Behind The Shield

After eight years interviewing the greatest minds in wellness, I decided to record a live Q&A on how to transition to the 24/72 firefighter shift schedule. In this episode, I discuss the immense physical and mental health costs caused by sleep deprivation, the false economy of breaking our first responders, the cost savings of a shorter work week, how to solve the current recruitment crisis and so much more.Podcast Video: https://www.youtube.com/live/nn3PX3Qtq3o?si=oTvbOwQVB6gICGOcHere are the podcast episodes of the true subject matter experts that I reference in the podcast:Departments that have made the change:Chief Hugh Bruder - Episode 854Dixon Philips - Episode 879Matthew Harrison/Brian O'Connell - Episode 942Military Sleep Science Experts:Dr Allison Brager (Army) - Episode 117Rachel Markwald (Navy) - Episode - 196Capt. John Cordle (Navy) - Episode 389Dr Kirk Parsley (Navy Special Warfare) - Episode 6Lt Col. Jannell MacCaulay (Air Force) - Episode 175Dr Sara Jahnke (Firefighter Health Researcher) - Episode 928Dr Stuart McGill (Injuy and Performance) - Episode 95Prof. Russell Foster (Circadian Neuroscience) - Episode 647Rob Bilot (PFAS) - Episode 631The Firefigher Resilience Blue Sky Project:https://www.ihmc.us/BlueSky/20231107BlueSkyFirefighter.pdfWellness Solutions Mentioned:Transcend - https://transcendcompany.com/schedule-a-consultation/?ls=BehindtheShieldFoundation Training - https://www.foundationtraining.com/One More Light: Life, Death and Humanity Through the Eyes of a Firefighter -https://www.amazon.com/One-More-Light-Humanity-Firefighter/dp/1735586803/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

JP McMichael is a law enforcement veteran, professional wrestler, MMA fighter and the man behind "Catalyst of Change". We discuss his journey into policing, responding to the Pentagon on 9/11, the kindness of 9/12, his powerful mental health journey, suicide, Operation Enduring Warrior, the Strugglewell program and so much more.J.P. is a veteran First Responder of 20+ years. A responder to the Pentagon on the morning of September 11, 2001, J.P. was later diagnosed with PTSD and in 2003 almost ended is life. Now the owner of Catalyst of Change Associates LLC, a former wrestler and competitve MMA fighter unitl he broke his neck in 2012, J.P. now shares his journey and lessons learned around the world, virtually and on the pages of his books. J.P. has authored three childrens books and is currently working on two adult books, one on the Americans with Disabilites Act in Corrections and Law Enforcement and the other on his Journey and lessons learned form those whose path he has intersected with along the way. J.P. bring the engergy and excitement you would expect from a performer and fighter to the stage and keeps his audiences on the edge of their seats. J.P. Can be reached through his website at www.CatalystofChangeAssociates.com and will soon be seen weekly on his web show The Wayward Path of the Warrior.

Timea Nagy is Human Trafficking survivor turned author and victim advocate. We discuss her early life in Hungary, human trafficking myths, how predators target the vulnerable, using fear as a restraint, DeliverFund and much more.Human trafficking survivor, author, speaker, and social advocate Timea Nagy immigrated to Canada in 1998. Her nightmare unfolded in Toronto that same year after arriving from Budapest, Hungary in the hopes of finding meaningful employment. The daughter of a Hungarian police woman, Timea was held in a cheap motel at the hands of traffickers and forced to work in the sex industry. ​ Ten years later, Ms. Nagy founded ‘Walk with Me’, a non-profit organization to assist victims of human trafficking and law enforcement agencies. ​ ​ ​In 2015, Ms. Nagy closed down her agency: ‘Walk with Me’, a non-profit organization to assist victims of human trafficking and law enforcement agencies due to ongoing financial struggles. As a result she started Canada's first FOR PROFIT Corporation, Timea's Cause Inc. A Social Enterprise to create her own funding and work with victims of Human Trafficking in North America.

