What does it look like when a firefighter walks out of a 40-day PTSD recovery program and builds a wellness room in his fire station -- entirely through community donations?
That is exactly what Chris Johnson did. And in this episode of Beneath the Helmet, he walks us through every step of how he got there.
Chris is a driver operator at Rock Creek Fire District in Kimberly, Idaho, a second-generation firefighter, and the co-founder of 2 In 2 Out Wellness -- a nonprofit dedicated to bringing recovery resources directly into firehouses and supporting the spouses and families who carry this job alongside their firefighters.
His story starts in March of 2024, when a mental health crisis led him to a 40-day residential recovery program called Deer Hollow in Draper, Utah -- a facility that specializes in first responders and veterans living with PTSD and suicidal ideation. What he brought home from those 40 days changed not just his life but his entire department's approach to firefighter wellness.
In this conversation, we dig into what a fire station recovery room actually is, what it costs to build one, how Chris secured sauna, cold plunge, red light therapy, and massage chair units through community sponsorship for zero dollars to his department, and how those same modalities are now being deployed across fire departments in Idaho and beyond through 2 In 2 Out.
This episode is for the firefighter who is quietly carrying more than they should. It is for the fire officer who wants to build a wellness culture but does not know where to start. And it is for the firefighter spouse who has been walking this road without enough support.
🔑 What You Will Take Away From This Conversation:
What the Deer Hollow first responder PTSD recovery program looks like from the inside
How to build a firefighter wellness room through community donations with zero departmental cost
The science behind sauna, cold plunge, and red light therapy for firefighter mental health
Why the fire service spouse needs their own support -- and what 2 In 2 Out is doing about it
How to use these recovery modalities for both decontamination and daily wellness on shift
What Chris learned about asking for help after years of carrying it all alone
⏱️ Chapters:
00:00 Introduction -- Chris Johnson and 2 In 2 Out Idaho
01:45 Chris's background: second-generation firefighter and why mental health matters
02:30 The crisis: March 20, 2024 and the words that changed everything
04:00 Deer Hollow: arriving at a 40-day first responder PTSD recovery program
07:30 The trauma timeline and finding family among strangers
12:00 Was 40 days enough? Peeling back the onion
16:30 Tools Chris still uses today: journaling, modalities, and radical honesty
20:00 What is a firefighter recovery room and why does it belong in every firehouse
23:30 How Rock Creek Fire built their wellness room for $0 through community support
28:00 The sauna debate: benefits, hydration, and post-fire decontamination protocol
35:00 Cold plunge mechanics, maintenance, and what 44 degrees actually feels like
37:30 Red light therapy explained: what it is, how it works, and what it costs
42:00 2 In 2 Out Wellness: bringing recovery rooms and connection boxes to fire service families
50:00 Connection boxes, nutrition programs, and what is coming next
55:00 Chris's closing message to the firefighter who is still carrying it alone
About Chris Johnson:
Chris Johnson is a driver operator at Rock Creek Fire District in Kimberly, Idaho and the co-founder of 2 In 2 Out Wellness -- a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to bringing sauna, cold plunge, red light therapy, and massage chair recovery modalities into firehouses across North America, alongside wellness support for firefighter and first responder spouses. His own recovery from a mental health crisis through the Deer Hollow residential program in 2024 drives everything 2 In 2 Out does.
Website: https://twointwooutidaho.org/
Instagram: @2in2outidaho
Facebook: 2 In 2 Out Idaho
Deer Hollow First Responder Recovery Program: deerhollow.com
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