Mental health clinicians spend a day in "the boots of a firefighter"

The Fire Service Psychology Association (FSPA) is an organization consisting of fire service leaders, psychologists, and masters-level clinicians (e.g., clinical social workers, professional counselors, marriage and family therapists) all working to "build a bridge between professional psychology and the fire service."

A major component of that bridge is the development of more psychologists and masters-level clinicians who are "fire service culturally competent." That means clinicians who understand:

• What firefighters do
• Why they do it
• How they do it
• The conditions under which they do it
• The unique stressors of the job

In conjunction with its 7th Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. October 3-4, 2024, hosted by the DC Fire & EMS Department and the DC Fire & EMS Foundation, FSPA and the DC Fire & EMS Training Staff delivered FSPA's first Fire Department Culturally Competent Clinician Program.

FSPA’s Fire Department Cultural Competency Certificate Program‘s provides training for psychologists and masters-level mental health clinicians who work with firefighters and EMS personnel and those who desire to do so in the future.

The first day of the two-day program, October 2nd, had the clinicians participate in FIRE OPS 101 (Many fire departments already provide a similar program under a title such as Citizen Fire Academy). Click here for more information on that day's activities and what was covered in Day #2 on October 5th (In between those two days was the conference. Also, we "flip-flopped" Day #1 and Day #2 in this instance to accommodate travel schedules for participants).

This is what one of the participating clinicians had to say about their experience!

Hello!? Thank you again for an amazing experience in DC last month.?I appreciate you taking the time to put this program together.?I learned much from the hands-on experience with the department.?Wearing the gear all day was something I felt all week!?And feeling the anxiety of what some firefighters go through when all that gear is on, and there is pressure to find survivors in the smoke and heat was very eye opening for me.        

I believe it will make me a more understanding and compassionate therapist, having gone through specific scenarios that my firefighter clients experience.?Being able to speak with the firefighters in the training facility and learning more about what led them into this job and why they stay was insightful for me.        

I was grateful that so many of them were willing to share their own personal experiences with behavioral health and wellness and what it means to them now.?I am grateful for the lessons learned and experiences I will take with me into my practice after spending this week with you all in DC.        

I am looking forward to continuing the training with my local [fire] department(s) here to complete the 40 hours of ride along training.? Being hands on in the fire department is one of my favorite things about my job!?
--Kerrie M., LMSW        

What Comes Next?

?Along with her cohorts, Kerrie, now has a Task Book to be completed during her 40-hours of ride-alongs with fire departments in her area. The Task Book has all the information necessary to set up a working relationship between the clinician and the fire department(s) they'll be working with. The Task Book contains Learning Objectives that the clinician works on with the assistance of the officer and firefighters in the station where they are logging ride-along hours.

Some examples of those learning objectives are:

• The clinician can describe the different roles and basic responsibilities for each position within the fire company.
• The clinician can describe the physical and emotional stress associated with working in the actual structural firefighting protective ensemble.
• Given an emergency scenario, the clinician will describe how the fire company carries out its duties.

If you and your fire department are interested in hosting one of FSPA's Fire Department Culturally Competent Clinician Programs for mental health clinicians in your area, contact FSPA at [email protected].