The demands of firefighting go way beyond the physical element; firefighters on duty barely stop to rest for longer than a few minutes. They run several calls per hour, have their adrenaline constantly fluctuating leading to demands on the heart akin to a never ending interval training. This strenuous job's primary victim is firefighters' hearts; greater than 44%, the leading cause, of all firefighter line-of-duty deaths are from a heart attack.

In 2015, Lieutenant Kevin McRae was the 100th DC firefighter to die in the line of duty after 26 years of service at the young age of 44. As Mayor Bowser called it, the "loss of a hero" impacted his family, the DCFD, and the community, but it was also triggered the foundation of a genuine passion project of love, service, and giving. 

The death of Lt. McRae instilled in our guest, Jonathan Tate, a second-generation firefighter himself, who also ultimately lost his father due to a heart condition, the urge of doing something to improve firefighters' lives. One of the first things Jonathan noticed when he joined the DCFD in 2012 was the lack of attention firefighters were putting into their nutrition. He started the nonprofit organization Food On The Stove, which helps firefighters live a healthier lifestyle through enhanced nutrition and exercise.

In this episode, we get a closer look at Jonathan's inspired, visionary, and aspirational project, Food On The Stove. Food On The Stove not only proportions healthy food choices for firefighters but also educates them on healthier lifestyle choices. Jonathan's project added chefs and nutritionists into Fire Station houses, performs blood work, and runs prospective studies to measure the impact of healthier nutrition choices on the decrease of medication and the increase of firefighters' overall health. Tune in and delve into the details of how this inspiring story started and the benefits it has brought to the DC firefighting community so far. 

Some Questions I Ask:

• You mentioned you’re a native Washingtonian, but let's start with what got you into firefighting (6:53)
• Could you give us a sense of a firefighter's typical shift? (14:49)
• Tell me about Food On The Stove. Tell me about the name and significance of that name and the goals and objectives (20:53)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Jonathan talks about his relationship with Davon McRae, Lt. McRae's son, and the creation of the Lt. Kevin McRae Memorial Gym at Engine 6 in the DCFD (9:50)
• About firefighters' broad spectrum of obligations when on duty (15:35)
• How Food On The Stove started for Jonathan (22:16)
• Most of us take fire stations for granted. Jonathan talks about the importance of taking care of firefighters' overall health (31:51)

Resources:

• Food On The Stove website
• Food On The Stove Instagram
• Food On The Stove YouTube
• Food On The Stove Twitter

Connect with Jonathan:

• LinkedIn

Let's connect!

• Website
• Instagram

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