Occupational Stress Exposure
As we all know there are 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives. We are losing more and more firefighters every year to suicide and I do not think it’s going to stop any time soon and that hurts to know. Initiative 13 talks about Psychological Support and I think that we should be hitting #13 a little harder than we do.
Initiative 13 means that firefighters and EMS professionals and their families must have the resources to deal with the various complications that their jobs can bring to their lives, especially issues regarding emotional and psychological stress. They must also have help available to deal with the problems in living that all of us sometimes face, regardless of the work we do, especially regarding family, finances or even drug and alcohol issues. Health and safety standards (like the NFPA 1500 Standard on Firefighter Health and Safety) require that assistance programs be made available to ensure that such services are there when needed.
Understanding the new model for Initiative 13 dealing with firefighter behavioral health begins with an overview of the Protocol for Exposure to Occupational Stress. At the heart of the following flow chart or model is an understanding that firefighters and EMT's do not all respond similarly to traumatic events-thus, we have adopted the practice of calling them potentially traumatic events (PTEs). What’s different about firefighters and other first responders and why understanding their occupational stress is critical has to do with the “unfortunate regularity” of these workers to horrible, dangerous and stressful situations. The model and accompanying notes explain the components of determining who is impacted and who may need assistance. It recommends the use of the Trauma Screen Questionnaire as a widely accessible tool for individuals to understand if they are in need of behavioral assistance.
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