10. Under the tough exterior are soft underbellies!

The firefighter image is one of strength and fortitude! I often hear people say, I could never do your job! When people are running out of a burning building, firefighters are running in. While we may be cut from a different cloth, under that tough exterior we have big hearts and love our jobs. Truth be told, firefighters are some of the most compassionate and loving people on the planet. The profession is a true calling, but it is not for everyone!

9. We are INCREDIBLE cooks, because we do it a lot!

If you have ever been to a chili cook off, it is likely you will find a firefighter as a finalist. Being a firefighter requires living with each other often even more than our families. In my department we live at the firehouse for 48 hours at a time so we get a lot of practice cooking . That means we work, sleep, and cook at the station. Much like regular American families, some of the most important team building activities happen around the dinner table.

8. We don’t fight much fire

Although the fire service was built on fighting fires the truth is most of what we do (80% or more) is associated with medical calls or other emergencies. Today, to stay relevant many fire departments are training more and more firefighters to be emergency medical technicians from the basic level to paramedics. Many still identify with riding on the big red truck; however, most of our calls could be responded to in SUVs or sedans.

7. Rookies must prove themselves — It is NOT hazing!

Just because a young firefighter makes it through the academy and accomplishes this right of passage, more testing of grit is required. Many still believe the criticism of young firefighters helps test the grit of young firefighters! This is often misunderstood as hazing. I must note, there is a fine line between testing a person’s grit and illegally hazing someone for the fun of it. No young firefighter should be ridiculed or harmed. That said, thick skin in the fire service is REQUIRED! We see some of the most horrific parts of society and we must be capable of pushing through to perform our jobs! Proving yourself both in the firehouse and on the streets as a young firefighter is a critical step in the process.

6. We use humor to cope with the difficult things we see.

Humor IS the best medicine. An outsider might find this callus and inappropriate — it is not meant to be! If you have visited a firehouse lately, you will recall we smile A LOT! Some of the funniest people I know are my fellow brothers and sisters. Coping with difficult things is taxing on the psyche and one of the best ways to cope is to make light of the situation through humor and story-telling. This is often how we process, and it is healthy. Believe me, the gravity of situations is not lost upon firefighters, but in order to survive a 20–40 year career witnessing, saving, and sometimes not being able to save victims of sexual abuse, physical abuse, car accidents, fires, and simple accidents is not easy.

5. We say we hate begging for money with the fill the boot campaigns!

Every year you see your local firefighters on the streets and outside your local popular stores to raise money for Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). We often grumble about standing out in the heat and “beg” people for money. Although, we complain, it feels good to raise money for the kids and deep down we really love it!

4. We love our cop brothers and sisters.

While there are always a few neigh-sayers among us, the majority of firefighters really respect and love our law enforcement brothers and sisters. No doubt, we would lay our lives on the line, as I know cops would for us. Today’s younger generation of firefighters understand the value of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with America’s finest! The sibling rivalry is part of team building, believe it or not!

3. Being away from our families is sometimes a welcomed break.

Yep, this is a tough one for our spouses and families to hear, but it is the truth. What I think is important to say here is as firefighters, we need to make sure we balance this and allow our wives/husbands the same opportunity to “take a break” from the grind of family challenges. Maybe that is as simple as offering our wives or husbands a kitchen pass to take a day at the spa or have a ladies or men’s weekend with our closest friends. Firefighters certainly serve our community, but OUR SPOUSES SERVE US every time we put on our badges and leave for the firehouse. LET US NOT FORGET THEM!

2. Alcohol and substance abuse are still a problem in the fire service.

As mentioned earlier, coping with the day-to-day stresses of our job takes a significant toll on firefighters and their families. Unfortunately, sometimes we turn to substances to cope. If you know a firefighter who is displaying the signs of substance abuse PLEASE do not simply accept this is “part of the job!” This continues to be a real problem. There are many programs out there through the unions and social organizations.

Safe Call Now — 1–206–459–3020

A 24/7 help line staffed by first responders for first responders and their family members. They can assist with treatment options for responders who are suffering from mental health, substance abuse and other personal issues.

Firefighter suicide is abundant, but there is HOPE!

This is a dark secret in the fire community. More firefighters die each year because of suicide than line of duty deaths (LODD). Of those that have investigated PTSD among firefighters, point prevalence rates have been estimated to fall anywhere between 6.5% and 37%.

According to the Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance http://www.ffbha.org, in 2015, 112 firefighters committed suicide. We are a proud community. Asking for help does not come easy for us. Sometimes we do not dare ask for help because we fear we might not receive the support needed from our families, other firefighters, or the fire service leadership. Some fire administrators (not all) turn a blind eye to the fact that firefighters suffer secretly!

Yes, we all signed up for this work, but it is our responsibility as leaders of the fire service to make sure we protect the human behind the badge during and long after the job is completed.

Thankfully, several fire departments are developing peer support programs to help with the challenges of the job. Many unions and administrators are diligently working to change the laws to recognize that post-traumatic stress is a hazard of the job — for that, we thank them! Protecting America’s BRAVEST is a worthwhile and a necessary challenge!

Watch this Video to help understand the signs of firefighters/EMTs struggling with PTSD, depression, suicide, substance abuse, and anxiety.

https://youtu.be/83yw0G8ubUQ

Below are a list of organizations and phone numbers you can empower yourself with if you or a loved one is in need. Stay safe!

Written by an American Firefighter with fifteen years experience.

Resources:

Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance

http://www.ffbha.org

Code Green Campaign: Calling a Code Alert On Our Mental Health (For First Responders)