STORIES
Members of the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department recognize that there needs to be a shift in culture regarding conversations about mental health and its connection to physical health. The department started their peer support team with 10 members. Since then, their program has seen tremendous growth with up to 70 team members and support animals, providing services for various challenges that firefighters face with their work or personal lives. San Diego Fire-Rescue Department takes wellness to the next level with its Wellness Center, providing annual physical exams, cancer screenings, submaximal stress tests, nutrition education, athletic training, and physical therapy. The department serves as a role model for prioritizing and supporting the well-being of its members.
WELLNESS IN ACTION
From securing SCBAs to utilizing mental health resources, Marin County Firefighters make a constant effort to improve their quality of life and ability to perform their duties. With the support of their behavioral health team, Marin County Firefighters can rely on resources like a peer support team and an app that provides information for crisis lines, mental health information, vetted clinicians list, resources for sobriety, and more.
A HEALTHIER FUTURE FOR FIREFIGHTERS
BUILDING RESILIENCE THROUGH SUPPORT SOLUTIONS
Santa Barbara County Firefighters acknowledge the risks that come with the calls they answer to. By utilizing their peer support programs and mental health resources like First Responder Wellness, culturally competent clinicians, inpatient and outpatient programs, and more, members of their crew developed a deeper sense of comradery, trust, and resilience.
Beau began to recognize how the demands of the firefighting profession began to affect his own mental health which his family also recognized. In response, he researched and studied the stresses put on firefighters on a daily basis that are largely unrecognized. Beau then created a presentation about these stresses, how to recognize them, and how to maintain a sound mental state even during the horrific scenes that firefighters encounter daily.
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SEMINAR
Anaheim Firefighter-Paramedic Matt Fiorenza's harrowing journey led him to the brink of suicide, but eventually toward hope and healing.
MATT’S STORY
Kern Co. firefighter Derek Robinson shares his story of post-traumatic stress injury, the dark path it took him down, and his path to healing.
DEREK’S STORY
Firefighters and family members who've experienced post-traumatic stress talk about why first responders need to break through the stigma surrounding emotional wellness and seek help when the horrors of the job become too much to bear.
BREAKING THE STIGMA
Stamford, CT Fire Captain Jacques Roy opens up on the TODAY Show about the emotional impact of his experiences as a firefighter, in particular a difficult Christmas call.
JAQUES’ STORY
Firefighters are stepping forward to help heal our own. The IAFF Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Treatment and Recovery in Maryland is where front line firefighters can get the help they need from those who know their pain best.
IAFF CENTER OF EXCELLENCE
When Sacramento Firefighter Jeff Wells suffered a catastrophic fall in 2011, he was left with a difficult emotional recovery. The injury also left a mark on his captain on the scene that day.
ONE STORY … TWO SIDES
Hemet Fire Chief Matt Shobert was first on scene at an incident when a random accident changed his life, and that of his wife Tami. Together, they talk of how the impact of post-traumatic stress injury affects families.
MATT AND TAMI’S STORY
Brendan McDonough was one of the elite Granite Mountain Hotshots in Prescott, Arizona. When the devastating Yarnell Hills Fire killed 19 of his brother firefighters, Brendan came face-to-face with mental and emotional injuries that took him to the brink of suicide.