Tag: First responders

Melanie Mikeska, who is a total badass, and I sit down and talk about being a sheriff’s deputy in a large county that goes through several budget cuts and has some poor leadership. Having PTSD was hard enough but the department betrayal she experienced was unfathomable. Melanie went through hell and came close to suicide. But she is doing great now and loving retirement. Listen to how she got there.

All the way from Nova Scotia we have quite a guest, Jeffery Hosick. He is a firefighter, a chaplain, therapist, trauma specialist, author and a professional speaker. We sit down and talk about when not addressing mental health can create a toxic work environment. He explains how the key to recovery is grace. Dr. Jeffrey Hosick is committed to finding ways to have accessible mental health support for first responders, their families, and support networks. When he’s not helping the first responder community, he’s helping corporate organizations eliminate drama in the workplace, bring attention to employee mental health, and teach leadership during crisis management situations. You can tune into one of Jeffrey’s many public speeches by following him online or by hiring him to speak at your next event. Topics Jeffrey discusses include organizational development, organizational behavior, organizational psychology, PTSD, trauma, relationships, mental health, physical well-being, goal setting, communication, and self-esteem. Jeffrey currently holds his PhD in diversified counselling and is currently earning a second PhD in industrial and organizational psychology with an emphasis on consulting. At the end of the show we look at the most recent suicide statistics among first responders.

All the way from Nova Scotia we have quite a guest, Jeffrey Hosick. He is a firefighter, a chaplain, therapist, trauma specialist, author and a professional speaker. We sit down and talk about when not addressing mental health can create a toxic work environment. He explains how the key to recovery is grace. Dr. Jeffrey Hosick is committed to finding ways to have accessible mental health support for first responders, their families, and support networks. When he’s not helping the first responder community, he’s helping corporate organizations eliminate drama in the workplace, bring attention to employee mental health, and teach leadership during crisis management situations. You can tune into one of Jeffrey’s many public speeches by following him online or by hiring him to speak at your next event. Topics Jeffrey discusses include organizational development, organizational behavior, organizational psychology, PTSD, trauma, relationships, mental health, physical well-being, goal setting, communication, and self-esteem. Jeffrey currently holds his PhD in diversified counselling and is currently earning a second PhD in industrial and organizational psychology with an emphasis on consulting. At the end of the show we look at the most recent suicide statistics among first responders.

The Firefighter Deconstructed gets real with John Hofman. This guy knows how to talk and doesn’t care if he ruffles a few feathers, he calls it like he sees it. Coach John Hofman, MS., CSCS*D, TSAC-F*D is one of leading experts in the field of Firefighter Health and Wellness and currently serves as the Director of Tactical Strength & Conditioning Specialist for Southern California University Health Systems. Prior to going SCU, Coach Hofman spent 10 years as the strength and conditioning coach for the Sacramento Fire Department, where he oversaw the Wellness Centre, coordinated the department’s medical and fitness assessments, developed recruit fitness training, pre-employment medical and fitness evaluations and assisted with the department’s 20-certified Peer Fitness Trainers. Coach Hofman spent a great deal of time getting to know the business end of being a firefighter. I know this is another firefighter episode but it can be applied to ALL first responders. We all work long shifts, we all encounter trauma and a physical and mental beating.
https://www.amazon.com/BEYOND-TURNOUTS-Comprehensive-Firefighter-Wellness/dp/1478178965
https://scuhealth.org/tactical-sports-medicine/
JohnHofman@scuhs.edu

The Firefighter Deconstructed talks with Cristian Hinojosa who has served the Dallas community as a public servant for nearly 15 years. He currently leads the DFD Peer Support Program, providing outreach and support to firefighters. He shares his own struggles and how he turned to alcohol to cope. He currently serves the northeast Dallas area as a Captain and Acting Battalion Chief at Station 28. He has led the second largest DFD employee association, representing over 450 firefighters. This role has carried substantial political and administrative responsibilities and had included extensive interaction with DFD Command Staff, City Council, and the City Manager on a regular basis. Prior to joining the Dallas Fire Department, Cristian worked as an investment banker in New York City and Dallas. He has quite an extensive background in everything. AND he is a ridiculously nice guy with great ideas and perspectives on peer support.

You can find Cristian at:
cvhinojosa@yahoo.com
https://www.facebook.com/DFRpeersupport/?ref=page_internal
214-669-7500
https://www.firehouse.com/home/contact/21116607/cristian-hinojosa-dallas-firefighters-peer-support

The Firefighter Deconstructed sits down with Danielle Cook Kawash, Mike Salemi, and Simon Mathews from First In Wellness. They develop wellness programs for Fire departments, yet all of their information applies to all first responders, and yes even dispatchers. For a person who sits for long periods of time, being physically fit will help the body and mind handle all that stress. They work to make and keep firefighters thriving, energetic and resilient. The program provides for on going coaching to help enable success. They have a real understanding to the unique challenges and specific needs firefighters have. First In Wellness talks about the importance of department leadership taking part in the conversation and driving the efforts of wellness and suicide prevention.

https://firstinwellness.com/

The 2-Week COVID Program, which is a taste of the 90-day, and will help build physical resilience (and mental) is available for free. People can sign up for this at www.firstinwellness.com or directly by going to the link: https://p.bttr.to/3hTePRu.

We will be doing a pilot study of the 90-day program for 8-10 firefighters. Anyone interested can email me at info@firstinwellness.com.Here‘s a summary of the program:

Our 90-day fire program is an online, interactive program designed to run for 3 consecutive months. A lifestyle section and a fitness section form a comprehensive system for building physical and psychological resilience.

The 90-day program includes:
*Detailed guidance on lifestyle topics of nutrition, sleep, and Psychological Resilience
*6 small group coaching sessions (2 per month) led by nationally board-certified coaches, a psychologist and a registered dietitian
*Additional materials on nutrition planning and food preparation, stress management, sleep, and goal setting
*9-week personalized, multi-level strength training program designed specifically to improve multi-plane, firefighter-specific movements, and enhance balance and flexibility
*Cutting edge physiological tracking technology to measure progress (Oura Ring, EverSleep)