OpsFitness Podcast Scott Bisbee

This is by far the longest podcast that I have ever did! It was also so much fun as well. We talk about so much like firefighting, mental health and we really hit it off talking about fitness something that we are both passionate about!

Thank you so much Brad!!

 1. Tell me a little about yourself and how long have worked for EFD for and in what capacity?


I have had a keen interest in Sport, Fitness, Health and Wellness all of my life. I am a certified track and field and strength and conditioning, coach with 43 years of competitive experience under my belt in the sports of athletics, bobsleigh, swimming and water polo, I now put all of my knowledge and expertise to good use as the Health and Wellness Coordinator for Edmonton Fire Rescue Services and Mental Health First Aid, Psychological First Aid and R2MR (first responder) instructor for the City of Edmonton. I have worked for the City for 5.5 years, before that I was at the U of A.

During my athletic career, I represented Canada in the Olympic Games, the World Athletics Championships, The World Bobsleigh Championships, The Pan American Games, The Commonwealth Games and many other international events. As a competitor, I won 17 national titles (15 in the shot put and two discus titles). Upon retiring from competing, I was the head cross country, track and field coach for the Univ. of Alberta for 10 years, and helped develop champions at the provincial, national and international levels. I was also a  mentor/coach for Special Olympics Athletics athletes and coaches in Alberta. Currently, I coach veteran paralympic  athletes and others interested in improving their throwing skills. I also sit on the board for Athletics Alberta and am the current President of the Edmonton Track and Field Council.

2. What was the hardest time of your life? What tools did you use to get through it?

Two times - dealing with my first major injury as a swimmer - dealing with not being able to just work through it: learning about rest and making a change in to a different direction. Moving in a different direction is what took me from swimming to track. At the time of the injury, it was devastating but looking back on it now, it was the best thing that ever happened to me.

The second "hard time" came in my involuntary shift from being a coach at the university - to being unemployed (and overqualified for many jobs) and then my transition to working with the city,;first as a personal trainer in city rec. centers. Again, difficult at the time (and sometimes still stings a little) but definitely one of the best things that ever happened to meas it brought me to EFRS!

3. What are your greatest successes?

Helping others to shine (inspire and motivate them to be)...Olympics and coaching at the Olympics pretty cool too! :)

4. Now that you have experienced life a little, what would you tell your 20-year- old self?

You don't need a lot of stuff...collect experiences and be wise with your money and your heart!

5. Who is your greatest role model and why?

Anyone who has the strength and courage to continue to try when they have been knocked down...Anyone who, regardless of the circumstance, finds a way to keep moving forward - even in small steps.

6. Any particular stories that stand out from your days serving behind the front line? How has fitness played a role in it?

Too many to write about..lol.

Fitness and overall health  (spiritual, emotional, physical and mental) have always played integral roles in my life

7. What is your favourite failure that has led to success?

No real failures...just a wide range of experiences :)

8. What do you feel most proud of?

My ability to be of service to others

10. What do you want your tombstone to say?

She Shined brightly and was a guiding light to many

This podcast really came organically, I saw an opportunity to interview the Cheif for Edmonton Fire & Rescue and I took it.
 
We talk about how he became a firefighter and the Health and Wellness Program that EFD has. It is truly one of the best in North America.
 
Check out the podcast and let me know what you think!Thanks, Chief!

1. Tell me a little about yourself and how long have you or served behind the front line for? In What capacity?
I am 62 YO male, married have two daughters and a son. I worked at Orange County Fire and Rescue in Winter Park Fl for 35 years and have been retired two years in June and live in New Smyrna Beach, Fl-The Shark Capital of the World. I am one of the owners of Firesled Fitness and Training. We develop Firefighter Functional Fitness and Training Equipment.I worked in many ranks and capacities when I worked at OCFRD:• Firefighter• Engineer (Driver)• Lieutenant• Wellness Coordinator• Bike Patrol Coordinator• Safety Captain• Battalion Chief• Safety and Wellness Chief
 
2. What was the hardest time of your life? What tools did you use to get through it?
I got a call one afternoon when I was on shift from a family member who explained that my dad had fallen on a job site and I needed to go there immediately. When I arrived, I saw the coroners' van and one of my worst nightmare had come true. It was hard to believe that my hero who I had looked up to and relied on most my life was gone. I not only had to process that, but I also had to figure out how to tell my mom, a woman who did not drive and to my knowledge never worked. He was her world. I used the tools my dad left me with. You do what is expected of you which is take care of your family the best way you can.
 
