MnFIRE’s newest fundraiser is a walk across Minnesota to raise awareness and much-needed funds for firefighter health. Miles for MnFIRE kicked off on Sept. 12 near Marietta, on the westernmost edge of the state, and is making its way through numerous Minnesota communities, including Lac Qui Parle, Chippewa, Kandiyohi, Meeker, McLeod, Carver, Hennepin, Ramsey counties. The walk ends Sept. 18 at the Minnesota Fallen Firefighter Memorial on the grounds of the State Capitol in St. Paul.

Beautiful day five of Miles for MnFIRE started off sunny and early in Lester Prairie, with several Lester Prairie firefighters joining Doug Foote on his route, as well as Chief Deputy State Fire Marshal Amanda Swenson. Doug made his way through New Germany and Mayer, ending in Waconia yesterday. Firefighters from the New Germany, Mayer and Waconia Fire Departments and community members also kept Doug company, guiding him through their respective cities.

Throughout his walk, Doug has been joined by other firefighters, their families and community members who have seen firsthand the alarming rate of heart attacks, suicide and cancer affecting Minnesota’s hometown heroes.

“Today, we completed the walk into the first town of which I’m very familiar,” said Doug. “I’ve done several triathlons in Waconia, and it was a sight for sore eyes.”

Doug’s long trek from Marietta to St. Paul has so far raised more than $12,000 for MnFIRE to continue its mission of supporting Minnesota firefighter health. There’s still time to make a donation HERE.

With only two days left in Doug’s journey, the end is in sight!

On Saturday, dozens of firefighters from across Minnesota will don their turnout gear and walk with Doug on his final mile to the Minnesota Fallen Firefighter Memorial site on the State Capitol grounds. Firefighters can meet at Saint Paul College starting at 1:45 p.m. and join Doug en route around 2:00 p.m. The group is expected to get to the State Capitol Grounds at approximately 2:30 p.m.

MnFIRE’s newest fundraiser is a walk across Minnesota to raise awareness and much-needed funds for firefighter health. Miles for MnFIRE kicked off on Sept. 12 near Marietta, on the westernmost edge of the state, and is making its way through numerous Minnesota communities, including Lac Qui Parle, Chippewa, Kandiyohi, Meeker, McLeod, Carver, Hennepin, Ramsey counties. The walk ends Sept. 18 at the Minnesota Fallen Firefighter Memorial on the grounds of the State Capitol in St. Paul.

As of Wednesday evening, Doug has officially made it more than halfway through his Miles for MnFIRE walk! It was another inspiring day filled with members of the fire service sharing their stories and countless support from local communities cheering on Doug along his route. FOX 9’s Maury Glover interviewed Doug about the walk yesterday.

Doug kicked off day four in Hutchinson, with a special sendoff from the Hutchinson Fire Department. He was then joined by a few Hutchinson firefighters in their bunker gear on his first steps of the day, as well as the founder of Integrations Wellness & Recovery Center, a local mental health treatment center, who was inspired by our mission to support firefighters through the emotional trauma that comes with this important work.

Then the Silver Lake Fire Department joined Doug for the second half of the day, again with some of the local firefighters in their gear too, and more firefighters and their families greeted the group as they arrived in Silver Lake. Doug’s wife, Denise, has also been a huge support throughout this week.

“When I see my wife at the end of each leg, it always, always lifts my spirit,” said Doug.

Throughout Miles for MnFIRE, Doug has been seen walking with a flag that celebrates and honors those in the fire service, and has had all of the firefighters who have walked beside him sign it.

Miles for MnFIRE has now raised a total of $11,055. To learn more and donate, click HERE. Your support will help ensure that more firefighters receive life-saving services in three key areas: heart health, emotional trauma, and cancer prevention and support.

