Beneath The Helmet

Arjuna George - Silver Arrow Coaching
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Mental Health
  • Updated Biweekly

Firefighter mental health, burnout, PTSD recovery, and leadership -- this is where those conversations live. Beneath the Helmet is hosted by retired Fire Chief Arjuna George -- certified executive coach, TRE practitioner, and author of Burnt Around the Edges -- with 24 years inside the fire service. Every episode goes deep on what it actually costs to do this job, and what it takes to heal, lead, and thrive inside it. Topics include operational stress injury, moral injury, nervous system health, peer support, fire service leadership, firefighter family life, and recovery.

  1. 5d ago ·  Bonus

    Fire Chief Burnout: The Hidden Cost of Command | Dr. Will Anderson

    What happens when the person responsible for everyone else begins to run out of capacity?In Episode 123 of Beneath the Helmet, Arjuna George sits down with Dr. Will Anderson, a fire service leader, educator and researcher whose doctoral work examined burnout among fire chiefs. Their conversation moves beyond the familiar idea that burnout is simply “too much work” and into the realities of command: personnel conflict, governance pressure, isolation, family strain, identity, moral injury and the difficulty of mentally leaving the job.Will shares findings from 43 fire chiefs, including how often some reported feeling burned out, how many felt the job had become more demanding, and how commonly work problems followed them into the first and last moments of the day. He also reflects on his own two-year break from the fire service and what he is doing differently after returning as a chief.This is a conversation for chiefs, aspiring chiefs, officers, firefighters and the families who live alongside the job. It asks an important question: how do we lead well without losing ourselves in the process? Five Key Takeaways Burnout can become background noise. In Will’s study, 55% of 43 participants reported feeling burned out once a week, a few times a week or every day. The modern chief role follows people home. Almost 90% said the job was more demanding than when they took over, while roughly 84% thought about work problems when waking and 80% when going to bed. The pressure is not only emergency trauma. Personnel issues, governance, competing expectations, visibility and the inability to detach can steadily drain a leader’s capacity. Isolation is a leadership risk. Participants commonly recommended support staff, an assistant chief, peer networks and stronger self-awareness before stepping into the role. A healthier second chapter requires boundaries. Will describes protecting evenings, using time off, staying connected to family and remembering that being a husband and father comes before the title of fire chief.

    Fire Chief Burnout: The Hidden Cost of Command | Dr. Will Anderson

  2. 5d ago

    AI, Leadership & Capacity in the Fire Service | Peter Younes

    The modern fire service keeps adding responsibilities, technology, programs, and expectations. But what happens when we keep adding capability without increasing capacity? In Episode 122 of Beneath the Helmet, Arjuna sits down with fire captain, paramedic, author, project management professional, and Project Command Podcast host Peter Younes for a practical conversation about leadership, project management, artificial intelligence, and the growing complexity of the fire service. Peter explains why many fire officers are being asked to manage multimillion-dollar projects and increasingly complex organizations without the training normally provided to leaders doing comparable work outside the fire service. The conversation then turns to AI. Rather than viewing it as a replacement for people, Peter sees an opportunity to use AI as a force multiplier for administrative work, learning, data analysis, planning, document creation, and problem-solving. But there is an important warning: if technology gives leaders ten hours back, filling those ten hours with more work misses the opportunity. Use some of that capacity to lead. Spend time in the stations. Talk with your people. Think strategically. Build relationships. Create some margin. Arjuna and Peter also explore change fatigue, what Peter calls the “proficiency tax,” responsible AI governance, protecting sensitive information, human accountability, mentorship, public trust, and why technology should never replace the human side of the fire service. This is a conversation about using better tools without losing sight of what leadership is ultimately for: people.

