The Delaware State Fire School is working with various partners to bring you more information for your health and wellness while serving. These health concerns include but go beyond the simple topic of physical fitness. We hope to bring multiple health resources together in one location for your reference, for whatever your need related to the Fire and Emergency Services.

The information we are sharing is just a small portion of the help available to you and your fellow first responders. We want to make sure that if you need help in any way to become healthier, that we help you get where you need to be, physically or mentally.

Topics include:

• Physical Fitness
• Mental Health and Wellness
• Suicide Prevention
• Cancer Risk and Identification

Physical Fitness and Cancer

There are many resources available to help encourage your members and staff to lead healthier lifestyles to improve their health and physical performance.

• A guide to washing your hood
• Breaking Muscle Firefighter Readiness – 12 Week training plan
• Fire Fighter Cancer Foundation
• Firefighter Cancer Alliance
• Fire Service Occupational Cancer Alliance Tool Box
• Mesothelioma Guide – Firefighters and Mesothelioma
• Mesothelioma Justice Network – Firefighter Contamination Risks and Exposures
• Asbestos.com – Firefighter and Asbestos Guide
• Firefighter Cancer Support Network
• The American Cancer Society
• The First Twenty
• Firefighter Functional Fitness
• USFA Health, Wellness, and Fitness – Cancer
• 2013 CDC Report on Firefighter Related Cancers

Mental Health and Wellness

Understanding the toll that regular exposure to extreme incidents can to do any responder is important to understand their basic mental health. Knowing that traumatic stress can affect anyone, including yourself, is important for not only your own health but that of your members and your family. Many resources are available for you to take advantage of. They range from counseling to anonymous phone lines to those who understand your position and let you talk. It is important to let your problems out, be addressed, and to allow healing to begin.

Links

• 2014 NFPA Journal Article on Mental Health
• Brattleboro Retreat (For mental health and addiction treatment)
• Contacts for CISM in Delaware courtesy the DVFA
• Counseling Services for Firefighters
• Everyone Goes Home – Psychological Support
• Firefighter Behavioral Alliance
• IMPACT – Improving Mood — Promoting Access to Collaborative Treatment
• International Critical Incident Stress Foundation
• New Castle County, DE CISM Website
• Delaware Drug Addiction Recovery Help – Help is Here DE
• Free Rehab Centers Links

Suicide Prevention

When those of us don’t get the help we need, stress can take a terrible toll on the mind and body. For some, it can be more than they can handle alone. This can happen to the strongest people in the field when they least expect it. Sometimes they reach out to those close to them. At times, they keep withdrawn. While some may not show signs of severe depression or a problem, many do. We must help guide those who need our help.

• 2016 EMS 1 Article on First Responder Suicide
• Code Green Campaign
• Firefighter Behavioral Alliance
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
• Suicide Prevention Resource Center for First Responders
• Take 5 to Save Lives

Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Training

Training is available to help others cope with mental health and stress. This is offering others private, anonymous help, as well as Critical Incident Stress Management to our brothers and sisters in their time of need surrounding a stressful incident or time.

• Critical Incident Stress Management Peer Support Training
• International Critical Incident Stress Foundation Training
• Peer Support Central – for First Responders
• The Connect Program
• Addiction Counselor Resource Guide

We do not necessarily support one product or service that has been shown over another. They are products and services that are readily available for purchase or use. If you see a product or service that may be beneficial to share, please let us know the information about that item and send it to us at: fire.school@delaware.gov.