CRACKYL Magazine

08/01/2026

🔥 NEW READS:

When Chief Dennis Reilly was diagnosed with prostate cancer, it forced a reckoning, not just with his health, but with everything he believed about obligation, service, and balance.

In these companion articles, Dennis shares what 50 years in the fire service taught him about duty to community, family, and fellow firefighters, while his wife Ann Reilly offers a deeply personal look at the fear, guilt, advocacy, and strength required to walk beside someone you love through cancer.

Read Dennis' article here:
https://www.crackyl.com/your-other-obligations/

Read Ann's article here:
https://www.crackyl.com/a-firefighter-wifes-prospective-on-prostate-cancer/

How can fire service leadership better balance mission readiness with long-term health and survivorship?

06/01/2026

🚨 COVER DROP 🚨
Frank Leeb is on the cover of Winter Issue No. 20 of CRACKYL Magazine.

Leadership. Accountability. The future of the fire service.
No fluff. No shortcuts.

https://www.crackyl.com/subscribe/

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👉 Subscribe by January 13 to get your copy.
🚒 Use code FRANKLEEB for 30% off

06/01/2026

Firefighter cancer is real, and leadership has the power to change the outcome.

This Cancer Awareness Month is a reminder that awareness alone won’t protect us. Chief Frank Leeb challenges every leader in the fire service to step up: enforce clean‑gear practices, model proper PPE use, and build a culture where long‑term health matters just as much as operational excellence. In case you missed it, read his article here:
https://www.crackyl.com/lessons-leadership-and-leeb-cancer-awareness-month/

What’s one cancer‑prevention habit your department has strengthened?

Grind If we truly want to reduce cancer risk among firefighters, the conversation must include leadership and proven best practices.

05/01/2026

🔥 NEW READ:

As firefighters, we handle chaos on the job, but handling the chaos in our heads is a different matter altogether.

Mental load, shift swaps, family pressures … it all adds up. Cognitive overload is real, and it can affect our focus, relationships, and well-being.

This article from PSPNET Canada and CRACKYL digs into the topic and offers solutions:
https://www.crackyl.com/when-the-mind-runs-hot-understanding-cognitive-overload/

How do you manage constant unpredictability?

Connect Inspired by insights from PSPNET on the effects of mental fatigue, shifting schedules, and family strain in first responder homes.

02/01/2026

🔥 NEW READ:

Sometimes the hardest battles are the ones we don't let anyone else see.

In this article, “Fireman Rob” Verhelst opens up about the weight he carried after 9/11, military service, losing people he loved, and years of cumulative trauma that didn’t stay buried, no matter how hard he tried to outrun it.

What changed everything was realizing that strength involves letting yourself be human. Read the article here:
https://www.crackyl.com/when-the-fire-is-inside/

What’s one thing that helped you keep going during a time you felt overwhelmed?

Thrive For one firefighter, healing looked like finally being honest with himself after years of pretending he was fine.

31/12/2025

🔥 NEW READ:

Growth doesn’t have to be dramatic to be meaningful. Chief Frank Leeb reminds us of that in his latest article.

Instead of chasing perfection, what if we all committed to being just a little better, whether that's being a little healthier, kinder, more prepared, or more supportive of each other? Small steps can create a big impact. Read the article here:
https://www.crackyl.com/lessons-leadership-and-leeb-a-new-years-resolution-be-just-a-little-better/

What’s one small thing you’re choosing to do better in 2026? Let us know in the comments.

Grind Consider choosing steady self-improvement, mentorship, and unity over perfection, criticism, and division in the year ahead.

30/12/2025

🔥 NEW READ:

Leadership in the fire service is about connection and how we learn from one another as much as it is about tenure.

From listening more than you speak to owning your mistakes, this article by Kevin Fetterman is a reminder that every firefighter shapes the culture of the firehouse. Read it here:
https://www.crackyl.com/29-years-vs-1-year-why-its-not-a-competition-its-a-connection/

If you’ve ever had a mentor who changed the way you lead, or a rookie who reminded you why you started, tag them in the comments below.

Grind True leadership in the fire service is measured by how well experience and eagerness meet to serve something bigger.

29/12/2025

Cancer screenings save lives, but only when the right experts are reading the results.

Firefighters across the country are learning a hard truth: a scan can catch cancer, but expertise is what catches it in time.

One firefighter was told to “wait six months” after a chest mass was found. He trusted his instincts instead, and that decision changed everything.

This article by Dr. Megan McCarthy breaks down:
• Why screening tools alone aren’t enough
• How expert interpretation changes outcomes
• What firefighters should ask their providers
• Which cancer centers offer rapid, specialized care

Read it here:
https://www.crackyl.com/beyond-the-scan-why-expertise-matters-when-cancer-screening-misses/

What’s one thing you think firefighters should always ask their healthcare provider?

Thrive Cancer screenings are only as good as the providers who interpret them and the actions that follow.

22/12/2025

🔥 NEW READ:

Ever feel like your mind just won’t power down? That’s life for firefighters, first responders, and their families. Shift swaps, long calls, and constant adaptation slowly build mental fatigue, and it affects everyone at home.

From relationship strain to guilt to expectation overload, living around the badge is exhausting. The good news? There are ways to hit reset, protect your mental energy, and make space for connection again. Learn more in this article by PSPNET Canada with CRACKYL:
https://www.crackyl.com/when-your-mind-wont-power-down/

How do you protect your mental bandwidth in a high-stress career?

Connect Inspired by insights from PSPNET on the impact of cognitive overload in public-safety families.

19/12/2025

After a devastating stroke left firefighter Anthony Pelliccio unable to use his arm or hold his grandson, a groundbreaking medical implant helped him reclaim his life. Today, he’s driving again and living with renewed independence.

Dr. Christopher Conner, a brain surgeon at the University of Connecticut’s Brain and Spine Institute and the Director of Functional and Epilepsy Neurosurgery, implanted the Vivistim device into the Anthony’s upper chest.

This first installment of a five-part series explores how cutting-edge neuromodulation is opening new doors for firefighters and first responders facing service-related strokes and neurological injuries, and how veteran advocacy helped make it possible. Read it here:
https://www.crackyl.com/medical-breakthroughs-offer-solutions-to-firefighters-with-service-related-illnesses-and-injuries/

Could these breakthroughs help someone you serve with, or someone you love?

Thrive Functional neuromodulation treatments are now available to firefighters beyond just stroke treatments.

17/12/2025

🔥 NEW READ:

We talk a lot about recruiting the next generation of firefighters.
But are we doing enough for the young firefighters who are already here?

At just 18 years old, firefighter Adam Vapnar shares what it’s like to come into today’s fire service: wanting to train, wanting to earn respect, and wanting to be part of a mission-driven culture. Read his article here:
https://www.crackyl.com/a-gen-z-firefighter-what-i-see-what-i-feel-and-what-i-believe/

Officers and senior members: what’s one thing young firefighters need more of today?

16/12/2025

🔥 NEW READ:

Leadership in the fire service often means carrying the heaviest weight solo. Isolation, unchecked stress, and a culture that resists self-care can take a serious toll on those at the top.

In this article, Division Chief and CEO of Ironclad Wellness Jason Corthell explores the mental wellness challenges facing fire service leaders, and why prioritizing leadership wellness strengthens the entire organization. Read it here:
https://www.crackyl.com/alone-at-the-top-how-isolation-affects-leadership-mental-wellness/

How do you think we can change a culture that rewards sacrifice but ignores the cost? Let us know in the comments.

Grind The climb to the top of the fire service often comes with unchecked stress and a culture that resists self‑care.