The fire service and the families of firefighters are two separate systems, in a constant struggle for balance and well being. In these processes, both the fire department family and the job must coexist. However, the fire department family has a unique stress, because it must co-exist with the job in relative harmony to enable these two systems to function properly.
The fire department and the firefighter's family begin the process of adjustment as the firefighter enters the training academy. The family begins to cope with the new job as the department begins to adjust to its newest firefighter. This initial adjustment period is almost always stressful and can set the stage for the family to adapt to the new lifestyle or create a turbulent situation between the department and the family. In some situations this turbulence can last years, creating a barrier between the two.
Here are a few examples that illustrate how firefighters and fire service families are different from other non-fire department families:
- Every fire department family has its own script pertaining to how the couple or family copes and functions with the job and schedule. No two families are exactly alike. For example, some families will want to come to the fire station on holidays.
- Spouses develop scripts in dealing with each other as a result of the job or job schedule. For example, a spouse might choose to avoid a particularly heated issue because it's convenient if the firefighter leaves for a long shift and part-time job. The time separation between spouses can be a luxury or a liability.
- There is the possibility of a single-parent phenomenon associated with fire service families. Specifically, a common arrangement involves the spouse parenting alone during long periods of separation such as a 24-hour shift and part-time job that follows. Some families have set up this script or arrangement as a way to cope with the schedule or the intense involvement that some firefighters display with the job.
- Children may tend to act out more when one parent is away at work. I've heard many stories from second-generation firefighters about the things that they attempted to get away with while Dad was at the firehouse.
- Spouses might view a firefighter's loyalty to the profession as problematic in the relationship. Mental health practitioners must understand this aspect to work with firefighters. Often, the firefighter perceives the therapist as unsympathetic toward job loyalty. A skilled marital therapist can assist with these issues if he or she is familiar with the fire department culture.
- Like other occupations, spillover stress is a problem. Specifically, firefighters will bring stress from home to the job and vice versa. Fire department families tend to have unique ways to cope with firefighter stress. No way is the right way.
The following examples illustrate how firefighters are different from other workers.
- Firefighters learn coping skills on the job more than other workers. Fire chiefs can use this to obtain information and encourage appropriate coping skills among firefighters.
- Firefighters tend to view seeking mental health assistance more negatively than other workers. Organizations must set the example for firefighters. It's critical for chief officers to set good examples and refute any ideas that seeking mental health assistance is a sign of weakness.
- Firefighters tend to seek out other firefighters to deal with problems. The worker in the general population typically doesn't share this characteristic. Firefighters need both formal and informal support systems.
Obtaining the right information to assist firefighters need not be an expensive undertaking. Many resources exist that are low or no cost. The International Critical Incident Stress Foundation Web site <www.icisf.org> is a resource for information on critical incident stress management. If you are having trouble at home, let someone know; a friend, a chaplain, a chief. Ask for help. You don't have to go it alone.
Robert Smith, Ph.D., is a psychotherapist and a 24-year veteran of the fire service. He's a career firefighter and lieutenant with the Washington Township Fire Department in Indianapolis. Smith is a line officer and the clinical director of the department's Stress Management Unit. He holds bachelor's and doctoral degrees in psychology and a master's degree in marriage and family therapy. Smith is also an adjunct professor at Marian College in Indianapolis. He can be reached at <rsmith1153@aol.com>.