 
3. What are your greatest successes?
• My kids are all very independent and out in the world. • My current marriage.• My health after 35 years in the Fire Service and a rough youth.• The FD Wellness Program I was credited with creating.• The Firesled Fitness and Training business and the equipment that we invented. There is nothing like it.
 
4. Now that you have experienced life a little, what would you tell your 20-year- old self?
Nothing good lasts forever, and nothing bad lasts forever.
 
 
 
5. Who is your greatest role model and why?
My Dad and probably too many reasons to list but here are the main ones. His primary purpose in life was to take care of his family and friends. He worked as an ironworker, wielder-boiler mechanic. I don’t ever remember him calling in sick and rarely took a vacation. It was hard back breaking work, I know because he brought me to work as soon as he thought I was old enough to pull my weight. He taught me to work hard and that your employer deserves a good day’s work and appreciate the opportunity that they gave you. He led by example, he was respected by the people that worked for him and had often loaned them money to purchase tools or equipment they needed to work. Some didn’t pay him back and when I asked him why he kept doing it, he just said it was the right thing to do. He was a simple man that got joy from his horses and animals he raised and took care of. Basically-he was a superhero in my eyes.
 
6. Any particular stories that stand out from your days serving behind the front line? How has fitness played a role in it?
Most of the stories that stand out are ones I choose not to dwell on. Don’t get me wrong there were more good times than bad, but those slides don’t come up as easy. I had great crews that worked hard as a team and enjoyed being together on and off duty. We did a lot of good and saw a lot of bad things happened to good people.Fitness played a role in almost every call from lifting heavy patients to kicking down doors and fighting fire. I took pride in lasting the longest on a bottle and working longer and harder overhauling. Probably my biggest testament to the important role fitness played in my career would be the length I served without a life ending disease or a carrier ending injury. Fitness made me resilient.
 
7. What is your favourite failure that has led to success?
Not sure that I have any favorite failure, but there is one that comes to mind that led to success. When the Fire Chief selected me as OCFRD’s first Wellness Coordinator, he pulled m

Tell me a little bit about yourself. Where did you grow up, and what didyour parents do?
 So, I grew up in Detroit, Michigan, actually in the heart of Detroit. My dad was injournalism and marketing; he worked for multiple companies from CompuwareFortune 500 to EDS, and then he got into a real estate, which he currently stilldoes. And my mother has worked in medicine for the last 30-plus years, workingin oncology and then followed by nephrology.
My parents have been go-getters their whole life. I grew up in Detroitand it’s been a great life. My parents divorced when I was five years old but theyparented me well together and managed to keep the divorce from hurting therelationship for the family, so it was great. I love my parents dearly, and theygave me everything I needed to survive in life, so super grateful.It’s kind of how it went, just moved off outside of Detroit to the suburbs andthen moved into an area called Clinton Township Michigan, or Macomb County,where I ended up finishing up school high school there at Chippewa Valley HighSchool. And that's where I was influenced by a teacher into the service.
 
So, tell me a little bit about yourself, and how long have you served behind the frontline for, and in what capacity in the Navy SEALs?
Let’s see, a little bit about myself. I played hockey growing up I always lovedsports, I love team sports. I've always been the guy that had a nickname; theyused to call me Purp or Pond Rocket Parrot in hockey. Because in Michigan weplay a lot of pond hockey outside as well as inside. And then I went to Perrote, andthe French men don’t know where that came from. And then I went to in theSoup in the SEAL Teams, and then it’s been Birdman ever since.
But, growing up in Michigan, I love Michigan. I think that it’s a place thateverybody needs to visit. People don't really get a good idea Michigan, theythink it's Detroit, they think it's a dangerous place, and it's all city, and it’s not. It's a gorgeous place, the north part of Michigan is beautiful, gorgeous lakes, you can't get enough water there. It's a place that you need to see, the fall time you get change of colors everywhere and I love it, that's my home. Idon't consider Texas my home I consider Michigan my home, will always be.
I served eight years in the military, all of that in the SEAL Teams if not in training,but all in Naval Special Warfare. I think I did three months outside of NavalSpecial Warfare in the beginning through boot camp and then my A school, andthen after that it was all with the Naval Special Warfare Command. So, I wentthrough BUD/S class 245, 246. After the program, I went to SEAL Team 7, and Iserved for six years at SEAL Team 7.
I was in Alpha platoon, two platoons, I went to Foxtrot platoon, and then I wentover to Advanced Training Command as an instructor for just under a yearbefore I got out of service. Eight years in San Diego, actually in Coronado. It waswonderful, it was like an unbelievable experience. We were going out a lot andwould come back home, I would come back to my house in San Diego and thinkit was a vacation home. So it's super cool.
I was blessed. You get everything you can possibly imagine from the military, youget GI Bill, college tuition, you get friends that will last a lifetime, you get to doepic things, and you get to do this all in the name of protecting the nation. Foranybody who’s messing around with the idea of wanting to join the military, I saydon't hesitate, do it. And anybody who doesn't know anything about the militaryI think they should go and do some more research and learn about it because it'sincredible. It was wonderful for me; it was everything I needed. Served eightyears and then I decided to move out to the Dallas Texas to pick a job and trynew things.
 
