Exhibitor Videos

In this 16-minute interview, Director of Community Development Christopher Poe, retired US Army Infantry First Sergeant with multiple deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan and Senior Trainer at 49 North™, shares why resilience training has become an operational necessity for today’s Emergency Services professionals. Speaking at the Emergency Services Show in Birmingham, England, Poe outlines the origins of 49 North’s evidence-based Mental Armor™ curriculum, a program developed in partnership with Brigadier General (Ret.) Dr. Rhonda Cornum and rooted in decades of military, medical, and psychological research.

The conversation explores how stress impacts performance, decision-making, and long-term wellbeing for first responders, firefighters, law enforcement, and emergency medical personnel. Poe emphasizes that while stress is inevitable in high-stakes professions, suffering is not. By building practical skills in emotional regulation, optimism, meaning, and purpose, emergency personnel can enhance readiness, reduce burnout, and sustain their ability to serve communities when it matters most.

Drawing on his own experiences as a combat leader and drill sergeant, Poe highlights why traditional “toughness” is no longer enough in today’s operational environment. Instead, structured resilience training gives first responders the tools to perform under pressure, recover more quickly, and protect both their personal health and professional effectiveness.

This interview offers an inside look at 49 North’s mission: equipping those who run toward crisis with the mindset, science, and skills to thrive—not just survive—under pressure. It is a message of preparation, empowerment, and sustainability for the emergency services community.