All Clear - A Firefighter Health & Wellness Podcast

Firefighter Health Frontiers: With Dr. Jeff Burgess

Firefighter Cancer & PFAS: Dr. Jeff Burgess on Exposure Reduction, Decon, and the FFCCS Travis interviews Dr. Jeff Burgess, professor and director of the Firefighter Health Research Program at the University of Arizona, about firefighter wellness with a focus on cancer and occupational exposures. Burgess explains his background in emergency medicine, toxicology, and occupational medicine and how fit-testing and medical surveillance work with Tucson and Seattle fire departments led him into firefighter health research. They discuss ongoing cancer risks from inhalation and skin absorption, PFAS “forever chemicals” from multiple sources (gear, contaminated drinking water, AFFF, and fire response), and emerging concerns such as reproductive and neurodegenerative effects. Burgess emphasizes practical exposure reduction: on-scene soap-and-water washdown (shown to cut urinary chemicals by over 30% and lower at least one PFAS), prompt gear removal and laundering, glove use when handling dirty gear, and wearing SCBA during overhaul to reduce asbestos exposure linked to mesothelioma. They also cover protections for fire investigators and highlight the Firefighter Cancer Cohort Study (FFCCS), launched in 2018 with 8,300+ participants across 32 states, which collects repeated blood and urine samples to track exposures over time; more info is available at ffccs.org. 00:00 Meet Dr Jeff Burgess 00:46 Career Path Into Research 02:12 Why Firefighters 05:17 Whats New In Cancer Risk 07:49 PFAS Beyond The Gear 11:41 Decon Showers And Washdown 15:27 Clean Cab And Bagging Gear 18:19 PPE For Dirty Gear Handling 20:04 SCBA During Overhaul 21:35 Investigator Exposure Protection 27:34 Firefighter Cohort Study Explained 31:32 Enroll And Closing Resources Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2098940/support] Thanks for listening to All Clear! You can contact us with questions, suggestions or just to say hi at our website  allclearpodcast.com Also pick up a bag of our signature All Clear Coffee.  A unique cup that will quickly become your new morning hero in a cup! Please like and subscribe on you platform of choice!  It dosent cost you anything and it helps us more than you will ever know!

Recruitment Rescue: Saving The Day, One Volunteer At A Time With Sarah Lee

Recruitment & Retention in the Fire Service: Culture, Flexibility, and Making the Ask (with NVFC CEO Sarah Lee) In this VFIS-sponsored episode of Behind the Sirens, host Travis speaks with National Volunteer Fire Council CEO Sarah Lee about recruitment and retention in the fire service and why the two are closely connected across generations. Lee outlines key reasons departments struggle—time constraints and mental load, volunteers moving to career roles, unwelcoming or toxic culture, and differing generational needs—and emphasizes that culture must be built intentionally. She shares actionable recruitment steps such as creating positive member experiences, offering sampling opportunities like open houses and ride-alongs, showing clear growth paths, and providing flexibility in training and scheduling. For retention, she stresses knowing members as people, checking in when behavior changes, and involving families to build support. Lee highlights NVFC resources including MakeMeAFirefighter.org and tools and training available at NVFC.org. 00:00 Recruitment Retention Kickoff 01:11 Meet Sarah Lee NVFC 02:01 Recruitment Versus Retention 03:28 Why Volunteers Leave 07:47 Culture And Leadership 10:12 Sponsor Break VFIS 10:38 Quick Recruitment Wins 14:08 Keeping Good People 18:31 NVFC Make Me Firefighter 19:51 30 Second Challenge 21:23 More NVFC Resources 23:06 Final Takeaways Outro Show Notes Recruitment and Retention in the Fire Service: Culture, Time, and Making the Ask (with NVFC CEO Sarah Lee) In this VFIS-sponsored Behind the Sirens/All Clear episode, host Travis talks with National Volunteer Fire Council CEO Sarah Lee about fire service recruitment and retention, emphasizing that the issues are intertwined and require balanced staffing across seasoned, mid-level, and younger members. Lee outlines key reasons people don’t join or leave: limited time and mental load, volunteers moving into career positions, unwelcoming or toxic department culture, and unmet generational needs. She offers actionable steps for departments, including creating a positive member experience that fuels word-of-mouth, providing “sampling” opportunities like open houses and ride-alongs, showing clear advancement paths, and offering flexibility in training and scheduling. For retention, she stresses knowing members personally, checking in when behavior changes, and engaging families through communication and inclusive events. Lee highlights NVFC resources such as makemeafirefighter.org and nvfc.org, which provide tools, research, marketing support, guides, and training. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2098940/support] Thanks for listening to All Clear! You can contact us with questions, suggestions or just to say hi at our website  allclearpodcast.com Also pick up a bag of our signature All Clear Coffee.  A unique cup that will quickly become your new morning hero in a cup! Please like and subscribe on you platform of choice!  It dosent cost you anything and it helps us more than you will ever know!

