No one said, “Life is easy.” And for those of us who are first responders, we get to see life at its very worst sometimes. It may be just one call, or it could be several really serious ones in a row. Fires, auto collisions, shootings, tragedies involving children and more; they often seem to pile up, one on another. Add to that mix how little sleep we often get, maybe problems at home with family, money, and yes, even health, and the result is a toxic soup from which we may see only one way out.
According to the current statistics, the number of firefighter suicides in 2017 was equal to the number of LODD’s registered. And to that, the number of our EMS colleagues who took their lives and the numbers are almost staggering.
My guest on this podcast, Jeff Dill, knows these numbers and well. Currently, Jeff and his organization, the Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance (FFBHA.org) are the only ones who keep track of firefighter and EMS suicides. You will hear Jeff explain the process he follows and the organization’s efforts to not only assist those who are living with these dark shadows, but the families who are often left behind to cope with little understanding of what happened.
This podcast is for every single listener out there, firefighter, EMS, law enforcement, buffs and civilians, too. YOU might be able to make a difference in someone’s life. To learn how and why, tune in, sit back and listen.
