
James Rychard
James Rychard is a 23-year firefighter and instructor from Burlington, Ontario. He’s an accomplished author for Firefighting in Canada and Canadian Firefighter magazines, writing on status-quo-challenging, unconventional topics. In 2022, James joined 23 Canadian professionals in publishing “Guarding Against Burnout in the Emergency Services: A Firefighter’s Perspective” in the Canadian Journal of Criminal Justice Report. He holds a BA in Psychology and graduated from the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs–Humber College Fire Service Executive Management Certificate program. James brings a boots-on-the-ground understanding of the fire service’s challenges. He’s a passionate advocate for organizational and personal wellness, specializing in leadership decision-making and mental health. James has presented at international fire leadership conferences on burnout, human factors, performance, culture, and character leadership.