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From answering the call to making the call: A fire chief’s journey with peer support

“We had an incident where a person lost their life in a grain bin. We all knew this farmer who lost his life. Once we left the scene, I knew it had touched all of us,” explained Chief Jeff Leuer of the West Suburban Fire District, a paid on-call department of 50 firefighters covering 50 square miles including stations in Loretto and Hamel.

“When I left the scene and was driving back to the station, I called MnFIRE and I said, ‘We just had this incident. I am concerned that I am going to have some people who are going to have to deal with this. What do I do? How do I direct them?’”

Fortunately, Jeff knew that confidential help was available 24/7 for any firefighter and their family through the MnFIRE Assistance Program, which targets emotional health and stress unique to the fire service through connection to mental health counseling and peer support.

The trained MnFIRE Peer Support specialist who answered Jeff’s call reassured him: We can help. Point them our way. What Jeff didn’t realize was that it wasn’t just his firefighters who stood to benefit from the program.

“That peer supporter from MnFIRE, they said, ‘How are you doing?’ They stopped me in my tracks,” said Jeff.

That simple question helped Jeff realize his bucket of stress and trauma was practically overflowing. After being in the fire service for 25 years, he could barely take it anymore. With the peer supporter’s reassurance and the offer to talk again, they hung up.

Jeff talked about the conversation with his wife and thought maybe that was it. But the next morning, he got a call from that same peer supporter, saying, “Good morning, Jeff. How are you doing today? It’s a new day. The sun is shining.”

From that day forward for about a month straight, the peer supporter would call or text him.

“While I didn’t go get formal, professional help, that person helped bring me from the really tough place I was at,” said Jeff. “‘We’ve got to get some of this stuff out of your bucket,’ they would say. I still get emotional.”

“MnFIRE, and the peer support, it means so much to me.”

And those firefighters Jeff referred to MnFIRE? Two of them told him how glad they were that someone reached out, that they had an excellent experience. Jeff said, “Even if they don’t get formal help, they are guided in the right direction.”

This incident wasn’t the first time Jeff or his team needed some help from MnFIRE, and it won’t be the last. Two of his firefighters recently experienced cardiac events and sought help from the Critical Illness benefit. And others sought out MnFIRE Peer Support when a fellow firefighter died unexpectedly in 2021.

Jeff’s department takes mental health very seriously. And talking about it, he believes, makes it easier for people to reach out when they need it.

“I have had struggles. Still today, if something comes up, I’m not afraid to give a call and talk to someone,” Jeff said. “By firefighters hearing the chiefs say, ‘I had a problem. I needed help. I reached out and it helped.’ It makes it okay for them to give a call. It’s for firefighters, and it’s for chiefs, too.”

Confidential help is available over the phone or online, anytime for any Minnesota firefighter and their family through the MnFIRE Assistance Program. For more details or for help, call 888-784-6634 or click here.

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April is Alcohol Awareness Month. If you are a Minnesota firefighter and need support with alcohol use or other topics, utilize no-cost counseling visits, peer support and other resources available through the MnFIRE Assistance Program.

Call our 24-hour hotline at 888-784-6634 or learn more here: mnfireinitiative.com/peer-support/
... See MoreSee Less

April is Alcohol Awareness Month. If you are a Minnesota firefighter and need support with alcohol use or other topics, utilize no-cost counseling visits, peer support and other resources available through the MnFIRE Assistance Program. 

Call our 24-hour hotline at 888-784-6634 or learn more here: https://mnfireinitiative.com/peer-support/

Want to know more about MnFIRE's work supporting the physical and emotional health of Minnesota firefighters? Check out our 2024 Annual Report yourself, or consider sharing with a firefighter in your life: issuu.com/mnfire/docs/2024_mnfire_annual_report ... See MoreSee Less

Want to know more about MnFIREs work supporting the physical and emotional health of Minnesota firefighters? Check out our 2024 Annual Report yourself, or consider sharing with a firefighter in your life: https://issuu.com/mnfire/docs/2024_mnfire_annual_report

Get ready for golf and good times at MnFORE! The exciting annual golf tournament supports MnFIRE's work to help Minnesota firefighters prioritize and protect their health.

Secure your spot today! ⛳ mnfireinitiative.com/mnfore/
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Get ready for golf and good times at MnFORE! The exciting annual golf tournament supports MnFIREs work to help Minnesota firefighters prioritize and protect their health.  

Secure your spot today! ⛳ https://mnfireinitiative.com/mnfore/
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