for your partner, but for yourself. When you’re working with a full pitcher, everybody wins. Then, and only then,

you can come back to your relationship ready to pour. You’ll be amazed at how much stronger your connection will be when you’re both bringing your best selves to the table.

Not to mention how much more capacity you’ll have to spoil each other.

WHATEVER FLOATS YOUR

le boat

By Liz Fleming, Managing Editor CRACKYL Magazine

FORTY FEET IS A HELLUVA LOT OF BOAT.

That was our first thought when we arrived in Peterborough, Ontario (two hours north of Toronto) – for the orientation session aboard our LeBoat houseboat – the floating condo that would be our long-weekend home on the Otonabee River and Rice Lake.

Tied at a long dock with several others of its kind, Number 92 gleamed. Her ropes (we sailors like to call them “lines”) were coiled in neat blue circles on the deck and there wasn’t a speck of dust or dirt to be found anywhere on her pristine upper deck or inside the spacious cabin. We figured her last captain must have been Mr. Clean.

And now my husband and I were her new co-captains: two newbie houseboaters.

LeBoat manager Vikki was full of tips and explanations about how each feature of our floating home worked. Switches, we learned, made everything run smoothly, from the pump that managed the fresh water to the tanks that stored the grey water (from the sink and shower) to the dreaded black water (from the toilet. Enough said.) Those switches were powered by a generator that was in turn, powered by the battery that kept the whole houseboat working.

Running the engine recharged the battery, but the generator took care of business when the boat was docked, unless we

were plugged into shore power. Cabin lights, the heating and cooling system, the regular-sized fridge: everything was operated by the battery/generator. We quickly learned to shut off anything we weren’t using, determined not to find ourselves floating adrift without power.

Once we had the inner workings of our new home under our belts, Raoul, another LeBoat employee, took care of the operational orientation. Because both my husband and I had been raised at cottages, we were familiar with driving boats – just not 40-foot ones

“It’s easy,” said Raoul as we putted out of the boat slip and into the river for our test drive. “The thrusters do it all.”

THRUSTERS? THAT SOUNDED VERY STAR TREKKY TO US.

The kind of boats we were used to had a throttle/ gear shift to operate either an inboard or outboard engine – and those gear shifts offered limited choices: forward, reverse, neutral – and power. Boats don’t come with brakes so if you want to stop completely, you need to put some thought into it. And moving a boat into a docking slip requires even more thought and skill. Thrusters make it a whole new game.

Controlled by a knob that looks like a floating boat with directional choices, the thrusters are a dashboard tool that allows you to nudge the

enormous weight of your houseboat’s bow and/or stern incrementally. Not only can you swing the entire vessel around in a circle, but – incredibly, you can also move it sideways, allowing you to snuggle right up to a dock.

LEBOAT IS AN IDEAL BOATING HOLIDAY, WHETHER YOU’RE AN OLD SALT OR HAVE NEVER SET FOOT ON ANYTHING THAT FLOATS. THE SYSTEM REALLY COULDN’T BE SIMPLER.

After Raoul gave us his blessing, we headed away from the dock that first morning and began to make our way down the Otonabee River. We checked the speedometer. Our top speed was a blistering 11 km per or just under 7 mph (we sailors think in knots, which was 6.08 knots)– and that was going with the current. Yes, that’s slow but that’s the point.

A LeBoat cruise is something that’s meant to be savored, not rushed. The weight of a 40-foot boat is considerable and so is its momentum – it took no time at all for us to begin to enjoy the relaxed pace and sense of control our slow speed provided.

Along the banks of both the river and the lake, autumn was painting the leaves red, orange and gold and beloved cottages were being prepared for the coming winter. The water was calm and so were we – the busyness of our daily life back home felt very far away.

It took nearly six hours of gentle sailing to reach our docking spot for the night – six hours of basking in the sun and nibbling on a charcuterie tray I pulled together in the well-equipped kitchen (we sailors call it a galley). We took turns at the wheel and enjoyed every minute.

We tied up for the night at a marina at the top end of Rice Lake, then wandered the small town streets of Hastings. A pub with an outdoor patio was calling our name, tempting us with craft beer, nachos and wings. The servers were glad to see some late-season business and we were treated to a sunny table and a very warm welcome.

As the sun set, we wandered back to our floating home, where we had a late dinner, prepared on a very professional three-burner propane stove and an upper deck barbecue. We found every cooking implement we could have asked for in the cupboards and by the time we fell into our comfortable bed in the bow, we were well-fed and comfortably exhausted by our day of fresh air.

