Rapid Fire Fire-Dex

First responders are expected to be calm and level-headed but the stressors faced by those in the fire service can have a cumulative impact on mental health and well-being. Listen in as Andy Starnes and Dena Ali discuss the stigma associated with firefighters seeking help and how peer support resources can be a solution.  
 What You Can Expect To Learn    
Biggest misconceptions about mental health in firefighters  Addressing feelings vs recycling them  PTSD & peer support resources  Implementing mental health solutions within the fire house  The cause of most firefighter suicides  Individual coping mechanisms   
ABOUT OUR GUEST  
Dena Ali is a Captain with the Raleigh (NC) Fire Department and previously served as a police officer for five years. She is also the founder and director of North Carolina Peer Support where she helped to develop their statewide curriculum. During her career she earned the NC Office of State Fire Marshal Honor, Courage, and Valor award for her steadfast effort to bring awareness to firefighter mental health. Dena is advocate of awareness, education, and understanding of mental health disorders and suicidality. She speaks on these topics and is a QPR Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Instructor. Dena holds a degree from North Carolina State University and an MPA from the University of North Carolina—Pembroke, where her research focused on firefighter suicide. 

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Tune in as Season 1 host Retired Battalion Chief Bob Keys passes the reigns to Battalion Chief Andy Starnes of Charlotte Fire Department and Founder of Insight Training. Join us as we bid farewell to Bob and get to know our new Season 2 host as he shares stories about his journey in the fire service and how he hopes to help make firefighting a little bit safer!

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT TO LEARN:
What Hosting Has Meant to BobWhere Bob's Next Adventure in the Fire Service Will Lead HimHow Andy Was Introduced to the Fire Service & What Organizations He's Currently Involved InFuture Expectations for the PodcastABOUT OUR HOSTS:

Battalion Chief Keys completed a total of 31 years of service, beginning as a firefighter for a high volume station in the Bronx. As a Captain and Lieutenant, he served various municipalities including Midtown Manhattan, until settling into East New York Brooklyn, where he became Battalion Chief. Within his new role he took charge of Research and Development where he learned how new innovations are tested and introduced to the fire service.

Battalion Chief Andy Starnes works for Charlotte Fire Department and is the Founder of Insight Training. He has been involved with the fire service as a volunteer since 1992 and as a career firefighter since 1998. He is a fire service contributor on many topics including thermal imaging, fire behavior, and terminology. Andy is also the founder of Bringing Back Brotherhood, a nonprofit organization designed to guide firefighters in the areas of behavioral health and counseling.

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Learn about the changing culture within the fire service that has led to a better understanding of health and safety needs for firefighters through advancements in PPE in the years since 9/11.  


 WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT TO LEARN:


Conceptualization of today's particulate blocking hoods  Expectations of gear inspections and cleaning  Inefficiencies in past PPE technology Ergonomic design of modern turnout gear   Introduction of alternative PPE  
ABOUT OUR GUEST :

Jim Reidy was a Lieutenant on Ladder 46 for the San Antonio Texas Fire Department (SAFD) where he was a firefighter for 33 years. He was also an Assistant Safety Officer and was the SAFD Quartermaster in 2018. He was involved in PPE for 30 of his 33 years and served as Co- Chairman of the SAFD/Local 624 Firefighting PPE Committee, as a member of the SAFD Occupational Cancer Committee, Tool and Equipment Committee, and Apparatus Committee.

Jim is a member of the NFPA 1971-1851 Committee representing the Texas State Association of Fire Fighters. He currently serves as Helmet Task Group Chair for the next edition of NFPA 1971. He serves on the Texas Commission on Fire Protection Firefighter Advisory Committee as a member and past Chairman and is a Firefighter Cancer Support Network Rep in South Texas.

He also speaks at a variety of venues and events on Firefighter PPE Risk Assessment, Use, and Selection along with Firefighter Cancer Prevention and is known as a vocal advocate for firefighter health and safety.

ABOUT THE HOST:

Battalion Chief Keys completed a total of 31 years of service, beginning as a firefighter for a high volume station in the Bronx. As a Captain and Lieutenant, he served various municipalities including Midtown Manhattan, until settling into East New York Brooklyn, where he became Battalion Chief. Within his new role he took charge of Research and Development where he learned how new innovations are tested and introduced to the fire service.

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Listen in as Instructor Andy Starnes of Insight Training translates THL & TPP into firefighter speak, discusses why alternative matters to your health, and reviews advancements in firefighting technologies.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT TO LEARN: 
The History of THL and TPPPositive Culture Changes in the Fire ServiceThe Reasons to Consider Alternative PPECardiac Issues, Heat Stress, and Your GearFirefighting Tech Advancements
ABOUT OUR GUEST:

Instructor Andy Starnes of Insight Training is a lifelong student of the fire service and has been involved with the fire service as a volunteer since 1992 and as a career firefighter since 1998. He is a fire service website contributor on the topics of thermal imaging, fire behavior, leadership, modern fire terminology, and behavioral health. Andy is also the founder of Bringing Back Brotherhood, a nonprofit organization designed to guide firefighters in the areas of behavioral health and counseling.

