Credit: (fish96 via Pixabay)Firefighters, like many first responders, deal with high-stress situations that can involve significant distress, injury or death. These experiences can lead to mental health issues including anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Now, state lawmakers are seeking to address these issues and other mental health concerns with legislation that would allow for firefighters and members of their immediate families who are experiencing a mental health crisis or suicidal ideation to receive confidential mental health services from a psychiatrist, psychologist or clinical social worker. If approved, the bill backed by lawmakers this week would give $1 million to the state Department of Human Services to help confront these issues.
From 2014 to 2020, more firefighters in the country died by suicide than while working on the job, according to a February report from the Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance, a Las Vegas-based nonprofit organization.
And because of the issues that firefighters deal with, they can easily fall prey to addictions, relationship issues, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, sleep deprivation and “moral injury,” said Jeff Dill, the founder and chief executive officer of the nonprofit organization.
Moral injury refers to experiences or situations that go against a person’s “internal moral compass,” such as a lack of fairness or the inability to do what is “right and just,” according to the report. Moral injuries can arise from incidents that produce feelings of betrayal, guilt and shame, according to Dill. An example of a moral injury includes a firefighter who witnesses the bullying of a rookie firefighter on the job and says nothing. The firefighter is upset with himself the rest of the shift about why he didn’t step up and say something and he continues to be ashamed after his shift is over.
“We knew the inherent dangers of the job, but we just were never told about these behavioral health issues,” said Dill, who currently works as a behavioral health administrator for Las Vegas Fire & Rescue.
Legislative progress
The legislation proposed in New Jersey aims to reduce some of these mental health issues facing firefighters across the state by creating the Firefighter Critical Mental Health Assistance Grant Program in the state Department of Human Services. The program would award grants to mental health professionals to provide confidential mental health services to firefighters or members of their immediate families, according to the bill.
“The importance of a bill like this really is that it, one, draws some attention to the fact that firefighters are dealing with these issues and two, will hopefully allow for some funding to address screening and identification of mental health issues and then treatment as necessary,” said Dr. Keith Stowell, the chief medical officer of behavioral health and addictions at Rutgers RWJBarnabas Health.
The commissioner of the human services department would be required to create an application for mental health professionals to apply for a grant to provide services. Additionally, the bill aims to allow patients to travel less than an hour to receive mental health services, although it does not mention offering services via telehealth.
‘We don’t want to show any weakness and who expects us to act that way? Well, our brothers and sisters we work with, the communities we serve and the traditions of the fire and EMS [emergency medical services] world.’ — Jeff Dill, Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance
Firefighters commonly feel that speaking about a mental illness will result in negative professional consequences, including job loss, according to the legislation. This creates a culture in which firefighters often do not divulge mental health struggles and do not seek appropriate treatment.
Overexertion, stress and medical issues accounted for more than half of firefighter deaths in 2021, according to an August 2022 report from the National Fire Protection Association.
“We don’t want to show any weakness and who expects us to act that way? Well, our brothers and sisters we work with, the communities we serve and the traditions of the fire and EMS [emergency medical services] world,” said Dill.
And when a firefighter is challenged in their professional or personal life and expected to “go it alone,” it becomes very difficult, Dill said.
“And now we see why so many of us struggle, or unfortunately take our lives,” he said.
The bill unanimously passed the Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee earlier this week and now heads to the Assembly Appropriations Committee. Before it can become law, a version of the bill would also have to be introduced and passed in the Senate.
If you or a loved one are in crisis, please call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988 or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.
Online link to 988: https://988lifeline.org/
