From Fireground to Research: Annette Zapp on Translating Science into Firefighter Wellness
In Episode 101 of Beneath the Helmet, Arjuna George sits down with retired fire officer and Fire Rescue Wellness founder Annette Zapp (AZ) to explore how science can be translated into meaningful, practical tools for firefighters. Annette shares her journey from the fireground into doctoral research, why sleep is the foundation of health and performance, the difference between fitness for health and training for the job, and how consistency matters more than extreme approaches. The conversation also covers hormones, recovery, creatine, and the role of coaching in helping firefighters build sustainable careers and lives.
From Fireground to Research: Annette Zapp on Translating Science into Firefighter Wellness
In Season 4, Episode 101 of Beneath the Helmet, retired fire officer and Fire Rescue Wellness founder Annette Zapp (known as AZ) joins Arjuna George to explore how science can and must be translated into real-world tools for firefighters. This conversation covers sleep, training, hormones, recovery, creatine, and why consistency beats extremes.
Annette shares her journey from the fireground to doctoral research, her mission to translate science for the end user, and what truly supports firefighter longevity.
⏱ Timestamps
00:00 – Welcome to Season 4, Episode 101
01:00 – Annette’s journey: from fire service to PhD
02:30 – Translating research for firefighters
04:00 – Dogma vs science in the fire service
05:00 – Storytelling as the bridge to understanding
06:00 – Testosterone, hormones, and firefighter health
08:00 – Sleep as the foundation of wellness
10:00 – Bedtime, side jobs, and recovery
12:00 – Naps, sleep cycles, and the “nappuccino”
14:30 – The four pillars: sleep, nutrition, fitness, mental health
15:00 – Why sleep is the most upstream intervention
17:00 – Exercise for health vs training for performance
19:00 – Random acts of fitness vs fireground readiness
21:00 – Training in gear and biomechanics
24:00 – Fire Rescue Wellness and rebranding
27:00 – Creatine: myths, safety, and benefits
31:00 – Creatine and cognitive performance
34:00 – Heat, sweat rate, and upcoming research
36:30 – Consistency over extremes
38:00 – Coaching in the fire service
41:00 – Motivational interviewing and leadership
43:00 – Paying for coaching and valuing expertise
45:00 – Fire Rescue Wellness Podcast
46:30 – Seven Minute Science explained
48:00 – Where to find Annette and her work
50:00 – Future research and hormones
52:00 – Final reflections and wrap-up
Key Topics in This Episode
- Translating science into firefighter language
- Sleep as the foundation of performance
- Fitness for health vs fitness for the fireground
- Hormones and long-term firefighter health
- Creatine: what it is and what it actually does
- Why extreme approaches fail
- Coaching as a leadership tool
Guest: Annette Zapp
Founder: Fire Rescue Wellness
Website: www.firerescuewellness.org
Instagram & LinkedIn: Fire Rescue Wellness / Annette Fire Rescue Wellness
Creator of: Fire Rescue Wellness Podcast
Co-creator of: Seven Minute Science (free science translation series)
Related Listening
If you’re interested in deeper conversations around trauma, emotional recovery, and the nervous system, you may also want to listen to Episode 77, Megan Lautz.
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Host Arjuna George - Fire Chief (ret)
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Retired Lt - Owner of Fire Rescue Wellness
Annette Zapp, MA, CISSN, CSCS*D
Annette Zapp recently retired from a 20-year fire service career where she held the rank of Lieutenant. She owns Fire Rescue Wellness, a coaching business dedicated to elevating the mental and physical wellness of firefighters worldwide and releases the FRW Podcast weekly.
Zapp earned a master's in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of South Dakota School of Medicine. She is a National Strength and Conditioning Association CSCS *D and TSAC-F *D and is certified by the International Society of Sports Nutrition and the Society for Neurosports. She was an adjunct faculty member at the University of Denver in the graduate program for Sport Coaching and a frequent conference speaker. In August of 2024, AZ started her PhD in Health and Human Performance at Oklahoma State University.
