Firefighters spend their careers responding when others need them most. But maintaining that level of readiness requires more than training, equipment, and experience. It also requires taking care of the person behind the uniform, both on and off duty.
Palm Beach Gardens Fire Rescue’s Annual Health & Wellness Symposium focuses on that care. Building on last year's symposium, which drew nearly 170 attendees from 28 departments, this year’s event offers a full day of education, conversation, and practical strategies to take back to departments, crews, and families.
Our 2026 symposium is designed to build on that foundation by examining how different areas of a firefighter’s life intersect. Rather than treating these issues separately, the program looks at how each affects the others throughout a firefighter’s career and how neglecting one area can eventually take a toll on the rest.
The 2026 speaker lineup brings together specialists from several areas of expertise:
Dr. Benjamin Stone
A cardiovascular physiologist, will address one of the most serious threats to firefighter health: cardiovascular disease. Dr. Stone will explain why cardiovascular risk can go unnoticed and how earlier awareness and screening may help identify problems before they become life-threatening. His session will push attendees to look beyond appearance and fitness level, because looking fit on the outside does not always mean the heart is healthy on the inside.
Kristal DeSantis
A licensed marriage and family therapist, will address the unspoken toll of firefighting: the mental and emotional weight that can linger long after the call is over. There is no simple transition from managing someone else’s worst day to walking through the front door and being fully present at home. Over time, stress, secondary trauma, burnout, and emotional exhaustion can affect communication, connection, and the people closest to them. DeSantis will equip firefighters with practical tools to recognize that impact, decompress, reconnect, and protect the relationships that can be one of their strongest sources of support throughout their careers.
Annette Zapp
Founder of Fire Rescue Wellness, will focus on sustainable training, recovery, and performance strategies designed for the realities of the fire service. Firefighters often fall into an all-or-nothing cycle when call volume, poor sleep, injury, or stress disrupt their routines. Zapp’s session will challenge that mindset by emphasizing steady, repeatable progress over aggressive short-term efforts. Centered on the principle “slow is smooth, smooth is fast,” she will show how flexible training, recovery, sleep, and nutrition strategies can help firefighters stay consistent, reduce injury risk, maintain physical capability, and build the kind of resilience and readiness that lasts across an entire career.
Dr. Jay Dawes
Professor of Applied Exercise Science at Oklahoma State University, will focus on making effective training fit the realities of shift work. His session will introduce time-efficient strategies such as minimal effective dose training, circuit-based programming, and auto-regulated intensity to help firefighters get meaningful results without unnecessary volume. Drawing on decades of work with first responders and tactical athletes, Dr. Dawes will show how smarter programming can support strength, recovery, and long-term performance.
The goal is for attendees to leave with strategies they can put into practice, share with their crews, and bring back to their own departments to strengthen health, wellness, and readiness across the fire service. Just as importantly, the symposium creates an opportunity to continue those conversations and build on them long after the event ends.
The 2026 Health & Wellness Symposium will take place Oct. 7, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the DoubleTree in Palm Beach Gardens. The event is free and open to firefighters from all departments, with breakfast and lunch included. Seating is limited, and registration closes 48 hours before the event or once capacity is reached.
Register today and join firefighters from across Florida and beyond.
