On March 24, 1972, I was a 20-year-old volunteer firefighter with the Valley Cottage, New York Fire Department. Shortly before 8 AM, five lives were ended and many lives, including mine, were changed forever when a fully loaded school bus was struck broadside by a freight train … [Read more...]
PROGRAM AIMS TO HELP FAIRFAX FIREFIGHTERS ADDRESS MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Officials with the Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department are assuring the public that in order to better serve them, fire personnel must also take care of themselves. The agency is working to expand its "Mental Mayday" program across the … [Read more...]
FEMALE NURSES TWICE AS LIKELY TO DIE BY SUICIDE THAN OTHER NURSES
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (StudyFinds.org) – Burnout among healthcare providers may have hit new levels during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. For many, the stress from long hours and constant exposure to severely ill or deceased patients can take a massive toll on mental health. In … [Read more...]
RESPONDERS GET MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING IN LOUISIANA
BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) – The annual Louisiana Instructors & Firefighters Training (LIFT) Conference is back, bigger and better than ever before. The conference gives first responders, from all over the U.S., a safe place, where they can learn, network, and … [Read more...]
RESEARCHERS REPORT NEED FOR MORE STUDY OF PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT ON WILDLAND FFs
As climate change fuels more severe wildfires that burn through larger swaths of forestland and homes each year, firefighters are facing increasingly unpredictable, catastrophic blazes, leading many to speak out about suicide among their ranks, an occupational hazard they once … [Read more...]
CITY COUNCIL APPROVES PAID MENTAL HEALTH LEAVE FOR FFs – DALLAS
DALLAS — The recent suicides of two Dallas firefighters spurred action at Dallas City Hall to award paid mental health leave for firefighters, something only Dallas police officers received before today. Councilman Adam McGough started the discussion at Wednesday's … [Read more...]
A few weeks ago, dangerous thoughts raced through Kevin Doherty's mind. The district chief with Toronto Fire was off work after getting his hip replaced and pain reverberated through his body. He stared at two hydromorphone pills, weighing how he might use the … [Read more...]