MnFIRE’s newest fundraiser is a walk across Minnesota to raise awareness and much-needed funds for firefighter health. Miles for MnFIRE kicked off on Sept. 12 near Marietta, on the westernmost edge of the state, and is making its way through numerous Minnesota communities, including Lac Qui Parle, Chippewa, Kandiyohi, Meeker, McLeod, Carver, Hennepin, Ramsey counties. The walk ends Sept. 18 at the Minnesota Fallen Firefighter Memorial on the grounds of the State Capitol in St. Paul.

The inspiration continued on day three of Miles for MnFIRE, as Doug Foote made his way through Prinsburg, Blomkest, Lake Lillian and Cosmos.

It was a chilly, windy day, but Doug enjoyed a lot of company along his route. He was joined by the Prinsburg fire chief and a fellow firefighter to start the morning, and then a former Willmar firefighter who heard about Doug’s mission on Facebook this week stopped by to walk the next nine miles by his side.

As the day went on, Doug was also joined by the Blomkest, Lake Lillian and Cosmos Fire Departments who escorted him safely along his journey. Two Lake Lillian firefighters also put on their bunker gear to walk.

“We had some incredibly deep and thoughtful discussions on mental health and PTSD,” said Doug. “Those discussions made my whole day, and hit on the meaning behind MnFIRE and this walk.”

As Doug walked into town, escorted by the Cosmos Fire Department, he was welcomed by the Cosmos fire chief, firefighters and their families, as well as other community members. A big thanks to all of the fire departments for their protection and support as Doug makes his trek.

Miles for MnFIRE has raised a total of $8,880, which means we’re more than halfway to our $15,000 goal! Do your part to sustain firefighter health and wellness in your community – give today. Thank you in advance for your support!

MnFIRE’s newest fundraiser is a walk across Minnesota to raise awareness and much-needed funds for firefighter health. Miles for MnFIRE kicked off on Sept. 12 near Marietta, on the westernmost edge of the state, and is making its way through numerous Minnesota communities, including Lac Qui Parle, Chippewa, Kandiyohi, Meeker, McLeod, Carver, Hennepin, Ramsey counties. The walk ends Sept. 18 at the Minnesota Fallen Firefighter Memorial on the grounds of the State Capitol in St. Paul.

Doug Foote continued on the next leg of his 200-mile journey across Minnesota bright and early on Monday – walking over 30 miles from Dawson to Clara City.

For day two of Miles for MnFIRE, Doug continued east on US-212 to stop in Montevideo and then continued on State Highway 7 to Clara City. Doug said, “the relay of guardian angels continued today,” as individuals from the Montevideo, Maynard and Clara City fire departments all provided escorts and protected him on his long journey.

“It is humbling meeting these volunteers,” said Doug. “They are the heartbeat of our community. When I ask them why they join the fire service, the response is universal: We need someone in our small community to do it.”

Doug spent time in Montevideo, where the Montevideo American News interviewed him for this article. It was a challenging day with the rain, but Doug and volunteers successfully finished up the day in Clara City.

This walk is raising awareness and much-needed funds for firefighter health. So far, Miles for MnFIRE has raised $7,755. Learn more and donate HERE. If you pledge at least $1 per mile (equal to $200), you’ll receive a Miles for MnFIRE hat as a thank you.

Stay tuned here and follow us on Facebook for updates along the way as Doug heads toward the Minnesota Fallen Firefighter Memorial on the grounds of the State Capitol in St. Paul, where he’s scheduled to arrive on Saturday, Sept. 18.

The passage of the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program (HHAP) has given us a lot to celebrate and be thankful for recently, and one of the greatest proactive resources it will give Minnesota firefighters is support for ongoing annual MnFIRE Awareness training.

During these free trainings, current and former firefighters and other health experts will provide you and your department with actionable tips on how to protect yourselves from the three health problems most commonly experienced by those in the fire service: cardiac, emotional trauma and cancer. Changing the current culture in the Minnesota Fire Service is integral to long-term reduction of the incidences of these health issues. MnFIRE trainings are the first step on a path to firefighter health and wellness, and thanks to the HHAP, the trainings are all free and expanded.

