Serving Becomes Surviving For Firefighters with PTSD

WHEN SERVING BECOMES SURVIVING: PTSD AND SUICIDE IN THE FIRE SERVICE
Firefighter Close Calls
Peggy Sweeney
September 19, 2015

To train to become a firefighter is one of the greatest gifts you can give to your neighbors. Few civilians appreciate the many sacrifices they make or the toll it takes on their body, mind, and spirit.

Firefighters consistently come in contact with many elements of stress and trauma. They deal with life-threatening situations and witness human tragedy and death regularly. While trying to cope with the carnage, the stress, and the nightmares, they return again and again to fight fires and save lives. They struggle physically, mentally, and emotionally to survive the horrific calls. Then return home to self-medicate to forget. For many of them, this is their normal day.

While watching a news report about a major apartment fire with many casualties including several children, I became aware of a group of professionals who regularly experience grief and traumatic stress; specifically, the men and women who serve their communities as firefighters. In spite of their dedicated service to their communities, few people in the civilian world are aware of, or seem to be concerned about, their physical, mental, and emotional struggles.

Soon after that newscast, I outlined the Grieving Behind the Badge program and set my sights on offering help. I had expertise in grief and loss, but that did not prepare me for the obstacles before me.

The fire service is a culture unto itself. Words such as brotherhood and sisterhood and family are not loosely used in fire stations. If a firefighter is severely injured on the job, the hallways of the hospital are lined with members of their department who stand watch and attend to every need of the family.

When a firefighter dies in the line of duty, every firefighter from that department or station stands watch on scene until the body is recovered and carried respectfully to the waiting ambulance.

Because of this closeness to one another, you can surely understand how difficult it is for a civilian, much less a woman, to gain acceptance into their minds and hearts. In other words, I didn’t walk the walk nor talk the talk of a firefighter. Before I could help them, I needed to educate myself.

Fortunately, I met several emergency response professionals who willingly shared their personal stories that brought to light many of the demons that haunted their dreams and contributed to the rising statistics of substance abuse, divorce, post-traumatic stress (PTSD), and suicide in the fire service community.

“Who takes care of us? Our families?

They try, I know mine did. But the average or normal person cannot share our experience, they can’t imagine what we do or see. … For me personally, I decided to treat my condition, my discomfort with alcohol. The ease and comfort that came from a bottle was a welcome house guest. I could turn off the noise, shut out the visions and thoughts with at first a few beers and in the end gallons. … Only by chance did my wife discover my suicide attempt, without her intervention my effort would have been a success”. (Casey, 2012)
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