That’s a wrap on the 2023 Firefighter Health Forum! We appreciate everyone who was able to join us for this important annual conference in central Minnesota filled with meaningful discussions on firefighter health and wellness.

An animated keynote from Dr. Jody Janati shed light on tips and tricks to communicate effectively and with zero drama. And retired Fire Chief Arjuna George shared his personal experience with burnout and his journey to recovery and better self-care during his afternoon keynote.

In breakout sessions for current peer supporters, fire service leaders, and fire service significant others and spouses, we tackled some of the most critical health issues facing Minnesota’s fire service and their families – from Hometown Heroes Assistance Program resources, to how to have difficult conversations with fellow firefighters and prioritize mental wellness.

The first-ever spouses and significant others track at the forum premiered the brand-new Spouses & Significant Others MnFIRE training curriculum that we’re thrilled to provide to firefighter partners and families this year and beyond! We discussed the tools, skills and perspective needed to make smart decisions about the physical and mental health of the family. Here’s what one attendee said about this new avenue of support:

“From day one, eight years ago, when my husband became a volunteer firefighter, I wanted to learn how to support him on the home front. Spouses had zero resources until now. I am so grateful for all the work MnFIRE is doing to empower firefighters and their families.”

Attendees connected over how to best support the health and well-being of their firefighter loved ones, and we discussed the best ways to navigate potential issues that can arise when you have a firefighter in your family.

Thanks again to everyone who made the 2023 Firefighter Health Forum a success, including our keynote speakers Arjuna George and Dr. Jody Janati, the MnFIRE board, and all of our other health expert partners.

If you’re interested in scheduling a FREE follow-up MnFIRE health and wellness training with your entire department, please see our training page for more information. We’ll soon be rolling out training sessions on new topics including sleep, nutrition, fitness, the session for spouses and significant others mentioned above and more.

Save the date

We’re already looking forward to the 2024 Firefighter Health Forum at Grand Casino Mille Lacs on Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024. We hope to see you there next year!

Minnesota’s annual giving holiday is Thursday, Nov. 17, but you don’t have to wait to support your local firefighters! From now through Nov. 17, visit the MnFIRE GiveMN page and make a donation to help protect the health and well-being of firefighters across the state.

Firefighters continue to face alarming rates of cardiovascular disease, emotional trauma and cancer, but there is hope. We’re equipping firefighters and the people who care about them with critical resources to address this growing health crisis. Firefighter futures across the state have been forever changed because of MnFIRE and the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program, and your gift can help us keep the momentum going!

If you give $75 or more this Give to the Max, you will receive a free MnFIRE mug or hat as a thank-you gift from us. And if you give $200 or more, you will receive a free MnFIRE blanket – perfect for cozying up now that winter is here. All of us here at MnFIRE and firefighters across the state appreciate your support!

“The support, resources, encouragement and how much they care and stay engaged will be uplifting even in your darkest hours,” Captain William Ewald of the St. Bonifacius Fire Department said about MnFIRE. “It’s a tremendous and valuable resource we all need to use.”

Your gift this week will make a difference in the lives of Minnesota’s 20,000 firefighters – protecting them from cardiac, emotional trauma and cancer by ensuring they receive life-saving services such as free health and wellness trainings, critical illness benefits, mental health provider visits and more. That means happy, healthy and productive lives and careers for firefighters and their families.

Together, let’s continue protecting the health of our hometown heroes! Give at givemn.org/MnFire.

You’re invited! Join us Saturday, Jan. 21 at the Grand Casino Mille Lacs in Onamia to experience meaningful health and wellness training at the second annual Firefighter Health Forum.

The inaugural Firefighter Health Forum in 2022 was such a success – gathering mental health experts and fire service leaders from across the state, and sparking many important and inspiring firefighter health conversations. We’re excited to bring back this important event to engage with educational and actionable sessions around the most critical health issues facing Minnesota’s fire service, as well as the new Hometown Heroes Assistance Program resources available to every full-time, part-time, paid-on-call and volunteer firefighter.

This year’s Firefighter Health Forum will feature three distinct tracks for fire service leaders, peer supporters and, for the first time, fire service spouses and significant others.

It’s no secret firefighters deal with some very specific issues that can spill over into life at home. For the first time, spouses and significant others of Minnesota firefighters can take part in an educational track expressly designed to give them the tools, skills and perspective needed to make smart decisions about their family’s physical and mental health. Through this track, you’ll learn how to best support the health and well-being of your loved one – and navigate potential issues that can arise when you have a firefighter in your family.

Secure your spot today!

Register for the 2023 Firefighter Health Forum now through Eventbrite. And spread the word! Did you attend an eye-opening session last year? Tell your fellow firefighters, peer supporters and significant others to join you this time around. We look forward to connecting with you at the Forum in January!

Stay tuned to our event page for more details – including session topics, speakers and more. We have also reserved a block of rooms at Grand Casino Mille Lacs for the night of Friday, Jan. 20, 2023, at a rate of $107. A hospitality room will also be available Friday evening for those arriving the night before the Firefighter Health Forum. For booking details, visit our website.