Tailboard Talks Firefighter Podcast - podcast cover

Tailboard Talks Firefighter Podcast

Chris Marellawww.4thshiftfitness.com

Wellness, lifestyle, mental health, leadership, conversations, and interviews with experts. Made by firefighters and paramedics for the fire service and those who support it. Some of the best and worst conversations happen at the tailboard so grab some coffee and come chat.

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Episodes

Joe Galli is back! DVP run part 1.

Send us a text Joe Galli is back and the first 25 minutes of this episode is exactly what Tailboard Talks is all about. Stories. But, then we get into the real reason he stopped by (besides the workout) Joe Galli is running for Illinois AFFI District 4 Vice President. If you don't know what that means, don't worry neither did I. So, I chose to sound like an idiot in front of the expert so you wouldn't have to. We're just scratching the surface in this episode and next week part 2 will get into s...

Nov 30, 202242 minSeason 1Ep. 94

Kate Fosters first fire, and being a female firefigher.

Send us a text Kate Foster is a mother, wife, and career firefighter. It was also a fortunate turn of events that I was with her on her first fire earlier this year. In this episode we recap the story but also dive into some topics on parenting, sharing information with our kids, and her experience and growth as a female firefighter. It was a really fun talk and Kate will absolutely be a repeat guest. Support the show Affiliate links: Rescue1CBD Use code TAILBOARD for 15% off Frontline Optics us...

Nov 23, 202242 minSeason 1Ep. 93

Rescue 1 CBD is Changing The Game

Send us a text The thought of CBD brings up a lot of opinions, feelings, and criticisms. To Jon Vought, the owner of Rescue 1 CBD, they are all warranted and valid, but he has information, science, and patience on his side. Jon has been a career firefighter for the past 14 years and after a significant surgery, he had an all too common experience and relationship with opioid painkillers. From that experience, he found CBD; the rest is history in the making. In this episode, we hit CBD from a bun...

Nov 16, 202256 minSeason 1Ep. 92

The Circle of Trust

Send us a text "I thought we were in the trust tree, in the nest?" Did you know that the Circle of Trust is from Meet the Parents and the Trust Tree is from Old School? I found that when I had to google the video clips to make this description. So here we are, in the circle, in the tree, near a nest. But you gotta have that handful of people who you can turn to for help solving problems, bounce issues off of, and keep you in the right state of mind. Curt is a major one of those for me and a perf...

Nov 09, 202221 minSeason 1Ep. 91

Halloween Spooktacular With Curt

Send us a text In this episode, we're celebrating Halloween with a very serious conversation about candy, sick time use, an update on the Uncomfortable Conversations episode, the firefighter cycle of misery, and a visit from my dogs from beyond the grave. Spooky stuff. Curt joins me in the newly renovated garage gym/recording studio and we cover a lot of ground in 40 mins. For the record, we completed this episode before going out for trick or treating. I have several more candy additions to the...

Nov 02, 202239 minSeason 1Ep. 90

Rising Above My PTSD, Matt Spaid First Appearance Reissue

Send us a text In this episode, we are returning to Matt's first appearance on the show. At this time I had reached out through social media and asked for someone who had used exercise as part of their treatment for PTSD. I got nearly two hours, two episodes, a new family of friends, and one incredible story. Matt's story of developing PTSD from being a combat Marine as well as several incidents as a firefighter is one that is highly personal to him, but can feel very familiar to the rest of us....

Oct 26, 202258 minSeason 1Ep. 89

Matt Spaid is back and he's taking over

Send us a text In this episode, one of the original guests on the podcast is back. Matt Spaid was an early guest of the show and told his story of developing, enduring, treating, and living with PTSD in two of the most popular and incredible episodes in the show's history. He is back and taking over. Annette Zapp and I have turned over the reigns of Devote December to Matt and he graciously and enthusiastically accepted them. He is motivated, has a plan, and Devote December is something we could...

Oct 19, 202246 minSeason 1Ep. 88

We're Trying Our Best. Conversations With Katie.