    AI, Leadership & Capacity in the Fire Service | Peter Younes

  3. Oct 7 ·  Bonus

    Presence, Ambiguous Loss & the Mental Mayday | CJ Dickinson

    What does it mean to be present when you are physically there, but part of you is still carrying the last call, the last shift or years of accumulated stress? In EP121 of Beneath the Helmet, Arjuna George sits down with firefighter, former battalion chief, mental wellness advocate and coach CJ Dickinson for a conversation about presence, ambiguous loss, leadership, family and coaching in the fire service. CJ shares his own experience of recognizing that he could show up physically for the people he loved while still being psychologically somewhere else. The conversation explores ambiguous loss, the value of naming what we are experiencing, the tactical pause between work and home, listening beyond the words “I’m good,” and why leaders need to know the people behind the uniform. CJ also introduces his C.A.N. Framework, a fire-service-informed coaching model built around Clarity, Actions and Next Steps. This episode is not about having all the answers. It is about noticing what is happening beneath the surface, asking better questions and becoming more intentional about how we show up at work and at home. Buy CJ's Journal CLARITY. ACTIONS. NEXT STEPS.: A DAILY COACHING AND REFLECTION JOURNALBuy Arjuna's Book Burnt Around the Edges: A Guide to Mastering Stress and Surviving Burnout

    Presence, Ambiguous Loss & the Mental Mayday | CJ Dickinson

  4. Oct 7

    Tactical Brain Training for First Responders | Gina Rollo White

    What if mindfulness was less about sittingstill and more about noticing what is happening before stress takes the wheel?In EP120, Arjuna George talks with Gina Rollo White, founder of Mindful Junkieand author of Tactical Brain Training, about practical ways first responderscan recognize stress, work with triggers, reconnect with the body, use breathand curiosity, and create more space between reaction and response. Buy Gina's book Tactical Brain Training: A Guide to Trauma and Stress Management for First Responders and the Professionals Who Support Them Buy Arjuna's Book Burnt Around the Edges: A Guide to Mastering Stress and Surviving Burnout

    Tactical Brain Training for First Responders | Gina Rollo White

  5. Sep 23

    Yoga for Firefighters That Fits the Shift With Hannah Flahr

    Yoga can feel out of reach when your pager is on, your shift has run long, or you think you need to get flexible first. Hannah Flahr, founder of Regulate the Responder, joins Arjuna George to talk about bringing yoga into fire halls and meeting firefighters where they are. They explore the movement patterns Hannah considered in designing her sequence, her four-week pilot, breathing practices, and what a first class actually feels like. Hannah also offers a realistic starting point for a tired firefighter: a few breaths, a quick check-in with your body, and one movement that feels useful. Five minutes counts. Explore the episode and its resources at https://www.beneaththehelmet.ca/downloads/Hannah-guide/ Learn about Hannah's work at https://www.regulatetheresponder.com. Her six-month RTR Online gift link for the first 10 listeners is https://www.patreon.com/RegulateTheResponder/redeem/CD976 Arjuna George www.beneaththehelmet.ca

    Yoga for Firefighters That Fits the Shift With Hannah Flahr

  6. Sep 16 ·  Bonus

    When the Uniform Becomes Your Identity: Kerry Campbell on First Responder Identity Erosion

    What happens when the uniform stops being something you wear and starts becoming your entire identity? RCMP Sergeant and mindset coach Kerry Campbell joins Arjuna George to explore identity fusion, identity erosion and the slow changes that can follow first responders home. After years of policing, Kerry found himself emotionally disconnected, constantly alert and unable to appreciate the life around him. His family noticed the change before he did. Kerry shares how coaching helped him separate who he is from what he does, reconnect with his family and enjoy policing again. The conversation includes practical ways to recognize identity erosion, shift from reacting to responding, build healthier habits and create a short transition routine at the end of a shift. This episode is for first responders, leaders and families who want a meaningful career without losing the person beneath the uniform. In this episode: • How identity erosion develops gradually • Why useful on-duty habits can become harmful at home • Hypervigilance, emotional suppression and family presence • A 90-second work-to-home transition practice • Why consistency matters more than perfection • Preparing for retirement before the uniform comes off • Why you do not need to wait for rock bottom Learn more and explore the full episode at https://www.beneaththehelmet.ca

    When the Uniform Becomes Your Identity: Kerry Campbell on First Responder Identity Erosion

