Fire fighting is the profession with the highest rate of suicide attempts, suicide thoughts and suicide completions. In fact, more firefighters die from suicide each year than from the job. The rate of suicidal thoughts among firefighters approaches fifty percent, while the general public is five to fifteen percent. (This must be incident of suicidal thoughts in the past year.) Accidental mishaps are also very high among fire fighters.
A firefighter is provided with protective equipment; however that equipment does not often include how to protect the mind. Mind Shield is a cognitively based, mindfulness approach. They have been training Salt Lake City firefighters in how to protect the mind with cognitive skills. This includes a 90-minute educational session on Brain Burn (Post Traumatic Stress.) The second part focuses on specific tools to protect the mind. It is geared to keeping the mind at a higher level processing and problem solving, rather than a primitive level where we react to fear. the third part focusing on strained relationships firefighters may have. this session involves family members so they too can be aware of the struggles.
Results of the study have not yet been published, but about half of the firefighters of Salt Lake have received the training.
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