Many blue-collar jobs rank as evenmore stressful than their salaried counterparts. Firefighters, for example, topthe list of most stressful blue-collar jobs and rank at the top of all of the200 jobs studied in our report. Firefighters routinely face dangerous andcomplex fires and often face poisonous gases or other hazardous materials. 1. Firefighter . Firefighter...Read More
There’s a reason that most so-calledprimitive cultures have avoided the depression epidemic afflictingindustrialized nations. In a provocative book, a clinical psychologist suggeststhat adopting more “hunter-gatherer” habits can help us escape theblues. According to the latest research,about one in four Americans — more than 70 million people — will meet thecriteria for major depression at some...Read More
Proposed Removal ofCISM/CISD considerations from NFPA 1500 You may notbe aware that there is a proposed amendment that specifically deletes referenceto CISD/CISM as a required or desirable course of action for dealing withfirefighters involved with behavioral health challenges. Until Ibegan to speak a couple of years ago about the issue of mental healthchallenges in the...Read More
Zeroto Hero On The Brink of Disaster By Wayne M. Zygowicz Thisis story of heroism under the extreme conditions and unbeatable odds. Similarstories of such unparalleled courage and bravery have played out time and againacross America when first responders face death to save other people’s lives.If you ask most of them afterwards they’ll...Read More
Until Death Do We Part Suicide Crisis Co-Authors WayneZygowicz – BA, EFO, EMT-P MikeGrill – MS, EFO, EMT-P It was a clear crisp winter day as I stoodin full dress uniform directly in front of Tom’s casket. Hundreds of hisbrother firefighters and paramedics from around the state had come to...Read More
Wheredoes Superman go when the cape comes off? Stress, post-trauma resources forfire fighters, police byRonnie Reese March 03, 2011 Pat Kenny was chief of the HinsdaleFire Department when his son Sean took his own life on June 3, 2006. Sean hadsuffered from depression and anxiety disorders since the age of 5. He wastwenty when...Read More
