About BIOHACKED FIREFIGHTER:

A nonprofit dedicated to restoring the health, resilience, and longevity of first responders through science-backed sleep and recovery training. 

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 OUR MISSION

Firefighters and first responders are carrying a level of sleep debt, stress injury, and chronic exhaustion that the human body was never designed to withstand. Our mission is simple and urgent:

Equip first responders with practical, science-based sleep and recovery tools so they can perform at their best, stay healthier longer, and reclaim their quality of life — both on shift and at home. 

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 WHY WE EXIST

 If you’ve spent any time in this job, you already know: the tones don’t care if you’ve slept, eaten, or recovered. You go because people need you.

 But here’s the truth most of us learned the hard way —high performance on the fireground doesn’t protect you from the toll your body pays behind the scenes. 

 Long-term sleep debt increases risk of:

• Cardiovascular disease — the leading cause of line-of-duty deaths (National Fire Protection Association)

• Anxiety, depression, and PTSD (Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine)

• Cancer risk through hormonal disruption and circadian rhythm breakdown (International Agency for Research on Cancer)

• Impaired reaction time, judgment, and memory — even after “just” one night of interrupted sleep (Walker 2017; CDC Sleep & Fatigue Studies)

And 87% of firefighters show signs of chronic sleep disruption (Barger et al., J Clin Sleep Med, 2015).

That’s the gap we’re here to close.

TSR began because firefighters deserved tools that actually work in a shift-work lifestyle — not generic wellness advice written for people who go to bed at 10 p.m. and sleep through the night.

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 OUR STORY

Founded by career firefighters who walked through burnout, hormonal collapse, and the health consequences of chronic 24/48 and 24/72 schedules, Tactical Sleep Rescue started as a personal quest:

How do we make the job survivable? And how do we help firefighters feel human again? 

What began as one firefighter rebuilding her own health turned into workshops, online programs, sleep camps, a podcast, and eventually a nonprofit committed to bringing these tools to the entire fire service community.

Today, TSR blends neuroscience, circadian science, tactical performance, and nervous system regulation into practical tools that can be used in a bunk room, in the rig, or in the 10 minutes before you crawl into bed after shift.

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 THE PROBLEM WE’RE SOLVING

Firefighters and first responders are experiencing a public health crisis hiding in plain sight.

• Chronic sleep debt impacts nearly 9 out of 10 firefighters (Barger et al., 2015).

• Night-shift work is classified as a probable carcinogen due to circadian disruption (IARC Monograph 2010).

• First responders have higher rates of PTSD, depression, and anxiety compared to the general population (SAMHSA 2018).

• Women in the fire service experience unique hormonal, recovery, and stress responses that are rarely addressed in traditional wellness programs (Journal of Women’s Health, 2020).

Yet most fire departments lack integrated sleep-health training, and most firefighters don’t have access to recovery tools that meet the realities of our schedules.

We believe this isn’t just a wellness issue — it’s an operational readiness issue, a career longevity issue, and a quality-of-life issue.

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WHAT WE DO

We offer programs that deliver real-world, usable tools — not theory, not fluff, and not lifestyle advice that ignores the realities of shift work.

 Sleep Performance Camps

Immersive, research-based training retreats that combine sleep hygiene strategies, circadian alignment, nervous system resets, and hands-on recovery tools.

Designed for both co-ed firefighters and FireGals-specific groups.

Tactical Sleep Rescue Online Courses

Self-paced training built for firefighters who need practical, 10-minute tools they can apply immediately in the station, at home, or after a call.

Workshops, Department Trainings & Seminars

Evidence-based education delivered in a format that fits department culture and constraints.

Advocacy & Awareness

We work to normalize the conversation around sleep debt and mental health in the fire service, pushing for systemic change and department-wide solutions.

Scholarships & Accessibility Support

As a nonprofit, we provide financial support to help first responders access training, recovery tools, and sleep performance resources regardless of income or department support. 

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OUR THEORY OF CHANGE

Inputs: Research-backed recovery education, nervous system training, sleep optimization strategies, accessible programming

→ Activities: Camps, courses, coaching, education, community

→ Outcomes: Reduced sleep debt, improved recovery, decreased stress load, improved decision-making and performance

→ Impact: Longer, healthier careers and increased longevity — on scene and off.

 

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OUR COMMITMENT TO TRANSPARENCY

As a nonprofit, we are accountable to the people we serve and the donors who make our mission possible.

We pledge to:

• Use funds responsibly and ethically

• Prioritize accessibility for first responders

• Ensure donations directly support training, scholarships, and operational costs

• Publish transparent reporting annually

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JOIN THE MISSION

Whether you’re a firefighter looking to reclaim your health, a department wanting to invest in your people, or a donor who believes our first responders deserve better — we’d love to connect.

Together, we can build a fire service that doesn’t just survive the job — it thrives.