Ben Dubin's Blog (5)

Ice Bath for Mental Health: Shifting our Mindset



Ice baths are all the rage right now. Most of us in the fire service are familiar with the “fun” times spent in the ice bath back in the day. If you played any sport, there is a good chance you have had the opportunity to experience the cold. It seems like every other social media post or podcast discusses or advertises an ice bath for at-home use. What once was a luxury reserved for professional athletes is now making it into the fire… Continue

In 2017 103 firefighters committed suicide. That is 103 families torn apart with very few answers hoping to turn back time just enough to have an impact on these tired souls that made the decision to end their life on their own terms. First responders are five times more likely to suffer from depression and PTSD compared to the general population. The International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) takes these numbers extremely seriously and has begun implementing phenomenal resources to…

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As firefighters, most of us follow SOP’s, algorithms or protocols depending on what type of call we go on. The goal of these procedures is to provide a systematic guide to our decision making process. What if we just showed up on a fire and said “well, I feel like doing this today”. That would be unacceptable because inevitably we would miss an important component of our fire attack. We need to think about this concept every time that we step inside a gym or a weight room for a…

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I like to pose this question to any firefighter that will take the time to listen to me. I don’t want you to answer just yet. In my previous career, prior to joining the fire service I worked as a Performance Specialist with Athletes Performance (now EXOS). I was fortunate to train some of the top professional athletes in the world and work alongside some of the best Strength and Conditioning coaches in the industry. Most of the coaches that I worked with are currently working in a…

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After nearly 10 years of working with firefighters around the country, I have decided to start this forum for my fellow firefighters. My passion for reducing on and off the job injuries WHILE increasing performance in the culture of firefighting has allowed myself and a few others to develop a world class program at EXOS (Formerly Athletes' Performance). We have had the privilege of helping fire departments across the country in educating their brothers and sisters on…

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