By

Kalli Plump

A major health diagnosis, especially cancer, can be a lot to process. There are likely medications, hospital stays or ongoing doctor appointments to manage. This can mean a disruption of daily routines and usually a halt in work schedules. Plus, it’s mentally taxing on everyone – the individual, family members, friends and loved ones included. Oftentimes, stressing over the dreaded question of, “How am I going to pay for all this?” can take precious energy away from the healing process.

Recognizing June is National Cancer Survivor Month, we want to make sure all firefighters who face a cancer diagnosis have the resources available to focus on beating their illness and putting it behind them. The MnFIRE Critical Illness Program through the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program (HHAP) can help by keeping the financial stress of a critical illness diagnosis at bay. All active firefighters are automatically enrolled in this insurance policy, which covers diagnoses of cancer, cardiac, COVID-19 and other critical illnesses, and provides a lump-sum cash payment up to $20,000 to assist with expenses. This is all at no cost to the firefighters. That’s right – it’s free.

Christian Worby, a 42-year-old firefighter for the Coon Rapids Fire Department, is currently battling multiple myeloma. His treatment plan includes chemotherapy along with a six-week hospital stay for a stem cell transplant. Not only is Worby and his family maxing out their insurance deductible, but they also have to pay for gas and accommodations for all the treatment travel. Plus, Worby has had to take time off from work, meaning a smaller paycheck.

“It’s great having the extra financial support,” Christian said. “It’s an extra safety net. It’s an expensive deal having a major illness.”

This National Cancer Survivor Month, we honor those firefighters who were taken from us too soon from this disease, and celebrate those who have survived or are currently battling cancer. And we’re thankful to be able to offer this resource to make that battle a little easier.

Take some of the financial stress off your plate by submitting a claim for your cancer or critical illness diagnosis. For more information or to file a claim, visit MnFIRE’s website or call 888-784-6634.

By MnFIRE Assistance Program partner, Optum

As the world at large wrestles with the pandemic, systemic racism and social injustices, among other complexities and difficulties, one thing you can control is how you treat yourself. It’s so important to support your own health and well-being. Whatever you’re going through — good, bad or neutral — are you being kind to yourself? As firefighters who spend all day serving others, this is a question we need to ask ourselves often.

Being kind to yourself is not about feeling self-pity or blaming others; it’s about understanding that life sometimes brings tough times and uncomfortable emotions. It’s also about understanding that everyone endures difficulties and makes mistakes — it’s part of being human.

Self-compassionate people are far more likely to acknowledge and process difficulties to find a path forward. In fact, research shows practicing genuine self-compassion can help you:

  • Feel more motivated and optimistic
  • Feel safer and more secure
  • Be more resilient
  • Be more confident and authentic
  • Adopt a healthier lifestyle, including being more active and eating more nutritiously

People who practice self-compassion also tend to take greater personal responsibility for their actions. This includes being more likely to reflect, learn and take steps to correct course, such as making amends with someone or something, and looking for ways to be and do better.

Practicing self-compassion

This does not necessarily come naturally. Difficult circumstances and hard times more often trigger people to criticize themselves or to blame others. Both reactions increase stress, and chronic stress can lead to mental health conditions like depression and anxiety.

However, you can cultivate self-compassion by consistently practicing it.

For example, think about when a friend is going through something difficult, such as something someone else might have done to them or something that happened beyond their control. If you’re like most people, your impulse is to try empathizing with what your friend is going through and figure out how you can help them. You acknowledge their pain. You try to be present and actively listen. In those moments especially, you don’t second-guess and criticize them, and you don’t tell them what they should have or could have done differently.

Odds are you would also encourage them that they can and will get through this hardship. Odds are you would try to help them think about how to overcome it.

Do the same for yourself.

Taking care of yourself is an important part of coping with tough times, and steeling yourself for the challenges to come. Eating nutritious foods, getting enough sleep, exercising regularly and doing things you enjoy will help you be and feel stronger physically, mentally and emotionally.

MnFIRE also offers a deep-dive training course on emotional wellness. This two hour class will help de-stigmatize talking about mental health in your department, as well as provide practical information around how to properly debrief after a difficult call with your team, ways to maintain emotional well-being and what resources are available for those who need help. Get your department signed up today!

By MnFIRE Assistance Program partner, Optum

People in the fire service experience much higher rates of mental health challenges than the general population – particularly in the areas of sleep disorders, depression, substance abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder and suicidal ideation/action. The stigma associated with mental health conditions causes many firefighters to stay quiet about what they’re really experiencing – and not seek treatment. They might perceive themselves to be “weak,” feel ashamed, or tell themselves it’s “just a phase” that’ll pass if they push through. They might worry about being treated differently or losing their jobs. Or, they just might not know where to begin finding help.

