Beneath The Helmet Show - Firefighter Wellness & Mental Health (mind-body-spirit)
Welcome to Beneath the Helmet, a podcast about firefighter well-being and everything beneath the helmet. Join our host, retired Fire Chief Arjuna George, as he interviews firefighters, leaders, and experts on the topics of mental health, physical health, and spiritual health, always with a lens of leadership and self-development. Our goal is to take a holistic approach to understand what it takes for firefighters not just to survive, but to thrive in their careers.
Episodes
Firefighter Recovery: The Truth About CBD and First Responder Wellness. What happens when a firefighter takes recovery into their own hands?
The discussion covers the science behind CBD, its impact on sleep, inflammation, and anxiety, and the challenges of drug testing in the fire service. Tune in to learn how CBD can be a game-changer for firefighters and the importance of being proactive about cannabis policies in fire departments...
What if everything you’ve been told about trauma is missing the most critical piece, the body?
In this episode of Beneath the Helmet, retired Fire Chief and Executive Coach Arjuna George sits down with Doug Allen, a combat veteran turned trauma therapist, to explore why trauma isn’t a thinking problem—it’s a nervous system problem.
Doug’s story is raw, powerful, and eye-opening. From the battlefields of Afghanistan to the therapy roo...
Leadership doesn’t start with a badge; it starts with self-awareness. In this powerful episode of Beneath the Helmet, retired Fire Chief and coach Arjuna George sits down with Marc Hill—a teacher turned firefighter, chief, author, and coach—to explore what real leadership looks like inside the fire station walls.
From the classroom to command, Marc shares hard-won lessons on patience, politics, and personal growth. His honesty about...
Building Resilient First Responders: Dr. Stephanie Conn on Peer Support, Hope, and Mental HealthFirst responders face unique challenges that test their minds, bodies, and relationships every single day. In this powerful episode of Beneath the Helmet, retired Fire Chief and coach Arjuna George sits down with Dr. Stephanie Conn, a licensed psychologist, former police officer, and author of Increasing Resilience in Police and Emergenc...
Unseen Battles: Firefighter Tommy Bolin on Trauma, Recovery & Resilience. Join host Arjuna George as he sits down with firefighter and author Tommy Bolin in this powerful episode of 'Beneath the Helmet.' Tommy shares his 30-year journey in the fire service, his struggles with mental health, and how he overcame them. From his suicide attempt to finding hope and writing his book 'Unseen Battles,' Tommy offers inva...
In this powerful episode of Beneath the Helmet, retired Fire Chief and coach Arjuna George sits down with Vance Row of Yoga Rescue, a former police officer who turned his life around through yoga, sobriety, and a deep commitment to wellness.
Vance opens up about his journey from law enforcement into teaching yoga, the struggles with alcohol and mental health that nearly ended his career, and how discovering yoga became the lifeline ...
From the Ashes: Justin Champion on Trauma, Recovery, and Mental Health in the Fire Service
Overcoming PTSD: A Firefighter's Journey - Beneath the Helmet Season 3
What happens when a firefighter who’s always been the one saving others finds himself in need of rescue? In this compelling episode of Beneath the Helmet, retired Fire Chief Arjuna George speaks with Justin Champion—a veteran, firefighter, and founder of From the Ashes—w...
Harnessing AI: Revolutionizing Firefighter Wellness and Training. Wellness & Burnout Prevention with guest Justin Brunner.
In this episode of Beneath the Helmet, retired Fire Chief Arjuna George sits down with firefighter, professor, and tech innovator Justin Brunner to explore how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the fire service.
Discover how AI tools are helping fire departments reduce firefighter burnout, stre...
From Great to Magnus: Dr. Terry Anderson on Unlocking Competency-Based Leadership for First Responders
What does it take to move from being a good leader to becoming a truly Magnus leader, one who inspires lasting change?
In this powerful episode of Beneath the Helmet, retired criminologist, author, and leadership coach Dr. Terry Anderson shares over five decades of experience in competency-based leadership for firefighters, police, ...
What happens when the Officer of the Year becomes the one in crisis?
In this powerful episode of Beneath the Helmet, Arjuna George sits down with AK Dozanti, a former deputy sheriff turned burnout recovery coach and author of Beat the Burnout. AK opens up about her personal spiral into depression, Operational Stress Injury, adrenal fatigue, and how the pressure to perform led to a complete system collapse.