ABOUT THE HOST:

Battalion Chief Keys completed a total of 31 years of service, beginning as a firefighter for a high volume station in the Bronx. As a Captain and Lieutenant, he served various municipalities including Midtown Manhattan, until settling into East New York Brooklyn, where he became Battalion Chief. Within his new role he took charge of Research and Development where he learned how new innovations are tested and introduced to the fire service.

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Understand how preventative measures and regular monitoring can help reduce occupational health concerns like cancer and cardiovascular disease with Todd LeDuc, Chief Strategy Officer of LifeScan Wellness Centers, and Rob Brown, Physicians Assistant and founder of the New York Firefighters Heart & Lung Institute, who are helping firefighters gain access to regular health check-ups and spread awareness about early detection. 


WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT TO LEARN:


Why You Should Schedule Regular Monitoring of Your HealthHow to Take Precaution Even When You're Asymptomatic Why It's Important for Doctors to Translate Science to Firefighter Speak The Importance of an Annual Preventative ExamHow COVID-19 Can Have an Impact on Your Cardiovascular HealthHow to Access Preventative Monitoring Resources

ABOUT OUR GUESTS:

Todd J. LeDuc, MS, CFO, FIFirE, retired after nearly 30 years as an Assistant Fire Chief of Broward County, Florida, an internationally accredited career metro department. He serves as a Chief Strategy Officer for LifeScan Wellness Centers, a national provider of comprehensive physicals and early detection exams. For over a decade, he has served as a member of the International Association of Fire Chief’s Safety, Health & Survival Section and is currently the Secretary of that section. LeDuc is also the editor of Surviving the Fire Service (Fire Engineering Books) and serves on numerous advisory boards and publications.  
Rob Brown began his fire service career in 1992 with the Glenwood Fire Department in Long Island, NY. He currently serves as a Lieutenant with the New York City Fire Department and has been an active member since 1996. FDNY Lieutenant Rob Brown, who is also a Physicians Assistant, and the founder of the New York Firefighters Heart & Lung Institute, has also previously written for Firehouse Magazine, WNYF Magazine, and continues to speak about firefighter health & safety issues on a national level.  
ABOUT THE HOST:

Battalion Chief Keys completed a total of 31 years of service, beginning as a firefighter for a high volume station in the Bronx. As a Captain and Lieutenant, he served various municipalities including Midtown Manhattan, until settling into East New York Brooklyn, where he became Battalion Chief. Within his new role he took charge of Research and Development where he learned how new innovations are tested and introduced to the fire service.
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Explore the history of fire as a weapon and its uses within the fire service, law enforcement, and the latest technological devices. Listen as Chief Keys is joined by Assistant Fire Chief Homer Robertson of Fort Worth Texas Fire Department and Special Agent in Charge, Christopher Combs of the Federal Bureau of Investigation San Antonio Division.  
  
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT TO LEARN:  
The history of fire as a weapon  Police and fire service coordination during riots  Joint Terrorism Task Force strategies and implementation  Utilizing modern firefighting robot technology  Fusion Center intelligence sharing and task forces 
ABOUT OUR GUESTS:
 For the last 36 years, Homer Robertson has served with the Fort Worth Fire Department where he holds the title of Executive Assistant Chief. Currently, he leads the Educational and Support Service Division of the Department as well as the Office of Emergency Management for the City of Fort Worth. Recently, the Fort Worth Fire Department hosted the country’s first conference discussing Fire as a Weapon with some of the world’s leading experts on the subject. Homer holds a Master’s Degree from Tarleton State University in Political Science and resides with his family in Granbury, Texas.  
 
As the Special Agent in Charge (SAC), Christopher Combs of the San Antonio Field Office oversees the Austin, Brownsville, Del Rio, Laredo, McAllen, and Waco Resident Agencies. Throughout his extensive 25 year career, SAC Combs has directed numerous domestic and international critical incidents. Previously, he co-authored the White House Federal Response to Hurricane Katrina Lessons Learned after-action report and was appointed as the Senior Federal Law Enforcement Official where he oversaw 1,800 federal law enforcement officials completing rescue operations during Hurricane Katrina. In 2008, he received the FBI Director’s Award for Distinguished Service to the Law Enforcement Community for President Obama’s 2008 Inauguration. Before joining the FBI, SAC Combs was a volunteer firefighter for eight years with the Freeport, New York, and New Berlin, Wisconsin Fire Departments.  
ABOUT THE HOST:

Battalion Chief Keys completed a total of 31 years of service, beginning as a firefighter for a high volume station in the Bronx. As a Captain and Lieutenant, he served various municipalities including Midtown Manhattan, until settling into East New York Brooklyn, where he became Battalion Chief. Within his new role he took charge of Research and Development where he learned how new innovations are tested and introduced to the fire service.

Learn more about Fire-Dex products and services by visiting, www.firedex.com
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