Because One Suicide is One Too Many!

A while ago I did a post about Suicide in Law Enforcement and what can be done about it. I wrote that post because one suicide is one too many! And because a friend had recently lost her husband (a deputy) to suicide. I am writing this post today because a friend, firefighter, father took his life yesterday. One suicide is one too many! People don't want to talk about mental health and it's time we changed that!

As with Law Enforcement, number of suicides in Fire and EMS is a statistic not kept. There are no exact state or national numbers on suicides of public safety responders because often the incidents are categorized only as sudden deaths. The Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance wants to change that! Jeff Dill, a counselor and firefighter for 25 years near Chicago was compelled to do so after hearing about so many firefighters taking their own lives. Jeff founded the nonprofit Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance in 2011. The group began a confidential reporting system on its website, www.ffbha.org. Slowly, firefighters from across the country began calling Dill to alert him to a firefighter suicide in their community. Dill followed up with calls to the fire chief in that fire department to validate the information. Dill says it's important to document all suicides not only to track them but to validate them.

The Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance works to educate fire officials nationwide about suicide awareness and prevention. To learn more about the Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance visit www.ffbha.org or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/FirefighterBehavioralHealthAlliance.

What makes suicide so difficult to prevent is that it is not a condition or disorder, but rather an outcome that may result from the presence of many risk factors including: underlying conditions, individual dispositions, interpersonal dynamics, social interactions, and other factors. Firefighting exceeds most other occupations in frequency of occupational injury; moreover, death is a frequent feature in situations firefighters encounter in the normal course of their duty, and loss of one’s own life is an ever-present, and even culturally accepted occupational risk. These factors can compel firefighters to come to terms with their own mortality in ways that vary greatly from the general population, and as a consequence, the capability for suicide among firefighters may be further evolved, whether or not desire or ideation may be present.

Most people are aware of the physical demands that first response activities place on firefighters and EMS providers. But it is important to also realize the impact that fighting fires and responding to emergencies has on the mental well-being of emergency personnel. Firefighters, EMS providers and law enforcement face the risk of many behavioral health concerns such as anxiety, depression, burnout, post-traumatic stress disorder among others.

If you are a first responder taking care of your mental health is as important as managing your physical health. Here are some of the warning signs to look out for:

• Ideation/threatened or communicated
• Substance abuse/excessive or communicated
• Purposeless/no reason for living
• Anxiety, agitation, or insomnia
• Trapped
• Hopelessness
• Withdrawal from friends, family, society
• Anger (uncontrolled)/ rage/seeking revenge
• Recklessness/risky acts-unthinking
• Mood changes (dramatic)

Not sure if you or a coworker need help? Here is a self-screening for suicide for firefighters (and is relevant to all first responders): http://www.ffbha.org/Suicide_Questionnaire.html.

“We don’t talk about behavioral health in the fire service,” Dill said. “It’s that cultural brainwash of, ‘We help others but never ourselves.’ That’s our culture. ‘Don’t ask for help.’” It's time to make a change!

Here are some resources to consider if you or someone you know needs help:

Share the Load™ Program
National Volunteer Fire CouncilThis program provides, tools, resources, and information to help individual first responders and their families manage and overcome behavioral health issues as well as to help departments establish an effective behavioral health program.

Fire/EMS Helpline
National Volunteer Fire Council and American Addiction Centers
Firefighters and EMS personnel face many unique challenges that can have a significant impact on their behavioral health. To ensure these individuals and their families have access to the help they need, the NVFC teamed up with American Addiction Centers to create a free, confidential helpline available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. First responders and their families can call the helpline for assistance and non-judgmental support on any issues affecting their work or personal life, including but not limited to addiction, PTSD, stress, depression, relationship issues, critical incidents, and psychological issues.

Firefighter Life Safety Initiative 13 – Mental Health
National Fallen Firefighters Foundation
Initiative 13 of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation’s Life Safety Initiatives focuses on the mental well being of firefighters and their families. The initiative asserts that firefighters, EMS personnel, and their families must have the resources and help available to deal with the various complications that their jobs can bring to their lives, especially issues regarding emotional and psychological stress. The new Firefighter Life Safety Initiative 13 web site contains important resources, training, and research, including the new model for exposure to potentially traumatic events and stress aid for fire and EMS personnel.

National Institute for Occupational Health and SafetyNIOSH is the federal agency responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related injury and illness. The Institute has released many resources for managing stress in the workplace, including:

• Stress at Work booklet
• Working With Stress video
• Stress Management in Work Place Settings Resources

Your Guide to Healthy Sleep
National Heart, Lung, and Blood InstituteThis booklet from NHLBI provides information about important sleep topics such as common sleep myths and practical tips for getting adequate sleep, coping with jet lag and nighttime shift work, and avoiding dangerous drowsy driving. It also includes information on sleep disorders, such as insomnia, sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, narcolepsy, and some parasomnias.