To date, more than 435 departments have completed one or more MnFIRE trainings – and 31 departments have completed all four. If your department isn’t included in these totals, or it’s been a while since your last training, now’s the time to take advantage and get your department signed up!

The trainings we offer include:

• MnFIRE Awareness Training – This introductory class allows your department to become “MnFIRE Aware” of the occupational health risks of being in the fire service.
• Cardiac Deep-Dive – This class looks at the heightened risk factors, the types of cardiovascular diseases that most commonly impact firefighters and offers prevention strategies to help lessen the risk.
• Emotional Wellness Deep-Dive – This class helps de-stigmatize talking about mental health in your department, as well as provides 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 to anyone who needs help.
• Cancer Deep-Dive – This class educates firefighters on activities that put them at higher risk for developing cancer, proper PPE strategies for mitigating cancer risks, and what types of screenings can be done to catch cancer early.

We’ve heard positive feedback firsthand from chiefs and firefighters across the state about the eye-opening education these trainings provide; and how helpful and actionable the prevention strategies and tips are.

As your department completes these trainings and commits to improving the well-being of your firefighters, you can progress toward achieving Bronze, Silver and Gold MnFIRE Aware Certification status, which makes you eligible for special MnFIRE benefits.

To sign up for training, visit mnfiretraining.org. Choose the training(s) your department would like to take. Then, click the “Register Now” button, fill out the form and you’re all set!

If you have any questions about the resources the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program provides or need help getting registered, contact MnFIRE at 763-221-9329 or info@mnfireinitiative.com. We look forward to seeing you at a training soon.

All of us at MnFIRE are thrilled to announce that the Minnesota legislature passed the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program this week. This is a hard-fought, long-in-the-works win for the state’s fire service, and will ensure that every Minnesota firefighter will have access to education, prevention and care needed to handle a cardiac, emotional trauma or cancer diagnosis.

While a few final details are still being worked out, the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program will:

• Provide a statewide “Critical Care” policy for all Minnesota firefighters which covers diagnoses of cancer or cardiac issues. Coverage amount is $20,000 per diagnosis.
• Create a MnFIRE Assistance Program (MnAP) for all Minnesota firefighters targeting emotional trauma issues unique to the fire service, and ensure additional support for firefighters who remain in need beyond initial treatment sessions.
• Support ongoing annual MnFIRE Awareness training for every Minnesota firefighter. Changing the current culture in the Minnesota Fire Service is integral to long-term reduction of the incidences of cancer, emotional trauma and cardiac.
• Sustain annual MnFIRE Awareness Training for medical doctors and mental health professionals statewide so all firefighters in Minnesota have regional access to informed and trained medical professionals to help with prevention, mitigation, diagnosis and treatment of cancer, cardiac and emotional trauma.

Just like the fire service response to an emergency, it has taken a team effort to reach this milestone. This has been a fabulous statewide collaboration by legislators, fire service folks and the general public.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who participated in making the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program become a reality. Stay tuned for more details!

The past year has been stressful for everyone, to say the least, and according to the American Psychological Association, pandemic-related stress comes with serious health consequences including changes to weight, sleep and alcohol use. First responders already face high exposure to traumatic stress incidents, so we caught up with Dr. Margaret Gavian, licensed psychologist and medical director of MnFIRE, to find out how the added stressors of the pandemic are impacting firefighters:

What new challenges have those in the fire service been experiencing during the pandemic?

Firefighters are in one of the most stressful occupations there is, regardless of if they are paid-on-call, volunteer or career. The pandemic put additional stress on top of an already maxed-out fire service. Leaders had to get up to speed quickly on how best to protect their members from an invisible and unknown danger. Departments with firefighters who caught COVID-19 were further stressed by mandatory overtime or understaffing caused by mandatory quarantine periods and ill firefighters.

This is a profession rooted in teamwork and brother and sisterhood, but this year, firefighters were often isolated from one another when not on calls, reducing comradery and support they naturally would get from one another at the station.

