Building Your Career in Fire: A Health and Wellness Professional's Roadmap

This course is a 6-week hybrid coaching program that includes live small-group coaching via Zoom and pre-recorded sessions that will give you my exact method for securing contracted positions or jobs working with fire departments as a health and wellness professional.

Get on the waitlist for the next round!

Accelerate the lengthy process to start working with fire departments and achieve your goals faster. 

I help experienced and credentialed health and wellness professionals like you secure employment and service contracts with Fire Departments by eliminating the overwhelm and confusion around getting started and making a plan. This course guides you on an often uncertain, indistinct journey that can be lengthy, even under ideal conditions. I've made all the missteps, so you don't have to.

This course is perfect for you if:

  1. If you are an Athletic Trainer (AT), Physical Therapist (PT), Strength & Conditioning Coach (S & C Coach), Dietitian, or Mental Health Professional interested in working with a Fire Department

  2. If you’ve encountered difficulties contacting or communicating with a Fire Department or if you have yet to take the first step

You may be asking yourself…

  • Who should I contact at the Fire Department?

  • What should I say when speaking with a chief or firefighter?

  • What types of services can I provide to support the performance of firefighters?

  • What are common injuries that affect firefighters?

  • Would education on sleep, nutrition, mental health, and physical fitness be beneficial?

  • How should I price my services and present my proposals?

  • How can I effectively communicate my knowledge and expertise?

  • Why does the process seem to take so long?

I'm here to help! From learning the language and navigating rotating schedules to identifying the right administrators and developing a tailored offer, I'll guide you every step of the way.

The success you can expect to have after the course, as told by previous attendees…

  • "My most significant takeaway was learning concrete ways to put ideas into motion. Additionally, understanding how to speak the language of FFs and Fire Captains, and how to not sell oneself short as a health and human performance expert looking to break into the tactical community. Lastly, getting a glimpse of the realities of the profession from a career firefighter was invaluable."

  • "I feel more confident in my ability to approach departments/department leaders and draft a proposal that will meet the demands of the various Fire/LE departments around me. The highlight was the last session, where we dissected a proposal and established our worth as subject matter experts!"

  • "I learned so much from this course it's hard to pick one. The topics covered were all interesting and impactful in making a game plan for moving forward. If I had to pick one major takeaway, it would be the consideration that needs to be given to ALL the contributing factors. I started this course with the mindset that I want to help FF, but I quickly learned that many entities contribute to and support Fire Departments that you must also consider."

  • "I truly appreciate the individualized attention to detail you gave us. I also appreciate all the time you took outside of class to help me. I thought it was very helpful to have an example of a cover letter and proposal to send to a chief/department. Both worksheets that you sent out were also beneficial in breaking things down and seeing things from a different perspective."

What you get: The course is a 6-session hybrid small-group coaching experience via Zoom and pre-recorded sessions.

I have a proven track record of assisting experienced and credentialed health and wellness professionals in gaining employment and service contracts with Fire Departments. My experience is your rocket fuel to speed up a prolonged process.

How it works: Three live calls lasting between 60-90 minutes and three pre-recorded lectures you watch in between calls comprise the course. You receive the first pre-recorded lecture upon registration. Live meetings take place at 6 pm Central Time via Zoom. If you cannot attend the live session, recordings will be available for you to watch as soon as the next day, although I highly recommend attending in person. The live calls will include bonus information, GSD (get s*** done), and interactive Q&A sessions. I will match your energy, so bring it!

Important Course Dates:
The course is not currently scheduled for specific dates. You’ll receive information if you join the waitlist as soon as dates are determined if I decide to run it again!

Webinar 1: Setting Expectations, Learning about Fire Departments, and Creating Cultural Competency
Self-Reflection: Are YOU the right person for this job?
Different types of FDs and their governing bodies
Getting and staying on their radar
FF personality profiles
Understanding the culture
Physical performance requirements
Needs assessment process

Webinar 2: Cultivating a Relationship
Creating a relationship from thin air
Developing your SOPs
Designing your solution
Refining the offer

Webinar 3: Crafting the Proposal
The DOs and the DO NOTs
Writing the proposal
Following through

Live Call Topics
Bring your questions, sticking points, challenges
Work on your personal SOPs, needs analysis, and proposals
Get feedback from AZ and the group

 
 

Get on the waitlist for the next round!

