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LAKEPORT, CA - JULY 31: West Covina firefighters pulls hose away from a horse barn that burns as the River Fire moves through the area on July 31, 2018 in Lakeport, California. The River Fire has burned over 27,000 acres, destroyed seven homes and stands at only eight percent contained. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
More bad news for firefighters and their supporters.
As if increased cancer risk, throttled internet service and lack of benefits for prisoners on the front lines of this summer’s California wildfires weren’t devastating enough, a recent study has found that more firefighters are committing suicide than dying in the line of duty.
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 2017, </span><a href="http://rudermanfoundation.org/white_papers/police-officers-and-firefighters-are-more-likely-to-die-by-suicide-than-in-line-of-duty/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">a report</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> by the Ruderman Family Foundation found that 103 firefighters committed suicide while 93 died while on the job. Further, the Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance believes that only 40 percent of firefighter suicides are formally reported, which means the suicide rate could actually be twice the rate of dying in or from a fire-related cause.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It’s really shocking,” said Miriam Heyman, one of the report co-authors, </span><a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/04/11/officers-firefighters-suicides-study/503735002/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">told</span></a> <i><span style="font-weight: 400;">USA Today</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, “and part of what’s interesting is that line-of-duty deaths are covered so widely by the press but suicides are not, and it’s because of the level of secrecy around these deaths, which really shows the stigmas.”</span></p><p><div data-conversation-spotlight=""></div></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Ruderman Family Foundation is a Jewish philanthropic organization that focuses primarily on promoting the rights of people with disabilities. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“First responders are heroes who run towards danger every day in order to save the lives of others,” said Jay Ruderman, Ruderman Family Foundation president, in a </span><a href="http://rudermanfoundation.org/white_papers/police-officers-and-firefighters-are-more-likely-to-die-by-suicide-than-in-line-of-duty/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">release</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. “They are also human beings, and their work exerts a toll on their mental health.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">That toll can include not only the physical demands of the job, disturbing sights as a first responder to accidents and medical events, and frequent near-death experiences, but full 24-hour shifts and sleep deprivation, as well as a feeling of a loss of utility and identity upon retirement. In a </span><a href="https://www.jems.com/articles/print/volume-40/issue-10/features/survey-reveals-alarming-rates-of-ems-provider-stress-and-thoughts-of-suicide.html"><span style="font-weight: 400;">2015 survey</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, the Journal of Emergency Medical Services found 37 percent of firefighters had contemplated suicide, and 7 percent had attempted it — more than 10 times the civilian rate. However, an estimated 5 percent or fewer of fire stations provide mental health support.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Heyman argues this is not only a problem for firefighters and their families, but could be a safety issue for the public at large.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“These individuals are the guardians for our community,” she </span><a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/04/11/officers-firefighters-suicides-study/503735002/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">said</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. “What happens when their decision-making is flawed? We need for them to be healthy.”</span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire,</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is one of the few departments that does offer </span><a href="https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/j5nbm4/ptsd-suicide-and-despair-the-silent-perils-of-being-a-firefighter"><span style="font-weight: 400;">mental health services</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> for its employees. However, the stigma associated with asking for help is so great that Deputy Chief Mike Ming, who leads Cal Fire's employee support services, makes sure to drive an unmarked vehicle, not wear his uniform and convene somewhere neutral such as a coffee shop when meeting with employees who may need assistance. Even then, firefighters are often resistant to discuss their feelings. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It comes from a history of a suck-it-up attitude, because that’s just what we do,” Ming </span><a href="https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/j5nbm4/ptsd-suicide-and-despair-the-silent-perils-of-being-a-firefighter"><span style="font-weight: 400;">said</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in an interview with Vice. “We’re not awesome at tapping into emotions, and we can store a whole career’s worth.”</span></p>
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