Policies and regulations have also been ever-changing. With the uncertainty of the pandemic and medical understanding, there were often differences in protocols between departments, and even within departments. Differences of opinions and inconsistent messaging from leaders made for an even more challenging environment.

The pandemic has been stressful for everyone, but what stressors do firefighters face specifically?

Firefighters are people just like the rest of us. Their families were put under additional stress with children at home, spouses out of work and financial woes, and then had to continue serving their communities who were suffering from the pandemic as well. Moreover, 90% of Minnesota’s fire service are not career firefighters – meaning that they have regular jobs just like the rest of us, jobs that may be experiencing challenges. So, if you’ve experienced stress from the pandemic, and you’re not a firefighter, assume that a firefighter experienced an extra dose of stress for the last year and a half.

I’ve heard stories of loved ones hugging their grandparents goodbye for what was assumed the last time, before they were transported to the hospital. COVID-19 has put pressure on all of us, and mental health has plummeted as a result. Mental health calls, suicides and overdoses are some of the worst kinds of calls firefighters respond to, and suicides and drug overdoses are on the rise due to the effects of the pandemic. So, if our communities are experiencing more stress, the firefighters responding to these communities are too.

What kinds of trends are you seeing now that we’re turning a corner on the pandemic?

While the pandemic may be winding down and departments may have been vaccinated or have gotten used to this new normal, what’s important to realize is that even if we return to a pre-coronavirus baseline, that’s a pretty abysmal baseline. 50% of all firefighters contemplate suicide, and they also experience depression, anxiety, alcohol abuse and posttraumatic stress at much higher rates than the general population – on a good day.

There was already a silent epidemic within the fire service before COVID-19. While firefighters and their leaders bravely went out on the front lines of the pandemic, facing a global threat we didn’t know much about without hesitation, they were already maxed out in many ways. While there is a light at the end of the pandemic tunnel, our work supporting the resilience and mental health of Minnesota’s firefighters is far from over.

How can those in the fire service and their families seek help during this difficult time?

If you’re not feeling like yourself, or you’re feeling burned out, exhausted, irritable or stressed, the important thing to know is that it’s ok. It’s ok to not feel ok. There are resources out there to support firefighters and their families.

If you are in crisis, call MnFIRE’s 24-hour, confidential peer support hotline at 888-784-6634. If you’re a family member or a firefighter, if you’re retired or working, or if you’re simply concerned about a friend, our team of dedicated trained volunteers will work hard to find the right resources for you. If you’re a chief or part of command staff, contact MnFIRE to talk about strategies and training to support your department’s overall mental health.

Marshall Fire Chief Quentin Brunsvold recently hosted the MnFIRE cardiac and cancer deep dive sessions for his department this spring. He shared how these trainings have had an immense impact on both his personal health and the health of his department.

Brunsvold heard the saying, “Are you the firefighter you want coming to rescue your family?” and before MnFIRE training, his answer was no. He knew he wanted and needed to do better for himself, his family, his fellow firefighters and the community he swore to protect.

“Between my full-time occupation, my other full-time occupation as the fire chief of a paid-on-call fire department, and my wife and four children under four years old, finding time and motivation was extremely difficult, in my head,” Brunsvold said. “[The MnFIRE training] really opened my eyes for what I should be doing, to be a better example to our firefighters.”

“I’m proud to say that the training gave me the motivation to want to be better, work out and eat better. I have the motivation and the knowledge to accomplish my goal.”

MnFIRE Awareness Training provides an overview of the main health risks associated with firefighting, as well as tips for prevention and screening. Two-hour deep dive sessions are catered toward those who have already completed our MnFIRE Awareness Training and want further education on cardiac, emotional wellness or cancer issues.

“We obviously train on accountability, how and when to rehabilitate firefighters and other fireground safety initiatives, but how often is the fire service prepared to train us on what we should do to take care of ourselves both mentally and physically when we aren’t wearing our turnout gear?” Brunsvold said. “In my 18-year fire service career, thanks to MnFIRE, the Awareness Training was the first time.”

