Why participate in SAFFIRE?
Sleep is essential for the health, performance, and overall well-being of firefighters. While specific benefits of the SAFFIRE program cannot be guaranteed, prior research shows that improving sleep can lead to:
- Better physical health. Quality sleep improves immune function, reduces inflammation, and lowers the risk of chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease.
- Improved mental clarity. Better sleep enhances decision-making, sustained attention, memory, and critical thinking— key skills for navigating complex, high-pressure emergency situations.
- Enhanced emotional wellbeing. Adequate sleep supports emotional stability and mood regulation, reducing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and anger.
- Improved performance. Well-rested individuals demonstrate faster reaction times, better coordination, and increased physical endurance- critical for physically demanding roles.
- Greater Safety: Quality sleep minimizes the risk of errors and accidents caused by fatigue, improving safety for firefighters and the communities they serve.
- Increased Job Satisfaction: Feeling well-rested contributes to higher job satisfaction and reduced burnout, fostering a more positive and sustainable work environment.
Sleep Fitness Program Details
The SAFFIRE study has tailored a sleep fitness program designed for the fire service that includes personalized sleep health coaching and also sleep leadership training.
Sleep health coaching
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.
What is a sleep coach?
Sleep coaches are trained paraprofessionals who help individuals improve their sleep by supporting behavior change. They don’t diagnose or treat medical conditions. Instead, they guide people toward sustainable sleep habits that align with their personal goals and values.
Learn more about the SAFFIRE sleep coaches below.
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.
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.
What are their credentials?
All sleep coaches participating in the SAFFIRE study must meet the following qualifications:
- Successfully complete a minimum of 60 credit hours in an applied health-related field (equivalent to an associate’s degree), or demonstrate equivalent professional experience
- Fulfill all training requirements mandated by the University of Arizona and its Institutional Review Board (IRB)
- Complete a vigorous, evidence-based sleep coaching course (about 4-5 credit hours at university-level) administered by behavioral sleep experts at the University of Arizona.
The course provides comprehensive training in ethical standards, sleep science, and the practice of sleep coaching. The program emphasizes confidentiality, cultural competency for fire service workers, and strong communication skills. Coaches are also expected to uphold the ethical standards of the Health Education Profession. In addition, coaches must:
- Demonstrate sleep coaching skills through video reviewed by an expert in behavioral sleep psychology.
Throughout their participation in the study, SAFFIRE coaches record sessions, a subset of which are randomly selected for expert review to ensure coaching quality and fidelity. In addition to these reviews, coaches engage in ongoing continuing education in sleep science and participate in structured consultations with a behavioral sleep specialist for feedback and quality assurance.
To learn more about what type of content may be used during the sleep health coaching sessions please watch these short videos:
Firefighter example Medic example
Sleep leadership training
Fire service managers take an asynchronous online training in sleep leadership. This training includes guidance on creating supportive sleep environments and routines, educating firefighters about barriers and facilitators of sleep, and promoting healthy sleep behaviors.