The Fireground Fitness Podcast, Rayne Gray

Many years ago, I met Kevin Roche as we moved through the halls of the PFD. As a new guy in the department, I had no idea who I was talking to and left feeling welcome and encouraged to be a member of this fine organization. Sometime later I came to know that he was the right-hand man to Fire Chief Alan Brunacini, which makes sense as he is studious, funny, smart and deeply committed the fire service. His contributions to the fire service are vast and his understanding of our contemporary challenges are well informed. In episode106 we talk about his journey into the service as a volunteer, his education at OSU, his landing in the Phoenix Fire department and so much more, please enjoy! A little more about today’s guest… Kevin M. Roche is a FACETS Consulting partner. He retired in 2014 as assistant to the fire chief for the Phoenix, AZ, Fire Department after a 24-year career. Kevin has well over 30 years of fire service management and consulting experience. During his career in Phoenix, Kevin managed the fire department’s planning, fire prevention, and logistics operations. Kevin earned a B.S. degree in Fire Protection and Safety Engineering Technology from Oklahoma State University and a Master’s degree in Political Science with a Certificate in Public Administration from the University of Florida. __________________________ You can find the Fireground Fitness podcast wherever great podcasts are located. So, search it out and subscribe. Your feedback is powerful, and greatly appreciated. Go to apple podcasts, subscribe, rate and review the podcast or shoot me an email!If you would like to contact today’s guest... Email: kevin.roche@facetsllp.com Your host can be reached at: IG: @firegroundfitness FB: @fireground fitness Twitter: @firegroundfitEmail: raynegray@firegroundfitness.com

Many years ago, Noah Katz, our guest on Ep 104 rolled into fire station 39 where he and I discussed the virtues of playing hockey and fighting fire. Since that time, I have fanboyed over Noah’s career as a professional hockey player, amazed by the grit and perseverance an accomplishment like that requires. This attitude has parleyed into a fantastic fire service career and, no surprise, an intense focus on training and professionalism. In Ep 104 we talk about Noah’s hockey career, his journey onto the Phoenix Fire department, leadership, training and more. Please enjoy! A little more about today’s guest… Noah Katz currently serves as a Captain / Paramedic on Engine 15 in the City of Phoenix. Noah is extremely passionate about training and the fire service and has traveled the country learning and educating himself. Noah served on the Local 493 firefighters union executive board for 9 years and during this time held many roles including the Director of Training. During this time Noah was able to design and implement training for over 1700 firefighters in Hose Line Management and Water Application as well as Forcible Entry and most recently Search and Rescue training. Noah was able to implement this training to recruit firefighters as an instructor at the Phoenix Regional Training Academy. In addition to being an Instructor at the Arizona State Fire School. Noah was also the chair of the Phoenix Firefighter’s Symposium in 2023 and has served as an adjunct faculty member for the Paradise Valley Community College Firefighter 1 and 2 program. Noah is an IAFF certified PEER Fitness trainer and in 2021 completed the Georgia Smoke Diver Program where he graduated from class 59 as Smoke Diver 1100 and Arizona Smoke Diver number 1. Noah has been an instructor at both National and International conferences where he passionately enjoys teaching, most recently at The Castillo Way in Houston, Texas and the 1st Congresso International in Cabo, Mexico. Before becoming a firefighter Noah spent 5 years playing hockey professionally across the United States and in Germany. Most notably, Noah prioritizes family first and is a father to his beautiful daughter. __________________________ You can find the Fireground Fitness podcast wherever great podcasts are located. So, search it out and subscribe. Your feedback is powerful, and greatly appreciated. Go to apple podcasts, subscribe, rate and review the podcast or shoot me an email!If you would like to contact today’s guest... Email: info@priorityfiretraining.com IG: Priorityfiretraining Phone: (480) 263-1032 Your host can be reached at: IG: @firegroundfitness FB: @fireground fitness Twitter: @firegroundfitEmail: raynegray@firegroundfitness.com