Send us a text In this episode, I'm sitting down with my wife, Katie. She is a mother of two maniacs and big fan of the show. Well, mostly Kat Pope. But we're covering some ground in this one. We talk about compassion fatigue, babysitting, several of my other failed jobs as a teenager, PTSD, and how she has found that cutting me completely out of her life is the best way to make it operate smoothly. I'd like to say that's an exaggeration but I guess you'll have to listen to the episode to find o...

Oct 12, 202232 minSeason 1Ep. 87

Combating Bad Fitness Advice For Firefighters

Send us a text In this episode, Curt and I sit down at his house to talk about some bad advice firefighters have gotten, while his dog throws sledgehammers in the background. From lousy advice on stretching, icing injuries, workout frequency and structure, The Rock, Keto, and much more. We covered some ground in this one and hope at least some of it strikes a chord with you. If you like what you hear, please like and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you're listening. If you REALLY like it, please...

Oct 05, 202238 minSeason 1Ep. 86

Promotional Testing Season w/ Patrick Rasmussen

Send us a text This episode looks at how Patrick and I prepared for the promotional process. Before that, we talked about his chickens, my brother's dinosaur, and some winter accommodations that would be required. Patrick and I were study buddies and some of the top scorers on the assessment center and written exam for the list we were promoted from. If you're thinking of testing, have a listen and see how we approached it. If you've tested and know the process, have fun commiserating with us. P...

Sep 28, 202239 minSeason 1Ep. 85

Joe Galli is making a difference for Illinois Firefighters

Send us a text Joe Galli is a 20 year veteran of the fire service with 16 of those years on the executive board and is rounding out his 6th year as Local 439 President. Joe is making some serious moves in Illinois with the AFFI. He has recently proposed, developed, and is acting as the chairperson for the AFFI Resiliency Committee. Joe brings an absolute wealth of knowledge on the labor front as well as several lifetimes of lived experience as a Marine, firefighter, husband, father, and friend. ...

Sep 21, 202238 minSeason 1Ep. 84

Molly Jones is here for firefighters

Send us a text Molly Jones is a licensed social worker and behavioral health professional who works for Advanced Recovery Systems. ARS is the partner company with the IAFF Center of Excellence. So, long story short, Molly knows what firefighters are all about, and how to help. She is presenting, Behavioral Health Awareness for Spouses and Relationship Reiliencey, at my department soon and I wanted to get her on to give some background on herself and what she teaches. Please put her on your short...

Sep 14, 202250 minSeason 1Ep. 83

Tailboard Talks Firefighter Podcast Premiere

Send us a text In this episode, I'm laying the tracks for the show's new format. What started as a fitness-focused podcast (fitcast) has grown into a firefighter lifestyle forum. Of course, the roots of the show will always be fitness and wellness. But our profession isn't limited to that topic, so why should the conversations be? Join me for this personal episode and get excited for some upcoming ones. Tips for promotional candidates, sitting down with our union boss who is doing BIG things on ...

Sep 07, 202221 minSeason 1Ep. 82

Dr. Creatine AKA Dr Scott Forbes

Send us a text This week, we're taking the camper out. So it felt like a fantastic time to bring back on of the best, and most listened to, episodes. Scott Forbes is affectionately known as Dr Creatine and when you listen to the episode, you'll know why. Creatine and firefighters go together like peanut butter and jelly. Find out why and how you can start taking it in the episode. Thank you for listening and please share it with someone you think it may help. Support the show Affiliate links: Re...

Aug 31, 202239 minSeason 1Ep. 81

Listener Questions w/ Curt

Send us a text Curt and I are sitting on the deck, drinking coffee, and running through your topics. We're talking about strength vs cardio, search and rescue K9's, playing dictator with policies, training rookies, and more. And I finally give Curt a gift that I've been saving for a month now, and it's gross, and he loves it. Support the show Affiliate links: Rescue1CBD Use code TAILBOARD for 15% off Frontline Optics use code TAILBOARD for 15% off Fourth Frontier.com Use code FFTailboard for 25%...

