First Responder Wellness Week is dedicated to providing resources, support and community to help public safety personnel better understand the mental and physical health risks that come with the job.
Join Lexipol, FireRescue1 and our partners from March 23-27, 2026, to focus on your health and promote the wellness of your personnel. Each day we’ll focus on a different topic, providing shift briefing videos, webinars, articles, podcasts and more, all within the overarching theme of being “Total Wellness. True Readiness.”
Join us for a week of daily sessions focused on strengthening wellness across your agency — everything from healthy habits and smart recovery to building a program that puts firefighter health front and center.
Practical strategies for injury, aging, and long-term performance.
Start here to create a restoration routine.
Why wellness is a need to have, not a nice to have.
How to weave wellness into your agency’s mission and culture.
Real first responder wellness questions, real answers.
Track the daily habits that support operational readiness, performance and long-term health.
Better Every Shift: Health Focus
The Behind the Shield podcaster outlines the simple formula that makes a fourth shift work
Battalion Chief Greg Sawyer explains how one month at a slower station — replete with some cool health toys — can help members feel human again
Zapp, a human performance researcher and retired firefighter, talks health monitoring, smart (and safe) exercise, creatine supplements and more
Health & Wellness Resources
To track your nutrition, you need to see what, when and how much you actually eat
How to assess your current status, develop clear and measurable goals, and create a plan for success
When free of shift schedules, try these tips to get to sleep faster and achieve quality sleep
Forget protein bars — the best “exercise snack” happens in the patrol car, between calls or while restocking the rig
Yoga poses can help improve firefighter flexibility and mobility – factors that are essential not only to improving endurance, but to resisting injury
Three essential flexibility exercises to improve range of motion
Lautz describes extreme diets as “trying to get to a second-story window without a ladder,” which she combats through pro tips for making better choices on scene and at home
It comes down to selecting the right members and training them in two key areas
Solutions to navigate the most common family-centric concerns voiced by firefighters
Discover how firefighters can improve sleep and fight fatigue with simple changes like air filters, blackout curtains and humidity control
Taking regular, scheduled vacations is an essential part of maintaining your well-being
It’s impossible to “read the room” from your phone
Mislabeling public safety K-9s creates confusion, liability and access issues during high-stakes deployments
The benefits are clear, but where to start? Learn how to find, fund and implement a therapy dog program, and download a fillable caretaking schedule
Why we need to build active bystandership cultures in emergency services
Better Every Shift’s resident scientist shares how the upcoming Science to the Station event helps firefighters connect with peers and experts
Like your radio, helmet or turnout jacket, boundaries are essential gear — not visible, but critical for protection. In high-stress roles like firefighting, mental armor isn’t a luxury — it’s a necessity
A practical guide to interpreting urine color for maintaining optimal hydration
Distinguishing between the conditions starts with fluid history and symptom patterns
Insulated, smart, and high-capacity bottles designed to help first responders beat dehydration on shift and beyond
Treat your challenges as obstacles, not excuses, and treat your failures as learning opportunities
As you develop healthy habits that provide you with time to decompress, you will have more energy at work and at home
We can make our own lives more meaningful by caring for our bodies and spirits, and by finding the courage to say “yes” to the life we want
We all need someone to rely on during the difficult — as well as not-so-difficult — times
From smartwatches to hydration, here are four mission-ready picks to help you build strength, regulate stress and stay fit for the job — and for life
We also know walking provides tremendous benefits for physical health, but does our step count really matter?
What a week in the Sahara taught one chief officer about leading with purpose and building organizational endurance
Find your inner-chef with these recipes written, compiled and taste-tested by fellow first responders
Retired fire chief Pat Kenny shows how vulnerability, empathy, and hope transform mental-health struggles and profound loss into resilient, compassionate leadership
Reaching out for help is a strong, responsible choice that underscores both professional dedication and a commitment to personal well-being
Summer is great for a lot of activities, but sometimes the heat can put a damper on your workout ambitions
By following actionable steps before, during and after a vacation, firefighters can embrace the therapeutic power of detachment and fortify their resilience
While these schedules provide a certain degree of flexibility, they can wreak havoc on personnel wellness
While often present in public safety culture, gallows humor is a double-edged tool — providing momentary relief but carrying emotional risks if left unchecked
The FireRescue1 community asked several great questions during our recent live podcast focused on firefighter therapy
Easy tips for building a personal oasis at home where you can decompress, recharge and sustain your mental wellbeing
One study shows that injuries for firefighters working 48-hour shifts are highest during the second day of the shift
Learn how to choose the right pet for your shift schedule, energy level and emotional needs
Resilience is not something you’re born with; rather, it’s a skill you can develop
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