So how can we begin to cope with the raging problem that is PTSD? Well I'd like to think that just recognizing that it is a problem beings the process. We, as in the U.S. Fire Service, need to talk about it more. We need to make it ok for any firefighter to seek help. That help can come in many forms.

One of the most prevalent forms of help is the Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Many career fire departments already have some sort of EAP. If your department is like mine, than EAP is an after thought. No one take it seriously. They hand out the phone number every so often and hang a poster up in the station and that is it. EAP is a historically passive process. If employees do not take the initiative to seek out the EAP, they will never use it. A better system would be a Behavioral Health Assistance Program (BHAP). A BHAP should be involved in the fire department from day one. The members of the program need to be aware of the particular concerns of emergency workers. Members should be encouraged to take part in the program just as they are encouraged to take part in physical wellness programs.

The one acronym we are all well aware of is CISD or CISM (Critical Incident Stress Debriefing or Management). Most of us have had some rudimentary CISM, usually performed by someone who has no formal training. Heck most of us do parts of CISM without even knowing it. Just sitting around the kitchen table, the most important part of any firehouse, we talk about calls and have informal debriefings. While this a good step, a more formal system should be utilized when the situation merits. More information can be found from the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation.