Emotional Resilience in the Fire Service

While civilians may experience traumatic events only a few times in their life, firefighters experience stressful events on a weekly, sometimes daily basis. As a result, research shows that those 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.

There’s no magic vaccine for PTSD or the mental health challenges listed above, but building emotional resilience before responding to a stressful call can significantly diminish the potential damage.

The American Psychological Association defines resilience as “the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress.” It is the ability to “bounce back” after a difficult or traumatic experience.

Actively trying to prevent, or at least mitigate, the negative reactions to traumatic stress before the exposure to events occurs is key to reducing the risks of firefighting both mentally and physically.

Developing this emotional and mental resilience in the fire service starts with:

  • Learning self-awareness and understanding stress – identifying the stressors a firefighter faces every day is the first step to addressing and coping with them.
  • Communicating emotions – learning how to communicate your feelings is essential in connecting with others and overcoming trauma. Failure to talk about a traumatic memory creates a dangerous feedback loop and sharing feelings with a supportive community can help a first responder feel like they are not alone.
  • Identifying coping resources – from counseling services to peer support, MnFIRE’s equipping firefighters with healthy resources to address emotional trauma and build up that resilience. Teaching actionable tips to protect firefighters from emotional trauma is key to reducing the stigma around asking for mental health help.

A proactive mental health program is also key to helping firefighters develop this emotional resilience, saving the lives of brothers and sisters in the fire service while saving fire departments significant time and money in the long run. Some of the fundamental pieces of these behavioral health programs include:

  • Regular mental health or behavioral health education
  • Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
  • Easy access to counseling services – paid for by the department, union or health plan
  • Formal mental health “fitness for duty” examinations
  • Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) debriefings
  • Family Support Night
  • Peer Support Team

Although the act of fighting fires is reactive, we must be proactive about taking care of our own. As valuable as running training drills, teaching emotional resilience is the first step to preventing emotional trauma and keeping our first responders safer and healthier from the start.

Become “MnFIRE Aware” of your occupational health risks, including emotional trauma, by signing up for a MnFire Awareness Training. This training is ideal for departments who have not had previous MnFIRE trainings and is taught by firefighters and other health experts. Thanks to a grant from the Fire Service Advisory Committee (FSAC), this training is being offered both online and in-person at no cost to MN fire departments through June 30, 2021.

Recent News

Suicide can affect anyone
September 9, 2025
Miles for MnFIRE: St. Paul Firefighter Kyle Bode Walks for Others
September 4, 2025
Q&A with Miles for MnFIRE Founder Doug Foote
September 4, 2025
Antioxidants: Helping firefighters stay healthy
August 22, 2025
MnFORE 2025: A swinging success
July 31, 2025
The benefits of peer support for firefighters
July 24, 2025
Comments Box SVG iconsUsed for the like, share, comment, and reaction icons

It was a great day representing MnFIRE at the St. Paul Fire Foundation golf tournament at Oak Glen Golf Course in Stillwater. We were honored to support as a hole sponsor! ⛳ ... See MoreSee Less

It was a great day representing MnFIRE at the St. Paul Fire Foundation golf tournament at Oak Glen Golf Course in Stillwater. We were honored to support as a hole sponsor! ⛳

MnFIRE stands with our fellow first responders who responded to and are supporting the heartbreaking tragedy at Annunciation Catholic Church and its surrounding community. Every day, these individuals report to duty with courage and compassion. Regardless of the discipline, these professionals answer the call. And while we are trained for these types of incidents, you are never really prepared for the tragedy.

For firefighters needing help, MnFIRE is here for you. We have therapists who understand the fire service, and peer supporters who know all too well the stresses of the job.
... See MoreSee Less

Load more
Skip to content