STRATFORD, Prince Edward Island — A volunteer firefighter is focusing on the effect of stressful calls on volunteer firefighters for her PhD.
CBC.ca reported that Amanda Brazil, a five-year veteran of the Cross Roads Fire Department, surveyed 102 of her peers from five departments to find out what factors increase the severity of critical incident fire calls.
Fire Chief Ron Young called Brazil’s work important.
“I have experienced some, after major calls to fires and car accidents and medical calls,” Chief Young said. “It’s important to do a debriefing after with everybody.”
The survey revealed that 35 percent of firefighters felt they had been exposed to more than 20 critical incidents. Ten percent had experienced between 13 and 20 and 50 percent had experienced between one and 12. She discovered that 80 percent said being first on scene could increase the severity of stress.
Brazil learned 65 percent of the firefighters had no training in critical incidents or PTSD, but most indicated it would be beneficial at departments or fire academies, according to the report.
“We can talk about this, we can talk about how we’re feeling, we can talk about what’s next,” Brazil said. “And should somebody need extra help, I want it to become a culture of sharing and support. It’s OK to talk about these things because we’re all experiencing it.”
Brazil will use the survey results for her dissertation and will present the results in June.