 

Testimonials

  • “When I was looking to make the transition from collegiate strength and conditioning, specifically on the football side of the house, the tactical side was obviously the primary option. Once I started diving in and talking to coaches in the field, the name AZ kept popping up as someone I had to talk to. Upon reaching out, she took the time (sometimes between sets of sprints) to explain the field in a very real and experienced way that helped me wrap my mind around the field of Fire Strength and Conditioning and the unique demands posed on their overall wellness and performance. She quickly highlighted what I needed to learn about, but also helped me create questions to get my own answers on whether or not the shift to Fire Strength and Conditioning was for me. Talking/being mentored by/with AZ was extremely beneficial to working with ANY athlete in the holistic way she views and weaves together training, mental health and the other various pillars of performance. In addition to her personal guidance, she also connected me with various other coaches in my area that were executing high level programs to further my understanding of this niche field.”

    —Dave Terry, HP Program Manager

  • “This class is a must do for anyone looking to serve in health and wellness for fire. Not only is AZ experienced and knowledgeable, but she understands the way fire professionals think and provides insight that others just can’t in a fun, perfectly paced, welcoming group environment.”

    —Kristina C.

  • “Annette truly cares about the health and wellness of Firefighters. She has great first-hand knowledge of the Firefighting profession and how to help these tactical athletes. She also has helpful insight for those looking to work with Firefighters. Her course "Creating a Career in Fire" is a great resource for anyone in the tactical field. She goes above and beyond.”

    —Jessica Scott

  • “If you are interested in working with fire fighters this course is an absolute must! The content is covered in great detail. Each week builds on the previous week, which allows you time to digest the information and implement it if you're at that stage. There were great analogies to help relate content, lots of laughs and really good questions by the attendees. Annette is a great instructor and is incredibly helpful to each participant no matter what stage of the process they are in. I highly recommend this course if this is a population you are interested in working with!”

    —Brittany T.

  • “Are you confident in your coaching, teaching, programming, and overall holistic health delivery capabilities but feel “stuck” on how to apply them in a meaningful way toward tactical entities? Well guess what, this class is for YOU! Even if you do happen to have any doubt in your abilities, this class will have you shift your thinking from “I think I can” to “I know I can!”. Thorough and practical is what you will get when discussing fire & rescue culture, how to develop relationships at multiple leadership levels, how to play to your strengths, and how to formulate an actionable plan that will have the potential to build resilient departments for years to come.”

    —Brandon Saude

  • “This course gives you a very thorough and broad perspective, from beginning to end, of the process of contacting and marketing your services in the fire service. Any health and wellness professional, outside of the fire service, would not only find these strategies useful, but critical to their success in forming professional relationships with fire departments.”

    —M. M.

  • “In the Spring of 2020, I was required to create a presentation for my second interview for a county’s fire department in Virginia. Annette guided me through the topics most important in addressing the overall wellness and fitness of firefighters, a population I had little knowledge about. The two Chiefs and Captain I interviewed with were impressed. I addressed mental health issues as well as sudden cardiac death. Since being hired, Annette has continued to be a valuable friend and ally in connecting me with other wellness and fitness professionals, both in my immediate geographical location but also across the country.”

    —Taylor Goodman, Wellness Center Coordinator Loudoun County Fire and Rescue

  • “Taking Annette’s course opened my eyes to the great need first responders and firefighters have for good healthcare. The amount of knowledge obtained in just 5 weeks is amazing. The quality of the information is priceless. Annette not only speaks on important topics like injuries and training, but she provides insight into the mindset of firefighters and teaches you a better way to communicate and network to build a lasting relationship with firefighters. I learned so many things that I never even considered by taking this course. If you want to work with firefighters and first responders you need to take his course!”

    John Campione
    Chiropractor

 

 FAQs

I believe in managing expectations, both yours and my own. Therefore, check out these FAQs and email me at info@firerescuewellness.org if you have other questions.

 
 

  • Experienced and credentialed Athletic Trainers, Physical Therapists, Strength and Conditioning Coaches, Dietitians, and Mental Health Professionals who aspire to work for or contract with a fire department.

  • There are always exceptions to the rule, but in my experience, the typical personal trainer may be ill-equipped to serve the needs of a fire department. Regardless, you will likely find the class very helpful if you are highly motivated and good at listening around the edges.

  • I have had several participants who, despite the class not being designed for those populations, were very good at "listening around the edges" and have successfully applied what they learned in class to procure contracts in Law Enforcement.

  • You will watch three webinars independently. You will also have live calls via Zoom. All live calls are recorded and released the next business day.

  • The fire service is still catching up concerning recognizing the need for outside health and wellness professionals. In addition, the fire service is highly reactive and generally not proactive. In short, these jobs typically don't exist, and you need to create the position yourself via a contracting relationship. Navigating that path can be long and arduous. I share all the shortcuts, so you don't have to fall off the bridge.

  • Short answer: usually a long time. 5-6 years isn't unheard of.

    Long answer: there is no cheat code, but my course is the closest thing you'll find.

 

Get on the waitlist for the next round!