Aug 24, 202243 minSeason 1Ep. 80

Have you been influenced?

Send us a text What started out as a conversation about fitness influencers, turned into a discussion on grout scrubbers and coffee chillers. Katie's here, and we're talking. Head to 4thshiftfitness.com and hit the Buy Me A Coffee button and show some love. Support the show Affiliate links: Rescue1CBD Use code TAILBOARD for 15% off Frontline Optics use code TAILBOARD for 15% off Fourth Frontier.com Use code FFTailboard for 25% discount on the X2 strap Athletic Brewing- Code TTFP10 Submit topics/...

Aug 17, 202236 minSeason 1Ep. 79

Austin Womack has heard your dad jokes.

Send us a text Austin Womack is an Excercise Physiologist from the Austin Fire Department. He is also a former athlete, wildland firefighter, and full of stories. What he and his team are able to do in Austin is something to be envious of, and to keep a lookout for an open position. Check it out and let us know what you think. As always, go to the 4thShiftFitness.com website and support the show by donating some coffee money. Support the show Affiliate links: Rescue1CBD Use code TAILBOARD for 15...

Aug 10, 20221 hr 3 minSeason 1Ep. 78

Listener Questions Lightening Round w/ Curt

Send us a text We're hitting four questions that came from you! 1. When and how do you use stretching during a workout? 2. What are the worst firefighter nutrition fads that we've seen? 3. How do you appeal or convince firefighters to be healthy? 4. BONUS- reaction to a comment that was sent to me after the Sunk Cost Fallacy episode. Strong opinions ahead. Check it out and let us know what you think. If you like it, head to 4thShiftFitness.com and send some coffee money! Support the show Affilia...

Aug 03, 202236 minSeason 1Ep. 77

Kat Pope, @Forensics_Found, is the last responder you need to know.

Send us a text Katharine Pope (Kat) is a last responder. Kat’s experience includes working as a Crime Scene Specialist for the police, a WWII casualty analyst for the Department of Defense, and a Forensic Anthropologist and Death Investigator at DMORT and multiple mid-Atlantic medical examiners’ offices. She now works for a federal agency on the missing and unidentified persons crisis and has volunteered with Operation Identification. She has been happily alcohol free since February 2021! Kat li...

Jul 27, 202248 minSeason 1Ep. 76

An unadvertised pillar of the fire service: The Sunk Cost Fallacy.

Send us a text Have you ever started a show and halfway through you know that it's not for you and you have no interest in it, but you've already watched half so you can't just turn it off and might as well finish it? Well, that is the living example of the Sunk Cost Fallacy. It is one of the fire service's unadvertised pillars, and today we're talking about it. Also, it's time for a new SD card. You might notice some chunks of the audio are missing. Trust me, I hate it far more than you do, and...

Jul 20, 202226 minSeason 1Ep. 75

I was a jerk on a camping trip, now Katie gets to talk about it.

Send us a text But we did adjust some things because of it, so that's good...right? Basically, I didn't make the transition from work to home, a very smooth one and the tension continued. Lack of sleep, inability to manage expectations, and the feeling of being totally cut off from working on some projects I was into—a recipe for a long couple of days in a 21-foot camper. Check out the episode and send it to a jerk. Go to 4thShiftFitness.com and buy Katie a coffee. She deserves it. Support the s...

Jul 13, 202228 minSeason 1Ep. 74

Gym Etiquette

Send us a text AKA, listen to Chris and Curt bitch about stuff for 20 mins. To its credit, the community at LGN was above average in this arena. But, people will be people and fingernails will be found on the turf. Check it out and add your peeves. Go to 4thShiftFitness.com and hit the Buy Me A Coffee button to support the show. Support the show Affiliate links: Rescue1CBD Use code TAILBOARD for 15% off Frontline Optics use code TAILBOARD for 15% off Fourth Frontier.com Use code FFTailboard for ...

