Thousands of firefighters have been found to experience PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), depression, and even show signs of suicide risk, according to a report released on Nov. 1. The number of psychological counseling cases among firefighters has also doubled over the past five years. The National Fire Agency has requested the National Assembly to allocate...Read More
TREMONTON, Utah (KUTV) — The Tremonton Fire Department introduced Rosie, a 5-month-old Sheepadoodle who joined the department as a therapy dog to support firefighters’ mental health. Rosie began training with her handler, Capt. McBride, the department said. She was expected to help firefighters manage stress and provide comfort after difficult calls. Rosie was not intended...Read More
WACO, Texas — Waco is investing in mental health support for police officers, firefighters and other public safety employees, recognizing the toll that repeated exposure to traumatic events can take on the people who respond to emergencies. Waco City Council approved a services agreement with Baylor Scott & White Research Institute authorizing up to $217,271...Read More
Every call a firefighter responds to is different. Some are routine medical emergencies. Others involve crashes, fatal fires or scenes that can stay with first responders for years. For firefighters, that reality begins long before they ever step foot on a fire truck. “I hope you’ve got a good stomach,” Abilene Fire Department Administrative and...Read More
Denver (CO) Assistant Chief Manny Almaguer draws a distinction most fire departments have never heard: cultural competency and cultural empathy are not the same thing. One checks a box. The other earns trust. In this conversation, he breaks down what that difference actually looks like on the ground. Before he ever put on turnout gear,...Read More
Curt Varone’s voice falters as he describes an all-too-familiar scene. Kneeling on the floor of a stranger’s home, performing CPR and trying to keep someone alive, often with frantic family members watching in shock. “Then you look up, and you’re looking right at their wedding pictures,” Varone says, pausing to finish his thought. “It’s hard...Read More
