Episode 7: Mental Health and Emergency Services

Being a firefighter is not an easy profession. Long hours and late nights can push your physical and mental limits. Routinely witnessing traumatic events will impact everyone at some point.

For a long time, firefighters who had dealt with trauma or struggled to cope with the realities of the job were told to keep quiet. They didn’t talk about mental health, anxiety or PTSD. In turn, too many used unhealthy methods to cope; excessive drinking among them. Today, to help those who may be struggling on the job, or at home, AMFEMS has two chaplains on staff, ready to provide care to the firefighters to help them fulfill their duties. The fire and EMS service is a demanding job that puts personnel at risk. The chaplains understand the levels of that risk and attempt to help manage the impact with members.

On today’s episode Chaplains Mike Caci and Wayne Bishop join Chief Tyler and Jordan to talk about the importance of their roles, how they help the team, and why talking about mental health and not ignoring it is critical for success.