better together marriage seminar

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Marriage is one of God's greatest gifts, but it's also one of life's greatest commitments. Every marriage requires intentionality, sacrifice, grace, and continual growth.

For firefighter couples, those challenges can be shaped by the unique demands of the fire service. Long shifts, mandatory overtime, difficult calls, missed holidays, fatigue, changing schedules, and time away from home can affect both partners in different ways. The firefighter may carry the emotional and physical demands of the job, while the spouse may carry much of the responsibility for keeping the home, children, schedules, and daily life moving while their partner is away.

Better Together is designed so that both partners feel seen, heard, and valued. This is not about deciding whose role is harder or whose sacrifices matter more. It is about helping each partner better understand the parts of the other's world that may not always be visible.

The seminar brings together three important elements: current relationship research, an understanding of fire service culture, and faith. Couples will learn practical relationship skills supported by research while also exploring how biblical principles and faith can strengthen connection, commitment, communication, and resilience.

This is not couples counseling. Couples will not be asked to disclose private details about their marriage or share personal relationship problems with the group. Instead, the goal is to provide practical, research-informed tools that couples can take home and use privately to navigate the common challenges that appear in relationships.

Spouses will have an opportunity to better understand what the fire service can bring home, including stress, fatigue, difficult experiences, and the culture of the job. Firefighters will also have an opportunity to better understand the often unseen work their spouse does to keep family life moving while they are serving the community. Both experiences matter, and both partners contribute to the strength of the relationship.

Throughout the seminar, couples will learn ways to communicate more effectively under stress, challenge assumptions, listen with curiosity, navigate conflict without blame, recognize each other's hidden efforts, and become more intentional about protecting their connection.

The good news is this: your marriage is God's design, and He desires for it to thrive. A strong marriage isn't built by chance. It is built on purpose. With biblical truth, practical relationship skills, and research-informed strategies, couples will strengthen their connection, protect their relationship from the unique stresses of the fire service, and build a marriage that grows stronger through every season.

Join us for this faith-based marriage seminar designed specifically for firefighter couples. Better Together combines current relationship science with an understanding of fire service culture and the powerful role faith has in marriage. The goal is simple: to help couples better understand one another, strengthen the relationship they share, and remember that they are on the same team.

 Better Together will take place on Saturday, October 24, from 9:00am - 3:00pm at the Professional Firefighters of Ocala Local #2135 Union Hall (1013 E. Silver Springs Boulevard).

Better Together is open to those who serve with Marion County Fire Rescue and Ocala Fire Rescue.

Lunch and snacks will be provided. Cost of the event is $25 per couple with registration limited to 30 couples.

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Joe LaCognata is the Founder and President of Fire Rescue Support, Inc.  Joe started his involvement with emergency services in 1986 as a volunteer firefighter and EMT.  Since becoming a pastor in 1994, his connection with emergency services has been through the chaplaincy with both police and fire departments.  Joe currently serves as the Statewide Chaplaincy Coordinator with the Florida Firefighter Safety and Health Collaborative and as Chaplain with the Florida Fire Chiefs Association. Joe retired from day-to-day operations as Chaplain with Marion County Fire Rescue, Ocala Fire Rescue, and The Villages Department of Public Safety in February 2026.

Joe has completed Basic Chaplain training through the International Fellowship of Chaplains. He is an Approved Instructor in Individual and Group Crisis Intervention with the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation and has his Certification in Critical Incident Stress Management from the University of Maryland Baltimore County Department of Emergency Health Services. Joe is an Endorsed Chaplain with the North American Mission Board and a Master Fire Chaplain with the Federation of Fire Chaplains. Joe holds a PhD in Educational Leadership from Illinois State University.

Joe has been married to Kim since 1985 and they are the proud parents of five amazing children, four wonderful sons-in-law, and four adorable grandchildren.

Benoit “Ben” Aubin is a Relationship Educator, Registered Marriage and Family Therapy Intern, and Doctoral Student researching the role trauma plays in relationships.

Ben brings more than 20 years of combined experience as a U.S. Navy hospital corpsman, firefighter-paramedic, and mental health professional. He is also a Registered Mental Health Counseling Intern, with a professional focus on first responder mental health, trauma, peer support, and relationships.

His work centers on translating research and clinical knowledge into practical tools that strengthen first responders, couples, and families. Ben is especially passionate about developing education and training that reflects the realities of public safety service while helping individuals and families build stronger communication, connection, and resilience.

Outside of his professional and academic work, Ben enjoys drawing, sculpting, and creating art inspired by storytelling.