The job of a first responder is very challenging. In an earlier article I stressed the importance of mental health. I am now turning my focus to the physical aspects we face at work. It is imperative that we stay in the best shape possible. We owe it to the community we serve and our fellow brothers and sisters.
It’s not as easy as one would think. Many firefighters have turned to CrossFit, which is good for some but not for everyone. One of the best things your department can do is provide time and equipment to stay in top physical shape. We need to be cardiovascular fit, strong, flexible and keep our minds in shape. Shift work can make it difficult to train so we must train at work.
I have never been one who loves the gym or working-out inside. With our jobs we need to find balance and learn to cross train. With this said, most of us need to hit the gym at work. Some of us work 24s and others work 48s; my dept is on a 48 hour shift. Working shifts means you have to utilize whatever workout your dept. offers. We have a gym we can go to and exercise equipment in our station. I choose to utilize our station equipment.
We have stationary bikes, elliptical machines, free weights and a nautilus weight machine. Personally I like to spin. Cardiovascular training is just as important as weight training. Some departments use cross fit, which is good but be careful jumping into this if you are out of shape. Cross Fit is something you should and can work up to. Some departments are using firefighter specific workouts. Whatever you do it should include cardio.
Cardiovascular training, in my opinion, is necessary. When you are working a structure fire you are only as strong as the weakest link on your team. We go in as a team and come out as a team. If one of the members of your team is not up to par with the others, you can only stay interior as long as the weakest link. It is detrimental to the unit if one of your members burns through a bottle of air at twice the rate of the others. You may be doing an interior attack or a search. If one member is low on air we all must exit the building. This is non-productive. It is one of the reasons cardiovascular training is so important. Of course the main reason is our heart is a muscle. If we don’t exercise it we will be at risk of a cardiac event. This could lead to what is called an incident within an incident. This incident can cause your brothers and sisters a great amount of stress, PTSD, and may even lead to a suicide in your dept.
While I push the importance of cardio, weight training is also essential. You don’t have to lift heavy weights, in fact it’s better to lift light with high reps. Going with light weights will increase your strength while elongating your muscles, which reduces the chance of injury on the job.
Core body strength and strengthening your back is imperative. With this said, you need to work your stomach and back. Next to heart attacks, back injuries are probably the number one reason firefighters and EMS personnel miss work. Cardiovascular training, weight training and core body strength can be achieved by making sure you train while on shift. If you don’t have equipment, find a workout program specific to the job. I encourage all chief officers to allow at least 1 hour of part of a day; 2 hours is optimal. You should always start and end your workout with stretching or yoga. On your days off, make your workouts fun.
You can run, bike, ski, hike, swim, paddle, climb, row or find something else to do outside. Personally I like to cross train with climbing, biking, skiing, stand up paddling and swimming. Find something that is fun in your area. It can be something different; in fact a great option is organized sports. At the very least, walk swiftly for 3 miles.
Personally, climbing is my favorite past time. I find climbing is the one sport that lets my mind rest. When I climb I can only think about the climb. This frees your mind by allowing it to focus only on the task of making it to the top. Climbing also increases strength and flexibility. I am fortunate to have the mountains and dessert as my playground. The last thing I would like to discuss is TRE therapy or meditation.
I find it difficult to meditate as my mind wanders. TRE therapy is taught in 35 countries. It stands for tension and trauma release therapy. I recently learned this and it is very easy and can be done at work or home. TRE includes a series of 7 steps. These steps end with the TRE tremor position. TRE uses the body’s innate process of controlled shaking to reduce stress and trauma, including PTSD. This revolutionary approach is doing wonders for me.
In conclusion, we are public servants. With this comes a responsibility to keep in shape. As we get older the stress of the job and life’s stressors can lead us to cope in unhealthy ways. I encourage you all to make a commitment to your community and fellow brothers and sisters. Of course we can’t control our genetic makeup, but we can make a commitment to physical and mental health. Let’s turn the tide towards less injury, death, PTSD and suicide of first responders. With a commitment we can turn the tide.
Jeff lost his right leg below the knee at the age of 50 as the result of a skiing injury. Instead of wallowing in pity, Jeff rebounded physically and mentally through physical therapy and exercise. He returned to work as firefighter/EMT a year later and is now back on the job fulltime. He strives to be the best firefighter/EMT he can be, and also to be an inspiration to others. Jeff welcomes your thoughts and comments at jeffbryan50@yahoo.com.
