Putting First Responders First

On Sunday, October 23rd, the Arizona Cardinals played the Seattle Seahawks in a riveting game that ended in a disappointing 6-6 tie. As I...

According to author Mitch Anthony, author of The New Retirementality, successful aging means living with vitality, continuing to...

During CHP Academy’s Resiliency Training, seasoned officers teach cadets keys to survive the Academy. Since emotional wellness is crucial...

Got an upcoming test? Here are some tactics to help you remember what you need to remember. The California Highway Patrol Academy teaches...

So, you joined law enforcement to help people. You wanted to make a difference in your community, in your world. But, the longer you work...

I recently had the opportunity to shadow Aurora Fire Department’s Extrication Training, in which Private Stawikowski, Captain Garner,...

Ryan Elwood’s Story In the fall of 2015, firefighter Lieutenant Ryan Elwood, took his life. But, out of his passing, seeds have been...

Fight or Flight More than anyone, firefighters know that in an emergency situation, their natural reaction is “fight or flight”. If the...

You experienced a trauma. It was horrible. What now? How do you even begin to think about it? Where do you go first? You can’t get it out...

How Alliances will Change the Future of the Fire Service Fighting a fire, going out on an EMS call, or extricating someone from a traffic...

Cancer. For some it’s just others’ distant tragedy, but for some it’s the enemy that ruined the family. For many firefighters, cancer is...

As a part of the Illinois Firefighter Peer Support team, I am excited and hopeful about the launch of our new Retiree Peer Support...

Recently, I was invited by Matt Acuff and Jason Demas to participate in RIT (Rapid Intervention Team) training with the Aurora Fire...

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” –Theodore Roosevelt The word “MAYDAY” is one of the scariest words a firefighter...

Every individual is unique. Like a fingerprint, everyone has their own set of interests, desires, relationships, and experiences....

Strong, brave, and fierce are adjectives you may use to describe a firefighter. They are also appropriate adjectives to describe an...

As published in Naperville Magazine, April 2015. Click here to view. by Karen Dix Every parent of a preschooler knows the significance of...

From celebrities to people in our own family, suicide strikes at our heart and brings shock and emotional pain to everyone left behind....

When Sarah Gura asked me to join her and Cody for a special firefighter training day at the Aurora Fire Department for just us FPS...

Few of us welcome worry into our life, yet nearly all of us experience it. What is Worry? Worry is thinking about what may happen, or has...