Chief Tom Jenkins came to the valley to discuss the roll out of the NERIS project – the National Emergency Response Information System. This is a fire service data reporting tool that will increase the efficiency and utility of the reporting system for the American fire service (see Chief, I was paying a little bit of attention!) Which is interesting, however, a chat with Chief Jenkins is way more than data collection, he assumed the role of Fire Chief for the Rogers Arkansas Fire Department at the ripe old age of 27 and held that top spot for the last 15 years. In episode 103 we talked about “making the community safer” and how we as firefighter’s accomplish that, the difficult lessons learned along the way as well as the importance of mentorship, training, and leadership. It was a great conversation with a very down to earth Fire Chief, I hope you enjoy the conversation! A little more about today’s guest… Tom Jenkins serves as a Senior Advisor / Research Manager for UL Fire Safety Research Institute on the NERIS project. Prior to joining FSRI, he was the Fire Chief for the City of Rogers (AR). In that capacity he led over 160 career firefighters and successfully attained accreditation from the Center for Public Safety Excellence and Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services. Chief Jenkins was asked to serve by Governors Beebe and Hutchison to serve on several state commissions and groups, including the Trauma Advisory Council, Firefighter Cancer Benefit Review Panel and the Safe Schools Commission. He has served as a professor for Drury University, Northwest Arkansas Community College, Tulsa Community College, and Oklahoma State University. In 2015, Chief Jenkins was elected to serve on the Board of Directors for the International Association of Fire Chiefs as the Second Vice President. In 2017 and 2018, he served as President and Chairman of the Board for the IAFC. In addition to public service, Tom is regular presenter at nearly all fire and emergency medical conferences. Chief Jenkins completed his master’s in public administration from the University of Oklahoma and obtained his bachelor’s degree in Fire Protection and Safety Engineering from Oklahoma State University. He has completed the Executive Fire Officer Program at the National Fire Academy and is a designated Chief Fire Officer and Chief Emergency Medical Services Officer from the Commission on Public Credentialing. He currently serves on multiple boards and committees, including the: NFPA Standard on Organization and Deployment of Career Fire Departments Standard 1710, International Fire Service Training Association Board of Directors, PulsePoint Advisory Board, and National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Advisory Board. His service also includes appointments to the Homeland Security Advisory Council, where he served from 2020-2021 and the FEMA National Advisory Council where he has served since 2023. __________________________ You can find the Fireground Fitness podcast wherever great podcasts are located. So, search it out and subscribe. Your feedback is powerful, and greatly appreciated. Go to apple podcasts, subscribe, rate and review the podcast or shoot me an email!If you would like to contact today’s guest... Email: thomas.jenkins@ul.org Web: fsri.org in: Tom Jenkins Your host can be reached at: IG: @firegroundfitness FB: @fireground fitness Twitter: @firegroundfitEmail: raynegray@firegroundfitness.com

When Kris Kazian and I sat down to record episode 101 he offered to prepare me an egg and cheese omelet with a side of bacon before we got started. Now, I am not one to pass up a meal and it would be rude to decline this kind gesture, right? So, I accepted his offer, sitting down to a delicious omelet but also an introduction to the true nature of service that epitomizes Kazian’s character. Before we finished our meal, we were neck deep in a thoughtful conversation about leadership and organizational dynamics. When we finally hit record after an hour of chatting the thoughtful and well considered lessons continued to unfold. In episode 101 we discussed leadership, team building, training, becoming a Fire Chief, learning to play politics and so much more! This is a great episode, enjoy! A little more about our guest, from our guest… Starting in 1990 as a paid on call firefighter in the northern suburbs of Chicago, starting career service as a firemedic in 1991 working my way through the ranks and retiring as deputy chief of operations in 2012 served as a great foundation for the next 10+ years serving as fire chief in Northern AZ and then Northern CO. Bringing things full circle, currently serving as the Operations Chief in Evergreen CO and loving it, taking me back to my roots of firefighting and community in our primarily volunteer agency. Proud husband and father to 5 who after 34 years in the fire service still is unable to find the right life-work balance but l keep trying! I have a Masters Degree in Organizational Leadership from Dominican University and a Bachelor's Degree in Fire Science management from Southern IL University, was a pretty decent paramedic for 25 years, and always enjoy the chance to talk leadership, trying to help others navigate their leadership journey whenever I can. I have been very fortunate to have many spectacular leaders in my career and have learned that meaningful and effective relationships are the most important thing in developing a person. Live every day to its fullest, never miss a chance to make a difference and love the job and the people you work with like your life depends on it! __________________________ You can find the Fireground Fitness podcast wherever great podcasts are located. So, search it out and subscribe. Your feedback is powerful, and greatly appreciated. Go to apple podcasts, subscribe, rate and review the podcast or shoot me an email!If you would like to contact today’s guest... Email: KrisKazian@Gmail.com IG: Kris Kazian FB: Kris Kazian in: Kristian Kazian Your host can be reached at: IG: @firegroundfitness FB: @fireground fitness Twitter: @firegroundfitEmail: raynegray@firegroundfitness.com

