The prevalence of mental and behavioral health conditions amongst firefighters has reached a concerning level. The exposure to extreme trauma and stressful working conditions weighs heavy on the men and women upon whom we so thoroughly rely. These first responders experience disturbing and heartbreaking events on a daily basis, and so many of them feel as if it is necessary to take devastatingly severe measures to cope with these aspects of the job. It is a normal occurrence for firefighters to experience loss of property and pets, extremely physically demanding working conditions, and death and severe injury. In addition to these difficult experiences, firefighters are constantly putting themselves in harms way and have the ever present fear of the possibility of injury while doing their jobs. The incidence of substance abuse, suicidal ideations, and even suicide attempts is incredibly alarming, and our real-world heroes are in desperate need of help.
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