A Firefighter’s Deep, Dark Secret- FF Netcast Stand Down for Behavioral Health- Part 4

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In our previous segment, we heard a tragic story from the fire chief who lost his own son to suicide and how that experience changed the way he and his department made it through that horrific experience.  

Listen today as a fellow brother in the fire service, indeed a blue shirt, bravely recounts his own battle with depression- how he suffered, how he handled it, and how he emerged on “the other side”.

Here’s the link to the original article on his blog, “Backwards and Stupid”

Over the past few days and weeks, the fire service news has been inundated with stories of firefighters who have taken their own lives. It’s times like these which force us to pause and realize that the mental health challenges we face every day are truly no different than any physical challenge such as a bum back or sprained knee that keeps us from operating at our best. Why then are we treating these obstacles in such a different way?

The truth is that now, more than ever before, our brothers and sisters in the fire and EMS services, along with our families, have an incredible amount of new resources with which to assist us as we begin to change our attitudes toward the way we address these issues which have always been there, but we were always afraid to confront. The result is that more and more of us are emerging from our behavioral issues as much more healthy, productive, and happy firefighters, moms, and dads.

Now that’s great news.

Firefighter Netcast is suspending our regular programming schedule to bring you re-broadcasts of some of this great news so we can apply it as its needed- starting now.

I urge you to listen in to each of the segments of this Stand Down for Firefighter Behavioral Health. It’s our hope that we can learn to approach these issues we face with a new attitude, and realization that we are winning these battles, just as we have overcome countless challenges over the storied history of this, the greatest service on earth.

Links to Listen to our Previous Episodes

“Stand Down For Firefighter Behavioral Health”

Part 1- The Invisible Scourge

Here’s how big of a deal all of this really is.

Part 2- The Firefighters Mental Health Toolbox

Do you know what you should do if you think your buddy needs some help?

Part 3- A Fire Chief’s Tragic Story

Hear from a chief officer as he describes the tragic loss of his own son and the effect that horrific nightmare had upon him and his department.