Joyce Ogiri and Tim Steele
6 hours ago
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — First responders are called first responders for a reason. They are the first people to show up during an emergency, and emergencies are always stressful conditions that can have a negative impact on mental health.
Firefighters need tools such as trucks and fire hoses to do their jobs. But it’s also important for firefighters to have resources to care for their mental health.
“It’s really hard to get into a job where you see the dark side of things in life. It’s really hard,” said Portland firefighter Christina Dizon.
That’s why Portland Fire Rescue is hiring a new Behavioral Health Coordinator to help them deal with day-to-day work-related stress.
“If there’s been a particularly traumatic event, or if someone is struggling with a particular call or something that’s going on in their life or work, what we can do to help is by contacting me,” said the PFR Action Officer. Tara Stein said. Health coordinator.
According to the Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance, more firefighters die by suicide than in the line of duty each year, and many suicides may go unreported.
“They see more traumatic events in one year of their career than most people experience in a lifetime,” Stein said. “So firefighters and paramedics generally have higher rates of depression, anxiety, PTSD, and alcohol use. And these are things that they struggle with every day.”
Portland firefighters are responding to a high volume of calls and are under added stress.
“We’re seeing a lot more ODs than we were seeing before and after the fentanyl crisis, and we’re also seeing more citations and fires related to unhoused people,” Stein told KOIN 6 News.
Dizon said she thinks what would be most helpful is “a continued emphasis on people talking about what’s going on.” “It is clear that we have to come together and support each other, and that will reduce the mental burden.”
Firefighters can receive training to become peer supporters who assist with personal or work-related stressors, including traumatic events.
