On today's episode Brian and Kara welcome Ian Palmer from Thin Line Fitness to continue the discussion of fitness and the fire service.

About Thin Line Fitness (@thinlinefitness):

Thin Line Fitness was started in 2017. It started as a vision, though, many years ago. Ian was tired of seeing the rapid increase of cardiac and medical related LODD's across the field of first responders, as well as the increasing number of out of shape personnel. He made the dream come alive after he received his certification as a personal trainer and a solid nudge in the right direction by his group of close friends and his wife.

About Our Guest:

Ian is a professional firefighter at the Ridge Culver Fire Department right outside of the City of Rochester, New York. He found his love for physical fitness when he was 18. At the time he weighed 270 pounds. After his uncle died at an early age of health-related issues, he decided he needed to make a change since he didn't want to take the same path. He put the pedal to the metal, ate right, exercised regularly and intensely, and dropped to 150 pounds in a year. After that he joined the Air Force as a firefighter, where he still serves as a Technical Sergeant and Station Captain. He has deployed twice to the Middle East, which further increased his interest and knowledge in the physical fitness realm. Upon returning from his last deployment, his best friend and fellow firefighter, Matt, talked him into starting Thin Line Fitness. The gears turned, steps were taken, and it was finally started.

About our hosts:

Chief Brian Soller has been a volunteer firefighter for 30 years.  Brian is currently the Chief of the Rock Hill Fire Department in Rock Hill, New York (100% Volunteer) and a Past Chief of the Monticello Fire Department in Monticello, NY (Combination). 

Brian is a Nationally Certified Level II Fire Instructor as well a Nationally Certified Fire Officer. He has been instructing firefighters of all levels for the past 17 years as a New York State Fire Instructor.  Brian is also a long time New York State Emergency Medical Technician (20+ years), formally serving as the Captain of the Monticello Volunteer Ambulance Corp (early 90's) and currently serving with Mobilemedic EMS .  

Brian's passion lies in the promotion of professionalism in the volunteer fire service. 

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Kara Judd, is a six year member of the Cazenovia Fire Department where she currently serves as a Lieutenant and Emergency Medical Technician. Kara is also a certified Critical Incident Stress Debriefer as well as an AFAA certified fitness instructor and the owner of Saint Florian Fitness. 

Her full time career is at the Upstate Medical Hospital in Syracuse, NY where she is the Data and Burn Prevention Outreach Coordinator. 

You can find Kara in Instagram @st.florianfitness

In this episode, Ian Palmer, Chief Executive Officer of White & Co. PLC, discusses how he began in the industry some 43 years ago, starting at White & Co. in Plymouth which was ran by his father at the time.

We discover that Ian wanted to become a Geography Teacher, before trying to get into the Royal Navy as a Navigation Officer, but life on the vans soon took over and Ian became a second-generation remover, with his son Adam since becoming third-generation.

We discover that Ian is a really good packer, being both quick and efficient and how management training from White & Co. lead him to becoming an Estimator, Assistant Branch Manager at Forres in Scotland before returning to Plymouth to a become a Branch Manager himself.

We discuss that being made a Director of White & Co. at the mere age of 35 Ian relocated to Hertfordshire to run a newly opened branch in North London, while also managing branches in Jersey & Guernsey. And how in 2003 Ian moved to Head Office in Botley, Southampton to take over as Chief Executive Officer.

We discover that White & Co. PLC was founded by A.W. White in Portsmouth in 1871, working with the Royal Navy providing staff cartidge facilities in the dock yard, which then morphed into transportation and then removals. Today White & Co. have an impressive 19 branches, 210 vehicles and 460 staff, and are founder members of FIDI and OMNI.

We discuss how in Ian’s earlier years he had to overcome the challenge of being the boss’s son, and professionally how Ian is seemingly very impatient, which he has learned to curb a little.

We discover that becoming CEO of White & Co. was a personal high point for Ian, but also becoming the current BAR President was a pretty special occasion for him.

We discuss how the conveyancing situation is a major frustration, just one thing Ian would change within the industry, as well as it being unregulated.

We discuss archive storage, or records management to some, and discover that the digital age has not really affected business as the number of physical files currently being stored is the highest it’s ever been.

We discover that over the next 5 years Ian has no intention of retiring from his role as CEO of White & Co. At the end of his BAR Presidency (May 2021) Ian hopes to return to the Overseas Group Council. Ian predicts that the industry is going to make greater use of technology in the coming years, electric vehicles, perhaps even hydrogen, and there will be greater focus on shared facilities, operations, and resources.

