Ryan Provencher is an Operations Battalion Chief, Founder of Firefighter Peak Performance, and Executive Fitness Advisor for CRACKYL Magazine, with more than 30 years of experience in the fire service and tactical fitness.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and Exercise Science with a minor in Nutrition from Washington State University and has served as a Fire Department Peer Fitness Trainer and Health/Fitness Coordinator in his department.

Driven by a deep passion and purpose to enhance firefighter fitness and wellness, Ryan has guided hundreds of firefighters worldwide – through both on-site coaching and remote training – to achieve their fitness, performance, and response-readiness goals.

Arjuna George, a 24-year fire chief veteran, now combats burnout in first responders and leaders. Through Silver Arrow Coaching & Consulting, he offers coaching, workshops, and stress management, using his trauma-informed approach (including TRE) to build resilience and enhance performance.

Anastasia Miller, PhD, based in Louisville, KY, is a distinguished educator and researcher in healthcare administration and public health. She is currently a Program Director and Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Louisville, overseeing the Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Leadership program.

Dr. Miller holds advanced degrees in Health Services Management and Research, Data Analytics, and Economics. Her dissertation, exploring the effects of organizational and coworker support on professional quality of life among public safety personnel, reflects her dedication to workplace wellness and first responders.

Dr. Miller is an accomplished researcher. Her peer-reviewed publications address critical topics such as emergency services personnel’s mental health, healthcare disparities, and economic evaluations of healthcare interventions. Dr. Miller combines her academic rigor with practical leadership. She is also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, enhancing her ability to lead interdisciplinary teams and drive organizational excellence.

Dr. Gamaliel D. Baer is a Firefighter/EMT/Special Operator with Howard County Fire and Rescue. He is also a reserve officer for the U.S. Coast Guard, and is a faculty member at Johns Hopkins University where he teaches Leading and Managing Change for the Master of Science in Organizational Leadership. He is the author of Operational Intelligence for Health, Wellness, and Leadership, which is now required reading at Johns Hopkins in the MSOL. He lives in Howard County, Maryland, with his wife and four kids. 

Howard A. Cohen is a semi-retired rabbi and a retired deputy fire chief. He serves on the board of the Southern Vermont Council on Aging and on the Green Mountain Crisis Incident Stress Management Team. Additionally, he coordinates online programs for Africa Fire Mission and operates a small life coaching practice.

Hannah is a Yoga Teacher and Clinical Exercise Physiologist with a Master’s Degree
in Workplace Health Promotion. Her research explored physical activity in shift
workers and common barriers, and strategies to promote it. Like most creatives,
Hannah married seemingly unrelated skillsets together to create a yoga program
specifically for firefighters. The program was pilot tested and is currently operating on
Vancouver Island, Canada. Hannah’s articles are an amalgamation of lessons
learned about designing functional, occupation-specific movement classes for
firefighters. Whether you are a firefighter, fitness enthusiast, allied health
professional or just curious, you will find something to ignite a creative spark here.

Jon Vought is a firefighter/paramedic with 15 years on the job in South Florida and currently holds the rank of Captain. Jon founded Rescue 1 CBD in 2020 with the mission of improving job-related pain, stress and sleep issues with CBD and doing so with zero failed drug tests.

Keith Hanks is a retired firefighter and EMT, having dedicated 21 years of his life to the service of
others. He also served his community as a certified educator and training officer, along with fire prevention and code enforcement. Keith worked both inner-city EMS as well as municipal fire.

Like many in the first-responder community have experienced, the job has its cost. From childhood trauma and sexual abuse, to traumatic calls and the tragic passing of his first wife, Keith has faced many trials and tragedies that resulted in self-harm, substance abuse, lies and multiple suicide attempts. After decades of damage, Keith began to put the pieces of his life back together.

Keith was diagnosed with Complex PTSD in 2015. The job, the service, and his dedication caused this
injury, and consequently his retirement. What PTS didn’t change was the love and devotion to his
community and to his fellow first responders.

Keith has since dedicated his life to advocating for mental illness, substance and alcohol abuse recovery, and suicide awareness. Since starting this mission, Keith built an international support group through Facebook for First Responders and Veterans for PTSI and other job-related mental health issues. Keith was asked to be a part of the Deconstructing Stigma Project and has a billboard that hangs in the International Terminal at Logan Airport in Boston, along with the Manchester Regional Airport.

In March 2022 he completed the filming of his first feature-length documentary focusing on PTSD in the first-responder community titled First Responders in Crisis and has since been featured in two other related documentaries.

Keith is an international speaker/podcast personality, and published author. He is a contributing author at Fire Engineering, Firefighter Nation, The Volunteer Firefighter, CRACKYL, and Smoke Showin’ magazines/forums. He also wrote a featured chapter in the ongoing Amazon best-selling series Scars to Stars Volume 3.

Keith’s transparency in his own life has led him to share his story through social media and many
other platforms to reach the most people he can. He is known for saying his life goal is to reduce
suicide in the first-responder community through education and support resources, and to make it OK to
reach out for help.

In 2023, he launched his own LLC, Traumatic Strength, with its mission to bring proactive education, training, and action to combat the stigma on mental health. In June 2024, Keith released his first book, Allen, which tells the tragedies and triumphs throughout his life and how resilience is what led him to ultimate victory. He resides in New Hampshire with his wife and is the proud father to three incredible children.

Melissa Lawlor, a 30-year Fire/EMS advocate and mother of firefighters, champions first responder health. As Dutchess County’s first Deputy Coordinator for First Responder Health and Wellness and a Nurse Practitioner, she focuses on reproductive health and occupational hazards. A national speaker, she blends medical expertise and personal dedication to improve first responder well-being.

