CRACKYL Magazine

31/12/2024

You don’t think about how social media will affect your identity when you sign up for a Facebook, Instagram or TikTok account, but it will. Learn more in this article.

You don’t think about how social media will affect your identity when you sign up for a Facebook, Instagram or TikTok account, but it will.

30/12/2024

Inspired by personal loss and a higher calling, Jonathan Tate focuses on the next course in his drive to bring healthy eating to the fire service: Food on the Stove. Learn all about it in this article.

Inspired by personal loss and a higher calling, Jonathan Tate focuses on the next course in his drive to bring healthy eating to the fire service.

29/12/2024

To You, the Heart of CRACKYL’s Journey:

Because of you, CRACKYL has reached an incredible milestone: five years of publishing. Five years of connection, exploration, and unwavering dedication to the most important mission of all—helping firefighters thrive. From the start, this wasn’t about building a magazine; it was about building a lifeline, a source of answers for the questions we all share but rarely ask aloud.

Launching a print magazine in the middle of a pandemic might have seemed like madness. But we believed in you—in the strength, the resilience, and the spirit of firefighters. We believed that you deserved a platform that spoke your language, met you where you are, and delivered what you needed most: honesty, insight, and connection.

This has never been about us. It’s always been about "you". You are the driving force behind every story we tell, every resource we create, and every step we take. You are why we’ve sought out the brightest minds, the most profound voices, and the deepest insights to help unpack what makes us stronger and what challenges us most.

We’ve done it all with a lean team guided by one unshakable principle: if it doesn’t serve firefighters as people first, we don’t do it. No shortcuts. No gimmicks. Just real stories, real answers, and real support.

Every step of CRACKYL’s journey has been powered by "your" belief. From the first issue to now, it has been your engagement, your ideas, and your trust that have fueled this mission. You saw something worth fighting for—and because of that, we’ve been able to grow into more than a magazine. We’re now a hub of content, a mobile app, and soon, a podcast, all aimed at supporting you in every aspect of your life.

But the true magic has always been in the simple things: one story, one connection, one moment of understanding at a time. That’s how CRACKYL has grown—not with flashy strategies or big teams, but by staying true to the essence of who we serve. If a story deepens trust or helps you in some small way, we’ve done our job.

You are the reason we show up every day, and you’re the reason we’ll keep showing up. Because together, we’re building something bigger than any one of us—a community that strengthens the fire service by putting firefighters first.

This journey started with a simple, deeply personal question: How fragile am I? After nearly losing my life to heart failure, I learned the hard truth: if you don’t make time for your wellness, you’ll be forced to make time for your illness. That question has guided CRACKYL from day one, fueling our drive to create something that doesn’t just inform but also sustains the firefighters who give so much.

You inspire us every single day. Your dedication, your sacrifices, your stories—these are the threads that bind our community together. CRACKYL isn’t just a magazine; it’s a shared mission, a collective promise to look out for one another to grow stronger together.

So here’s to you—our 80,000-strong CRACKYL family. Here’s to the next 80,000 who will join this mission.

So keep engaging with us. Keep challenging us. And above all, keep making yourself a priority.

"The reality is because we can’t do our job if we’re not on the rig."

Post By:
Kory Pearn, Publisher, Editor-In-Chief
CRACKYL Magazine

Photo By:

27/12/2024

Shifting from highly processed, high sugar, and high fat foods to fruits, veggies, unsaturated fats, grains, legumes and lean meats improves performance and overall brain and body health, while increasing career longevity. Find out more in this article.

Premium fuel optimizes mind and body functioning to make firefighters better prepared for the physical and mental stressors they encounter on shift.

26/12/2024

For Paul Combs, an award-winning illustrator, artist and retired firefighter with 25 years in the fire service, saying yes to opportunities requiring courage has made all the difference. Learn more in this article.

For Paul Combs, an award-winning illustrator, artist and retired firefighter with 25 years in the fire service, saying yes to opportunities has made all the difference.

20/12/2024

"You could pretty much start a timer each time I turned the conversation to me selling them the awesome opportunity of ‘loaning me a free RV.’" Steve Baer's road trip to the Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial in Colorado Springs, CO, finally hits the road. Hop on board in this article.

You could pretty much start a timer each time I turned the conversation to me selling them the awesome opportunity of ‘loaning me a free RV.’

19/12/2024

Tom Murphy is a three-time testicular cancer survivor, so he's learned a thing or two about managing all aspects of the disease. "There will be people who make your battle tougher," he writes. "They will not understand the concept of ‘scanxiety’ and what it does to you. Avoid these people." Learn more in this article. Thanks for sharing your story with us, Tom.

There will be people who make your battle tougher … They will not understand the concept of ‘scanxiety’ ... Avoid these people.

18/12/2024

Get your spook on by exploring The Silver State's haunted hot spots – Love a scary movie? Always up for a haunted house tour? Think a good scream is just what the doctor ordered for stress relief? Then you want to check out Nevada. Not Transylvania … Nevada.

Nevada, with its haunted hotels, spooky museums, and ghostly towns, offers a thrilling experience for those seeking a spine-tingling adventure.

17/12/2024

That moment when you decide to take a smarter approach to your money won’t arrive gradually. It will hit you in an instant. You’ll wake up, have a ‘f&%$ this’ moment, and decide to make things better. Matthew Broom reveals more in this article.

That moment when you decide to take a smarter approach to your money won’t arrive gradually. It will hit you in an instant.

16/12/2024

"Our own people who rely on us in the most critical of moments, believing we are not first responders, adds yet another weight onto our already overloaded shoulders." Shannon Polito, ENP RPL, reveals more in this article.

Believing we are not first responders adds yet another weight onto our already overloaded shoulders.

13/12/2024

Whether it be noticeable at the moment or more subtle down the road, the mental strain of our job is ever present. In this short read, Captain Robert A. Blanton II stresses the importance of removing yourself from the unpredictable days at work by unplugging through travel.

Choose between a mental-health retreat, a fun-filled vacation, or randomly choose a destination off of your bucket list.

12/12/2024

To understand the optimal time to take CBD for anxiety, we must first examine how CBD works and the way it's consumed. Jon Vought of Rescue 1 CBD tells us more in this article.

To understand the optimal time to take CBD for anxiety, we must first examine how CBD works and the consumption method.

11/12/2024

Where does your department fit? Fill out the survey at the link below.

https://bit.ly/FOCUS-Enrollment

Our research shows that volunteer and combination departments, on average, have HIGHER management commitment to safety scores than career departments.

⬆️scores = ⬇️injuries, ⬆️wellbeing, + more!

Where does YOUR department stand? Find out with the FOCUS safety culture survey: https://bit.ly/FOCUS-Enroll

11/12/2024

First responders who plan for their mental health in retirement generally experience a smoother transition. Steve Farina reveals more in this article.

First responders who plan for their mental health in retirement generally experience a smoother transition.

10/12/2024

There’s no question that being a firefighter is a challenge. Yet sometimes, the hardest part of the job isn’t the fires or the calls; it’s how it can affect your relationships. Have you ever taken a moment to ask yourself: How is my job shaping my relationships?

Researchers share their recommendations for building better connections.

09/12/2024

If you're an expectant momma, then this article is for you. Melissa Lawlor has written it to provide you with the education and tools needed to advocate for yourself and your pregnancy. As a firefighter, you’re no stranger to extreme conditions. Understanding how those conditions impact your body and your baby is essential.

Reducing the amount of heat pregnant firefighters are exposed to can help improve outcomes for both mothers and babies.

06/12/2024

Here's a laugh for you this Friday. Do you think this is accurate?

What does your vehicle say about you?