Is firefighter stress really different? Captain Marc Wysocki weighs in

Is firefighter stress really different? Captain Marc Wysocki weighs in

From Better Every Shift by FireRescue1

March 5, 2026 · 33 min · Episode 299

About this episode

Captain Marc Wysocki discusses the importance of integrating mental health into operational readiness for firefighters.

Mental health shouldn’t be treated as a crisis — it should be part of our operational readiness. That’s the charge from Captain Marc Wysocki, who joins Zam for a discussion on the cultural changes needed to address mental health, the implications of assigning your job as your identity, and how to do a “personnel 360” to for your crew. Plus, Wysocki shares the personal experiences and research findings behind his article, “Behind the mask: Uncovering the root causes of mental health challenges in the fire service,” which won top honors in Darley’s annual essay contest. This episode of the Better Every Shift Podcast is sponsored by TheFireStore. Learn more about getting the gear you need at prices you can afford by visiting TheFireStore. Email bettereveryshift@firerescue1.com to share your feedback.

People in this episode

Host: Zam

Guest: Captain Marc Wysocki

Topics covered

  • firefighter mental health
  • operational readiness
  • cultural changes
  • job identity
  • personnel 360
  • research findings

Keywords

  • firefighter stress
  • mental health
  • operational readiness
  • cultural changes
  • personnel 360
  • fire service

Sponsors

TheFireStore

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Darley

Books & works: Behind the mask: Uncovering the root causes of mental health challenges in the fire service

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