Firefighters

Firefighters face many challenges during their career that can lead to serious mental health concerns. It’s important that fire departments take action now to address the mental health and wellness of their firefighters.

A few reasons why it’s important to address mental health:
• Firefighters can face stressful situations that can lead to mental health challenges. Studies show that these challenges can lead to an increased risk of:
      – Insomnia
      – Suicide
      – Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
      – Depression

What you can do:
• If you are in a leadership position at a fire station, start implementing the CARES UP model for you and your firefighters. Contact CARESUP@omh.ny.gov for assistance.
• If you are a firefighter, share this website with your supervisor. It’s important to spread the word about CARES UP and how it can help build wellness and resiliency at your fire station.
•Complete free trainings and learn from the resources that CARES UP offers.

Why CARES UP can help:
• CARES UP can be a framework for how to create or improve “wellness and resiliency” initiatives for your agency.
• Gain access to tip sheets, guides, templates, and toolkits for how to share resources with your agency.