When you walk into a room and see Heather Marques for the first time one is immediately struck by the energy radiating off this talented fire service leader. She exudes a selfless confidence which is truly warranted and immediately qualified when she speaks. As you will hear in episode 99 Marques has a great knowledge, passion and commitment concerning the business of firefighting and is working hard to help the next generation of Firefighters. Marques’ began traveling the world right out of high school, taught herself Spanish, wrote a history book for her agency, has a family and completed her Master’s Degree in the Navel Post Graduate School. We discuss all this and so much more. Please enjoy! A little more about our guest…. Chief Heather Marques, M.A. is a Division Chief of Medical Services for an all-risk fire department in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area. Her agency’s district covers over 500 square miles and runs about 48,000 calls for service a year, providing fire suppression, ALS emergency medical services, fire prevention, and public education. She oversees all medical operations, training and certification, special events and the tactical medicine teams. Heather is trained as a Nationally Registered Paramedic, a hazmat specialist, a confined space rescue technician, water rescue specialist, and teaches at the fire academy. She also teaches paramedic level courses and is a certified instructor and lead skills evaluator and Certified Chief Officer with the California State Fire Marshal. Heather holds an associate degree in photography, an associate degree in paramedicine, and a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the University of California at Berkeley. Heather is a graduate of and Class Speaker for the Los Angeles Fire Department Leadership Academy. She holds a Master’s Degree in Security Studies from the Center for Department of Homeland Security at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. Her thesis is titled Working Fire: Recruitment and Retention of Women Firefighters. She is the author of a history book, Alameda County Fire Department, (Arcadia Press, 2015) and published in the Harvard Public Health Review: Establishment of Human Trafficking Reporting Protocols, Mandatory Specialized Training, and the Development of a Human Trafficking Liaison Officer (HTL0.) She has developed a statewide training module to address human trafficking education for the California fire service. Heather is committed to First Responder Health and Wellness and cancer prevention. She is Vice-President of the Alameda County Fire Chiefs EMS Section, Treasurer of the Nor-Cal Cal Chiefs EMS Section, and a member of the IAFC (International Association of Fire Chiefs) and WFS (Women in the Fire Service.) She serves as Chair of the California State Fire Association (CSFA) Strategic Planning Committee. Heather speaks regularly including presentations at the National Fire Academy as well as Fresno Training Symposium, CSFA’s CTEX, Fire Shows West, the AZ Command Symposium, and the HIDTA Narcotics Task Force. _____________________________________________________________ You can find the Fireground Fitness podcast wherever great podcasts are located. So, search it out and subscribe. Your feedback is powerful, and greatly appreciated. Go to apple podcasts, subscribe, rate and review the podcast or shoot me an email!If you would like to contact today’s guest... IG: yosoylavikinga FB: Heather marques LinkedIn: Heather Marques Your host can be reached at: IG: @firegroundfitness FB: @fireground fitness Twitter: @firegroundfitEmail: raynegray@firegroundfitness.com

Years of fast paced adventures, motor, road and mountain bike racing, rock climbing, and the everyday stress of climbing in and out of fire trucks and running calls takes a toll. Sometimes this is an obvious injury, a crashed bike leading to a broken ankle, a fused spine, or any number of orthopedic maladies that trouble Firefighters. Just as often, though, we can sustain injuries that go unseen, the result of managing innumerable emergencies and carrying unresolved grief, leaving trauma and scars that are hidden from the naked eye. These insidious injuries can be as devastating, or worse, to one’s health and career. Rick Bucher, has been down this road and on Ep.97 we discuss his experience with all of the seen and unseen trauma as well as his mental illness and the suicide attempt that got him on the road to recovery. Rick’s story is hard to hear, but it is important that we listen and work to recognize the signs of mental health issues. If we say “I got your back!” It has to mean that I know what I am looking for and I am not afraid to advocate for your life. Take a listen. A little more about our guest… __________________________ Rick Bucher had a normal enough childhood, but his life has been extraordinary since. An adventure sports athlete, racer, and instructor, Rick served as a firefighter/paramedic in Scottsdale, Arizona for 27 years. After narrowly surviving a rock-climbing accident, motorcycle wreck and a suicide attempt, he went on to receive treatment for PTSD and is now working to increase awareness of mental health issues in the public safety arena. He also went on to find his biological family after decades of unanswered questions about who he was and where he came from. Eliminating the stigma of stepping forward for help and providing support for those who do is his new passion and he tours the country following opportunities to share his story, speaking to groups and spreading a message of hope, resilience and unity in the face of trauma. His story is a remarkable tale of redemption and a reminder of the power of the human spirit. __________________________ You can find the Fireground Fitness podcast wherever great podcasts are located. So, search it out and subscribe. Your feedback is powerful, and greatly appreciated. Go to apple podcasts, subscribe, rate and review the podcast or shoot me an email!If you would like to contact today’s guest... IG: rickbucher603 FB: Rick Bucher To schedule Rick to speak in your organization reach out to: rickbucher603@gmail.com Pick up his book: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/flame-and-fortune-rick-bucher/1143034715?ean=9798215894200 Your host can be reached at: IG: @firegroundfitness FB: @fireground fitness Twitter: @firegroundfitEmail: raynegray@firegroundfitness.com