LEBOAT DAYS ARE AS RELAXED AS YOU MAKE THEM.

Depending on the route you choose – and there are many, including the Rideau Canal and Trent Severn Canal in Canada, as well as a range of choices in Europe, Ireland, Scotland and more – you might take your boat through

locks, stop in villages for shopping and dining expeditions or simply turn off the engine in the middle of a lake or river for an impromptu daytime dip off the convenient swimming platform at the back.

Apart from keeping an eye on the scheduling for the operation of the locks you might pass through,

YOUR TIME IS YOUR OWN AND SO IS YOUR SPACE. AND THAT’S MAGICAL.

When you’re on the water, the only other people you see are on the shore or in boats of their own, waving a friendly hello as you pass, but otherwise leaving you and yours to enjoy your solitude.

Even at night, when you tie up at a marina, your fellow boaters will be friendly but respectful of your privacy, leaving you to enjoy a glass of wine on your upper deck as you contemplate the joys of being captain of your ship and your life.

tips for your trip

• You have to be at least 19 years old but don't need a a boater’s licence to operate a LeBoat houseboat.

• Bring your own groceries – you have a large fridge with a freezer onboard. A French press coffee maker and kettle are provided.

• Even though you won’t be breaking any speed records, the wind can be cool. Bring layers and rubber-soled shoes – decks can be slippery if it rains.

• To preserve the environment, anchoring is allowed only in emergency situations, so you’ll need to dock at a marina at night – and those marinas charge a docking fee. Build that into your budget. The upside is that most marinas provide shower facilities and washing machines and dryers. (You have a shower onboard, but using the one at the marina will reduce your grey water production.)

• While our LeBoat could have accommodated four people, there are models designed for as many as nine, with multiple bedrooms and bathrooms perfect for family reunions or guys/girls getaways!

Step AwaY aND NO FROMSODAONE THE GETS HURT

By Rick Markley, Executive Editor, CRACKYL Magazine

PAIRING THE RISKS OF FIREFIGHTING WITH THOSE OF SODAS IS NOT A WINNING HEALTH COMBINATION

You sometimes visit countries where tourists are advised to not drink the water because of the risk to their health. If we had a similar warning at home, it would be to not drink the water contaminated with carbonation, sweeteners, caramel coloring, artificial flavors and God knows what else.

This warning really shouldn’t come as a surprise. As far back as 2011, WebMD was writing about the evidencebased health risks of sodas — obesity, stroke and heart attack being the leading threats. And these were studies that went back decades.

More recent research directly ties soda consumption to these life-threatening conditions.

LIVER DISEASE:

Sodas can double the ectopic fat (which induces organ dysfunction) around the liver and increase it by as much as 25% around all organs.

HEART DISEASE:

Sodas are shown to raise LDL (bad) cholesterol, lower HDL (good) cholesterol, and raise triglyceride levels and blood pressure.

STROKE:

One study showed a 22% increased risk of stroke for both sugar and artificialsweetener sodas. That risk goes up when the person has two or more sodas per day.

DIABETES:

The Cleveland Clinic reports that just one soda per week increases a person’s risk of diabetes by a whopping 70% compared with those who never touch the stuff.

KIDNEY DISEASE AND KIDNEY STONES:

High levels of phosphoric acid and highfructose corn syrup (both of which are found in sodas) are linked to these conditions.

PANCREATIC CANCER:

As little as two sodas per week can double the risk of pancreatic cancer.

OSTEOPOROSIS AND LOST BONE DENSITY:

Again, high amounts of phosphoric acid reduces bone mineral density.

And just like those annoying TV commercials say, just when you think they are going to end: “But wait, there’s more.”

When Healthline wrote about the seven worst foods for brain health, soda came in number one. They lumped sports drinks, energy drinks and fruit juices into that category of sugary drinks.

Part of the risk is that sugary drinks are closely linked to diabetes and diabetes is closely linked to Alzheimer’s disease. Healthline cited animal studies tying high fructose corn syrup to impaired memory, brain inflammation, as well as to reduced brain function, learning and neuron formation.

From the list above, stroke, cancer, heart disease and diabetes are all known sworn

enemies of firefighters. Our career already puts us at greater risk of these deadly conditions, and pouring sodas on top of it is a force multiplier.

You can’t be blamed if you’ve been sucked into the soda vortex. Soda is big business, really big business. Few people alive today remember a time when soda wasn’t woven into the fabric of our lives. Much like the tobacco industry before it, soda companies will push hard to keep their product in everyone’s life.

