Course Overview

This specialised mental resilience training has been developed in collaboration with Dave Wood, a leading expert in human performance, stress mitigation, and mindset training. Dave has trained elite-level athletes, emergency responders, corporate teams, and frontline professionals in mastering mental resilience, stress control, and peak performance under pressure. Dave was previously a paramedic and first responder for over 12+ years. This course is designed to help individuals and teams respond to emergencies and high-pressure situations with clarity, confidence, and control. Using scientifically backed methods, participants will develop a practical framework for managing stress, enhancing focus, and maintaining decision-making capacity during crises. This training is flexible and adaptive, offering keynote sessions, workshops, and hands-on seminars to suit different needs. The course covers core human behavioral responses, explores nervous system regulation, and teaches real-world techniques to build resilience in emergency environments.

About Dave Wood

Dave Wood is an internationally recognised performance and stress management expert, specializing in mental resilience, stress tolerance, and performance breathing. His background includes:

• 12 years as an Intensive Care Paramedic, responding to high-pressure emergency situations.
• Founder of Integrated Training, coaching elite UFC fighters, world champion boxers, Olympic athletes, professional rugby teams, and corporate leaders.
• Bachelor of Health Science & Post Graduate Diploma in Respiratory Physiology.
• Specialist in stress mitigation, recovery strategies, and performance psychology.
• Has worked with Emirates Team New Zealand, the One NZ Warriors, the NZ Olympic Surfing Team, Red Bull athletes, and high-performance military personnel.

His Calm Under Pressure training has been proven to improve stress response, resilience, and peak performance in extreme conditions. FIRST72 has partnered with Dave to develop exclusive emergency-focused mental resilience training for individuals, communities, and response teams.

What You Will Learn

• ✅ How to stay calm and clear-headed under extreme stress.
• ✅ Understanding fight, flight, and freeze responses and how to control them.
• ✅ How to train your nervous system for resilience and fast recovery.
• ✅ Techniques to override panic and maintain decision-making in emergencies.
• ✅ Performance breathing and oxygen control for endurance and stress reduction.
• ✅ Hands-on scenario-based training for real-world emergency response.
• ✅ NZQA-aligned certification and compliance.

Who This Course is For

• Emergency responders, Civil Defence teams, and frontline personnel.
• Community leaders, marae, and organisations supporting disaster response.
• Businesses, organisations, and corporate teams managing crisis situations.
• Individuals wanting to build mental resilience.

Key Training Methods

• ✔ Breathwork training for stress control, focus, and endurance.
• ✔ Nervous system regulation techniques to maintain composure under pressure.
• ✔ Mindset protocols to enhance clarity, confidence, and response times.
• ✔ Hands-on practical simulations to reinforce real-world application.
• ✔ Custom workshops and seminars tailored for different groups.

Requirements

• No prior experience required – suitable for all skill levels.

Other

• Duration: Customizable (from half-day workshops to keynote speaking and multi-day intensives).
• Location: On-site, remote, or at designated training facilities.
• Group size: Suitable for individuals, teams, and large organisations.