As a fourth generation firefighter, I was practically raised in a firehouse. The firehouse was and will always be one big family. There is a code and a bond that all firefighters live for each day. We run towards danger. We save lives. We are invincible. Except we are not invincible. The physical and emotional demands that we put ourselves thru bring a toll. Ignoring this problem is like allowing a forest fire to burn unattended. It is only going to get worse. It’s time we adopt a culture that makes it okay for a firefighter to ask for help. ...
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At bars, restaurants and homes across America, many adults enjoy alcoholic beverages responsibly. However, there are those for whom drinking becomes a deadly addiction that sours personal and professional relationships and endangers lives. It’s no small number, either – according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, nearly 18 million adults have an alcohol use disorder. Firefighters are disproportionately affected. Among the 112 career firefighters surveyed in the study “Sleep Problems, Depression, Substance Use, Social Bonding, and Quality of Life in Professional Firefighters,” 80% used alcohol (averaging about one to two drinks per day), 56% binge drank (four or more ...
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