  7. Sep 9

    The Fires Inside the Station with Jerry Streich

    The fireground demands preparation, practice and clear command. Inside the station, leaders are often expected to manage complex human behaviour with far less training. In Episode 117 of Beneath the Helmet, Arjuna sits down with retired Fire Chief, Army veteran, author and organizational development practitioner Jerry Streich. Jerry’s new book, Dealing with Difficult People: For Fire and EMS Organizations, grew out of a personnel crisis that affected his leadership, sleep, family, and sense of safety. Together, Arjuna and Jerry explore what makes a pattern of behaviour truly difficult, why gossip and entitlement spread, how unclear systems allow problems to grow, and why company officers need more preparation for the human side of leadership. They also examine the fire service’s family language, the value of an elite-team mindset, and the courage required to speak with a leader whose behaviour has changed. This is a practical, honest conversation for firefighters at every rank. It is also a reminder that healthy culture is built in everyday moments, long before an organizational ember becomes a working fire. In this episode: Jerry’s journey from Army combat medic to fire chiefThe personnel incident that changed his understanding of leadershipA fire-service definition of a difficult personGossip, confabulation and the stories that fill information gapsEntitlement, tenure and fair accountabilityWork rules, respectful workplace policies and officer developmentWhy “family” can blur boundaries inside the firehouseHow to approach a chief or officer whose behaviour has changedThe power of no and the responsibility to protect life outside the jobWhat Jerry would do differently if he could begin again Connect with Jerry: www.jerrystreich.com Find the book: https://link.amazon/B0aFsnIU7 Listen, reflect and share this episode with someone who helps shape culture in your department. Host Arjuna George - Fire Chief (ret) 🚨 JOIN THE BTH COMMUNITY  📝 Podcast Newsletter:  📨 LinkedIn Podcast Newsletter: ✅Become a BTH Ambassador for a one-time contribution of $23. Your Ambassador contribution supports the behind-the-scenes work that keeps this project alive. Click here to support the show 📺 WATCH & LISTEN 🌐 Full Episodes & Show Notes: www.beneaththehelmet.ca  ▶️ Subscribe on YouTube:  🔥 SOCIALS & CONTACT  Instagram:   LinkedIn:  Facebook: TikTok:  📩 Business Inquiries: arjuna@silverarrowco.com

    The Fires Inside the Station with Jerry Streich

  8. Aug 26

    When the Job Comes Home: A Firefighter Widow’s Story of Love, Loss, and Finding Herself Again

    Shelley Hegedus thought she understood the demands of the fire service. Then she began noticing subtle changes in her husband, Ron. More vigilance. More irritability. Less sleep. Less desire to leave home. Small changes that were easy to explain individually, but together were changing their relationship. Then came another life-altering blow. In May 2023, Ron was diagnosed with stage four gallbladder cancer. He died in August 2024. In this deeply personal episode of Beneath the Helmet, Shelley joins retired Fire Chief Arjuna George to share what those years looked like from the other side of the helmet. She talks about loving a firefighter through occupational stress, becoming a caregiver, losing parts of her own identity, building an “army” of support, grieving Ron, and eventually finding her way back to herself. They also discuss nature, dogs, journaling, therapy, connection, firefighter cancer screening, sleep, nervous system health, relationships, and why partners need to protect their own identity and wellbeing while supporting someone they love. This is a conversation about grief and loss. More than anything, it is a story about love, meaning, hope, and learning how to live again. Shelley Substack https://substack.com/@crossroadscourage Firefighter Memorial Pin Etsy https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/4545803788/firefighter-widow-memorial-pin

    When the Job Comes Home: A Firefighter Widow’s Story of Love, Loss, and Finding Herself Again
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About

Firefighter mental health, burnout, PTSD recovery, and leadership -- this is where those conversations live. Beneath the Helmet is hosted by retired Fire Chief Arjuna George -- certified executive coach, TRE practitioner, and author of Burnt Around the Edges -- with 24 years inside the fire service. Every episode goes deep on what it actually costs to do this job, and what it takes to heal, lead, and thrive inside it. Topics include operational stress injury, moral injury, nervous system health, peer support, fire service leadership, firefighter family life, and recovery.

Information

  • Creator
    Arjuna George - Silver Arrow Coaching
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    125
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Arjuna George - Silver Arrow Coaching
  • Show Website
    Beneath The Helmet

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