Are You Ok? - A Special Message To Our Listeners

Fire Service Suicide: Checking In, Seeking Help, and Supporting Your Crew This All Clear episode delivers a serious message about suicide in the fire service, explaining how repeated exposure to people on their worst days, increasing call volume, lack of sleep, poor diet, and constant pressure to stay mission-ready can grind members down. The host notes there may be no single clear indicator, but warns that dark humor becoming darker or someone withdrawing could be signs to pay attention to, and emphasizes the importance of simply asking, “How are you doing today?” For anyone struggling with thoughts of self-harm, the episode stresses that they are not alone and encourages reaching out to brothers and sisters in the fire service, as well as counselors, chaplains, and mental health specialists. It urges crews to check in regularly and seek help for themselves and their team. 00:00 Serious Message Intro 00:46 Why Suicide Happens 01:28 Stressors That Add Up 02:03 Warning Signs to Notice 02:42 Check In With Each Other 02:57 Help and Resources 03:51 Final Encouragement Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2098940/support] Thanks for listening to All Clear! You can contact us with questions, suggestions or just to say hi at our website  allclearpodcast.com Also pick up a bag of our signature All Clear Coffee.  A unique cup that will quickly become your new morning hero in a cup! Please like and subscribe on you platform of choice!  It dosent cost you anything and it helps us more than you will ever know!

HRV: The Not-So-Secret Code To Firefighter Fitness

Heart Rate Variability (HRV) for Firefighters: The Most Important Recovery & Longevity Metric Travis from All Clear Firefighter Health and Wellness explains heart rate variability (HRV) as the small variation between heartbeats and why it matters more than heart rate for firefighter health, performance, recovery, sleep, and longevity. He connects HRV to nervous system balance between sympathetic (fight or flight) and parasympathetic (rest and recovery), noting high HRV reflects adaptability while low HRV suggests stress and fatigue. He outlines firefighter-specific stressors and links long-term low HRV to heart disease risk, burnout, poor sleep, and reduced performance. Key HRV disruptors include poor sleep, alcohol, chronic stress, overtraining/under-recovery, and poor nutrition/blood sugar swings. Practical steps include prioritizing sleep and limiting screens, brief breathing work (4 seconds in/6 out), reducing alcohol, training intensity based on HRV, improving nutrition, and tracking trends with wearables without obsessing over daily numbers. 00:00 HRV For Firefighters 01:04 What HRV Really Means 01:56 Nervous System Balance 03:14 Why HRV Matters 03:59 Five HRV Killers 06:26 HRV As Readiness 07:06 Simple HRV Boosts 09:33 Track Trends Not Numbers 10:07 Final Takeaway Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2098940/support] Thanks for listening to All Clear! You can contact us with questions, suggestions or just to say hi at our website  allclearpodcast.com Also pick up a bag of our signature All Clear Coffee.  A unique cup that will quickly become your new morning hero in a cup! Please like and subscribe on you platform of choice!  It dosent cost you anything and it helps us more than you will ever know!

Sparks Of Relief: Alpha-Stim and First-Responders

Alpha-Stim for First Responders: FDA-Cleared Relief for Sleep & Pain | Kelly Hemphill Travis interviews Kelly Hemphill of Alpha-Stim about the portable, FDA-cleared device used to treat anxiety and insomnia, with an additional unit for pain alongside anxiety and insomnia. Travis shares his own prescribed use to improve sleep quality and tracking data showing faster improvements in deep sleep and REM, while discussing how cumulative trauma and stress in first responder work impacts recovery and performance. Kelly explains that Alpha-Stim delivers gentle microcurrent stimulation via ear clips to calm overactive brain regions, acting like a “circuit breaker” for racing thoughts. They cover recommended daily use for three to six weeks, individual variability in effects, safety, on-shift use without medication interference, pain protocols, military and unit-level examples, and how to obtain a prescription via clinicians or telemedicine, plus available training and support. 00:00 Meet AlphaStem Guest 00:33 Host Sleep Story 01:16 What AlphaStem Does 03:47 First Responder Stress 04:29 How It Works 05:58 Sleep Results Data 07:23 Best Use Timing 08:44 On Shift Safety 11:45 Sleep Performance Link 13:37 Is It Safe 15:17 Pain Treatment Mode 18:22 Unit Level Benefits 22:12 Getting Prescribed 23:23 Support And Resources 26:46 Final Advice Wrap 29:06 Closing Dad Joke Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2098940/support] Thanks for listening to All Clear! You can contact us with questions, suggestions or just to say hi at our website  allclearpodcast.com Also pick up a bag of our signature All Clear Coffee.  A unique cup that will quickly become your new morning hero in a cup! Please like and subscribe on you platform of choice!  It dosent cost you anything and it helps us more than you will ever know!