Craig Weller is a former USN SWCC (Special Warfare Combatant Crewman) and the co-founder of "Building the Elite". We discuss his journey into the military, fighting extremism in the Phillippines, his transition story, training the tactical athete, sleep and performance, injury prevention, his incredible book and so much more.He is also certified under the Department of State’s Worldwide Personal Protective Service-2, and spent nearly two years on the High-Threat Protection team for the U.S. Ambassador to Baghdad in Iraq. In Special Operations and in subsequent private deployments, Craig held a variety of instructional and diplomatic security roles in locations including Kenya, the Philippines, Central America, South Sudan, and Iraq.

Robb Milano is 30 year veteran of the Fire Service. He is currently the Division Chief of EMS for the Vancouver (WA) Fire Department. We discuss his journey into the fire service, the impact addiction had on his family, the progressive solutions his department has in place to combat the opiod crisis, the innovative 911 Telehealth integration they've employed to reduce non-emergent calls, leadership, shift work and so much more.He has had the privilege of serving in multiple departments as a high school fire explorer, volunteer firefighter, career firefighter, Engineer, Captain, Battalion Chief and Division Chief. This journey has afforded him the opportunity to gain multiple experiences and education. In his home life, he and his wife have blended four bio kids and foster/adopted four additional kids. The trauma from addiction in all of their kids lives has led his passion to battle the opioid crisis in his local community thru innovations of leave behind narcan and medication assisted treatments in the field. As the EMS Chief of an urban fire department he has worked to find alternatives to lower acuity medical calls thru response changes, BLS ambulance response and nurse navigation / tele health at the 911 dispatch center. Thus allowing ALS resources to be available for life critical calls. Thru these innovations his department has ALS treatment and transport within 9mins 90% of the time.

Travis Gribble is a 24 year veteran of Law Enforcement, SWAT commander and the man behind "My Arena" We discuss his journey into policing, fitness standards, his officer involved shooting, the child abuse call that almost broke him, the damage a mismatched counselor can do, his healing journey, the Strugglewell program and so much more. My name is Travis Gribble and I am a retired 24 year law enforcement veteran. I spent 11 years in Michigan where I worked as a deputy, deputy sergeant, and SWAT team commander. In 2008 I made a lateral move to Mesa Police Department in Arizona. Mesa is a city of 520,000 and 850 sworn police officers. In Mesa I worked as a patrol officer, patrol sergeant, SWAT assistant teamleader, and SWAT sergeant team leader. During the course of my career I was a part of countless critical incidents and I always thought none of the calls were affecting me. In 2016 I experienced what I now know to be a life-changing call. For five years after the call I never sought appropriate help and I was slowly self-destructing within. As the years and calls went by my cup was reaching capacity and in 2021 I was brought to my knees. Thankfully I was put in touch with a therapist who specializes in first responder care and I began the journey of healing.It was then I learned to live life in a much better way, but due to the extent of the trauma I decided I would seek retirement. In 2022 I was awarded a post-traumatic stress injury retirement and my current journey began. Only one short month after my retirement and through unplanned circumstances, I was given the opportunity to share my story with a leadership group of SWAT operators. The response to my raw story while sharing lessons learned by me and my agency was nothing short of amazing. From that day forward I continued sharing my story on podcasts, at law enforcement conferences, for first responder organizations and through a social media platform. This path has now turned into creating a community and advocating for first responders mental health well-being. I have created the organization “My Arena” where we are dedicated to provide training for individual first responders, their families, and agencies. This community will stand for one very specific concept: you’re not alone! I am working with like-minded organizations and providers to smash the stigma of getting help while providing a landing spot for those who need to see they are not alone. I now live in the mountains of Montana with my wife Emily where we are establishing roots and chasing our dreams.

Tom Eberhardt is a Senior Adviser for the Norwegian Correctional Service (KDI) and Amend Norwegian Director. He was educated at the Correctional Service of Norway Staff Academy as a prison officer and has higher education in economics and crisis management. Tom worked 26 years in different prisons in Norway and held several management positions. Tom was the Warden at Bastøy Prison for six years. Since February 2020, he has worked full time for Amend.We talk crime, guns, healthcare, prison models and much more.

