Fire & EMS Leader Pro The job of old firefighters is to teach young firefighters how to become old firefighters!

Tag Archives: expanding role of fire departments

Community Risk Reduction: What Should It Mean for Your Community?

October 2, 2017 1 Comment

By: Robert Avsec, Executive Fire Officer The other day, I came across a very informative and thought-provoking article on LinkedIn about Community Risk Reduction (CRR). As stated in the article, CRR is a “hot topic” for fire departments and emergency management professionals. The following is a quick synopsis of the key points covered by the author of the article. Is ...

Preparing Firefighters for the Real World

November 1, 2016 Leave a comment

Today's firefighters face a multitude of situations daily that require knowledge, skills, and abilities far beyond those required to fight fires, provide medical care and rescue entrapped victims. Many of those situations require skills more akin to a social worker than that of a firefighter.

Successful Transformational Change in a Fire and EMS Department: How a Focused Team Created a Revenue Recovery Program in Six Months--From Scratch Now available on Kindle and in paperback editions!

The Fire Service Psychology Association (FSPA) membership includes fire service leaders, psychologists, and masters-level mental health clinicians (e.g., LCSW, LPC, MFT) who are committed to "building a bridge between professional psychology and the fire service.
Two primary elements of that "bridge" are (1) developing Culturally Competent Clinicians and (2) developing a true understanding of the 5 domains of psychology (Assessments, Intervention, Industrial/Organizational, Operations, and Consultation) and what how they can improve the mental and behavioral health of firefighters and EMS personnel.
It’s essential to practice self-care and check in with yourself regularly. Be aware of how you’re feeling, especially after difficult shifts. Don’t let symptoms of trauma or stress reach a dangerous level. Visit the FSPA website, www.firepsychology.org for more information, including how you can join the effort to "build the bridge!"