When you’re going through something stressful or feeling anxious, negative thoughts can make difficult situations and feelings even harder. That’s because how we think affects how we feel, and how we feel affects how we behave. Learning how to get ahead of unhelpful thoughts and reframing them to be more positive can help you get...Read More

Contributed by Paul J. Anderson, M.D. There is no way around it, firefighting is a stressful job. Physically, you must be able to handle the stress of the station alarm or an emergency call, the truck sirens blaring, gearing up and working hard until the fire is out, keeping at it until overhaul is done,...Read More

From the anticipation of beginning a new year to adjusting to whatever else life throws at you, the holiday season can be stressful for many people, but for firefighters and first responders especially so thanks to icy road conditions; increased cooking, heating and electrical hazards; and more. As you’re celebrating the season with fellow first...Read More

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,...Read More

By Dr. Margaret Gavian, Medical Director, MnFIRE Stress, and particularly traumatic stress, is an occupational hazard of being a firefighter. All first responders have a particularly high exposure rate to traumatic stress inducing incidents. Doing chest compressions on an unconscious child, working to free a mother trapped in her vehicle after a collision, being with...Read More

Cardiovascular disease is the number-one killer of firefighters nationwide and is by far the leading cause of line-of-duty deaths in the fire service. According to the International Association of Firefighters, more than 12 percent of all firefighters will develop heart disease at some point in their lives. Even young and healthy firefighters suffer from hardened...Read More