From Ryan's website https://www.ignitedff.com/
It was my dream to become a firefighter/paramedic and join the brotherhood of men and women that put their lives on the line to help others in need. I've lived and worked for 15 years as a professional firefighter and have learned a lot about what it takes to maintain physical and mental health while sustaining a healthy balance in my personal and professional life.
I currently live and serve in the suburbs outside Phoenix, Arizona. I am a husband and father of three. I'm an avid reader. I love to watch movies, play video games, and am very into fitness and nutrition.
Unfortunately, there is an increasing number of my brothers and sisters who are finding it more difficult to manage their stress. In 2017, firefighter and first-responder suicides surpassed line of duty deaths (LODDs) for the first time ever. This devastating news has revealed that we have a very real problem within the fire service community and it MUST not be ignored!
IGNITEd is a brotherhood of firefighters who challenge the status quo through self-improvement and accountability. Our working environments must be positively influenced and in order to improve them, we must first improve ourselves.
The IGNITEd Firefighter Podcast is a way to shed light on the issues facing us today as well as provide some strategies to help manage those challenges. We become stronger as we build each other, but we must first make sure that we are taking care of ourselves. Otherwise, we can't take care of those we are sworn to serve.
It's time to OWN IT when it comes to our physical and mental health as well as how we treat each other within our organizations!