It seems most of us (myself included) love to get the morning (or evening if you work shifts) started with a good cup of coffee or tea. As you go through your day, have you noticed just how many mugs have a slogan or saying on them. It seems that what’s on our cup often gives a glimpse of who we are and what we think.
After doing a little research, we’ve assembled a list of some of the best sayings we’ve found on firefighter’s mugs:
I do battle with the Angel of Death forty hours a week. And what do you do for a living?
All men are created equal then some become firefighters.
You Might Know Where You Are, God Might Know Where You Are, But If DISPATCH Doesn’t Know Where You Are Then You and God Better Be On Good Terms.
Do NOT Make Me Use My Paramedic Voice!
Volunteer Firefighters Do It For Free.
Firefighters: The Hotter It Is The Quicker We Come.
Firefighters do it with a big hose.
I still play with trucks.
EMS: Hours of boredom occasionally interrupted by minutes of sheer terror.
I Hate Being Sexy But I’m A Firefighter So I Can’t Help It.
Hug A Firefighter And Feel Warm All Over.
Firefighters can take the heat.
Firefighter By Day, Zombie Slayer By Night.
I’m The Firefighter Your Mother Warned You About.
FIREFIGHTER: Being Awesome Is Just Part Of the Official Job Description.
Beak the Speed Limit, Carry an Ax in Public, Run Red Lights; Oh Yeah, Make Sure You’re a Firefighter
What does your favorite mug have on it? We’d love to see; feel free to share it with us.
And just like a comforting cup of hot coffee, California Casualty is a perfect complement to your day. We’ve been protecting American heroes for over 40 years providing auto and home insurance matched to your professional lifestyle. That means these exclusive benefits not available to the general public:
Waived or reduced deductibles for vandalism or damage to your vehicle parked at work
$500 coverage for personal items damaged in or taken from your vehicle (including turnout gear)
Rates guaranteed for a full year (not six months)
Free identity theft protection with each policy
Fallen Hero survivor benefit
Multiple payment options including EZ Pay and holiday or summer skips
Superior customer service satisfaction rating – 99 percent with claims satisfaction of 96 percent
Call a California Casualty advisor today to learn about all the professional discounts you qualify for as a firefighter at 1-(866)-441-4635, or visit www.calcas.com/firefighters.
I’ve always been thankful for firefighters. They respond to fires and crashes and provide first aid when someone hurts themselves or becomes seriously sick at home. While they give selflessly to help others, the holidays can be a tough time. Accidents and fires don’t take a break and neither do the men and women in blue who will be manning fires stations or on call at volunteer departments in case they are needed. During this season of joy, let’s not forget to thank those who run towards danger while the rest of us are running away. Here are some ideas:
Send a thank you card to your local fire station
Thank a fire fighter in person when you see them around the community
Bake some goodies and take them to the fire station with a thank you card
Buy them a cup of coffee or meal if you see them at a coffee shop or restaurant
Donate to funds that help the families of injured firefighters
Learn CPR and other first aid
Pull your vehicle over when you hear a siren or see a fire truck with its lights on
Another way you can make a firefighter’s day is to be fire safe this holiday season:
Make sure real trees are fresh and needles don’t fall off when touched
Cut two inches from the base of the trunk and immediately put it in a stand with water
Add water every day
Keep trees at least three feet from any heat source (fireplaces, space heaters, candles, heat vents)
Check artificial trees for a “fire resistant” label
Use lights that have the label of a recognized testing laboratory (UL)
Always turn off tree lights before going to bed or leaving home
Never use candles to decorate a tree
If you use real candles around the home, keep them 12 inches away from anything that can burn and always blow them out when you leave a room or go to bed
Don’t use frayed or damaged electrical cords
We know accidents happen. That’s why it’s so important that we remember our firefighters this time of year. They’ll be there if we need them.
At California Casualty, we are proud to serve firefighters with auto and home insurance designed for their professional lifestyle, with exclusive benefits not available to the general public. Call an advisor today for a free, no hassle policy review or comparison at 1.800.800.9410 or visit www.calcas.com/firefighters.
First responders are special people. Most don’t think about money or glory; rather they are motivated by the reward of providing safety and relief, doing all they can to help others.
While some might consider first responders superheroes, just like the rest of humanity they have a very real vulnerability: mental health. Few go into the profession thinking about how the job will affect them mentally. As a public servant who cares, I feel mental health should be held to the same standard as physical fitness.
