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On the Fireground Fitness podcast we host firefighters and allied professionals and discuss the life lessons learned on and off the fireground. How we become more effective and successful in high stress and difficult situations, life in a nut shell? Sitting down at ”the kitchen table” and talking it out!
Episodes
Saturday Sep 07, 2019
Saturday Sep 07, 2019
Every now and again you meet someone that transcends your expectations. In Episode 17 we have the chance to rap with two such dudes, Michael Caro and Travis Swartzlander. These Brothers in arms are cut from the same cloth - Firefighters by day, Brazilian Jujitsu practitioners in the afternoon and competitive west coast swing dancers at night.
We took the opportunity to discuss all of the above as well as Caro's company, Canejo Valley Advanced Wellness Medical Group. A great conversation with a couple of solid Brothers. Check it out as well as the link and pages below!
Support the podcast by following us on social media. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!
Check out today's Guests
Micheal Caro can be found at
on IG @cvadvancedwellness
on FB @conejo Valley Advanced Wellness
Travis Swatzlander can be found at
IG @that_ninja_trav
IG @ninja_wcs_int
FB @travis swartzlander
youtube - ThatNinjaTrav
https://www.youtube.com/user/travswartz/featured
You can contact Fireground Fitness...
Email Raynegray@firegroundfitness.com
IG @firegroundfitness
FB @firegroundfitness
Monday Aug 26, 2019
Monday Aug 26, 2019
Motivational quotes have a real power in our lives. They can create emotion and inspire action, cause deep contemplation and consternation. In Episode 16, Austin and I got together and shared a few of our favorites and discussed their meaning and application.
Here are the main quotes we rapped about. There are others sprinkled in as well. Check it out and let me know which one is your favorite.
“He who is waiting on the battlefield wins"
-Sun Tzu
"Leaders will let you fail with out making you feel like a failure"
- General Stanley McCrystal
"You don't make men safe by making them weak. You make men safe by making them strong and disciplined."
-Jordan Peterson
“No plan survives enemy contact, you may start off fighting your plan, but the enemy gets a vote”
- Col. Tom Kolditz
“2% of your time is spent dealing with tactical situations and 98% of your time is spent dealing with human situations. And human situations are driven by emotions.”
– AVB
“Fail early, fail fast, fail often”
- Author Unknown
"If you want something you have never had, you have to do something you have never done."
- Thomas Jefferson
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."
- Theodore Roosevelt
Monday Aug 19, 2019
Monday Aug 19, 2019
Dr. Kerry Ramella has spent the better part of her adult life working with firefighters. It has been her life's work to focus on the dark side of public service - Researching the negative aspects of the job, how firefighters cope, manage and break down. Her work has brought about great insight into how we can better care for our fire family and keep ourselves mission ready as well.
In episode 15 we discussed the signs and symptoms of poor mental health, how we can build resiliency and a mind - body connection. We also talked about some of the trends throughout the fire service and how some fire departments are responding.
This conversation barely scratches the surface of what we need to know to be mentally bomb proof however, its a great start, pointing to many resources and ideas to get us started.
Check out some of the resources mentioned in this episode:
Firestrong.org
PScrisissolution.com
If you have any questions or comments for me, feel free to contact me:
Email@: raynegray@firegroundfitness.com
IG: @firegroundfitness
Finally; if you're digg'n the podcast, or not - leave me some feedback. Go to apple podcasts: Subscribe, rate & review.
Sunday Aug 11, 2019
Sunday Aug 11, 2019
In Episode 14 I sat down with one of my BJJ training partners, Matt Bryant. Matt is a Cal Fire Engineer with about 15 years on the job. He strongly believes in leadership and training. Our conversation covered both of these topics but also included talk about staffing models, complacency, sleep deprivation and much much more.
During our conversation Matt mentioned that he and members of his battalion read and discuss many books and podcasts. He specifically named a few and I wanted to share them, so please see below:
Matt Bryant can be found on IG @MLB24fire
Podcast
Jockopodcast.com
Books
Extreme Ownership - by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin
The way of the warrior Kid - Jocko Willink
Fearless - by Eric Blehm
The Book of Five Rings - Miyamoto Musashi
Fitness challenge
https://30forthekids.com/register-4-challenge
If you find value in the Fireground fitness podcast, share it with a friend, subscribe, rate and review the podcast on apple podcast or wherever you get your content!
