I've been a fire service member of the Fire Service Psychology Association (FSPA) since 2018 and it's been an informative, educational, and fulfilling experience seeing how fire service leaders and psychologist and other mental health clinicians are working to "build a bridge between professional psychology and the fire service." However, in the five-plus years I've been a member of FSPA I never really gave serious thought to "Why did I join FSPA?"

By: Robert Avsec, Executive Fire Officer Firefighter/Paramedic Stephanie White One of my pleasant surprises in 2023 has been the discovery of a new “voice” in the fire and EMS world, Stephanie White, a firefighter/paramedic with the Fairfax County (Va.) Fire and Rescue Department. So, here’s one of her recent posts on LinkedIn: I recently listened to a conversation on inclusion ...

Fire departments that are looking to provide an effective behavioral health program for their members would do well to model the approach that the fire service has taken with its tiered response to hazardous materials incidents. They would further serve the best interests of their firefighters by collaborating with mental health clinicians, preferably those at the Specialist Level, just as they would if developing their own hazardous materials response team.

And that's why we need to have a field of Fire Psychology that's been developed using fire service leaders and mental health practitioners of all "shapes and sizes" if we are to develop and implement better mental health programs for fire service personnel.

Developing and communicating a department's mission, vision, and values are important organizational management tools for any fire and EMS department, especially one that's committed to getting the best performance from its members and delivering the best service to its external stakeholders.

By: Robert Avsec, Executive Fire Officer This post has been simmering in my brain for quite some time and it wasn’t until I read Andrew Holter’s article, The Mission Statement, Core Values & Inclusion, that I found the catalyst I needed to “launch this rocket.” Is it just me or is the second most posted articles on fire and EMS ...

This is the second part of the keynote speech that Chief Ali delivered to the 13th Graduating Class of the Wake County (N.C.) Fire Academy.

Battalion Chief Dena Ali recently had the distinct honor of delivering a keynote to the 13th Graduating Class of the Wake County (N.C.) Fire Academy. This is the first of two parts of her remarks to the graduating firefighters.

Why do we pay so much attention to our physical health yet almost ignore our emotional health? Check out this post to learn why and how to fix that.

You can help support the 6th Annual Conference of the Fire Service Psychological Association with your tax-deductible donation. Help support improving mental health services for firefighters!