Depression Section
Medline PlusMedline Plus is a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health. The Depression Section of Medline Plus provides a compendium of resources, tools, and information about this mental health topic.

Emotional Health Center
Everyday Health MediaThis online resource center contains information and articles on mental health topics including anxiety, depression, and stress.

IF YOU ARE IN CRISIS AND NEED IMMEDIATE HELP, 

please call 1-800-273-TALK (8255). 

Seeking help is a sign of strength not of weakness. It is the first step in reestablishing control in your life. Always remember when there is life there is hope!

RIP Nico! You will be dearly missed! #gonetoosoon

Disasters come in all shapes and sizes...

Last night I was dispatched with other Red Cross volunteers out to a collapsed building call. While fires are our most common disasters we respond to, we will respond to any disaster where people are displaced from their homes as was the case last night.

Upon arrival, I spoke with the fire department to get an assessment of what happened and learned a chimney had collapsed causing damage to 3 apartments in an 18 unit building. This was one of the disasters you wonder how nobody got seriously hurt. It turns out that residents of 2 of the 3 affected apartments were not home and thank goodness for that! If you saw the damage in the top and middle apartments you would be amazed to learn that nobody got seriously hurt! 

I spoke with the resident of the middle apartment who was home when the chimney collapsed. She and her daughter were watching tv in the living room. She was sitting on the couch and her daughter was sitting on the floor in front of her painting her toe nails. Without any warning the chimney collapsed into the apartment from the unit above. The mom said she reacted immediately and despite not being able to see her daughter in the rubble she reached forward and was able to reach her daughter and pull her free. Again, if you saw the damage you would be shaking your head wondering how they made it out without getting hurt beyond just a few scratches. When we walked through the building to do our damage assessment with the fire department, fire fighters commented how fortunate the mother and daughter were and how glad they were the residents of the other 2 apartments weren't home at the time of the collapse. 

I worked with the mother to get her and her daughter assistance with food, clothing and a place to stay. She was quite shaken and her daughter even more so which is very understandable. She wasn't sure if they would stay in the apartment complex or move elsewhere. She was concerned her daughter might experience nightmares from the trauma. That's something I understand all to well so we discussed ways to cope. 

Residents in the entire building would need to find another place to stay throughout the weekend until the building was evaluated structurally to determine if it is safe to live in. Structural engineers would be there on Monday to do the assessmnt. All in all, the Red Cross assisted 6 families with food and a place to stay until Monday. On Monday residents will meet with Red Cross case workers to assess their further needs.

Here are a couple pics from the scene:

I am so grateful nobody was seriously hurt and we were able to assist families in need. Thank you to Overland Park Fire, Merriam Fire and Merriam Police for assisting the Red Cross so we could assist those who needed our services! 

Fire Canvassing Event

On Saturday July 12, 2014 Red Cross volunteers teamed up with the Leavenworth Fire Department to canvass a neighborhood that had recently been devastated by a fatality house fire. The fatality fire occurred on July 7, 2014. Two people were in the home at the time of the fire. The husband was able to make it out safely but the wife was not. Cause of the fire was unattended cooking. According to Leavenworth Fire Department, there were no working smoke detectors in the home.

Red Cross volunteers and the Leavenworth Fire Department knocked on doors in the northwest area of Leavenworth to offer information about fire safety. Smoke detectors were provided to those who needed them. Batteries were provided to family's that had smoke detectors but weren't sure how old their batteries were or when they were last checked. Having working smoke detectors is the number one prevention item family's can do to help get everyone out safely in a fire. Other recommendations provided by volunteers and fire fighters is to have an escape plan which includes at least 2 ways to safely evacuate the home and a meeting place outside the home for everyone to meet up and be accounted for. Practice the plan frequently with your family so everyone knows how to get out in the event of a fire and where to meet up. Test your smoke detectors monthly and change the batteries twice a year. Generally when we spring forward and fall back (with our clocks) is a good time to change the batteries in your smoke detectors.

Why is it important to do fire safety events like this? According to the NFPA, more than one-third (37%) of all home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms, while almost one-quarter (23%) 

resulted from fires in homes in which smoke alarms were present but did not operate. Unfortunately after a fatality fire is a good time to get out in the community and talk about fire safety because it is fresh on their minds and they (community) are more likely to act upon suggestions provided by fire fighters, Red Cross volunteers and other organizations that provide information about fire safety.

During this canvassing event smoke detectors were provided by the Red Cross. Home Depot donated the batteries. Door hangers with information about fire safety were left at homes where nobody was home to answer the door. Approximately 80 homes were visited during the canvassing event. 

I always enjoy these events and participate when I can. Who doesn't like hanging out with fire fighters? Thank you to Leavenworth Fire Department for inviting the Red Cross to help out with this event!

Below are some pictures from the event:

Meeting up prior to heading out to knock on doors:

After completion of the canvassing event fire fighters and Red Cross volunteers met back at the grade school to grab a cold drink and/or snack and to chat for a minute.






Group pic of fire fighters and volunteers who participated in the canvassing event: