The Official Magazine of the International Association of Fire Chiefs Mental Health: International Fellowship Program Page 10 Transforming Public Safety Communications Page 12 The Future of Technology Partners Page 13 Page 6 And much more! Playing with Fire Washington Legislative Update Page 15 Summer 2020• LIFE SCAN WELLNESS CENTERS Saving the Lives of America's Heroes ANNUAL Public Saf+y am (NFPA 1582 co9li#t) Hands-On Physical Exam included Vision Exam (Titmus) included Occupational Hearing Exam included Szn cancer assessment included Behavioral Health and Sleep Assessment Screenings included Personal Consultation with review of testin results included Cardiopulmonary Assesst Restin EKG 12 Lead included Submaximal Treadmill Stress Test with EKG included Pulmonary Function Test included Ultrasound Screenings Thyroid included Echocardiogram (Heart) included NATION'S LARGEST PROVIDER OF PUBLIC SAFETY PHYSICALS WITH 45,000 FIRST RESPONDERS ANNUALLY Carotid Arteries Liver, Gall Bladder, Spleen, & Kidney & Blaer ovaries and Uterus (Won) Pros¨te and Testicular Men) B6od and Laboratory Tests Included included included included WE TACKLE THE BIG ISSUES: CANCER, HEART DISEASE AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH WWW.LIFESCANWELLNESS.COM Click for information Hemoccult Test with Digital Rectal Exam included Urinalysis included Lipid Panel included Diabetes Tests (Hemoglobin A1C and Glucose) included Complete Blood Count included Comprehensive Metabolic Panel included Th roid Panel TSH with Reflex to T 4 included PSA (men) included Testosterone (Men) Included CA-125 (won) included Fitness Eva7ation (NFPA 15 �I Guide/Ines) Muscular Stre th and Endurance Evaluation included Aerobic Endurance Evaluation (V02 Max Cale) included Flexibility Evaluation included Nutrition and Diet Recommendations included Personal Fitness Recommendations included By ight and Compition (Calipers) included M*ical Clr#ces OSHA Respirator Medical Clearance included Firefi hter Medical Clearance NFPA 1582 included We are pleased to introduce our expanded offerings and as such have partnered with nationally recognized health experts and pioneering studies: •Cardiac Studies with Dr. Denise Smith •Partnership with: StrongPath: Science based fitness and nutrition plans •Partnership: Cordico Responder Wellness: 24/7 wellness technology supporting proactive and preventative wellness support •Advanced Blood Markers for Cancer and Diseases •Enhanced Mental Health evidenced based practices and resources with nationally known expertsSummer 2020 3 Published For: INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FIRE CHIEFS 4795 Meadow Wood Lane, Suite 100 Chantilly, VA 20151 Tel: 703.273.0911 www.iafc.org Interim CEO and Executive Director Rob Brown Content and Communications Manager Steven Ilchishin Published By: MATRIX GROUP PUBLISHING INC. 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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 5 A Message from the IAFC President, Chief Gary Ludwig FEATURES 6 Mental Health: Playing with Fire 9 Mental Health is Real: I Am Lucky — Many Are Not 10 IAFC, Saudi Aramco and Atlanta Fire Take Fellowship to New Heights 12 FirstNet Transforms Public Safety Communications for a Safer Tomorrow 13 The Future of Technology Partners for Public Safety: A Case Study on First Due REPORT FROM WASHINGTON 15 Legislative Update 17 INDEX TO ADVERTISERS WHAT’S HAPPENING AT THE IAFC 18 A Message from the Interim CEO and Executive Director, Rob Brown4 International Association of Fire ChiefsSummer 2020 5 A Year That I Will Not Forget! President and Chairman of the Board Chief Gary Ludwig First Vice President Chief Richard Carrizzo Second Vice President Chief Ken Stuebing President 2018-2019 Chief Dan Eggleston Treasurer Chief Steve Locke Director-at-Large and Volunteer and Combination Officers Section Chief Donna Black Canadian Division Chief Ken McMullen Eastern Division Chief Ted Lowden EMS Section Chief Norris Croom III Fire & Life Safety Section Chief Michael O’Brian Great Lakes Division Chief Timm Schabbel Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association Chief Ernest Malone Missouri Valley Division Chief Jim Wamsley New England Division Chief Chris Christopoulos Jr. Safety, Health and Survival Section Deputy Chief Billy Goldfeder Southeastern Division Chief Kingman Schuldt Southwestern Division Chief Roy Robichaux Jr. Western Division Chief Doug Schrage Interim CEO and Executive Director Mr. Rob Brown BOARD OF DIRECTORS I DO NOT know where to begin. The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) staff told me I have only 600 words. All I can say is that it is a year I will not forget as IAFC president. Little did I know, CEO Mark Light would retire two days into my presidency. On top of Mark’s retirement, I was faced with trying to coordinate a CEO search; addressing financial issues that we announced to our members in a letter in July 2019; the coronavirus that caused the shutdown of the economy and impacted fire departments and our members not only economically but also operationally; and, finally, those who attacked firefighters, apparatus, fire stations and memorials during the protests. Somewhere in between, I kicked off my campaign called “If You Don’t Feel Well, Don’t Make it Your Farewell,” as well as responded to myriad other issues that come up during the course of serving as president. No person is an island during their term as president. Any success that I can brag about during my presidency is the result of those who surrounded me. My thanks go to the chiefs who serve on our board of directors. Each one is professional and serves with distinction with the overreaching goal of serving our Association and the fire service. I am honored to have served with them. I also want to thank Interim CEO/ Executive Director Rob Brown and many members of the IAFC. Their value and contributions were extremely noticeable and profound during the several months that the coronavirus impacted fire departments when there was difficulty getting personal protective equipment (PPE) and when departments experienced the economic fallout when tax revenues affected budgets. Many worked long hours and weekends to see the needs of our members, and the fire service was met. My path to becoming president of the IAFC is nothing I ever planned or thought of. The first thought of running for second vice president came several months before I filed for office when I was complaining to someone that I just stepped off IAFC’s EMS Section Executive Board as a past chair, and I tried to get on committees and was not accepted. That person told me to forget about getting on a committee and that I should run for second vice president, which would lead me to the presidency. I brushed off their comments. I got more phone calls from that person and others whom that person had called. Eventually, I decided to run with only one goal in mind: I wanted to make a difference, to serve our association, members, and the fire service. I feel that I have fulfilled my original plan. In my closing speech after I was sworn in last August, I said, “Over the next year, I will serve and fulfill my role with professionalism and pride. I will adhere to my principles of servant leadership by serving others before self. I will dream unapologetically of the unlimited possibilities for our association, and I will lead with passion.” I have no regrets that I achieved all those promises. Thank you! It was an honor to serve our association and membership. FIRE CHIEF GARY LUDWIG IAFC President and Chairman of the Board // PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE6 International Association of Fire Chiefs W hen Ed Rush does presentations about mental health in the fire service, he puts a plush elephant at the front of the room. He doesn’t say anything about it, instead carrying on with his discussion. Though it can take a bit of time, eventually someone mentions the elephant in the room — a parallel to how, historically, mental health in the fire service has been a topic everyone knows exists yet isn’t willing to discuss. But, thankfully, we’re starting to see this change. Rush, deputy chief for the Elmsford Fire Department and a retired chief from the Hartsdale Fire Department in New York, is on the board of the Volunteer and Combinations Officers Section (VCOS) of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC). He’s been in the fire service for 44 years and says he’s seen a shift of how mental health is viewed. Before, it was a taboo topic, something that wasn’t discussed, and therefore wasn’t thought to be an issue. But it was an issue and still is one to address today. About 20-22% of firefighters experience post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), compared to 7-8% of the general public. 1 According to a 2015 study of 1,027 current and retired firefighters, 46.8% of them had thought about suicide, while 19.2% planned for and 15.5% attempted it. 2 Working in the fire service is a stressful job, which has been even more heightened during the current times of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Individual calls can be traumatic, plus chiefs have an added pressure of managing a team — that’s not to mention what’s going on at home. Rush can relate to this. When he started his position as chief, he had a number of stressful and emotional events in his personal life, including close family members passing away. No one knew what he was going though, except for his wife, a good listener who has been his go-to person to talk to. Still, Rush started experiencing severe anxiety — though he didn’t know to call it that until after doing a bit of research on his own — and this started to dominate his thought process. He took the step to reach out for professional help, and it worked. Rush found out what he was going through was a normal reaction to the stress he was experiencing in both his professional and personal life. Events in our lives can build up to create cumulative stress, filling up our internal “stress jar,” as psychologist Dr. Robin Grant-Hall calls it. The stress jar often starts filling up right from childhood, and, over the years of adulthood, layers and layers of stressful events are added COVER STORY \\ Playing with Fire Mental Health:Summer 2020 7 “I grew up with the mindset that you take care of yourself internally, that these things shall pass and that you rely on your faith,” Flynn