By MnFIRE Assistance Program partner, Optum

People in the fire service experience much higher rates of mental health challenges than the general population – particularly in the areas of sleep disorders, depression, substance abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder and suicidal ideation/action. The stigma associated with mental health conditions causes many firefighters to stay quiet about what they’re really experiencing – and not seek treatment. They might perceive themselves to be “weak,” feel ashamed, or tell themselves it’s “just a phase” that’ll pass if they push through. They might worry about being treated differently or losing their jobs. Or, they just might not know where to begin finding help.

This is all to say, one of your fellow firefighters may be suffering in silence. You can help set the tone in your department so mental illness is destigmatized, and people feel encouraged to seek out help when they need it.

Learn the signs

While different mental health conditions have different symptoms, with variances depending on the person, early warning signs include behavior changes over time that last for two or more weeks. For example, a previously energetic, reliable colleague now consistently seems fatigued, shows up late and looks disheveled. They also seem angry, irritable, and prone to outbursts.

Some common signs of mental illness include:

1. Excessive worrying or fear
2. Persistent sadness, hopelessness or “empty” feeling
3. Lack of concentration
4. Extreme mood changes, including irritability or anger
5. Changes in eating habits, energy level or sleeping patterns
6. Delusions and/or hallucinations
7. Increased use of alcohol or other substances
8. Persistent physical aches and pains
9. Suicidal thoughts
10. Lack of interest in activities
11. Inability to carry out daily activities or handle daily problems and stress
12. Intense fear of weight gain or concern with appearance

Reach out

If someone you know is showing warning signs and needs help coping with a situational or chronic mental health condition, reaching out can make a difference. Consider using the method like “NOTICE. TALK. ACT.™” from American the Psychiatric Association.³

If you notice a person is exhibiting the warning signs that last for two or more weeks, find a quiet place to ask, “Are you OK?” Compassionately and nonjudgmentally provide a few examples of what’s worrying you. Do not assume you know what is going on. Listen with the aim to learn more from their perspective. Remind them we all have challenging times in life, and getting extra support and guidance can help us get through those times. Recommend they consider taking advantage of the free counseling sessions available to them through the MnFIRE Assistance Program, or to call MnFIRE’s 24/7 peer support hotline, both available at: 888-784-6634.

Then, check back in with the person in a day or two to see how things are going. Please note: If you are worried about the person’s immediate safety, do not leave the person alone. Seek emergency assistance.

Be an ally

You also can help create a supportive environment, increase awareness and reduce stigma for those in your department who are struggling. For example, commit to using respectful and compassionate language to describe or talk about mental health. Using derogatory terms perpetuates discrimination and stigma. It also dehumanizes the people living with mental health conditions, dismisses their experiences and can discourage them from asking for support.

In addition, intervene if you overhear others using verbally abusive language, and challenge misconceptions when you see or hear them.

You can make a difference.

Most of us have probably felt the strain of our job or the difficulty of balancing the fire service with other areas of our lives. It’s easy to try to muscle through it knowing we have an important job helping others and keeping them safe. However, there comes a point where we need to let others help us. And it doesn’t need to be a crisis to reach that point.

With May as Mental Health Awareness Month, we at MnFIRE want to make sure all fire service members know the resources available to those of us in the field. Through the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program (HHAP), every active firefighter in the state – full-time, part-time, paid-on-call or volunteer – has access to mental health support – all free!

It comes through the MnFIRE Assistance Program (MAP), one of the three elements of the HHAP. In the fire service, we encounter unique emotional and mental stresses. We need people who understand the distinct and specific stresses and challenges we encounter. This program focuses on providing mental health care specifically to us – firefighters and our families. And it doesn’t matter the size of the help needed, whether through a big crisis or a small issue, the MAP program can steer us in the right direction. There are two ways to access help – calling 888-784-6634 or visiting www.mnfirehealth.org/hhap/#MAP.

One of the best parts about this program is having it available to our families. Our time in the fire service affects them, too. They have their own unique set of stressors. Any member of a firefighter’s household, including children living away from home, can access the interactive website or contact a trained specialist. Each firefighter and/or their family members can receive up to five counseling visits a year with additional support ensured as needed.

No call or inquiry is too small. Simply look at the website or dial the phone. There is someone there to talk you through what is available. If something major happened in your life or if you’re just feeling stressed, the MAP program is here to help.

Another great part of MAP is the peer support program where firefighters are paired with a trained peer supporter who knows firsthand the difficulties firefighters face. They are fellow fire service members in Minnesota who are there to lend a listening ear or offer support, all completely anonymous. They are well-equipped to walk alongside us as we encounter life at the firehall, on calls and beyond.

We don’t need to muscle through challenges alone. There are people ready and willing to help no matter the size of the problem. It doesn’t need to be a crisis to ask for mental health help.

International Firefighters’ Day is observed each year on May 4. Born out of a tragic loss of five firefighters in a wildfire in Victoria, Australia, this day was created to honor their lives, as well as firefighters around the world.

This International Firefighters’ Day, we recognize and honor the sacrifices firefighters make across the globe, and especially those here at home in Minnesota, to ensure their communities are safe. Thank you for all you do!

We also want to honor the firefighters who have been lost in the line of duty or passed on before us – many due to the occupational hazards of cardiovascular disease, suicide and cancer.

We value the work and contributions our volunteer and career firefighters dedicate to our communities every day. As we reflect on that, we know investing in their health and well-being is a moral imperative!

In Minnesota, we can show our support and appreciation to firefighters at home by making sure they have all of the physical and mental health resources they need to prioritize and protect their health, and prevent and/or tackle cardiovascular disease, emotional trauma and cancer.

Thankfully, the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program is now here to provide free resources for all of Minnesota’s active firefighters – volunteer, paid-on-call, part-time and full-time. These vital resources include:

• The MnFIRE Assistance Program, offering expanded emotional trauma resources for firefighters and their families, including five counseling visits a year and peer support.
• An up-to-$20,000 Critical Illness insurance policy which covers diagnoses of cancer, cardiac and other critical illnesses.
• Ongoing health and wellness training on the different health risks facing firefighters.

We invite you to honor and support your local firefighters today by making sure they’re aware of these important – and completely free – health resources.

Wayne Kewitsch brings 25 years of experience in Minnesota’s fire service — and harrowing, first-hand understanding of the dangers firefighters face — to his new role helping firefighters across the state as MnFIRE’s first executive director. On Sunday, KSTP’s Eric Chaloux spoke with Kewitsch about his 20 years with the Richfield Fire Department, including the past nine as chief, and his goals for MnFIRE moving forward.

Kewitsch brings a dramatically unique perspective to the organization, after three recent life-threatening cardiac episodes. Cardiovascular disease is the top killer of firefighters nationwide and is by far the leading cause of line-of-duty deaths in the fire service. Kewitsch is working to prevent health scares like his own from happening to any other firefighters.

Consequently, Kewitsch is leading MnFIRE’s efforts to provide all of Minnesota’s 20,000 firefighters with free health and wellness training to become “MnFIRE Aware” of their own occupational risks, thanks to a $400,000 grant from the Fire Service Advisory Committee. The training, taught by firefighters and other health experts, teaches firefighters how to protect themselves from the three most common problems experienced by firefighters: cardiac, emotional trauma and cancer, so they can continue to do their jobs and protect others.

“We want to make sure we take care of our firefighters while they take care of the community,” says Kewitsch.

Thanks to Eric Chaloux for highlighting this critical work. Watch the full interview here.