Guest: Captain David Hoy (Edmonton Fire Rescue Services)

How we handle the first 24 to 72 hours after a critical incident determines whether a call becomes a "memory" or a "trauma." In this episode, Nole and Kevin sit down with David Hoy, a 20-year fire captain and peer support specialist from the "Great White North" of Edmonton, Alberta.

Dave breaks down the "Gold Standard" of reintegration, a program that has led to a 75% reduction in long-term mental health claims, and shares the five physiological pillars every first responder needs to regulate their nervous system after a bad shift.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• The Reintegration Whiteboard: How Edmonton’s "Gold Standard" program uses a specific debriefing process to identify "hotspots" before they become injuries.
• The Bio-Chemistry of Trauma: Why stimulants (caffeine/nicotine) and depressants (alcohol) during the 72-hour "encoding window" can permanently scar the brain’s storage of an event.
• The Trauma Backpack: A powerful analogy for identifying which burdens are yours to carry and which boulders need to be left at the station.
• "Dig Your Well Before You’re Thirsty": Practical advice on interviewing clinicians while you’re healthy to ensure you have a "tactical" baseline for when things go south.
• Functional Disconnection vs. Reconnection: The biological necessity of shutting down emotions on a call, and the specific relational tools needed to turn them back on when you walk through your front door.
• Sub-Zero Firefighting: What it’s like to fight fire at -30 and how to prevent getting literally frozen to your equipment.

The 5 Pillars of Post-Call Regulation:

If you’ve had a "bad night," Dave recommends hitting these five marks within 72 hours to restore homeostasis:

1. Hydration: Flushing the "lactic acid of trauma" out of your system.
2. Nutrition: Avoiding the "sugar-crash" cycle.
3. Exercise: Utilizing cardiovascular work to process adrenaline.
4. Sleep: The essential phase for brain restoration and memory filing.
5. Physical Connection: Utilizing the release of oxytocin through intimacy to reset the nervous system.

Big thank you to My Epic and Facedown Records for the use of their song "Hail" in our podcast!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dz2RZThURTU&ab_channel=FacedownRecords

Get signed up for the next trip with Hold the Line!

https://www.fireupprogram.org/hold-the-line

The Fire You Carry on YouTube.

Sign up for a class at The Fire Up Program!
https://www.fireupprogram.com/programs

The Fire Up Progam video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I__ErPW46Ec&t=12s&ab_channel=FireUpProgram

The Fire You Carry Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/thefireyoucarry/

Donate to The Fire Up Program.
https://www.fireupprogram.com/donate

The Fire Up Program Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/fireup_program/

Kevin's Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/kevinpwelsh/?hl=en

Becoming a "program guy" or a trusted member of a crew isn't just about your skill with a nozzle; it’s about how you handle the "game" of probation. This week, Nole and Kevin sit down with Taylor Morgan (Program Director for The Fire Up Program) to discuss the nuances of station culture that aren't taught in the academy. From the "laundry room dilemma" to handling the dreaded call to the Captain’s office, we explore how small actions build, or break, your reputation.

In this episode, we cover:

• Ownership over BS: Why "I don’t know, sir, but I’ll find out" is the most important sentence in a new firefighter's vocabulary.
• The "Peanut Butter Spoon" Test: How menial station tasks are actually indicators of your reliability on a fire scene.
• Social Intelligence: The dangers of oversharing and why your actions should always speak louder than your resume.
• The "7-Foot Captain" Story: A lesson in why you should always have a tool in your hand (and which ones you shouldn't try to borrow).
• Mentorship & The Fire Up Program: How Taylor uses the fire service model to help men grow in leadership and character.

Big thank you to My Epic and Facedown Records for the use of their song "Hail" in our podcast!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dz2RZThURTU&ab_channel=FacedownRecords

Get signed up for the next trip with Hold the Line!

https://www.fireupprogram.org/hold-the-line

The Fire You Carry on YouTube.

Sign up for a class at The Fire Up Program!
https://www.fireupprogram.com/programs

The Fire Up Progam video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I__ErPW46Ec&t=12s&ab_channel=FireUpProgram

The Fire You Carry Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/thefireyoucarry/

Donate to The Fire Up Program.
https://www.fireupprogram.com/donate

The Fire Up Program Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/fireup_program/

Kevin's Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/kevinpwelsh/?hl=en

Welcome back to The Fire You Carry! This week, Nole and Kevin sit down to tackle a feeling we all know too well: hitting a mental wall and finding yourself stuck in a "season of blah."

When you're down in the valley, sprinting out isn't an option. The guys discuss how getting your momentum back is all about returning to the foundational basics. We dive into the importance of prioritizing sleep, dialing in your nutrition with Stan Efferding’s "Vertical Diet" (meat, rice, and bone broth), and learning to focus your energy only on your direct sphere of influence.

Kevin and Nole also talk through the brutal reality of properly executing the Norwegian 4x4 VO2 Max protocol, the immune-boosting benefits of L-glutamine, and why putting on the "Dad Hat" and saying yes to your kids should always beat out finishing your household chores.

Big thank you to My Epic and Facedown Records for the use of their song "Hail" in our podcast!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dz2RZThURTU&ab_channel=FacedownRecords

Get signed up for the next trip with Hold the Line!

https://www.fireupprogram.org/hold-the-line

The Fire You Carry on YouTube.

Sign up for a class at The Fire Up Program!
https://www.fireupprogram.com/programs

The Fire Up Progam video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I__ErPW46Ec&t=12s&ab_channel=FireUpProgram

The Fire You Carry Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/thefireyoucarry/

Donate to The Fire Up Program.
https://www.fireupprogram.com/donate

The Fire Up Program Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/fireup_program/

Kevin's Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/kevinpwelsh/?hl=en