Crawford Coates began working with public safety in 2006, with Wildland Firefighter and FireRescue. His prior experience as a journal manager at the neuroscience title Brain Research made explicit the links between mind, wellbeing, and human performance. In 2013, Crawford began studying Zen and practicing zazen. He has since studied the arts and science of mindfulness and meditation. Crawford is a co-founder of Below 100, and he holds a master's in public policy and administration. He has held positions at Lexipol and RedFlash Group, and is currently head of marketing at FirstWatch, an emergency response data analytics firm.