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