Firefighting is no easy task. The mental struggles that come with the job run as deep as the physical ones. Firefighters experience traumatic stress at high rates, which can weigh on someone day after day in this vital yet demanding job. Those in the fire service experience much higher rates of mental health challenges than...Read More

Since it was passed in July 2021, the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program (HHAP) has supported hundreds of peer support calls and visits with mental health providers, trained the majority of the state’s firefighters on their occupational health risks, and has paid out nearly $800,000 in critical illness claims – all at no cost to firefighters,...Read More

Since Day 1, William Ewald has fully supported MnFIRE and its mission, especially the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program (HHAP). “But I was the absolute last one who thought I would need it because I felt so good,” said William, who is a captain for the St. Bonifacius Fire Department. When William faced health challenges, the 59-year-old...Read More

Firefighters experience loss more frequently than most. And with loss comes grief, survivor’s guilt and other feelings that can be difficult to manage and hard to carry. Whether that loss is related to a lethal fire, responding to a difficult 911 call, or a fellow firefighter dying in the line of duty, loved ones and...Read More

We enjoyed a beautiful day on the golf course at our 2022 MnFORE Golf Tournament last week! We want to thank everyone who joined us out at Bearpath Golf & Country Club for supporting the health and well-being of Minnesota’s firefighters. Thanks to you, we raised more than we ever have before at this event!...Read More

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....Read More

The MnFIRE team is gearing up for the 2022 MnFORE Golf Tournament on Monday, July 25 – and we hope you’ll join us! The golf tournament will be held at the Bearpath Golf & Country Club in Eden Prairie on the luxurious Jack Nicklaus Signature Course. All proceeds benefit MnFIRE, which provides Minnesota’s firefighters with...Read More

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 —...Read More

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...Read More

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...Read More