Chief Brunsvold believes the most expensive piece of firefighting equipment is the firefighter. If our brothers and sisters in the fire service can’t take care of themselves, there won’t be anyone to run the other equipment our communities are paying for to keep people safe.

“This isn’t the normal training that we might use for structural firefighting, incident command or rescue situations – this is how to take care of YOU!” Brunsvold said.

Protecting your community starts with protecting yourself. So, what are you waiting for?

Sign up your department for training here. Thanks to a grant from the Fire Service Advisory Committee (FSAC), MnFIRE Awareness training and cardiac, emotional wellness and cancer deep dive sessions are being offered both online and in-person at no cost to Minnesota fire departments through June 30, 2021.

“Chiefs and training officers, take the six hours of free training available to you and give your firefighters the tools they need to succeed both in civilian life and life around the firehouse,” Brunsvold said.

MnFIRE training gives departments valuable information to keep their firefighters safe and protected from the three problems most commonly experienced by those in the fire service: cardiac, emotional trauma and cancer. If you participate in a MnFIRE Training session and complete a quick and easy six-question Course Evaluation Survey through a link we’ll provide at the end of the session, you’ll be entered into a drawing for a Streamlight Survivor flashlight (MSRP: $60).

These ultra-tough lights were built for firefighters and designed to see through smoke. Along with the chance to take home your very own Streamlight, your feedback will also help us make improvements to the courses. Each week, we’ll choose a new winner.

Congratulations to the following winners of our weekly drawing for a Streamlight Survivor flashlight:

Dan Bolton – Dover
Caleb Hovde – Leroy
Josh Jungers – Bird Island
Brandon Huls – Kandiyohi
Lily Sunnarborg – Fredenberg
Dustin Anderson – Victoria
Will Fischer – Virginia
Michael Horst – Ridgeway

We really appreciate the input and ideas from these winners and the hundreds of participants who have already filled out our survey!

Sign up your department for training here.

Thanks to a grant from the Fire Service Advisory Committee (FSAC), MnFIRE trainings, including general awareness training and deep dive sessions on cardiovascular disease, emotional wellness, and cancer, are being offered both virtually and in-person at no cost to Minnesota fire departments through June 30, 2021. Become MnFIRE Aware and potentially add your name to the list of winners above!

Whether you’re a firefighter, legislator or firefighter supporter we need your help to get the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program (HF377 & SF 621) passed in 2021!

What is the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program (HHAP)?

Sponsored by Sen. Jeff Howe (R, District 13) in the Senate and Rep. Cheryl Youakim (D, District 46B) in the House, the bipartisan bill costs $7.2 million annually to ensure all of Minnesota’s 20,000 firefighters have access to the care needed to handle a cardiac, emotional trauma or cancer diagnosis.

Minnesota currently ranks 48^th in the nation in per-capita fire service spending, making it difficult for fire service leaders to prioritize firefighter health measures and equipment, such as department-wide health checkups, gear-cleaning tools and mental health resources. Departments do what they can to address these issues, but with limited resources, firefighters receive limited help and education.

The HHAP establishes one-time lump-sum “Critical Care” grants for all Minnesota firefighters diagnosed with cancer or cardiac issues, guaranteeing $30,000 per diagnosis. Additionally, the HHAP creates an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for all Minnesota firefighters facing emotional trauma issues unique to their occupation. Support for annual MnFIRE Awareness Trainings is also included in the initiative.

What can I do to help?

We’ve had some great momentum over the past few months and the Capitol is abuzz with constructive conversations about this legislation and firefighter health as a whole. The single most impactful thing you can do to help is call your legislator today and ask them to support passage of this vital legislation. You can find your local representatives and senators here.

“Passage of the HHAP depends on fire service supporters reaching out to their legislators,” said George Esbensen, president of MnFIRE. “Without folks contacting their legislators, our state’s firefighters won’t get the support and resources they so desperately need.”

We can all do our part to help support the men and women who protect us and our communities every day – starting with advocating for the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program.