Let’s face it, we all have triggers. Whether it’s daily stress or the horror of what first responders encounter at a fire, automobile crash or domestic violence, it affects us. We mostly click into survival mode, pushing the pain and gore into a corner of our conscious, reacting to the situation with as little emotion as possible. Seeing repetitive tragedies is hard on anyone and it takes a toll. Those emotions can and do resurface and we can react in a couple of different ways. Some find positive ways to cope, others cope in self-destructive ways. I am urging all of us to be aware of “triggers” that warn someone is having trouble: they are quick to anger, suffer depression or exhibit self-destructive behavior like taking undue chances or turning to drugs or alcohol. We need to be aware that these are signs of post-traumatic stress. I thought nothing could bother me but I have since learned that no one is immune, but many will deny it. If we weren’t affected by all this, we would be narcissistic; but most first responders aren’t.
First responders are coping the only way they know how. They see and experience things that most others don’t. Here’s the problem; we must address the issue but most public servants are terrified to seek help. Why?
Many are fearful of persecution and losing employment. Those who admit they need help are often looked upon as mentally weak and “damaged.” While there has been a shift of thought in this area, too often admitting that the job is getting to them leads to castigation and forced retirement.
I have seen my fair share of tragedy and I am the first to admit it affected me. I was always happy-go-lucky, but the job has changed me. I realized I couldn’t do this on my own so I decided to get help. I have been seeing a psychotherapist for ten years. At first, I was very embarrassed. Now, I want to help others get the help they might need too. Three years ago, I invited a mental health professional to talk to our staff members. The turnout was not that great and I was hurt. I was told, “Jeff, it went well and we will come back. We touched a few and it made a difference.”
I learned help can come in many forms whether it be a support group, a church pastor, a trusted friend, your partner or someone on your crew. It’s time we put this on the table and say enough is enough, otherwise more public servants will just walk away from the job, self-medicate or commit suicide. Personally, every suicide I read about hurts me. I lost a cousin to suicide. He was a very prominent surgeon, he was my age, and it devastated my family.
I will offer one other piece of advice: use exercise and hobbies to deal with stress. Don’t let your job define your life. I find climbing is the one sport that lets my brain rest. I can only think about the rock or ice, the route, and the next move; my mind is free of everyday noise. I also actively pursue therapy and I talk with my wife. Many I know have used Eye Movement Desensitizing Reprocessing (EMDR) to treat PTSD. Whatever works for you – bowling, bike riding or hitting the gym – get going and help your mind through physical activity.
I hope writing this article will make more of us stop and pay attention. Know the warning signs: loss of interest in activities, self-medication, poor hygiene, isolation and depression or anger. Other signs are a change in one’s empathy and compassion. Those of us working as first responders need to notice those on our crew who might complain when the tones drop if they suffer from night terrors or even cry; it’s a sign our brother or sister needs help. We need to show empathy and compassion to each other and extend a hand. Let’s also not forget our retired or disabled public servants. Call and invite them to the station for a meal. Make time for them. Too many of our brothers and sisters are getting divorced and committing suicide. Let’s change the stigma and turn around the statistics.
Health and wellness must include taking care of our public servants’ mental health. It’s a concern for all of us, no one can do it all themselves. We can listen and offer advice, but if we try to become everyone’s problem solver we end being affected ourselves. We need to change the culture and make professional help available. Our leaders sometimes forget about life in the trenches. I don’t blame them; they most likely have dealt with the same issues but now they fight different battles. Their concerns are budgets, staffing, equipment upgrades, etc.
Slowly, more of the public safety leadership is addressing the issue of PTSD and the mental health of their crews. I urge more of those leaders to make a commitment to mental health. Please lobby to bring this issue to the forefront before you read about one of your people doing something rash. A proactive mental health program is also needed to reduce PTSD and worker burnout.
Jeff Bryan, Firefighter/EMT-I
Jeff Bryan is a firefighter who doesn’t let adversity keep him down. Jeff returned to full time work in March 2015, just slightly less than a year after his right leg was amputated below the knee. Jeff, who is a firefighter and EMT Intermediate with the Ute Mountain Fire Department in southwest Colorado, refused to let the amputation keep him down. He was released from the hospital on his 50th birthday. He says there were two ways to go: give up and feel sorry for himself or push forward and beat it – he chose to move beyond and conquer it.
As soon as he was able, he started bicycling, ice climbing, paddle boarding, swimming and yoga. As far as anyone can determine, Jeff is the only firefighter in Colorado to return to fulltime active duty after a leg amputation. Jeff does not want to be known as the firefighter who lost a leg, but the guy who works hard to stay in shape and be the best EMT/firefighter he can.
