This research sleep health coaching program is based on military models and is implemented in partnership with the University of Arizona, Arizona State University, and the 100 Club of Arizona. Firefighters, from participating agencies, will be assigned a coach who will improve your sleep fitness, and guide you to more and better sleep.
Learn about our program: https://saffire.publichealth.arizona.edu/
Summary of Study:
Fire service workers face a heightened risk of sleep disturbances, with nearly half of career firefighters reporting insufficient sleep and poor sleep quality. Sleep issues—such as insufficient, irregular, and disrupted sleep—are closely linked to cardiovascular disease (CVD). Alarmingly, about 1 in 4 firefighters are at a borderline, intermediate, or high risk of experiencing an atherosclerotic CVD event over a ten-year period.
The good news is that improving sleep quality can have a significant positive impact on heart health. The American Heart Association now recommends treating sleep disorders as a key strategy for preventing hypertension, which is a major contributor to CVD.
The SAFFIRE study is designed to address these challenges by introducing and evaluating an evidence-based, workplace sleep fitness program tailored specifically for uniformed fire service members. The goal of the program is to reduce sleep disturbances, change the sleep health culture in the fire service, and expand our understanding of how to successfully implement and sustain workplace sleep health interventions.
Recruitment: Please take a short, 5-minute online survey to check if you qualify for study participation by clicking the 5-minute eligibility survey.
Participating agencies:
Arizona Fire and Medical Authority, Buckeye Fire Medical Rescue Department, Central Arizona Fire and Medical Authority, Casa Grande Fire Department, Drexel Heights Fire District, Flagstaff Fire Department, Gilbert Fire & Rescue Department, Golder Ranch Fire District, Goodyear Fire Department, Kingman Fire Department, Mesa Fire & Medical Department, Northwest Fire District, Peoria Fire-Medical Department, Phoenix Fire Department, Rural Metro Fire – Phoenix, Rural Metro Fire – Tucson, Santa Rita Fire District, Scottsdale Fire Department, Tucson Fire Department, Yuma Fire Department.
Contact Us
Have questions about the SAFFIRE study? Feel free to reach out to the research team:
Sleep health coaches connect with firefighters via Zoom or phone to create personalized plans that help improve sleep quality, quantity, or consistency. The program is flexible and remote, allowing firefighters to work with their coach from anywhere. Sleep coaches are trained by experts from the University of Arizona in the latest, evidence-based sleep strategies.
The program is based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBTi), a proven method for managing sleep problems and disturbances related to shift work. It focuses on changing thoughts, behaviors, and environmental factors that individuals can control. Together with their coach, participants choose the strategies that align with their personal goals, ensuring solutions are both effective and tailored to their specific situation on and off-shift.
Learn more about the SAFFIRE sleep coaches on our website!
Sara Armstrong
Sara Armstrong is married to a firefighter who’s been on the department for 15 years. As a trained Sleep Health Coach, she is excited to help support firefighters in getting restorative sleep through personalized sleep strategies. In addition, she is a certified Yoga Instruction and believe in empowering others in sustaining healthy lifestyle routines that balance both their mental and physical well-being.
Josh Barnum
Josh Barnum is a veteran firefighter, engineer and paramedic with 27 years of service and a deep commitment to first responder wellness. In addition to SAFFIRE sleep coach, he is finishing a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling. Josh is active in the peer support community and advocates for mental health strategies for firefighters. Josh brings lived experience and cultural competence to help firefighters improve their sleep health, guided by a core belief that restorative sleep is essential to mental well-being and trauma recovery. He integrates his clinical education, fire service career experience, and mental health advocacy into his work to support his brothers and sisters.
Ashley Bohan
Informed by a strong belief in the clinical value of sleep as a foundation for wellness, Ashley Bohan serves both as a coach and a research technician on the SAFFIRE study. Ashley is a proud Wildcat, holding a BS in Psychological Science from the U of Arizona. Through conversations and ride-along experience, she’s gained firsthand insight into the realities of fire service life that has deepened her interest in how tailored sleep strategies can support mental health in first responders.
Mike Farber
Mike Farber is a retired Firefighter working as a Sleep Coach with the University of Arizona. He spent 41 years as a Firefighter/Paramedic, moving up the ranks and culminating in becoming a Fire Chief during the last five years of his career, and earned his PhD after completing research on the cognitive effects of fragmented sleep in visual-spatial working memory. It is his passion and commitment to ensure the health and safety of his fire service Brothers and Sisters and to give back to the profession that has given so much to him and his family.
William ‘Bodie” Grimm
William “Bodie” Grimm has over 23 years of experience in the fire service and currently holds the rank of Engineer. He’s actively involved in public education, firefighter wellness initiatives, and addressing the unique sleep challenges that come with the job. As a trained sleep coach for the SAFFIRE study, William supports fellow firefighters in improving their sleep and overall health.
David Kirk
David Kirk is a Fire Captain with over 17 years of service and a distinguished record in firefighter wellness, EMS training, and operational innovation. He currently is the Division Captain of Phoenix Fire’s new Member Services Wellness Section. A U.S. Army veteran and Arizona State University graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Social Work, David Kirk became a SAFFIRE sleep coach to help fellow firefighters build sustainable sleep habits. He advocates for the role of restorative sleep in strengthening physical health, fostering mental resilience, and sharpening decision-making in high-pressure environments.
Ananya Shah
Ananya Shah’s connection to the fire service began with a ride-along with the Tucson Fire Department, gaining a glimpse into the daily rhythms, close-knit culture, and unique challenges firefighters navigate. That experience sparked a growing interest in how better sleep can support firefighters’ health. In her coaching practice, she draws on her scientific foundation – a BS in Biology from the U of Arizona – and her clinical experience as a medical assistant in an infusion center.
‘An Institutional Review Board responsible for human subjects research at The University of Arizona reviewed the research project and found it to be acceptable, according to applicable state and federal regulations and University policies designed to protect the rights and welfare of participants in research.’