This is all to say, one of your fellow firefighters may be suffering in silence. You can help set the tone in your department so mental illness is destigmatized, and people feel encouraged to seek out help when they need it.

Learn the signs

While different mental health conditions have different symptoms, with variances depending on the person, early warning signs include behavior changes over time that last for two or more weeks. For example, a previously energetic, reliable colleague now consistently seems fatigued, shows up late and looks disheveled. They also seem angry, irritable, and prone to outbursts.

Some common signs of mental illness include:

  1. Excessive worrying or fear
  2. Persistent sadness, hopelessness or “empty” feeling
  3. Lack of concentration
  4. Extreme mood changes, including irritability or anger
  5. Changes in eating habits, energy level or sleeping patterns
  6. Delusions and/or hallucinations
  7. Increased use of alcohol or other substances
  8. Persistent physical aches and pains
  9. Suicidal thoughts
  10. Lack of interest in activities
  11. Inability to carry out daily activities or handle daily problems and stress
  12. Intense fear of weight gain or concern with appearance

Reach out

If someone you know is showing warning signs and needs help coping with a situational or chronic mental health condition, reaching out can make a difference. Consider using the method like “NOTICE. TALK. ACT.™” from American the Psychiatric Association.3

If you notice a person is exhibiting the warning signs that last for two or more weeks, find a quiet place to ask, “Are you OK?” Compassionately and nonjudgmentally provide a few examples of what’s worrying you. Do not assume you know what is going on. Listen with the aim to learn more from their perspective. Remind them we all have challenging times in life, and getting extra support and guidance can help us get through those times. Recommend they consider taking advantage of the free counseling sessions available to them through the MnFIRE Assistance Program, or to call MnFIRE’s 24/7 peer support hotline, both available at: 888-784-6634.

Then, check back in with the person in a day or two to see how things are going. Please note: If you are worried about the person’s immediate safety, do not leave the person alone. Seek emergency assistance.

Be an ally

You also can help create a supportive environment, increase awareness and reduce stigma for those in your department who are struggling. For example, commit to using respectful and compassionate language to describe or talk about mental health. Using derogatory terms perpetuates discrimination and stigma. It also dehumanizes the people living with mental health conditions, dismisses their experiences and can discourage them from asking for support.

In addition, intervene if you overhear others using verbally abusive language, and challenge misconceptions when you see or hear them.

You can make a difference.

Most of us have probably felt the strain of our job or the difficulty of balancing the fire service with other areas of our lives. It’s easy to try to muscle through it knowing we have an important job helping others and keeping them safe. However, there comes a point where we need to let others help us. And it doesn’t need to be a crisis to reach that point.

With May as Mental Health Awareness Month, we at MnFIRE want to make sure all fire service members know the resources available to those of us in the field. Through the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program (HHAP), every active firefighter in the state – full-time, part-time, paid-on-call or volunteer – has access to mental health support – all free!

It comes through the MnFIRE Assistance Program (MAP), one of the three elements of the HHAP. In the fire service, we encounter unique emotional and mental stresses. We need people who understand the distinct and specific stresses and challenges we encounter. This program focuses on providing mental health care specifically to us – firefighters and our families. And it doesn’t matter the size of the help needed, whether through a big crisis or a small issue, the MAP program can steer us in the right direction. There are two ways to access help – calling 888-784-6634 or visiting www.mnfireinitiative.com/hhap/#MAP.

One of the best parts about this program is having it available to our families. Our time in the fire service affects them, too. They have their own unique set of stressors. Any member of a firefighter’s household, including children living away from home, can access the interactive website or contact a trained specialist. Each firefighter and/or their family members can receive up to five counseling visits a year with additional support ensured as needed.

No call or inquiry is too small. Simply look at the website or dial the phone. There is someone there to talk you through what is available. If something major happened in your life or if you’re just feeling stressed, the MAP program is here to help.

Another great part of MAP is the peer support program where firefighters are paired with a trained peer supporter who knows firsthand the difficulties firefighters face. They are fellow fire service members in Minnesota who are there to lend a listening ear or offer support, all completely anonymous. They are well-equipped to walk alongside us as we encounter life at the firehall, on calls and beyond.

We don’t need to muscle through challenges alone. There are people ready and willing to help no matter the size of the problem. It doesn’t need to be a crisis to ask for mental health help.

