It can be very rewarding to make someone’s day better as first responders often do. But responding to 911 calls can also have some negative impacts as we all know. 

It is inevitable. We all have those calls that stick with us. They will never go away and they will continue to accumulate in our minds. 

This accumulation of difficult calls over a career can cause some emotional distress if not properly dealt with, but one thing we can do to help process these calls is talk about them. 

This can be a daunting task for those of us in the fire service who have historically felt the need to hide our emotions and not to talk about our feelings or what bothers us. But when you do open up about those calls that stick with you, and everyone has them, it can feel like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders. 

I found this out when I joined the ILFFPS when on the first day you are encouraged to share with the group why you want to be a peer supporter. I had never spoken about the call that impacted me before, but when I finally did, it was a huge relief. And to be in a room with people who could relate to it was even more beneficial. 

But this experience doesn’t only have to happen at ILFFPS training. It can happen in your firehouse and you can all be better for it. 

Here are some steps you can take to the firehouse and spark some good conversations. 

1. When everyone is gathered together, such as the bay floor after dinner, ask questions about people’s prior experiences with tough calls and what was done about them. 

   1. “What did your previous department do when you had a critical incident?”

   2. “Did you have any critical incidents while you were there?”

2. Once the discussion starts, move on to another person. At this point you can start to ask questions that hit a little deeper. 

   1. “Have you had any critical incidents?

   2. “What was done for you afterwards?”

   3. “Did you find the cisd beneficial?”

3. This might be a good time to share your story to further encourage more participation

   1. Share the calls that still live with you

What you may find when you do this is that people will open up more and more as they see that it is ok to do so. Some may not be interested in opening up and that is ok. 

When you have conversations like this it is important to remind them of the resources they have available to them. 

• ILFFPS 

• EAP

• Therapists

• Etc…