Cognitive Resilience for Firefighters with Dr. Beise

What if your brain could tell you how close you are to burnout long before you ever feel the symptoms? In this conversation, neuroscientist Dr. Nolan Beise shares how cognitive resilience technology is helping firefighters understand their brain health, prevent Operational Stress Injury, and build long-term resilience.

Dr. Beise is the co-founder of Circl, a neurotechnology company measuring real-time brain performance. Using EEG-based data, Circl reveals how well your brain is processing the world around you and how your daily habits, stress, sleep, and shift work affect cognitive function.

We explore the science behind brain fatigue, what a “brain score” actually means, why memory declines under stress, and the surprising role joy and fun play in restoring neurological health. This is a game-changing conversation for anyone in the fire service.

If you’re a firefighter, chief officer, first responder, or someone who works in high-stress environments, this episode gives you practical, science-backed strategies to support your brain, protect your resilience, and stay healthy across your entire career.
You’ll learn how cognitive resilience impacts leadership, decision-making, family life, and long-term wellbeing, and why measuring your brain may be one of the most important health decisions you ever make.

Listen now, share this episode with your crew, and subscribe to Beneath the Helmet so you never miss the conversations shaping the future of firefighter wellness and leadership.

Timestamps

00:42 — Introducing Dr. Nolan Beise and the origin of Circl
07:00 — What Circl measures: cognitive resilience and why it matters for firefighters
10:00 — Understanding brain scores: what’s healthy, what’s concerning
13:00 — How the brain test works and what it reveals
19:30 — Caffeine, sleep, shift work, and hidden threats to firefighter brain health
31:00 — Real-life improvements firefighters see when their brain resilience increases
39:00 — The importance of joy, dopamine, and rebuilding a healthy brain after burnout
54:00 — Dr. Beise’s final message: why measuring your brain now protects your future

Connect with Dr. Beise of Circl Brain Health

nolan@circlbrain.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/nolanbeise/Arjuna George - Fire Chief (ret)

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