The National Firefighter Registry: Your Voice Matters (Even Without a Diagnosis)

Let me be straight with you: I don't do fluff, and neither should you when it comes to your health.

When Rick Markley joined me on After the Tones Drop, we talked about something that could literally save your life—and the lives of every firefighter who comes after you. The National Firefighter Registry for Cancer isn't just another bureaucratic checkbox. It's a game-changer, and here's why you need to care.

Listent to the full episode here: https://www.afterthetonesdrop.co/rick-markley

The Bottom Line (Because Time is Money, and Your Health is Everything)

The NFR is NIOSH's long-term research project tracking cancer rates and risk factors among firefighters. Career, volunteer, retired, wildland—it doesn't matter. What matters is data. Real data. Your data.

And here's the kicker that Rick hammered home: You don't need a cancer diagnosis to register.

Read that again.

The data from healthy firefighters is just as valuable—maybe more so—than data from those who've been diagnosed. Why? Because researchers need the full picture. They need to understand who gets cancer, who doesn't, and what factors make the difference.

Why This Is Personal (And Why Vulnerability is Strength)

Look, I know we're taught to be tough. To push through. To not show weakness. But here's what Brené Brown taught us that applies directly to this moment: courage isn't about being bulletproof. It's about showing up even when it's uncomfortable.

Registering for the NFR is you showing up—not just for yourself, but for every firefighter who will ever pull on boots after you. It's you saying, "My story matters. My health matters. And I'm willing to be part of the solution."

That's not weakness. That's leadership.

The CRACKYL Difference: Whole-Person Health

Rick's work with CRACKYL Magazine embodies something we desperately need in the fire service: a holistic approach to wellness. Physical fitness? Yes. But also sleep, nutrition, mental health, emotional resilience, and the courage to admit when we're struggling.

As Rick puts it, CRACKYL is about helping first responders "thrive, not just survive." That's the standard we should all be holding ourselves to.

Take Action (Because Information Without Action is Just Entertainment)

Here's your assignment:

1. Register for the NFR today: nfr.cdc.gov
2. It's quick, secure, and confidential
3. Share this with your crew—make it a station activity
4. Commit to one wellness habit this week (sleep? meditation? saying no to that third beer or better yet skip it all together!)

Final Thoughts: Service as Self-Care

Rick said something that hit me hard: "Volunteering your time is really a great mental health reset and a grounding exercise."

You already know this. Every time you respond to a call, every time you help someone on their worst day, you're experiencing the power of service. But are you extending that same care to yourself?

Registering for the NFR is an act of service—to yourself, your family, and every firefighter who will come after you. It takes 15 minutes. Maybe less.

What's stopping you?

Your participation builds a stronger future for everyone in the fire service. No diagnosis required. Just courage.

Now stop reading and go register. nfr.cdc.gov

After the Tones Drop is about real talk for first responders. No BS. Just truth, science, and the kind of conversations that actually move the needle. Because you deserve better than "stay safe out there."