says, adding that he was skeptical of seeing a mental health professional. Eventually, Flynn did reach out for help. At first, he and his mental health professional had casual conversations and eventually EMDR sessions. Flynn felt the release of some of his pent- up anger. Today, Flynn doesn’t see a therapist on a regular basis but does still make time to de-stress, like spending time outdoors, listening to the sounds of birds and crickets, being a part of nature. This perhaps is a different image — sitting outside, being one with nature — than what comes to mind when people think of a stereotypical firefighter. “In the fire service in general, for both males and females, we have this She says mini debriefs among crews after medium and high-level calls can be helpful to bring down stress levels. It’s also important to figure out the best way for you to unwind, whether that’s exercising, spending time in nature or working on a hobby. She also recommends that people incorporate therapies like EMDR into their life just like yearly physicals. That way, you can clear out your brain before problems arise or worsen. Chuck Flynn found EMDR helpful in his mental wellness journey. Flynn, who is the chief of Suffield Fire Department and the VCOS chair, experienced cumulative stress from both his personal and work life. This started to show outwardly, though not necessarily at the fire hall. For example, he says he had road rage, getting upset about things that didn’t used to bother him. He also started having dreams of past calls. to it, including traumatic events for some people. If you are a firefighter, it is almost impossible not to add traumatic events to your stress jar because of the nature of the career regarding sensory overload (what is seen, heard and smelled) as well as overwhelming thoughts and feelings. As the stress jar becomes full, a variety of symptoms often emerge such as irritability, moodiness, sleep problems, low frustration tolerance, anger, depression and anxiety. Grant- Hall, who specializes in trauma and first responders, says she works with people to unload the stress jar, one item at a time. One way to do this is through eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, which uses what is called bilateral stimulation (eye movements, sound, hand tappers) to open up and stimulate the entire brain at once. While the brain is in this activated state, the “bad” fire calls or other life events are re-organized in the brain in a more adaptive manner and sent to long-term memory. Grant-Hall says EMDR might sound a bit strange, but it works, resulting in an overall feeling of calmness and contentment. Grant-Hall explains that when you experience unexpected, overwhelming events, there is an actual biochemical brain change or an internal brain injury. You don’t emerge as the same person. For first responders, a low, medium, or high-level call could all result in a traumatic experience. When these memories stick with you, you may have recurring dreams or become triggered by certain sights, smells and calls. When the brain is “stuck” in trauma mode, people often develop PTS or PTSD, but it can be worked through and resolved with trauma therapy such as EMDR. “I think it’s impossible to be a firefighter and not have some calls that stick with you from across your career,” Grant-Hall says. “If you’re going to go into this job, you have to know it’s going to impact you no matter what. Firefighters need to start taking care of themselves as well as they care for others.” “One thing we have discovered is that a lot of the time, my colleagues are not willing to talk about mental health on their own — they need to be asked about it.”8 International Association of Fire Chiefs The IAFC’s Yellow Ribbon Report describes more warning signs and also brings awareness to the fire service’s emotional and behavior wellness. The report is available at www.iafc.org/topics- and-tools/resources/resource/vcos- yellow-ribbon-report-under-the-helmet- performing-an-internal-size-up. the life of the party becomes the wallflower. The person who keeps to his or herself becomes the loudest in the room. Someone who never drinks starts inviting you out every night after work. The coworker who is usually calm and collected develops a short fuse. Basically, what you should be looking for is any change in behavior. Then let the person know you are there to help, offering them resources of where to seek further guidance. egotistical attitude that we’re tough guys, that we don’t need help,” says Jim Cook, deputy chief in the Loudoun County Combined Fire and Rescue System and board member of VCOS. “One thing we have discovered is that a lot of the time, my colleagues are not willing to talk about mental health on their own — they need to be asked about it.” Cook says how it important it is to watch out for others on your crew, looking out for signs in changes of behavior. For example, maybe REFERENCES 1. Beaton, R. D. and Murphy, S. A. (1993). Sources of Occupational Stress Among Firefighter/EMTs and Firefighter/Paramedics and Correlations with Job-related Outcomes, Prehospital Disaster Medicine, 8:140–150; Corneil, W., Beaton, R., Murphy, S., Johnson, C., and Pike, K. (1999). Exposure to