An important message from our wildland fire community

[Newtosavage]

This week is suicide prevention week. There are resources available if you or anyone you know might be experiencing a crisis. Please pass this along.

 

[Windigo]

Man, I bet if they got competitive pay and permanent jobs that’d go a long way towards preventing suicide.

 

[.204smokechaser]

Gotta check in on all the homies every once in a while! Never know who’s down.

Windigo is right. Some forests still treat their employees like shit and tough to find good ones these days.

 

[Rob5589]

Man, I bet if they got competitive pay and permanent jobs that’d go a long way towards preventing suicide.

There are plenty of suicides by folks that make a very good living in various fire/ems outlets. Unless you actually do the job, you have no idea.

 

[Marble]

For first responder suicides, there are a lot of complicated issues surrounding why it happens.

Top reasons I've seen:

Divorce
Trouble at work
Substance abuse
Administrative abandonment
Pre- existing mental issue
PTSD


Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk

 

[D S 319]

Stigma behind mental health is still very bad.

And, CEOs got to get their bonuses and private jets they can’t afford to pay better wages in these fields.

 

[Windigo]

There are plenty of suicides by folks that make a very good living in various fire/ems outlets. Unless you actually do the job, you have no idea.

I don’t really work fire anymore, but I still roll on an engine once in a while.

 

[Northpark]

Thanks for posting. Will pass along at the office. We have to get a handle on the agency as a whole I think. It’s not just fire folks struggling at my district. Actually with the recent pay increases and increase In the number of perm fire jobs I think my non fire folks are in worse mental shape.

 

[Newtosavage]

Stigma behind mental health is still very bad.

Yes. There is a lot of shame involved among those left behind. Nobody wants to talk about the mental health issues in their family, and worse, most people who need help are too ashamed to get it.

 

[Rob5589]

Yes. There is a lot of shame involved among those left behind. Nobody wants to talk about the mental health issues in their family, and worse, most people who need help are too ashamed to get it.

Plus the fact that the industry is still dominated by males which are far more reluctant to seek help.