Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance

PTSD vs Moral Injury

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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.

Download here:

https://www.ffbha.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Moral-Injury-White-Paper-2-9-23.pdf

Confidential Firefighter Suicide Report

In order for FBHA to be able to serve the needs of the fire service family, the more information we can gather on the firefighter suicide mechanism for pro-active training, the better. By gathering as much information as we can, we can provide a profile that helps identify at-risk firefighters before this tragedy strikes. This information has proven to be an invaluable tool for the police service. We request that anyone having information on a firefighter suicide please contact FBHA using the form below. Because we are mindful that some agencies prohibit the release of information by their Departments, and that some family members may not be aware that there is a way to make notifications, we have developed a "blind form" that assists in providing anonymity for the submitting party. This form has been graciously given to FBHA to use from Robert E. Douglas, Jr. of the National P.O.L.I.C.E. Suicide Foundation. Once you submit this confidential form, it is transmitted to Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance's email, with the sender information removed. Since we have no means to contact the submitter back because that information is blocked, we appreciate as much information as you can provide. FBHA then uses this information to keep its training pro-active and post-event, current. At a minimum, we require the agency's name, state, firefighter's sex, rank, years of service, date of death, how death occurred, and any stressors identified or suspected as being a catalyst. We would appreciate any additional information or details that can be provided. It is FBHA's policy not to release firefighter or department specific information. We respect the privacy of the families and agencies involved. It is not our intention to cause any undue pain to families or agencies. Additionally, we do not release this specific case information to the media. Sincerely, Jeff Dill Founder Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance
What are these numbers?