By Paul V. Jockimo
Over the years, the fire service has seen many changes. One constant, however, is the proud tradition of “taking care of our own.” The way we do this, though, needs to change with the times, as well. These proud words must be turned into actions.
Stress is unquestionably an inherent part of firefighting. It is also the end to many careers and the source of damage to many more. We spend hundreds of hours learning how to take care of the rest of the world. Sadly, and all too often, we spend little time learning how to take care of ourselves.
Recognition. It starts with you. You can’t cut the lawns in the rest of the neighborhood if your yard isn’t in order. We all have stress—some good, some bad, some more than others. But you can’t address what you can’t see or define. While there are many of causes of stress, there are essentially two categories: eustress and distress. Eustress is good or positive stress. Distress is negative or damaging stress.
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There are three types of distress:
General stress: Relationships, children, work, etc. The challenges that we all face each day. These things usually don’t destroy our days but can throw us off course now and then.
Traumatic stress: This is caused by high-impact events. Most will agree that there could be negative disruption after responding to the fatal accident involving a child, a suicide, or a line-of-duty death.
Cumulative stress: This isn’t necessarily caused by the high-impact events, though it can be. More often it is the accumulation of events. This can be the third bad accident involving children, the fourth member of your agency diagnosed with a serious health issue, etc. These, are the ones that sneak up on us.
Three clear, simple definitions of stress are:
“Increased wear and tear” (Selye)
“Acceleration of aging” (Rosche)
“A response characterized by increased physical or psychological arousal” (Everly)
Stop for a second and think about the first two definitions. Who needs more wear and tear? Who needs to get old before their time? Those two things alone should be enough to make you want to take a serious look at the stress in your life and address it. The third definition is what we see most immediately, readily, and profoundly. In truth, the third definition causes the first two.
There are five areas of an individual that are impacted by stress: cognitive, behavioral, emotional, physical, and spiritual. After difficult calls or during challenging times in our lives, we may see disruption in any one of these areas. Sometimes we are affected in all of these. Irritability, inability to rest, lack of hunger or thirst, unquenchable hunger or thirst, disruptive thoughts, muscle tremors, stress-induced rashes, and withdrawal are all common symptoms of stress.
Reduction. It isn’t enough to recognize stress, you must do something about it, as well. You know yourself best. You know when something in your body is “off” or “not right.” The same should be true for our minds and our hearts. You would take care of yourself if you suffered a pulled muscle or a laceration. Why would you not do the same for a stress-related injury? There are some simple but very effective ways that you can help reduce the stress in your life, no matter what the type or cause. These are especially useful in the day or two after a challenging event.
Talk to someone. It doesn’t necessarily have to be about a bad event, but talking allows you to process, to express thoughts and feelings. This is the basic idea behind peer support.
Physical exercise. Move a muscle and change a thought. You don’t have to run a marathon or spend hours in the gym, but find some way to get up, get out, and do something for you. Go for a walk, rake leaves, do yoga—it doesn’t matter. All of these things are helpful.
Eat and drink right. This is not to suggest that you change your lifestyle, becoming a vegetarian or swearing off carbs. What is suggested is simple: the better fuel you can put in your system after the bad events, the better off you are going to be. Clear liquids help flush the system. Healthy foods such as turkey, fruits, and vegetables are going to be better for you in that first day or two than the greasy, fat-filled foods. Maybe have a little decaf instead of the super-sized coffee. Consider it a mini-detox. After a day or two, if you are feeling better, then you can return to your “old ways.”
Personal stress management. Find what works for you. Maybe it is working out, meditation, reading, or cooking. If your routine is to go home after a shift and have a beer, then have that beer. Time with family, can be a great source of stress reduction, but time just for you is key as well.
Peer support. If the suggestions previously mentioned don’t get you back on track after a few days, then consider accessing peer support or other outside services. Peer support and Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) teams, employee assistance programs, faith-based groups, and mental health providers are all there to help you, your family, and your agency. Know how to access them within your agency or community. The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, the International Association of Fire Fighters, and other like organizations are all great resources to become familiar with.
Resilience. This is defined as the ability to become strong, healthy, or successful again after something bad happens. Your training has made you strong, healthy, and successful, but the bad things that happen can weaken that armor you have donned. Walk the walk. Recognize that you had a bad call or are having a “bump in the road of life” and do something about it. Practice healthy stress management skills and don’t allow the bad event to take another victim. That is what will make you stronger, healthier, and more successful.
Helping others. We see our coworkers struggling all the time. Regardless of why or when, it is all around us. Often, we don’t want to “cross that line” or “stick our nose in someone else’s business.” If we are going to take “taking care of our own” seriously, then we have to take that action. It is our business if our coworkers are not at 100 percent because they are our backup. If you are searching the floor above a fire together, their mindset is your concern. That should also be the case if you are training or cooking together as well. If we truly are family, then we should be family in good times as well as bad.
Stress management is practiced and perfected as a team. If you are not teaching this to your recruits, then you are not giving them a valuable tool that could well save their life. If you are not practicing this personally, you are putting yourself at undue risk. If you are walking the walk however, then you may be saving the life of your coworker and not even knowing it. Well done.
Take care of yourselves…take care of each other.
PAUL JOCKIMO has been a veteran of the fire service for more than 30 years and is a member of the Westchester County (NY) Department of Emergency Services. Previously, he served with the Fire Department of New York. He has spent almost 25 years as a peer support provider, coordinator, instructor, and author. He is the chief of the Somers (NY) Fire District.