We are counting down the days until the Outdoor Memorial Day “Murph” event! This exciting fitness event will take place in Long Lake, Minnesota. It includes a workout done in memory of Navy Lieutenant Michael Murphy, 29, of Patchogue, New York, who was killed in Afghanistan in 2005. The workout includes the following: one-mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 air squats and a one-mile run.

Firefighters can choose to do the challenge in their gear, or without, and as written or scaled as much as needed. Departments are also welcome to take on the challenge as a team.

Half of the proceeds from this event will go to supporting MnFIRE’s mission of providing Minnesota’s firefighters with the resources they need to prioritize and protect their health. The other half will go to charities supporting veterans.

Learn more and register at MemorialDayChallenge.com.

MnFIRE thanks Sarah Moe from Sleep Health Specialists for guest authoring this blog and sharing her expertise around this critical component of wellness. 

It’s National Sleep Awareness Week – a whole week dedicated to bringing awareness to the importance of sleep! Does this sound excessive to you? If you’re thinking “we all sleep every single night. What other awareness needs to be brought to it?”, you’re not alone. Yet given the fact that human beings (are SUPPOSED to) sleep eight hours each night, we collectively know very little about it. Truthfully, this is because we do not learn about our sleep from a young age the way we learn about the other aspects of health. With focus placed on gym class and the food pyramid, we are raised to believe that being healthy means eating right and working out. We’ve missed so much over the years.

Luckily, we seem to be catching up. This pandemic has placed the spotlight on health and well-being in a new way, and hopefully we won’t be going back. So, this is the perfect time to learn how our sleep co-exists with the mission of MnFIRE – providing Minnesota’s firefighters the tools they need to prioritize and protect their health – specifically related to cardiac, emotional trauma and cancer.

Sleep and cardiac
With all of the recent studies done around sleep and heart health, it is becoming increasingly clearer how important those nighttime zzz’s are. The average person is getting 1.2 hours of sleep less than we did 50 years ago, and it is causing significant cardiac issues. When we are sleeping, our heart rate and blood pressure are drastically reduced, giving our systems a much-needed break and chance to reset for the work of the following day. In fact, short sleepers, those who get less than six hours each night, are 48% more likely to die from coronary artery disease.

On top of that, Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), a sleep disorder that causes you to stop breathing at night, has been shown to have a direct correlation with cardiac stress. OSA is an extremely prevalent sleep disorder, and it is estimated that over 80 million Americans are suffering undiagnosed. Demographically, many first responders fall in this category so diagnosis and treatment are crucial to maintaining optimal heart health.

Sleep and emotional trauma
Trauma and mental well-being have a frustrating relationship with sleep. When we experience trauma, our minds do not have an easy time processing and moving on. The work of understanding its impact is grueling and not at all within our control. While some individuals can put things in a little brain box and never look back, most will find themselves immersed in reliving traumatic situations over and over in their mind – wondering why these things happened, if there was anything we could have done to change the outcome or how long until it doesn’t hurt as much? These thoughts are all-consuming and tend to prevent us from falling asleep. Unfortunately, getting a bad night of sleep leads to a hormonal imbalance the following day. The hormones that regulate mood, motivation and resilience are thrown out of balance and may lead to an anxiety-filled day. When we have those days, it makes it even harder to fall asleep that night. We’ve now entered the vicious cycle of poor sleep and mental well-being. We cannot have one without the other, and they are so impactful to each other.

The easiest way to break this chain is to focus on sleep. Doing what it takes to get the proper quantity and quality sleep will set you up with the neurological tools needed to tackle all that may come.

Sleep and cancer
In 2018, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified night shift work as a “probable carcinogen,” which is something likely to cause cancer. That is because people who work the night shift then have to attempt to sleep during the day. Unfortunately, that goes against most of our circadian rhythms, and we find that it is quite difficult to get restful consolidated sleep in the daytime hours. With reduced sleep time, our natural killer cells, or cancer fighting cells, reduce as well. On top of that, hormones like cortisol and melatonin that are shown to influence the rate of cancer growth are deregulated too. That means not getting sufficient sleep leaves us more vulnerable to many types of cancer.

While this information may seem frightening, it’s actually good news. The research and development of sleep medicine is giving us more information than we’ve ever had, and this information allows us to use all tools in order to stay as healthy, happy and productive as possible. If that sounds like the type of life you would like to live, taking your sleep seriously is a great way to ensure you will achieve that goal. The old airplane cliche is true: We have to put on our own oxygen masks before we can help others. And a great way to ensure we can be at our best to continue serving our community is by getting those zzz’s.

