5 Tips on Coping With What You Experience in the Fire Service

Photo by Marc Kleen on Unsplash

One of the demanding professions is firefighting. Working in dangerous and erratic conditions wears one out physically. Difficult calls, flexible work schedules, and close contact with persons who might or might not be personally compatible all add to stress. If not well controlled, it can cause major problems for both physical and mental health.

Many fire departments have records on long-term health illnesses, including job-related cancers, and routinely check every member for these conditions. Here are tips on coping with what you experience in the fire service.

Stay Current With Your Medical Care

Continue receiving regular screenings and preventative care. Find a primary care physician knowledgeable about your line of work and whom you can trust. Discuss with them the emotional and physical strains you endure at work and outside. 

Asking for a mental health recommendation could be beneficial; you might be surprised at how beneficial seeing a therapist or counselor can be. Mental health has not been given much attention in the fire department until lately. Asking for assistance in this area might have been a sign of weakness in the past. These days, you can seek a firefighting foam settlement if exposed to harmful chemicals. It’s important to prioritize your well-being and seek support to maintain a healthy work-life balance. 

Prioritize Sleep 

The truth is that most firemen go through sleep deprivation throughout their working careers. Apart from being disturbed from sleep by emergency calls, most firemen become hyperactive so that even the faintest sound can wake them.  

Often small and inadequately ventilated, fire station dorms aggravate sleep at work. White noise devices and air purifiers might assist with this. Firefighters must prioritize catching up on sleep on days off from work.

Broaden Your Life Experiences

Growing hobbies outside of the fire service can have rather positive effects on multiple levels. Creative activities might give trauma and stress connected to employment outlets. Deep comfort and encouragement can come from religious or other spiritual affiliations. 

Yoga and meditation techniques have shown great benefits for stress management. Volunteering outside departments connected to fire can foster fresh social and community links. A new pastime offers a break from other responsibilities and worries in life.

Include Family 

Some firemen never discuss their job at home since they believe they must shield their family members from their life on the job. However, while family members want to know what they do and may offer great support when they have actual knowledge, you do not have to divulge every detail of your daily life.  Certain fire departments have created internal initiatives to assist firefighting families in better understanding the demands of their work.

Stay Mindful of Self-Medicating

Many times, firefighters deal with sleep deprivation, persistent pain, and job-related stress.  Together with alcohol, all these elements can help to create a pattern of self-medication with prescription and non-prescription substances. While most firemen know about the risks of alcohol and drug dependence, patterns of use and abuse can start slowly, and growing dependence can cause rationalisation and denial.

Endnote 

Within the fire department, mental health has not been given much thought. Asking for assistance in this field might have been seen historically as a sign of weakness. Fortunately, this is starting to change; fire departments realize that mental and physical wellness are entwined and cannot be separated.