By Tom Bolin Imagine waking up every morning thinking about suicide, thinking your wife and children would be better off if you weren’t around. I am a 28-year veteran in the fire service, and this was my reality back in 2019. You see, I had let my mental health go unchecked for … [Read more...]
Firefighter Syndrome: Addressing long-term psychological, physical risks
Firefighters who battled the deadly Lāhainā wildfires on August 8 have earned immense gratitude for their efforts to fend off the historic inferno fed by hurricane force winds and large swaths of fire prone bone-dry brush. Chris Frueh Chris Frueh, a psychology professor at … [Read more...]
Lewis County first responders may soon have access to peer support group
From 2015 to 2017, according to the U.S. Fire Administration, first responders accounted for 1% of all suicides in the country. In a Monday meeting of the Lewis County Fire Commissioners Association, Mike Goodwillie, a commissioner for Lewis County Fire District 5, said … [Read more...]
On Tuesday, Wilkes County (North Carolina) Sheriff Deputies, Wilkes EMS, and Mulberry Fairplains Fire were dispatched to a shooting in North Wilkesboro. When they arrived, they found Daniel Long, 21, conducting CPR on his girlfriend Jenna Boles, 19, who had been shot. Both Long … [Read more...]
When you read some of the stories and headlines in the last few months or so, you have to wonder what's going on? Such simple, basic fire, rescue and EMS responsibilities seem to have been forgotten, with some people in our field having lost their way. In so many respects, … [Read more...]
SAN DIEGO RESPONDERS WORK TO PREVENT SUICIDE WITHIN THEIR RANKS
The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation says suicide is three times more likely to happen in a fire department than a line-of-duty death. Some San Diego first responders are working to reduce the toll. Ben Vernon is one of those first responders. Nine years ago, the … [Read more...]
A ONE-DAY "TRAIN THE TRAINER" PROGRAM... ...IN KANSAS CITY Tuesday, Aug 15, 2023 "FIRE DEPARTMENT BEHAVIOR & BULLYING" “Respect Our House – Extinguishing Bullying” It's 2023 and unfortunately, one of the issues facing our profession is BULLYING. Bullying. And yep-what … [Read more...]