As Firefighter Stand Down Week approaches, check out this upcoming Lexipol webinar: The Firefighter Mindshift: Leading the Behavioral Health Reset Monday, June 16, 2025 | 1 pm Eastern [60 minutes] Register Here This webinar will use the “reset” framework to explore the connection between mental health, performance, and leadership, and to provide a new perspective...Read More
All, On behalf of the IAFF, NVFC, NFPA, FDSOA, and IAFC (Safety, Health, and Survival Section), the 2025 Firefighter Safety Stand Down will focus on the critical topic of behavioral health. Chiefs, Fire Officers, and Firefighters will be asked to help break the stigma and RESET their approach to behavioral health through the following daily focus themes:...Read More
On behalf of the IAFF, NVFC, NFPA, FDSOA, and IAFC (Safety, Health, and Survival Section), the 2025 Firefighter Safety Stand Down will focus on the critical topic of behavioral health. Chiefs, Fire Officers, and Firefighters will be asked to help break the stigma and RESET their approach to behavioral health through the following daily focus themes: Recognize,...Read More
Statistics from the U.S. Fire Administration show that approximately 100 firefighters die by suicide each year. While some platforms are censoring the word suicide because of the stigma it carries, families of those who have taken their own lives are left to deal with the aftermath — and some want suicide to be talked about more,...Read More
Firefighter and Paramedic Lt. Tommy Bolin knows the stresses of his job all too well. “It’s a hard truth that more firefighters and police officers die by suicide than actually in the line of duty,” Bolin said. Bolin came close to taking his own life in 2019. “Honestly, my son walked down on me that...Read More
By Bangor Daily News: A Bangor firefighter died by suicide Wednesday night, prompting the Fire Department to acknowledge that the industry is “just beginning to understand” mental health and publicize available resources for firefighters. Lt. William “Billy” VanPeursem died unexpectedly, Bangor Fire Chief Geoffrey Low said in a statement. VanPeursem joined the department in 1989 and...Read More