MnFIRE recently launched the MnStore – an online store where those interested in supporting our mission can buy MnFIRE-branded merchandise, like t-shirts, hats and sweatshirts. Support our mission of helping Minnesota firefighters prioritize and protect their health, and add some great looking pieces to your wardrobe in return! These also make great gifts for the firefighters in your life. Here are a few of our favorite items:

The MnFIRE Core Cotton Tee Shirt

1) MnFIRE Torrent Waterproof Jacket – Our versatile, fully seam-sealed jacket offers outstanding waterproof protection to keep you dry whether you’re on the job or on the trail. Folds into a convenient carry pouch for easy, compact storage.

2) MnFIRE Hat – This stylish and classic trucker hat will protect your eyes, while also spreading awareness about MnFIRE.

3) MnFIRE Endeavor 1/4 Zip Pullover – With a subtle heather texture and moisture-wicking technology, this lightweight 1/4-zip will help you achieve all your performance endeavors.

4) MnFIRE Core Cotton Tee Shirt – Show your support wherever you go with a comfy cotton t-shirt sporting our MnFIRE branding.

Check out all the full line-up of MnFIRE apparel options at our MnStore. Thanks for supporting our mission!

It’s a new year, and with it, there are some exciting new changes to announce for our MnFIRE board. The MnFIRE board is comprised of individuals who are passionate about firefighter health and have the fire service experience to match. We’re so grateful that they invest their time, energy and talents into driving our mission forward!

First, we’d like to thank Mark Rosenblum for his five years serving on the MnFIRE board. Mark brought his deep experience serving on the Golden Valley Fire Department and as president of the Minnesota State Fire Department Association (MSFDA) to his role with MnFIRE. We appreciate all he does in retirement to support firefighters in Minnesota, and are grateful he chose to spend half a decade helping further our cause.

We’d also like to welcome Scott Vadnais, Dave Yurczyk and Amber Lage to the board in 2022! We’re looking forward to benefitting from their unique experiences and collaborating to make 2022 the best year for firefighter health and wellness yet. Learn more about them and their service below:

Amber Lage
Amber Lage is the Deputy Chief of Emergency Medical Services for the Minneapolis Fire Department, where she has proudly served for over 22 years. Throughout her career, she has held the ranks of firefighter, fire motor operator, captain, staff captain and deputy chief. She is a current board member for the Emergency Medical Services Regulatory Board where she represents professional firefighters. Though Amber’s specialty is in EMS, she has a genuine dedication to keeping firefighters safe and healthy.

Scott Vadnais
Scott Vadnais has been in the fire service for 32 years. He spent 12 years at the White Bear Lake Fire Department where he served as a paid-on-call paramedic/lieutenant. He was also a paramedic/dispatcher for Healthspan EMS (Allina). He has served with the City of Edina Fire Department since 1997 and is currently a lieutenant. Scott has been the union president of Edina Local 1275 since 2008 and was recently elected president of the Minnesota Professional Fire Fighters. He’s also a founding member of Minnesota Task Force 1, the state structural collapse rescue team. Finally, he serves as a service representative for the International Association of Fire Fighters, covering all of Minnesota since 2013.

Dave Yurczyk
Dave Yurczyk served more than 20 years as a volunteer firefighter for Holdingford Fire & Rescue, retiring in 2020. During his time, he was a relief association trustee and training officer. Dave has also been with the MSFDA for a decade, and currently serves as president. He served on the Minnesota Fire Service Certification Board from 2011-2017 and is also a director to the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), which represents Minnesota’s nearly 20,000 volunteer and paid-on-call firefighters.

Welcome, and thank you for your service!

2020 was one of the deadliest years in modern memory for Minnesota firefighters, including multiple suicides of active firefighters, numerous deaths from cancer and two Line of Duty Deaths from cardiac issues.

On Sunday, Roshini Rakjumar spoke with MnFIRE president George Esbensen on WCCO Radio’s Real Talk With Roshini about this critical time and the important training that MnFIRE is providing for Minnesota firefighters.

Thanks to a $400,000 grant, MnFIRE is working to provide no-cost training to all 22,000 Minnesota firefighters to become “MnFIRE Aware” of their own occupational risks. The training, taught by firefighters and other health experts, teaches firefighters how to protect themselves from the three most common problems experienced by firefighters: cardiac, emotional trauma and cancer, so they can continue to do their jobs and protect others.

This grant will allow MnFIRE to train every firehouse in the state (both online and in-person) and equip firefighters with knowledge and tools they need to protect their own health and is an important step toward helping to turn the tide in 2021 and beyond.

Thanks for this important conversation, Roshini Rajkumar. Here’s a link to the full interview.

The Minnesota Firefighter Initiative is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit recognized by the IRS. Tax/EIN number: 38-4049248.

P.O. Box 124, Isanti, MN 55040

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