The Kitchen Table – A Courageous Conversation About Firefighters and Suicide (S2 E3)

Being a firefighter, a first responder, is a job full of stress.  Stress from running alarms. Stress from training.  Stress from not sleeping at work (and at home).  All this stress can compound the stress associated with everyday life and lead to depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and suicidal ideations.  The stress from this job and life in general is real as are the physical and mental toll that compounds over time.  We’re not talking about a specific traumatic event that happens once in a lifetime.  We are talking about exposure to stress for significantly long periods of time…sometimes for 10, 20, 30, or more years.

The first thing we as firefighters need to recognize is that our stress has a significant impact on us.  The second thing is that we need to have enough awareness and courage to do something about it; we need to be ready to either offer help or ask for help whatever the case maybe.

On this episode we sit down with Dr. Judith Long and Driver Engineer John Giacoma to discuss the problem of suicide in the fire service community.  The conversation is raw, vulnerable, and a bit dark.  Be that as it may, this is the first step to bringing this topic into the light allowing us to accept it as a normal reaction to the compounding stress that builds upon us through our everyday life both inside and outside the fire station.  We also discuss the signs and symptoms of the stress related disorders that lead to suicide and most importantly the steps you can take to get help.

Come sit down at the Kitchen Table and have a listen.  Be ready to learn, be ready to give help when someone needs it, and be ready to ask for help when you need it.

Resources discussed in the Podcast and another related to first responder suicide:

Ruderman: Mental Health and Suicide of First Responders

NFFF: Everyone Goes Home - 13. Psychological Support

 

Music For This Episode:

Opening – Daybreak Ritual by Sand Diver

Out the Door – The World Inside by Rodello’s Machine

 

As always, this music can be found on artlist.io as well as all major music streaming platforms and youtube.com.

 

If you have any topics that you would like us to discuss, please contact either Josh or I in the Training Division.  You can either participate in creating the Podcast or we can put it together on our own.  Also, we would be more than happy to come to your station to sit down at your kitchen table and talk about whatever is on your mind.

 

Thank you all for listening and we hope to hear from you soon.