Jul 06, 202224 minSeason 1Ep. 73

Couch+Wine+Katie

Send us a text We're sitting down for a quick chat and talking about Nathan's future career path, a little history, and some upcoming topics with Katie. Support the show Affiliate links: Rescue1CBD Use code TAILBOARD for 15% off Frontline Optics use code TAILBOARD for 15% off Fourth Frontier.com Use code FFTailboard for 25% discount on the X2 strap Athletic Brewing- Code TTFP10 Submit topics/request guests Thank you for listening and let's all keep working to be more capable and durable both on ...

Jun 29, 202221 minSeason 1Ep. 72

Returning to Work After Injury

Send us a text The road back from a significant, or even minor injury can be a long and twisty one. There are a handful of hidden pitfalls that you should know about and that's what we talk about in this episode. We hit on the physical side as well as the mentality of returning after significant injury and share some lessons we've learned while training our peers. If you like what you're hearing please head to 4thShiftFitness.com and hit the Buy Me A Coffee button. Support the show Affiliate lin...

Jun 22, 202227 minSeason 1Ep. 71

Fitness After Fatherhood

Send us a text The IG bio for the 4th Shift Fitness page is "A realistic view of Fire and EMS fitness and wellness" Talking about how kids can derail your fitness groove is about as real as it can be. Three years in and I'm just figuring out how to let myself workout when the kids are awake and not feel guilty about it. It's complicated, but what's you take? Support the show Affiliate links: Rescue1CBD Use code TAILBOARD for 15% off Frontline Optics use code TAILBOARD for 15% off Fourth Frontier...

Jun 15, 202229 minSeason 1Ep. 70

2 App Floor Workouts

Send us a text DISCLAIMER: These are general workouts and not programmed specifically for you, your needs, or your limitations. For personalized workouts, reach out and become a client. Also, these are two workouts, to be done on two seperate days. Ok, now that that is out of the way, lets go hit the floor and have a good time. The bay floor is a great place to get the crew together and lets you do things that the weightroom cannot. Check it out and let me know what you think. To support the sho...

Jun 08, 202213 minSeason 1Ep. 69

Officers, Lead The Conversation

Send us a text The Uncomfortable Conversations episode spurred a lot of interaction and engagement. One of the resounding comments was from officers who are uneasy starting the conversation because they feel they are not in a physical condition to tell someone else that they need to be better. In this episode, Curt and I speak from our perspectives as a senior FF and officer respectively to give some tips and outline our expectations for those who have raised their hand to lead. We don't all lov...

Jun 01, 202233 minSeason 1Ep. 68

Uncomfortable Conversations

Send us a text Curt and I went a little off the rails on this one. This is not the episode topic we thought we were sitting down to talk about. Our goal isn't to hurt feelings or offend. But let's not pretend what we're doing here. This is an uncomfortable topic, and episode. But it is exactly what someone may need to get the train moving in the right direction. What do you think? Support the show Affiliate links: Rescue1CBD Use code TAILBOARD for 15% off Frontline Optics use code TAILBOARD for ...

May 25, 202225 minSeason 1Ep. 67

Fitness Footwear (Not Vans)

Send us a text Vans are NOT the athletic shoe of your dreams. In this episode, we run through some of our favorite footwear and how we approach the idea of specific footwear for workouts. There are a lot of ideas in this one, but toe shoes and Vans aren't coming out as the heroes. find the Buy Me A Coffee Button on 4thShiftFitness.com to donate to the show to let us know you like what is going on. Talk to you soon. Support the show Affiliate links: Rescue1CBD Use code TAILBOARD for 15% off Front...

May 18, 202226 minSeason 1Ep. 66

FD Weightroom Equipment Dump

Send us a text Curt and I are tasked with approving or modifying requests for equipment in our department. In this episode we run through some of the more notable 'no's" and some that passed the sniff test. Check out our other episodes where we build workouts and go into the nuts and bolts of firefighter fitness. Find the Buy Me A Coffee Button on 4thShiftFitness.com and donate to the show to keep us caffeinated and opinoinated. Support the show Affiliate links: Rescue1CBD Use code TAILBOARD for...

May 11, 202228 minSeason 1Ep. 65
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