Fire & EMS Leader Pro The job of old firefighters is to teach young firefighters how to become old firefighters!

Tag Archives: Be SMART for Kids

We can all help prevent death and injury to children from firearms

November 23, 2024 Leave a comment

The holiday season is upon us in the U.S. and Canada and that means children will be spending more time at home as many schools take breaks for the Thanksgiving (U.S.) and Christmas holidays. Thus, I’ve updated my original article and am sharing it today in hopes of preventing an unintentional shooting, especially one involving a child or teen.

Chat with Lt. Chris Collins about getting out there and meeting your community

July 7, 2022 Leave a comment

Chris Collins St. Albans Fire Department

Today I met a friend in fire service colleague for another “lunch and chat session” at Sokolata. one of our nice eateries in South Charleston, West Virginia. Whenever I finish one of these sit downs with Chris Collins, a lieutenant with the St. Albans (W.Va) Fire Department whose current job is that of Fire Marshal, I come away refreshed and excited about the fire service again. See, Chris is pretty much a “one man band” as the Fire Marshall doing fire safety inspections, code enforcement, fire investigations, and public fire and life safety education presentations. And he does all that with a level of commitment, passion, and enthusiasm that I wish I could bottle and sell!

Successful Transformational Change in a Fire and EMS Department: How a Focused Team Created a Revenue Recovery Program in Six Months--From Scratch Now available on Kindle and in paperback editions!

The Fire Service Psychology Association (FSPA) membership includes fire service leaders, psychologists, and masters-level mental health clinicians (e.g., LCSW, LPC, MFT) who are committed to "building a bridge between professional psychology and the fire service.
Two primary elements of that "bridge" are (1) developing Culturally Competent Clinicians and (2) developing a true understanding of the 5 domains of psychology (Assessments, Intervention, Industrial/Organizational, Operations, and Consultation) and what how they can improve the mental and behavioral health of firefighters and EMS personnel.
It’s essential to practice self-care and check in with yourself regularly. Be aware of how you’re feeling, especially after difficult shifts. Don’t let symptoms of trauma or stress reach a dangerous level. Visit the FSPA website, www.firepsychology.org for more information, including how you can join the effort to "build the bridge!"