Outside of the industry we discover Ian likes riding his motorcycle, fast, he enjoys watching rock bands at venues around the UK but also at a local Southampton venue, and that he has a passion for Cricket as the Rose Bowl is literally 500 metres from his home.

And as always we end Moving Matters with a couple of funny moving stories, one where Ian discovered that not all wood floats, and all White & Co. branch managers switch off now because we also learn how Ian came 2nd at a privateers track day, in his company car!

Enjoy!

Links to White & Co. PLC:

• Website
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Linkedin

Special Guest: Ian Palmer.

Joining me today are 2 guys that are passionate about the culture of fitness; Aaron Quinn of Live.Serve.Thrive and Ian Palmer of Thin Line Fitness. We dig into the road blocks that keep departments from fully investing in fitness and all the benefits that come to those departments that do invest in it. Even if you are just one person at your department that wants to start changing the culture you need to start and sooner or later that work will spread to others. Start where you are at and invest in your career and yourself.

You can find Aaron on all social platforms by searching for Live Serve Thrive, Instagram at @live.serve.thrive .

Ian can be found on Facebook at Thin Line Fitness and Instagram at @thinlinefitness .

I am thankful to these guys for bringing their knowledge and passion for fitness.

Ian Palmer is a 4th generation firefighter and works at the Ridge Culver Fire Department in Irondequoit, New York. He also is an Air Force Veteran with two deployments to the Middle East. Ian had a wake up call about his physical fitness when his uncle passed away at a young age and Ian proceeded to lose 120 pounds in a very unhealthy way. His fitness journey has now come full circle to where he is today. He is a personal trainer, IAFF Peer Fitness Trainer, and the owner of Thin Line Fitness. Ian is a fitness instructor at the New York State Fire Academy where he lead the way bringing functional fitness to recruits, and a fitness instructor for Monroe County Firefighter Recruits. He has been a firefighter for a combined 12 years between volunteer and career. He strongly believes that good physical and mental fitness is the foundation to build a great firefighter.  Ian discusses why it is important to take physical fitness seriously throughout your career and  how it will help you get the most out of your retirement.

Instagram  www.instagram.com/jerryfireandfuel or www.instagram.com/enduringthebadgepodcast. I can also be reached at 801-376-7124 or email at enduringthebdage@gmail.com. Please give my information to anyone that may need it or you anyone you would like be on the podcast. Please  subscribe to the podcast and leave a review were ever you listen to your podcast.  If you like the podcast please share the show and join the online community at www.instagram.com/enduringthebadgepodcast.

In this, the final part of the Ian Palmer interviews we find out about another life threatening concern that Ian had to deal with and how it led to a wonderful relationship.

After my many years in the world of aviation there aren’t many people I have met who would be willing to open up their lives in the way that Ian has done.  In doing so my regard and respect for him has done nothing but grow.  Should anybody listening feel that they want to seek Ian out to ask for his help or advice then please contact him at Ian@ianpalmer.com

Brain surgery isn’t for the faint hearted but Ian, with typical understatement, tackled it head on!

Ian, back on the flight deck of his beloved Airbus A330.

Images with thanks to Ian Palmer.

The third Ian Palmer interview deals with Ian’s attempts to overcome his condition of alcohol dependance and how his life moved on.

Ian rehearsing with his friend and mentor, Steve Gadd.

Images with thanks to Ian Palmer.

In this, the second of the Ian Palmer interviews we continue with Ian’s story and he describes his move from a career in music to one in aviation.  We also find out how his condition of alcohol dependance starts to affect him.

Ian doing aerobatics in an Extra 300.

The unusual Piaggio P-180.

Ian meets the Iron Maiden drummer, Nicko McBrain.

Images with thanks to Ian Palmer and, under Creative Commons licence,Tibboh.

Ian Palmer’s life has hardly gone as smoothly as he might have wished.  Born into a family of musicians, particularly drummers including Carl Palmer of the band ELP, he started off as a very successful drummer himself.  What he didn’t know was that he suffered from a condition that carries great stigma and frequently leads to ruin and death… alcoholism.

This is the first part of an inspiring and brutally honest interview that follows his life from drumming into aviation.

Title image: Ian Palmer with Steve White of the Paul Weller band, Brian Bennett of The Shadows and Pete Cater.

Ian Palmer… drummer.

Images with thanks to Ian Palmer.

Ian Palmer is a local Norman, Oklahoma musician who approaches his craft with both passion and innovation and has created a unique/signature sound that is unlike anything out there. In addition to discussing his art, Ian also takes some time to share his story and how growing up in Post 9/11 America has helped shape his worldview and personal philosophy. We hope to have Ian on several more times to share more of his art, as well as the rest of his fascinating story.