In strenth
Rayne
Monday Aug 05, 2019
Monday Aug 05, 2019
So summer is coming to an and everyone is heading back to work and school. As we drove home from our summer adventure I took the opportunity to sit down with the "kids" to reflect on vacation, growing up around the fire service - how it has influenced them and what its like being 20ish.
Thanks for listening. Please subscribe through your favorite platform, rate the podcast and leave me some feedback.
GetSome
Rayne
Sunday Jul 28, 2019
Sunday Jul 28, 2019
My guest on ep12 is 14 year PFD veteran and Senior Firefighter Nate Harpster. We had a great discussion about the importance of leadership, work hardening, reputation, and the work life balance that’s found on the family farm.
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Nate can be found on Instagram @natervision
&
The big house has an IG page as well @phoenixfirehouse1
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I can be reached at raynegray@firegroundfitness.com
& on IG
@firegroundfitness
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Check out the fireground fitness podcast on podbean, or wherever you go for content!
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Wherever you choose to listen subscribe!
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If you’re on apple podcasts rate and review.
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And always, whatever you do. Keep putting in the work.
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GetSome!
Sunday Jul 21, 2019
Sunday Jul 21, 2019
In Ep. 11 I sat down with my good friend Brian Vayda while the poor fella is home convalescing from a meniscus surgery. Lucky for us a torn knee didn't affect his ability to rap! Brian shares his back story in episode 2 and in this session we picked up where we left off.
We wove our way through injury, career longevity, station life, marriage, and so much more.
Check it out!
Follow and connect with us at any of the following:
IG: @firegroundfitness
FB: fireground fitness
twitter: raynegray@firegroundfit
email: Raynegray@firegroundfitness.com
Connect with our Guest:
Brian can be reached on instagram @therealbrianvayda
Monday Jul 15, 2019
Monday Jul 15, 2019
Greg is a veteran Heavy rescue squad officer who is in the twilight of his career the "last three years" to be precises. Together we discuss his passion for picking, heavy rescue and hazmat work and many others things. Oh and there is a snake story or two.
Enjoy!
Rayne
Sunday Jul 07, 2019
Sunday Jul 07, 2019
During the course of my career I have repeatedly been asked the same five questions.
5) Why did you become a firefighter?
4) What is the best part about being a firefighter?
3) How hard is it to wear firefighting equipment?
2) What do you do when you pull up on a house that is on fire?
1) What is the worst thing you have seen on the job?
In episode 9, I share my thoughts on these questions and how the answers can shape and inform what we do. Whether you are a would-be-firefighter at the beginning of your career or an old salt nearing the end, consideration of these questions will move us in the right direction!
Check it out on your favorite podcast platform, SUBSCRIBE and leave a comment.
Thank you for listening in,
GetSome!
Rayne
Monday Jul 01, 2019
Monday Jul 01, 2019
Dawn Bolstad-Johnson is an industrial hygienist who has made it her business to research and consider how we firefighters are exposed to cancer causing carcinogens. In her book, Exposed - carcinogenic exposure on the fireground and 11 work practices to minimize the risk, she illustrates where and how we are exposed and what unseen chemicals are causing first responders to develop cancers at an alarming rate. She goes on to discuss 11 simple practices that every firefighter can employ to reduce the potential effects of carcinogenic exposure.
In Episode 8 Dawn and I discussed her book, her passion for the fire service and the simple, but not easy, steps every firefighter can take to reduce exposure.
This is a conversation every firefighter should be having. To help spur this topic Kaizen safety solutions and Fireground Fitness podcast are giving away 2 copies of Dawn’s book Exposed
To enter the giveaway:
- Tag 2 friends in the comments of this post by midnight, Saturday July 6th
- 2 names will be randomly drawn and announced on July 7th
For further information Dawn can be reached as follows:
Kaizensafetysolutions.com
Dawnbolstadjohnson.com
Twitter - @kaizenSafetySol
Linkedin.com/in/dawnbolstad-johnson