Steve began his career as a paid-on-call firefighter with the Township of Langley Fire Department in 1992 and five years later, joined the Coquitlam Fire Rescue full-time in 1997. Steve was promoted to Captain in 2015 and is currently a Captain in the Fire Suppression Division on Engine 1. He was elected to the Union Executive of IAFF Local 1782 (Coquitlam Firefighters) in 2005 - 2023 and is the Executive Vice-President for the BC Professional Fire Fighter Association (BCPFFA), which represents 56 Affiliate IAFF Locals and over 4,500 professional firefighters across B.C. He is the vice-chair of BCPFFA’s Health and Safety Committee and Mental Health Committee. He is on Coquitlam Fire Rescue’s Critical Incident Stress Team and a Peer Support. Steve has travelled all over B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick, training healthcare professionals and ensuring they have an understanding of fire service culture. He also represents the BCPFFA on the B.C.’s First Responder Mental Health Steering Committee, chaired by WorkSafeBC. 

Steve Baer has been a Seattle firefighter since 1997. In that time, he has also been a fire investigator, arson dog handler and company officer.

Hussien Jabai, an exercise science professional with a focus in tactical strength and conditioning, is the
Chief Executive Officer and Lead Tactical Strength and Conditioning instructor for Jabai Performance.
Mr. Jabai dedicates endless efforts toward forming research collaborations at local, state, and national
levels driven to facilitate injury mitigation throughout the tactical population. Mr. Jabai strives to assist
in first responder resiliency through instructing and coordinating academy strength and conditioning
programs, providing professional development for fitness instructors that service the tactical
community, consulting with departments and agencies on program development, and presenting on
concepts of exercise science as it applies to the tactical operator. Hussien Jabai also serves on the NSCA Texas State Advisory Board and the Physical Wellness Committee of the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

Nick Halmasy is a registered psychotherapist, a clinical director for EHN Canada with the Guardians Gateway centre – an exclusively PSP and Military Mental Health centre – and founder of After The Call. Along with his frontline work, Nick is a research collaborator with McMaster and Western University.

Captain Blanton is from Houston, Texas, and is currently an officer with the Lexington County Fire Service in Lexington County, South Carolina. He specializes in the $11-trillion a year travel industry, and is focused on helping first responders leave a legacy for their families. A former military brat of retired Air Force service members, his father and mother both served over 20+ years while being stationed all over the world. Each move made him fall in love with experiencing different cultures and countries, which he hopes to share with everyone.

Chloe Schweinshaut is a registered dietitian nutritionist who has worked with hundreds of firefighters, law enforcement and military groups throughout the country. Currently, she is the nutritionist for the Boston Fire Department and helped start their in-house wellness program, Health and Ladders. Additionally, she is a nutrition consultant for O2X and serves on the advisory committee for the First Responder Center for Excellence. She is also the founder of Healthy Response, a supplement line designed for first responders. She lives right outside Boston with her husband, a Lieutenant with the Cambridge Fire Department, and their four kids. 

Megan Lautz, MS, RD, CSCS, TSAC-F, is a registered dietitian and strength coach with a master’s in sports nutrition. Megan specializes in first responder nutrition, tailoring nutrition to fit the lifestyle of a first responder. She works full-time for Fairfax Fire and Police (just outside of D.C.). While a civilian, Megan has strived to understand the challenges first responders face when trying to stay healthy. Megan is also the owner of RescueRD LLC, which provides nutrition seminars and coaching for first responders across the country.

David Dachinger is a retired fire lieutenant/EMT, has dedicated over 21 years to leading emergency services. As a company officer, he often held critical roles such as Shift Commander and Incident Commander. Today, David hosts the podcasts Responder Resilience and Igniting The Shift Within, where he engages with experts on first responder mental health, wellness, leadership, and post-traumatic growth. Through these conversations, he has gained valuable insights that support firefighters in fostering resilience and personal transformation. David also serves as a peer coach for 22Zero , continuing his commitment to supporting first responders. 

Dr. Marci Vitale, DNP, FNP-BC, AGACNP-BC, is a dual board-certified nurse practitioner who specializes in optimizing the physical and mental vitality of first responders. Her practice, VITALExam, provides a unique, proactive approach to wellness through comprehensive examinations and cancer screenings. Marci’s doctoral research focused on behavioral health in firefighters, and she actively enhances her clinical and cultural expertise through research collaborations. With both a professional background in EMS/critical care and a personal connection in the field with family serving in law enforcement and the military, Marci is passionately dedicated to improving the health and well-being of first responders.

Geralyn St Joseph is a relationship empowerment coach who has helped people find their best selves and discover their most fulfilling relationships. She coaches individuals, couples and families. Her style of coaching is direct and nurturing. If you are interested in discovering more, visit Geralyn’s website or e-mail her at [email protected].

Caroline Godin is the publicist for First Responder Coaching (FRC), a life coach, wife of a former fire firefighter, and an independent writer. FRC is a life coaching organization dedicated to serving first responders, military, and their families. FRC is comprised of first responders and military personnel and their families. We know you because we are you. Our goal is to equip our responders with the tools they need to live a success life in their careers and at home. Don’t wait for crisis to happen; train for resilience now.

Brian Thompson is the president and founder of Calling 912. He has a doctorate in philosophy from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology, and has been a firefighter/paramedic for 32 years. 

Ed Lippie is a human performance practitioner, and director of performance growth at Kitman Labs, where he helps Helping sporting organizations solve their most critical challenges.