There is a crisis in our fire service – more and more Minnesota firefighters are tragically losing their lives due to cardiac issues, emotional trauma and cancer. As a result, it’s critical that all Minnesota firefighters receive training to become aware of their occupational health risks as soon as possible.
Through the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program, MnFIRE offers no-cost firefighter health and wellness trainings to all Minnesota fire departments. Our sessions are taught by trained instructors who are also firefighters. All classes are two hours long.
This flagship training provides an overview of cardiovascular health, emotional trauma and cancer risk, covering all benefits offered through the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program by MnFIRE.
This class helps de-stigmatize talking about mental health in your department, provides practical information on how to debrief after a difficult call and ways to maintain emotional well-being, and covers MnFIRE resources available to support firefighters.
This class educates firefighters on activities that put them at higher risk for developing cancer, proper PPE strategies for mitigating cancer risks, and what types of screenings can be done to catch cancer early.
In this class, we look at heightened risk factors, the types of cardiovascular diseases that most commonly impact firefighters, and prevention strategies to help firefighters lessen their risk for heart disease and protect their cardiovascular health.
This class looks at the unique struggles firefighters face when it comes to sleep and what tactics can be used to address them and put your department on a path to better sleep.
This class covers the basics of building a functional fitness routine and the importance of nourishing your body.
In addition to improving the well-being of your department, once your team completes all available MnFIRE trainings, you will be recognized as a MnFIRE Aware department.
For more information, contact DeeDee Jankovich, Director of Program Delivery, at djankovich@mnfireinitiative.com
The Public Safety Duty Disability law requires treatment of a psychological condition for a licensed peace officer or full-time firefighter to be eligible for duty disability benefits from the Minnesota State Retirement System (MSRS) or the Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA).
If your department or city is considering a new EAP/peer support program or annual wellness training in order to comply with this new law, reach out to MnFIRE! Our trainings and mental health resources satisfy these requirements, and are available at no cost. Contact DeeDee Jankovich, Director of Program Delivery, to learn more.