firefighter suicide
We Investigate Fires. Why Aren’t We Investigating Firefighter Suicides?
An estimated 200 firefighters die by suicide each year. Maybe that’s accurate. Maybe it isn’t. Show me the data. The uncomfortable truth is that we don’t…
Firefighter Suicide: The more we know, the more we know
Dr. Olivia Johnson is the President Shepherds & Sheepdogs, LTD., a professional speaker, author, and suicidology researcher--And one of my 1st Level Connections over on LinkedIn. Dr. Johnson has written a couple articles recently that should give us pause to learn and reflect on what we're doing to prevent suicides and why she believes that those efforts are not working.
Understanding Firefighter Suicide: A Call to Action for the Fire Service
Today’s Firefighters face unique and intense challenges that can significantly impact their mental health. The nature of their work exposes them to traumatic events, physical danger,…
Why are we still not investigating firefighter suicides?
Until we start gathering and analyzing the information that can be obtained by conducting a psychological autopsy for EVERY firefighter suicide, many will continue search for a solution to a problem that they don’t understand. Meanwhile, firefighters will continue to take their own lives in ever increasing numbers.
Firefighter Suicide: We Don’t Know What We Don’t Know
We must do better in understanding what causes a firefighter to take their own life, and one place we need to start is by gaining a true picture of what leads a firefighter to take their own life. We can only gain that true picture by conducting research in the form of psychological autopsies, that is, using the proven tools and methodologies of psychology.
Firefighter Suicides Should Be Classified as LODDs
I want to see this change, because that's the only way we'll ever be able to move forward with healing the trauma that's the root cause in many of these suicides. Firefighters and other emergency responders (e.g., law enforcement officers, EMTs and paramedics, and public safety telecommunicators, aka, dispatchers) to coroners need better education and tools to deal w
Under the Uniform
Fire Prevention Officer and PTSD suffer/survivor, Nathalie Michaud, continues to share the story of her journey and daily struggles to help break down the barriers and stigma surrounding firefighters and behavioral health issues.
The Coming “Tsunami”: Sexual Harassment Litigation
In just the past few days another woman firefighter filed a lawsuit against the Fairfax County (Va.) Fire and Rescue Department claiming not only that was she sexually harassed and stalked by her captain, but she was retaliated against when she reported his behavior. That’s right, the same department that Nicole Mittendorff worked for before she took her own life.
The Stigma of Firefighter Suicide
So how do we in the fire service become better at recognizing that one of our own is “drowning”? How do we get better at asking for help? How do we get better at providing help?
Primer for Firefighter Mental Health
My contribution of "sunshine" today is to post this "round up", if you will, of posts from this blog along with other sources that I've encountered over the past couple of months as I've become more informed and educated about firefighter mental health challenges.
What to say about Firefighting and PTSD?
During that year, more physical issues came to the surface. Feeling tired, yet unable to sleep; feeling irritable, aggressive, and anxious; nightmares and night terrors were surfacing and night sweats were now a normal nightly routine. If only I could get some sleep...but there was much more to come.