Traumatic Incidents and Prevalence of Posttraumatic Stress Symptomatology in Urban Firefighters in Two Countries, Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 4, 131-141; National Center for PTSD (2016). PTSD Basics. www.ptsd.va.gov/understand/ common/common_adults.asp. 2. Stanley, I. H., Hom, M. A., Hagan, C. R., and Joiner, T. E. (2015). Career Prevalence and Correlates of Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors Among Firefighters, Journal of Affective Disorders, 187, 163–171, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j. jad.2015.08.007. RESOURCES For more information on mental wellness in the fire service, seek out the following resources: • IAFF Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Treatment and Recovery Center 24-hour toll-free number: 855-900-8437 • National Fallen Firefighter Foundation: www.FireHero.org • Yellow Ribbon Report – Under the Helmet: Performing an Internal Size-Up: www.iafc.org/ topics-and-tools/resources/ resource/vcos-yellow-ribbon- report-under-the-helmet- performing-an-internal-size-upSummer 2020 9 I t’s morning time, and I just don’t feel good. I thought that sleep would help but it didn’t. Prior to all this beginning, life was good. I was happy and work was great. One day, things changed. The day came, and we had new leadership and new rules. Suddenly, a civil war ensues. Everyone who I thought was my friend was changing. Money, power and position were on the line. Who keeps their job? Who gets promoted? I start staying in my office and become more vigilant of others. Trust issues ensue. Wait — are you a friend or foe? I begin to take my frustrations home. I am mad and angry and depressed all the time. I call my doctor and am prescribed anti-anxiety medication. Time passes and I find myself needing stronger meds. I see a psychiatrist. My mind is hurting, and no one sees the signs. Meds are helping, but I am withdrawn. I am not eating. I work but talk to no one. I do not want to participate. When I have to be present, I do not say anything. I’m asked, “Are you okay?” I nod. Looking back, the signs were clear. Why didn’t anyone notice? My daughter finds me on the floor of my bedroom. I wake up in the ICU. My family is all around me. I ask, “Is today Monday?” My brother answers, “No, baby. It’s Thursday.” What happened to the past three days? I am taken to a secure hallway where someone is present with me 24 hours a day. I can’t even go to the bathroom by myself. This is a special ward. Everyone is here for the same exact reason — attempted suicide. We are the lucky ones. The not-so-lucky ones are in the morgue. Treatment begins. I tell them my mind was hurting and I felt bad. I wanted the pain to stop. On the other side of the room, the same sentiments are echoed. Now I am asking questions. Why didn’t anyone notice or do anything to help me? Do they not care? The therapist answers yes they care, but the problem is that people thought this was just a phase I was going through and that I would get over it soon. I talk about the bullying I experienced at work and how it led to my attempted suicide. I continue and talk about family, friends and work. Others open up too, and we all find out fast that we are no different. Same story, again and again. Ten days later, I am being told to go home and start my new life. I am nervous. I am given meds. They tell me to take what I learned in therapy and apply my coping skills. Nothing else. I am far from cured. Weeks pass, and therapy is helping. I am no longer as stressed as I was in the beginning. I now know the signs and can immediately seek help from my doctor. Mental health is real. Look around you and recognize the signs. If you start to notice someone in your shift or department who is withdrawn, they are telling you they are hurting. Don’t dismiss the signs. Have them talk to someone with medical expertise. If you need to, pull them off duty and mandate they talk to a medical expert. Call your employee assistance program and seek advice. Bottom line: tell them you are listening and that you are going to help. You have to take action before it’s too late. Bring in a critical incident stress management (CISM) team and start training your personnel how they can be peer counselors. You can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255) or call the crisis line in the biggest city in your area and ask if they can come to talk with your teams. Other options include creating policies and procedures on how to handle personnel who you suspect are in danger of hurting themselves. Mental health not only affects the individual but also those around them, including colleagues, friends and family. Today, I am far from cured, but I am no longer as stressed as I was in the beginning. I now know the signs and seek immediate help from my doctor when needed. Through the IAFC, am working to help with anti-bullying efforts in the fire and EMS service so others don’t suffer as I have. I am lucky. Too many are not. Manuel Fonseca is the former IAFC Human Relations Committee chair and a retired assistant chief of the Nashville Fire Department. Mental Health is Real: I Am Lucky — Many Are Not By Manual Fonseca, Former Chair of IAFC Human Relations CommitteeNext >