According to the Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance, 89 firefighters died by suicide in 2021, but the Hall County Fire Rescue is working on bringing that number down.
Kimberlie Ledsinger, the Public Information Officer for Hall County Fire Rescue, said that is why mental health has become a big part of their training.
“Our proactive step moving forward is our resiliency program,” Ledsinger said.
According to Ledsinger, the resiliency program will start with their next recruit class. It will be implemented as part of their training. The resiliency program will give firefighters the tools to help them work through mental stressors such as post-traumatic stress.
“It allows them to be able to watch their own behavior and their co-worker's behavior to see if they need further help from just the mandatory debriefing,” Ledsinger said.
The mandatory debriefing is called Critical Incident Stress Management. This is a guideline that the department follows when there is a major or sensitive incident that could cause a stressful impact.
Ledsinger said exposure to incidents that involve multiple fatalities or injuries has proven to cause stress-related symptoms. This, over time, can affect fire personnel relationships, performance at work, and increase health issues.
“It is a heroic spot for them to be at because they've put themselves through a lot of physical and mental distress,” Ledsinger said.
Firefighters train year-round to prepare themselves physically and mentally for the tasks they do on a regular basis.
However, Ledsiner said the start of their resiliency program is an important effort in trying to get ahead of the potential trauma that firefighters face.
If you or anyone you know is suffering mentally, or having thoughts of suicide call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.
