Please note: This page is a work in progress, specifically on assisting the Fire Service related to this topic. It is to serve as a page to quickly find resources of various types
The National Fallen Firefighter Foundation (NFFF) says a fire department is three times more likely in any given year to lose a firefighter due to suicide than to a line-of-duty-death. This is a shocking statement, one that should make anyone in the fire service stop and think for a moment, but especially department chiefs and other leadership.
“Confronting Suicide in the Fire Service” (PDF, 461 Kb) is NFFF’s new report addressing firefighter suicide. Based on discussion and recommendations following the 2011 and 2013 national summits on suicide in the fire service, it reports statistics, lists risk factors, and talks about assessment and prevention methods.
Suicides are preventable deaths. There are many resources available today specifically for the fire and EMS community:
Fire/EMS Helpline: 1-888-731-FIRE (3473);
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255);
Share the Load program, National Volunteer Fire Council;
Behavioral health resources, NFFF; Initiative 13 Mental Health Resources
Topic: Suicide in the Fire Service, Learning Resource Center;
Suicide: What You Need to Know – a guide for chiefs (PDF, 1 Mb), NFFF.
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