They explore why burnout is...
When firefighter Ricky Nuttall walked into the Grenfell Tower blaze, he had no idea itwould mark the beginning of a new life one forged through trauma, guilt,poetry, and purpose.
In this unforgettable episode of Beneath the Helmet, Ricky shares his raw and deeply personal account ofresponding to one of the UK’s most catastrophic fires. But what unfolds is morethan a fireground stor, it’s a journey into the aftermath: operationalstr...
Fire to Light: Transforming Challenges into Opportunities. From Brampton to Costa Rica: A Firefighter’s Journey to Healing and Purpose | Beneath the Helmet with Brandon Evans and Host Arjuna George What happens when a firefighter walks away from the job “too early”? In this raw and revealing episode of Beneath the Helmet, Retired Fire Chief Arjuna George sits down with Brandon Evans, former firefighter turned wellness entrepreneur ...
What Is Character-Based Leadership? A New Era for the Fire Service. The Future of Fire Service Leadership Starts Here - Character-Based Leadership Roundtable. In this powerhouse episode of Beneath the Helmet, retired Fire Chief and fire services coach Arjuna George brings together an all-star panel to ignite a new conversation in the fire service, Character-Based Leadership.Featuring thought leaders and fire service veterans:James ...
Mental Visualization and High Performance: Psychological Tools for First Responders. In this powerful episode of Beneath the Helmet, retired Fire Chief and resilience coach Arjuna George sits down with licensed psychologist Dr. Brendan Guarino, Director of Guardians for Guardians at Baker Street Behavioral Health. Together, they explore the cutting-edge mental performance tools used by athletes, military professionals, and now firs...
A Lifelong Journey Through Fire and Leadership with Rick Davis. Leading with Integrity: Fireground Wisdom and Life Lessons.What’s missing in today’s fire service leadership? Battalion Chief Rick Davis has a powerful answer — and it’s not another checklist or tactics course. It’s about integrity, moral courage, and the real work of building high-trust crews from the ground up.In this inspiring episode of Beneath the Helmet, Retired ...
Vulnerability Is a Leadership Superpower: Lessons from Deputy Chief Scott Booth
What if the strongest thing a fire service leader could do... was be vulnerable?
In this rich and powerful episode of Beneath the Helmet, retired Fire Chief Arjuna George sits down with Deputy Chief Scott Booth to explore the misunderstood strength of vulnerability in fire service leadership. With over three decades of experience, Booth shares his per...
Meet the Connector and Curator: Alec Wons: Public Safety Perspectives and Stories. Welcome to Season 3 of Beneath the Helmet! In this episode, Retired Fire Chief Arjuna George is joined by Alec Wons, the podcast host of the Chief Exchange, a four-time author, and a fire service advocate. Alec shares insights from his career, including his work with Ready Rebound—a program to treat injured first responders like professional athletes...
Firefighters' Health & Wellness: Nutrition Tips with Megan Lautz - Applesauce to Protein Bars: A Guide For First Responder Nutrition on Beneath the Helmet S3Ep77Welcome back to Season 3 of 'Beneath the Helmet'! In this episode, host Retired Fire Chief Arjuna George dives into the essential topic of firefighter health and wellness with Megan Lautz, the owner of Rescue RD and a renowned dietitian for Fairfax County Fi...
The Tactical Athlete: Achieving Health and Wellness as a Firefighter
In this episode of Beneath the Helmet, host Retired Fire Chief Arjuna George welcomes Battalion Chief Ryan Provencher of Bellingham Fire Rescue and founder of Firefighter Peak Performance. They delve into the crucial aspects of firefighter fitness and wellness, discussing the concept of firefighters as tactical athletes. Ryan shares his journey into firefighting, i...
Unlocking Resilience: TRE for First Responders with Rob Cefoli(Ep 75) In this powerful episode, retired FDNY Captain Rob Cefoli shares his transformative journey with Tension and Trauma Release Exercises (TRE). Rob discusses how TRE helped him overcome physical pain, emotional trauma, and career stress, leading to improved well-being and a new purpose post-retirement. He explains the science behind TRE, its benefits for first respo...
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