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FBHA’s goal is to provide behavioral health workshops to fire departments, EMS and Dispatch organizations across the globe, focusing on behavioral health awareness with a strong emphasis towards suicide prevention and promoting resources available to firefighters/EMS/Dispatch and their families.

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Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance White Paper Series No. 1

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FBHA Announces Release of first White Paper

Moral Injury in Firefighters: Wounds of the Spirit

MEDIA CONTACT:
Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance
Jeff Dill, M.A., Community Counseling, Founder and CEO
jdill@ffbha.org
(847) 209-8208

• 57.6% of fire fighters report having experienced a major Morally Injurious Event,
like injured children or evidence of abuse
• 49.8% admitted to feeling emotionally detached and isolated, long recognized
as a mental-health stressor
• From 2014-2020, more fire fighters died by suicide than in the line of duty

The Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance (FBHA), along with Elizabeth Anderson-Fletcher, Ph.D. and Chaplain Mark Schimmelpfennig, M. Div., announce the release of their latest comprehensive report designed to help educate both clinicians and firefighters on the prevalence and effects of Moral Injury in the fire service industry.

The fire service culture has begun to recognize the effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, but an emerging issue firefighters face is Moral Injury, which occurs just as often in the men and women serving their communities. Moral Injury is a relatively new term in EMS circles, with signs and symptoms that can mirror those of the more widely recognized PTSD – even though they are distinctly different ailments.

Moral Injury generally results from a major conflict in one’s moral code which causes a negative response, such as having to prioritize who can be saved and who cannot. Education about Moral Injury and its effects is critical to help individuals normalize their own unique, personal reactions to Morally Injurious Events.

FBHA was founded in 2010 to track firefighter and EMS suicides across America. In 2019, FBHA began tracking emergency services dispatcher suicides as well. Responding to unprecedented need, FBHA now presents eight different first-responder-focused workshops on behavioral health to fire departments and EMS organizations across the globe. These spotlight behavioral health awareness, suicide prevention, and resources for firefighters/EMS and their families.

For more information, contact Media Contact listed above or see www.ffbha.org.


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