Dr. Casas is a Clinical and Police and Public Safety Psychologist in the State of Nevada. She also holds a PSYPACT Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Psychology license that allows for the practice of virtual practice in 32 additional states. We discuss her experience in EMT school, clinical psychology, first responder mental health, entrance testing, dispatchers, retirees and so much more.Dr. Jena Casas, Ph.D. is a Licensed Clinical and Police and Public Safety Psychologist who owns and operates a private practice in Northern Nevada. She holds a master's degree in Criminal Justice and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Nevada, Reno, and is a certified emergency responder and public safety clinician. She specializes in providing mental health services to first responders and their families and organizational consultation to agencies interested in developing wellness programming for their staff. Dr. Casas is an accomplished researcher, having published dozens of peer-reviewed publications and book chapters on topics related to the intersection of culture, psychology, and law; her most recent publications are related to the mental health of first responders. Dr. Casas is also a member of key organizations for providers that practice in police and public safety psychology, including APA’s division 18, the IACP psychological services section, the national sheriffs association, and the society for police and criminal psychology.

Ryan Munsey is the author of best selling book F*ck Your Feelings and co-founder of The Better Human Project, Ryan Munsey is a sought-after thought leader who specializes in high performance and the development of both individuals and organizations. An athlete and avid outdoorsman, Ryan personally coaches Olympic and professional athletes, Special Forces Operators, Hollywood celebrities, and leading entrepreneurs and C-Level executives while speaking and hosting leadership workshops around the world.Hassan Kamel is the Lead Consultant at OKA, Hassan is a thought leader and Certification-level Trainer and coach with extensive experience in leadership development, experiential learning, and teambuilding, who specializes in resilience and grit of both individuals and teams. Hassan personally coaches C-Suite executives, military personnel, and first responders. Additionally, Hassan is a sought-after public speaker and Master Trainer on a variety of industry-leading psychometric tools and assessments.We discuss a spectrum of topics from their Emotional Resilience program to leadership in the first responder professions and everything in between.

Rob Cefoli is a 20 year veteran of FDNY, their Director of Health and Fitness and the Co-Founder of FYR Tribe. We discuss his journey into the fire service, training the tactical athlete, sleep deprivation, some notable calls, his powerful mental health story, releasing trauma from the body, his non-profit and so much more.Robert CefoliDirector of Health and Fitness FDNYI’m a married father of 4. I have 3 boys (4-9months) and 1 daughter (12).I am currently a 20-year member with the FDNY and hold the rank of Captain. I am the company commander for Engine 211. Additionally, I have been a member of the FDNY Health and Fitness Unit since 2018. I assumed the role of Director for the Health & Fitness Unit in January 2020.The Director oversees the Physical Training of Candidates in the Fitness Awareness Program as well as the Probationary Firefighters in the Fire Academy. The training programs, new initiatives and counseling of active members all fall under the Health and Fitness Units task list. I work with the Bureau of Health Services, the Office of Professional Development and the Legal Dept regarding strategy and the use of data in relation to incumbent standards and testing.In the private sector, my 20+ year experience in the physical fitness training of different populations has helped me introduce and execute new initiatives within the Health and Fitness Unit. To name a few; the trauma release exercise workshops, corrective exercise techniques and cardiovascular protocols.I am among a select few FDNY Health & Fitness Unit officers who have been personally trained by the founder of TRE, Dr. David Berceli to become global and Agency TRE providers. We, as FDNY representatives, are the first agency to be trained and as such we are working intimately with the TRE foundation to co-create a curriculum for other fire service agencies. Our workshop, which also includes postural reintegration and cardiovascular protocols for current members, is in high demand due to it's positive reviews. We have also created 'TRE Aware', which is a level of certification that includes 3 guided TRE sessions in Probationary Firefighter school and the Fire Cadet academy.IAFF WFI- Recently added to the task force to update the next Wellness-Fitness Initiative Manual as Subject Matter Expert for the FDNYCO-Founder of Fyr TribeNot for Profit started to address the mental health and physical health challenges faced by first responders. We are currently starting our mission by providing our workshops to our own retirees of Fire/EMS. We see a large gap in support and our bottom up method is something unique and works well within our population.@fyr_tribeFyrtribe.org