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Tag Archives: volunteer fire departments

Wildland Fires Rage Across the Carolinas in USA

November 13, 2016 Leave a comment

By: Robert Avsec, Executive Fire Officer Frightening photos from wildfires burning in North Carolina. Now before any of our firefighter brothers and sisters out west say, “That’s not a real wildfire,” please keep in mind that here in the eastern USA we don’t combat fires on the scale and magnitude that you do out west. That’s a fact, and you ...

Fire Department in Danger After Levy Fails

November 12, 2014 2 Comments

As Dr. Phil says, “It’s time to get real!” Fire departments must stop trying to provide a model of fire protection—one that’s predicated on saving lives and property through the reactive deployment of firefighters who implement an interior fire attack the majority of time—when the department does not possess the resources to do so safely, effectively, and efficiently according to accepted standards and practices, e.g., NFPA 1710 or NFPA 17.

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!"