As far back as a 2008 study by the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at the University of Connecticut, reported that the beverage industry spends $1 billion on advertising its sugary drinks.

There are no regulations on advertising and sales as there are with tobacco,

so we all just have to rely on sheer willpower to resist its allure.

“When we look at controllable risk factors for firefighters’ overall health and wellness, those risks are on a sliding scale — some are easier to control than others,” says Sara Jahnke. And she should know: Jahnke launched Science to the Station: A Health and Wellness Alliance, which is a platform to bring important firefighter health and wellness science to firefighters.

“Sleep, for example, is critical to overall health and readiness,” she says. “It is controllable, but those controls can be difficult. They involve changes to habits, sleeping quarters and even shift start times. Tobacco is another risk factor that can be hard to control. It is addictive after all.

“Soda is the lowhanging fruit on our risk-control tree. We don’t need EAPs or 12step programs. Just stop drinking it. Substitute it with tea or water. Add citrus to water to make it less boring.”

But if the 12-step program fails and you are going to go completely off the rails if you don’t get soda, there are options. Newer options — “soda 2.0” as the Center for Science in the Public Interest calls them — are touting health benefits such as probiotic and prebiotic ingredients to improve gut health. The Center recommends not relying on them for gut health (a diet with a variety of good fiber is better), but says they have less sugar and are better for you in that regard. But what they lack in sugar, they make up for in price: they can be quite expensive.

In short, for optimum health, treat soda like any other hazardous material. If you hold your thumb up and it blocks the can or bottle, you may still be too close.

Workplace Violence Prevention for First Responders

Between 57-93% of fire and EMS responders experience an act of verbal and/or physical violence at least once.

Workplace Violence Prevention for First Responders is a free, online course that aims to equip fire and EMS responders with the skills and knowledge to protect themselves in potentially violent situations.

Practical Strategies for Safety complements the Workplace Violence Prevention for First Responders course. It provides practical strategies you can use while on a call to help lessen the possibility of workplace violence.

Scan the QR codes to register for our free, self-paced courses.

Workplace Violence Prevention for First Responders

Practical Strategies for Safety

NOTHING SAYS HELLO WINTER! LIKE WARM, SOUL-SATISFYING MEALS.

Crock Pot genius

We can all agree that we don’t have the time, on duty or off, for double overtime in the kitchen.

Enter the Crock Pot. Slow-cooking technology dates back to the 19th century, and the Crock Pot was awarded a U.S. patent in 1940. Yet it wasn’t until the 1970s that the Crock Pot roared into our lives. Now, there are a variety of slow cookers on the market. And as a lot of us have learned, this handsfree cooking appliance brings new meaning to the phrase "set it and forget it."

So let’s heat up our time management and our meals. Bon appetit!

PEPPERONCINI SLOW-COOKED CHICKEN

3-4 boneless chicken breasts (whole)

1/2 cup pepperoncini juice*

1 1/2 packets of ranch dressing mix (dry)

1 1/2 packets of your favorite gravy mix

1/2 cup butter (room temperature)

1/2 cup cream cheese (softened)

7-8 pepperoncinis for the garnish

1. Pour the pepperoncini juice into the slow cooker (pro tip: buy liners so the cleanup is a breeze).

2. Add softened cream cheese and butter. Whisk, then add ranch and gravy packets. Whisk again.

3. Place chicken breasts into your slow cooker and mix them into the sauce.

4. Place 7 or 8 pepperoncinis on top and cook on high for 4 hours.

*pepperoncinis are mild and tangy chili peppers

SLOW COOKER CHILI CHICKEN

INGREDIENTS

6 boneless chicken breasts (whole)

1/2 cup butter (cold)

1 jar of your favorite chili sauce (aim for low sugar)

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 medium sweet onion, diced (about 2 cups medium diced) INGREDIENTS

1. Place chicken into the slow cooker.

2. Sprinkle on garlic powder.

3. Slice butter into small tabs and place over top of chicken.

4. Add diced onion.

5. Pour chili sauce over all.

6. Cook on high for 4 hours.

As an active firefighter and co-founder of Muertos Coffee, it’s an honor to partner with CRACKYL. Over the years, we've found a home in fire stations across the country, sharing great coffee and a way to give back to first responders in need. This year, we’re relaunching our brand and doubling down on our Duty to Act mission, giving 10% of our profits to first responders impacted in the line of duty. And as a thank you to CRACKYL readers, we’re sharing a special offer of 25% OFF all orders! Visit our website and enter the promo code CRACKYL25 to save.

Thank you,

Eli Held Firefighter & Co-Founder of Muertos Coffee