A Roundtable of Reality

Roundtable Discussion

     Last week (May 28^th), I had the honor and privilege of serving as a panelist in a roundtable discussion about firefighter suicides at the annual symposium of the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association that was held in East Peoria, Illinois.  As I waited for the start of this session, butterflies churned in my stomach and my palms became sweaty; because once again, I was asked to tell the story of my friend and co-worker’s suicide. Although I have made great strides in healing since last year, I noted that it still takes considerable amount of reserve energy to stay grounded to this Earth (even though I have learned to use many tools at my disposal).  What truly kept me emotionally secure was the fact that I was not alone in this venture, as several brother firefighters and chiefs each related similar stories in kind.

     The roundtable was moderated by Chief Pat Kenny of the Western Springs Fire Department, who artfully guided us through the discussion.  We started with personal stories and then moved into topics about behavioral health as it concerned the fire service. Before I knew it, the allotted time of 1 hour and 45 minutes had quickly passed.  I did not get to say everything that I wanted to, nor able to relate all of Sarah’s thoughts (she was unable to attend do to a family member’s illness).  Be that as it may, here were some of my responses to Chief Kenny’s questions:

1.       “What is the #1 thing from your perspective, that you believe the Fire Service needs to address to make progress in the area of Mental Health?”

    The fire service needs to turn the words of Life Safety Initiative #13 into action by becoming proactive in educating every department in the country about behavioral health issues.  The first time I met Matt Olson he told me that the message of the Illinois Firefighter Peer Support Team (ILFFPS) is going to be a 20 year project, and the true indoctrination needs to begin with the rookies in the academy.  We must make them comfortable with discussing the concept of behavioral health, peer support, etc. so that when they become the 20 year guys it will be the norm, instead of the exception to the rule.  The only way this is going to happen is if the now (5, 10, 15, 20) guys lead the charge.  I presented the ILFFPS concept to my department and was given a high compliment by a 7 year veteran.  He said that I was a beacon of hope for a lot of guys because I shared my story, was comfortable discussing my own behavioral health issues, as well as sharing my emotions.  Putting yourself out there is the best grassroots effort that can be made to advance this cause.

ILFFPS

2.      We were each given the opportunity to make a final appeal but ran out of time.  Here is what I said as well as what I would have liked to say:

I described the different ways firefighters could access the ILFFPS (website, Facebook, department peer supporter) in a step by step fashion.  I also talked about the Firefighter Psychological Support Therapists (FPS) and what Sarah requires of them during this educational program (classroom, field time, and supervised clinical counseling of firefighters).  It was also explained to the chiefs that both peer supporters and FPS therapists must complete annual continuing education requirements.  The rest of what follows is what I would have liked to have finished with:

FPS

     Education about behavioral health, along with an active peer support system, will be the best way to make advances in providing a more balanced life for members of the fire service.  Self-care will be the cornerstone to the success of any behavioral health program.  We can tirelessly spread our message, but each firefighter needs to realize that they must courageously take that first step forward and seek help through either a peer supporter, FPS therapist, or a combination of both.  It is better to be proactive in caring for oneself before someone else compels you to do so.

     In 1997, the International Association of Firefighters and International Association of Fire Chiefs created the Joint Wellness-Fitness Initiative as a guide for individual departments to develop a comprehensive wellness program for their members.  The word holistic is used at least 5 times in this document to include a mind-body-spirit approach to wellness.  However, this initiative is most likely not standard in every firehouse in the country, and it is time to breathe life into this document.  The ILFFPS is in the early stages of creating an Holistic Wellness Initiative that aims to provide fire service members with educational resources they can implement to live a more balanced life. 

Firefighter Behavioral Health of Illinois

 

     So why call this a roundtable of Reality?  The following video conveys not only the reality of our profession, but also the reality of what this calling heaps upon us.