Jeff provides insight and commentary on issues facing firefighters, EMTs and other first responders.
Have you ever stood on the side of a busy road or highway? It can be a bit intimidating as traffic roars by; you can feel the wind of speeding cars and trucks and the sting from dust and pebbles thrown as they fly past. Now imagine that you are a first responder, law enforcement officer or maintenance worker trying to do a job, often just off of or in busy lanes of traffic.
Every day the people who protect us put their safety and lives on the line when they get out of their vehicles to help a stranded motorist, block a lane of traffic, clear up debris or provide first aid to someone hurt in a crash. This should be a reminder that we all need to be more careful as we drive along the byways and highways on our daily commutes or while on a special trip. Over the next hill or around the next curve could be an unexpected situation with a first responder or law enforcement officer who might be in a vulnerable situation while trying to help others.
Just such a situation recently turned deadly for 33 year old Colorado State Trooper Jamie Jursevics who was hit and killed while assisting people involved in a crash off I-25. Another driver, who has been charged with driving while intoxicated and vehicular manslaughter, slammed into Trooper Jursevics. She died at the scene leaving behind a husband and an eight month old daughter.
The pain that Jursevics’ family is enduring is felt by hundreds of others every year. The National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund reports that between 2005 and 2014, 134 officers died after being struck by a vehicle. In addition, hundreds of highway construction and maintenance workers were also struck and killed while on the job.
We all owe the men and women who keep our roads safe our undivided attention. This means not being distracted by cell phones or other electronic devices, never driving while overly tired or after consuming alcohol or taking certain prescription drugs, and slowing down when we see emergency vehicle lights either in traffic or off to the side of the road. It’s hard to imagine the horror of being distracted and causing injuries or death.
That’s why all 50 states now have Move Over laws on the books, to try and protect the men and women who protect us. Move Over laws require motorists to slow down, change lanes or move over as far as possible when approaching an emergency vehicle. More of us need to be informed about those laws, though; with surveys showing that 71 percent of Americans still have not heard of Move Over laws.
The American Safety Council reminds us to be extra vigilant when we see an emergency vehicle and to:
Pull as far to the right as possible to let them pass
Stay at least 500 feet behind them
Move as far over as possible when nearing a stopped emergency vehicle with lights activated and slow to a speed not more than 20 miles less than the posted speed limit
The men and women who swear to serve and protect us, as well as ambulance drivers, tow truck operators and construction workers deserve all the extra safety we can give them.
San Mateo, CA, October 8, 2015 – October is an important month for firefighters across the country. Not only is it Fire Prevention Month, but it’s also when they pause to remember fellow comrades at the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Memorial in Maryland.
In 2014, 84 men and women in the United States lost their lives in the line of duty. Despite that, thousands of dedicated fire personnel continue to put on the uniform and charge into dangerous situations to help others.
Too often, their heroics and sacrifice go unnoticed. That’s why California Casualty created Nominate A Hero, a program to encourage others to highlight those who make our communities better. First responder Heroes of the Month include California fireman Joe Benton who suffered serious injuries fighting an outbreak of wildfires and is now a fire inspector, and firefighter/CPR instructor Robert Stevens who volunteers at the local school district and also helps aspiring firefighters apply and study for the firefighter exam. To honor a hero you know, go to www.nominatemyhero.com.
California Casualty is also encouraging the public to join them in donating to relief funds aimed at helping firefighters who lost homes while selflessly protecting their communities during the disastrous California fires. Information can be found here at CSFA website.
“We think it’s important to say thank you and support the courageous men and women who protect us,” said Mike McCormick, California Casualty Sr. Vice President.
Learn more about California Casualty and its 40 year partnership with firefighters at www.calcas.com/firefighters.
Personally, climbing is my favorite past time. I find climbing is the one sport that lets my mind rest. When I climb I can only think about the climb. This frees your mind by allowing it to focus only on the task of making it to the top. Climbing also increases strength and flexibility. I am fortunate to have the mountains and dessert as my playground. The last thing I would like to discuss is TRE therapy or meditation.
Jeff lost his right leg below the knee at the age of 50 as the result of a skiing injury. Instead of wallowing in pity, Jeff rebounded physically and mentally through physical therapy and exercise. He returned to work as firefighter/EMT a year later and is now back on the job fulltime. He strives to be the best firefighter/EMT he can be, and also to be an inspiration to others. Jeff welcomes your thoughts and comments at jeffbryan50@yahoo.com. 