How was school for you, and what made you become a Navy SEAL?
 School for me was difficult, I just was not entertained by teaching, teachers, anykind of academics, it was all boring to m

1. Tell me a little about yourself and how long have you or served behind the front line for? In What capacity?
 
I first fell in love with firefighting in 2006 after I enrolled in the Pre-Service Fire Program at the college in my hometown. From there I took the Paramedic Program, then became a volunteer firefighter. I was a volunteer for over four years and worked as a 911 Dispatcher in Timmins, Ontario, dispatching police, fire, and ambulance. I followed this up with a few years working as a personal trainer and dispatching for other services (namely police and fire in Ottawa). I'm now a career firefighter in Ottawa, Ontario and have been for three years.
 
2. What was the hardest time of your life? What tools did you use to get through it?
 
I went through a period in my life where I felt lost. I was unhappy with my job, divorced, and had no solid direction (which is frustrating for a goal-oriented person). I had to look internally and refocus myself. I spent time changing my mindset, worked hard physically, mentally and spiritually, and came out on top and happier than ever.
 
3. What are your greatest successes?
 
My greatest success would be my life as a whole. I have an amazing daughter, a great partner, a career that I have a passion for, I'm surrounded by incredible people that I love, and I truly enjoy my life.
 
4. Now that you have experienced life a little, what would you tell your 20-year- old self?
 
I would tell myself not to worry because everything is going to workout exactly the way it’s supposed to. I’m happy with the way I’ve lived my life so far and wouldn’t change anything as it would mean changing who I am now.
 
5. Who is your greatest role model and why?
 
I would say that I am my own greatest role model. I am the one person that I can control and be exactly who I want in a person. I am always evolving and striving to be better but staying true to myself and trying to be someone that I can be proud of.
 
6. Any particular stories that stand out from your days serving behind the front line? How has fitness played a role in it?
 
I feel like fitness has played a role in every single experience I have serving behind the front line. Whether it's in full gear at a working fire, hauling hose, climbing stairs, assisting people, climbing ladders, being a reliant crew member, having enough stamina for a busy 24-hour shift, my fitness is absolutely paramount. I am always striving to make myself better for my crew, the public we're serving and myself by working out hard in a functional way. I need to continue to work on being strong, having cardiovascular endurance, being explosive, etc. I wouldn't be able to effectively do my job without constantly working on my fitness.
 
7. What is your favourite failure that has led to success?
 
My favourite failures would be the firefighting jobs I applied for out of college and didn't get. It taught me to work my ass off to get what I want. In the time between my first applications and getting hired, I ended up having amazing experiences, met fantastic people and built up my resume. I'm so thankful for that, and it's made me a better person.
 
8. What do you feel most proud of?
 
I'm most proud of my daughter. I'm working hard every day to ensure that I'm the best mom, a good role model and give her the best life I can possibly give her.
 
10. What do you want your tombstone to say?
"She lived a full life full of love and passion" It should also say "Kayla MusselWOMAN" haha.
 
11. How do you spend your free time?
 
Mostly with my daughter, husband, and dog enjoying family time. I also love to workout, be outdoors, read and watch The Bachelor.
 
12. Who do you admire the most in life and why?
I have a lot of people that I admire. My grandparents have always been people I look up to. But, someone I feel I can relate to and parallel much of my life on is my aunt. She decided to completely change careers and become a police officer. She worked so