First Responders

You can't blow air into a dream when you're choking on excuses.
Your desire to change must be greater than your desire to stay the same.
Mental clarity sets success in motion.
Do what others won’t, so you get what they don’t.

First responders are frequently placed in positions of significant mental and physical stress. Daily they respond to emergency situations that require them to see and help with traumatic events that the rest of society may never experience once in their lives. Their bodies and minds suffer as a result. They do not have the luxury, in the heat of the moment, to stop and think, what is the proper way to use my body, they just need to grind to get the job done no matter what.

First responders are trained to help others, and often have a challenging time allowing others to help them. Trust can be a challenging emotion to display as they experience many situations of broken trust in the communities they serve.

Just like the elite athlete that must take care of their greatest piece of athletic equipment, their body, first responders must also take care of their greatest tool, their body. If your body breaks down, you cannot perform the necessary functions of the duty at the level necessary to be a champion. Your mind may grind, but your body begins to fail. Strength, conditioning, and flexibility are all essential components to a healthy body. The healthier that you are, the more effectively and efficiently you can perform in your role serving your community.

There are many ergonomic strategies that can either increase or decrease stress to your body. Considerations should be made as to how to set up your seat in your vehicle, how to wear your vest, or work belt, the type of footwear you use and whether you have custom biomechanical orthotics. Sitting and driving positions are important. Bending and lifting techniques can play a key role in increasing or decreasing your risk of back injuries.

Research shows that the longer you are in your profession, the more likely you are to experience chronic low back pain, the severity of which increases with duration of service.