| Firefighters and first responders routinely experience situations that most people will never see. We train to recognize hazards, protect our partners, and call for help when conditions become unsafe. Behavioral health deserves that same attention.
Sometimes the person who is always there for everyone else needs someone to be there for them.
Check on your crew. Check on the member who has gotten quiet. Check on the retiree you haven’t heard from lately. And when someone tells you they’re struggling, listen. You don’t have to have all the answers—you just have to be willing to stand beside them and help connect them with support.
🚒 Resources are available:
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 for confidential support, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• National Volunteer Fire Council – Share the Load™: Behavioral health resources specifically for firefighters, EMS personnel, rescue workers, dispatchers, and their families, including training, a directory of behavioral health professionals familiar with emergency services, and the NVFC First Responder Helpline.
• NVFC Training: Preventing and Coping with Suicide in the Fire and Emergency Services helps responders recognize warning signs, understand available resources, and support departments following a suicide.
Asking for help isn’t giving up your strength. Looking after each other is part of the job.
No firefighter should feel like they have to carry the weight alone.
Protect your crew. Check on your people. Speak up. Reach out.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, call or text 988. |
