By: Ryan Provencher, Firefighter Peak Performance Founder and Executive Fitness Advisor for CRACKYL Magazine I turned 50 last year and recently hit the 30-year mark in my fire service journey. Lately, I have spent a lot of time reflecting on my life and career. It has been an amazing ride, but I certainly recognize the physical, mental, and emotional toll that this job has taken on me over the last three decades.  Here are five wellness lessons I have learned that have helped me to protect my health and well-being as I approach the end of my fire service career: 1. Prioritize Sleep: It i ..read more

By: Rachael Savoie Firefighters all have unique journeys with many stories to tell from the profession. For Clare Frank, her journey is anything but ordinary and she honors these experiences in her new book, Burnt: A Memoir of Fighting Fire. Clare began her firefighting career in the 1980s, at the age of 17. She acted as the State of California’s first and only female Chief of Fire Protection and has experience handling fire disasters in various settings. After completing her masters in creative writing, she began writing Burnt: A Memoir of Fighting Fire which details her 30 year journey in t ..read more

By: Bradley R. Davidson CCFI-C CFEI CFII When budgeting for health and wellness initiatives in the Fire Department money well spent in my humble opinion should be on three specific areas. Physical fitness Physical fitness facilities are a no-brainer for the fire services. Not only are firefighters expected to be physically fit but need to be athletes to perform on-the-job functions in a manner that is expected by the public. Not only just to the public but your fellow firefighter who you also serve and may be paired with while using your SCBA at a fire. Search and rescue activities may be ham ..read more

By Geralyn St Joseph Intuitive Relationship Empowerment Coach  What do we mean by boundaries? Boundaries can be described as where you end and I begin. Or more succinctly, your personal boundaries are your limits. This includes physical distance/affection, time, mental, emotional or financial investments. Not everyone has the same boundaries, some people don’t have any at all! These people are often exhausted, resentful, and/or frustrated. Sound familiar? Your basic boundaries can be discovered through things like: How physically close do you feel comfortable standing to someone? Whethe ..read more

By: Yogesh Ramadoss, Product Marketing Manager In an exclusive interview, Cres Guard sat down with Robert (Bob) Mitchell, an architect with Wendel Companies. With a remarkable career designing public safety facilities spanning back to 1993, Bob has been the creative mind behind the design of more than 200 fire and police stations. His years of experience and hundreds of municipal interactions have taught him much about public safety departments and their intricate operations. As we explored the evolving landscape of his profession, Bob shared insights into the dynamic trends he’s seen over th ..read more

By: Ed Lippie Chief Wellness Officer  As far as I can tell, Father Time is undefeated, but it doesn’t need to be a blowout. What do I mean by this? It means living life on your own terms for as long as you possibly can should be a priority. Until it’s difficult to do them it’s easy to take the mundane activities of daily living for granted, like clipping your toenails, putting a 20lb carry-on in the overhead bin or running to catch a bus. Not to mention the things you really want to do, like playing recreational sports or playing on the floor with a young child. These activitie ..read more

By: John Schmidt CFO Division Chief – Health, Safety, and Wellness, Pasco County Fire Rescue Have you heard anyone call firefighters athletes? I have! I have used the term “Industrial Athletes” to describe the men and women in the fire service. The definition of “industrial” is an adjective “relating to or characterized by industry.” I once read a description of an athlete as “a person who is trained or skilled in exercises, sports, or games requiring physical strength, agility, or stamina.” I think both definitions describe the men and women of the fire service. The fire service is an indust ..read more

If you have been a firefighter for more than a minute you know you face an increased risk of a cancer diagnosis due to the exposure to carcinogens you will receive during your fire service career. Even if you follow all the recommended actions during your career to reduce your risk, the unfortunate reality is you can do everything right and still get cancer.  So, what do you do if you unfortunately do receive a cancer diagnosis? The following are some things to know and consider if diagnosed with cancer.  WHEN DIAGNOSED Take a deep breath- Yes, a cancer diagnosis may be the scariest ..read more

By Matthew Broom Let’s face it – you can’t solve every problem. But you can prevent a whole host of money problems if you jump on them early. In the words of firefighter Benjamin Franklin, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” That statement is as true today as it was in 1734.  In our professional lives, we are the public’s pound of cure. We are the problem solvers. In your personal life, it’s essential to focus on that ounce of prevention — particularly when it comes to your money. You must be a proficient problem solver on the job, but to be the best you can be off the job ..read more

By Kimbra Baker This week’s been a strange one. In our family, there’s a lot to juggle. I work full-time, my husband is on call to go fight wildfires as well as work his regular shifts, and we have two kids who are highly engaged in sports, friends, and activities.  Take this past summer. Typically, summertime beckons with a multitude of open weeks during which we can be flexible with plans, days filled with opportunity, and a whole lot of activities we don’t normally have time for. In my mind, I had visions of family excursions and outings to the mountains and the lakes, exploring and l ..read more