When you grow up playing ice hockey on the east coast the city of Tucson might as well be on another planet. However, life has a way of surprising us and in episode 95 Fire Chief Chuck Ryan shares how, after a full career in Virginia, collegiate hockey and serving as a lawyer he landed in Tucson Arizona. We discuss these things as well as the state of the fire service, leadership and so much more. Please enjoy! __________________________ A little more about our guest… Chief Chuck Ryan was appointed as Tucson’s 28th Fire Chief on September 30, 2019. He previously served for more than 25 years with the Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department in northern Virginia where he spent the majority of his career in Operations, including a 3-year leadership role as the Deputy Chief of the Special Operations Division. Chuck also served for over a decade as a Task Force Leader and Plans Manager with Fairfax County’s urban search & rescue team, Virginia Task Force 1/USA-1, engaged in domestic and international disaster response and international resilience & capacity-building. Chuck served in every promoted rank in Fairfax County Fire & Rescue, he was ultimately appointed as an Assistant Fire Chief in Fairfax County in 2016, and he served in that role until accepting the Fire Chief’s position in Tucson. Chief Ryan holds a Bachelor of Arts degree (cum laude) from Siena College in Loudonville, NY, and a Juris Doctorate from Pepperdine University School of Law. He is certified as an Executive Fire Officer (EFO) by the National Fire Academy, he is credentialed as a Chief Fire Officer (CFO) through the Commission of Public Safety Excellence, and he is a member of the Institution of Fire Engineers. He is also a graduate of the Naval Postgraduate School’s Center for Homeland Defense and Security - Executive Leadership Program. __________________________ You can find the Fireground Fitness podcast wherever great podcasts are located. So, search it out and subscribe. Your feedback is powerful, and greatly appreciated. Go to apple podcasts, subscribe, rate and review the podcast or shoot me an email! Our guest can be reached at IG: @chiefchuckryan LinkedIn: Chuck Ryan Your host can be reached at: IG: @firegroundfitness FB: @fireground fitness Twitter: @firegroundfitEmail: raynegray@firegroundfitness.com

Running from her childhood trauma by diving from planes, Paige Arnone, is a fascinating person. Her journey led her to the yoga mat where she found physical wellness and a path to mental health as well. In episode 93 we discuss all these things and so much more, enjoy! A little more about today’s guest: Paige Arnone Founder, Firstgevity AZPOST CERTIFIED & E-RYT 500 With years of experience working directly with first responders, Paige Arnone, founder of Firstgevity, knows firsthand the unique challenges these brave individuals face and the toll it can take on their mental and physical health. Her journey with yoga began when she struggled with debilitating anxiety and panic attacks from childhood traumas. Yoga taught her how to take back control of her life, and it has since become her mission to give back to those who have always protected her. Paige's ultimate goal is to support the development of a new generation of first responders who are physically healthy and mentally strong, able to easily handle challenging conditions. Paige's passion and dedication to helping first responders thrive and creating a stronger and more resilient community for all are at the heart of Firstgevity's mission. __________________________ You can find the Fireground Fitness podcast wherever great podcasts are located. So, search it out and subscribe. Your feedback is powerful, and greatly appreciated. Go to apple podcasts, subscribe, rate and review the podcast or shoot me an email!If you would like to contact today’s guest... Firstgevity.com Email: paige@firstgevity.com IG: Firstgevity Facebook: Firstgevity Your host can be reached at: IG: @firegroundfitness FB: @fireground fitness Twitter: @firegroundfitEmail: raynegray@firegroundfitness.com