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Emotional Support for Line of Duty
Death Survivors
by
Peggy Sweeney
"Firemen are going to be killed right along. They know it, every man of
them... firefighting is a hazardous occupation; it is dangerous on the
face of it, tackling a burning building. The risks are plain....
Consequently, when a man becomes a fireman, his act of bravery has
already been accomplished."
Edward
F. Crocker, Chief of Department, FDNY 1899-1911
Local newspaper headlines report the sad news of another fallen hero;
the tragic death of a brave firefighter who has died in the line of
duty. A dedicated professional who sacrificed his or her life that
others may live or that homes and property would be saved from the
ravages of fire. Most civilians half-heartedly acknowledge the event
while searching for more significant information relating to their
personal lives; a baseball score, stock market figures, want ads, or
horoscopes. This newsworthy happening is just words on a page for them.
Most civilians can not relate to this type of tragedy nor can they
comprehend the depth of grief and pain that every member in the fire
service feels. Their lives will not be changed by this tragedy.
Unfortunately, this is not true for the family and co-workers of this
fallen hero. Life as they knew it will never be the same again.
Emotions run rampant and their seemingly normal lives spiral into a
frightening and dark abyss where pain, loneliness, and grief are
constant companions. Surviving this personal tragedy is at times almost
unbearable. How does one survive? What lessons can be learned from these
experiences?
Before we can learn to cope with pain and
grief, we must first understand why we feel and respond to traumatic
events as we do. In any loss (divorce, geographical relocation, loss of
health, a friendship or job, etc.) there is grief and mourning. Grief is
the emotional, physical, mental, and even spiritual responses human
beings experience when their dreams and plans for life take an
unexpected turn. Mourning is our outward expression (such as crying) to
these feelings. A small loss experience such as a rained out ballgame or
a broken promise can cause grief. We are disappointed, saddened, or
angry at the outcome. We unwillingly must surrender control of a
situation to unforeseen circumstances or to another person. Grief and
mourning are normal, healthy responses. Each one of us journeys through
grief in our own way and on our own time schedule.
When someone dies, our response to this
loss is equal to our relationship with this person. The stronger the
emotional bond the more intense the grief reactions. To illustrate, the
death of an acquaintance pales in comparison to the death of a much
loved family member, friend, or co-worker. In addition, the manner of
death (sudden or anticipated) and our personal life stressors will also
influence our grieving.
When someone dies suddenly (auto
accident, heart attack, line of duty death) we experience immediate
grief. There is no time for goodbyes. We cannot tell them we love them,
let them know how much we value their friendship, or ask forgiveness. In
contrast, when a loved one dies from a long-term illness or injury
(anticipated death) we may have had the opportunity to prepare for the
loss. This is not to say that we will not grieve following an
anticipated death but rather that our length of grieving and the extent
of our pain may be lessened somewhat because we have expressed our
thoughts and vocalized our love and have helped the one who is dying
accept their death and put closure to their life. Furthermore, our
grieving process may be complicated by various everyday problems like
job-related stress, family struggles (such as divorce), financial
worries, or personal health issues. These distractions can greatly
influence our ability to focus on our grieving which can delay or even
suppress the grieving process.
Healing grief is not an easy task. Your
grief journey is like a roller coaster ride. Just when you think you are
doing better, a memory or a special event in your life will hurl you
into the depths of despair. Rejoice in the good moments and days you
have; they will help you survive the more painful and lonely ones.
Surviving a loss takes a very long time; many months or even years. Get
plenty of rest, eat healthy, and exercise. A journal of your thoughts
and experiences will mark your progress in healing and your
reinvestments in life and living. It's ok to cry. This is not a
sign of weakness. You are not going crazy. You are very normal.
Do children grieve? Many people believe
that children are resilient. When someone they love dies, they may
continue their normal behaviors (playing, interacting with their peers,
or even misbehaving) in spite of this person’s death. It may appear that
this death has not made an impact on their lives. Do not be deceived.
Children, even toddlers, are affected and do grieve. It is important to
continue their normal routine as much as possible. They will need
tender, loving care. While it may seem that they are adjusting to life
after the funeral, it is imperative to keep the lines of communication
open. Do not be afraid to share your feelings and frustrations with
them. Don't shy away from talking about the deceased person or asking
the child how they are feeling. Be aware that some adolescents and teens
may experiment with drugs or alcohol as a means of coping with their
grief and emotional pain. A family that has suffered the devastation of
loss must reach out and help one another.
A line of duty death impacts the life of
every member of the department as well as their families. It is
imperative that they are given information about grief and how to cope
with the pain and suffering it creates. The tragic event may trigger
nightmares, anxiety, anger, or guilt. It is very important to their
physical health and emotional well being that these men and women are
provided with an outlet to express their feelings. As a result of this
life-altering event, they may question their self-worth. They may wonder
if anyone appreciates the risks they take.
There are many lessons to be learned on
the journey through grief. This special hero has touched many lives and
in their living and dying they have shared their gifts and talents and
have taught us the value of life. Reach out to adults and children who
may be hurting emotionally and share with them all you learned from your
grief experience. By reinvesting in life and sharing love with others
you will honor this hero who made the ultimate sacrifice. In so doing,
they will never be forgotten.
Copyright Peggy Sweeney. All rights
reserved.
About the Author:
Peggy is a mortician and bereavement educator with Grimes Funeral
Chapels in Kerrville (TX), a member of the Comfort Volunteer Fire
Department, and a facilitator for the Peterson Hospice Bridging the
Gap program (teen group). She has recently been awarded certification
in Bereavement Trauma and Emergency Crisis Response by the American
Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress. Since 1990, Peggy has developed
and conducted numerous workshops such as How to Understand Grief,
Children Healing After Trauma (CHAT), and Grieving Behind the Badge that
offer help to families and professionals coping with life-altering
events. Peggy hosts monthly support groups for bereaved spouses/partners
(Comfort and Conversation) as well as parents who have had a child or
children die (Halo of Love). You may contact Peggy at (830) 257-4544 or
peggyintexas47@gmail.com. A blog of interest for emergency response
professionals: grievingbehindthebadge.blogspot.com
Chaplain's Note - This article
was used with the permission of (actually, the blessing of...she sent it to me!
heheh)Peggy Sweeney
Firefighters at Risk
The Negative Effects of Stress and
Trauma on the Human Spirit
Excerpt from a
research paper entitled “A Proposed Program to Support the Emotional Wellness of
Firefighters”
by
Peggy (HUGS)
Sweeney
Editor’s note: The term
firefighter in this article means professionals trained in fire suppression and rescue as
well as pre-hospital care (first responders, emergency medical technicians, and
paramedics). The terms firefighter, emergency response professional, and emergency service
worker are interchangeable.
Today, in the United States, what
were once considered safe environments are now more like battlegrounds. No longer are
schools, homes, places of business, or even churches safe from violent acts of aggression.
Moreover, our society is witnessing an alarming increase in homicides, rapes, domestic
violence, child abuse, and highway injuries and deaths. The aftermath of these traumatic
events is having a devastating and unfavorable reaction on everyone, especially emergency
response professionals; the men and women who serve their communities
as firefighters and
pre-hospital caregivers. Their daily experiences with life-threatening and highly
stressful events are affecting them physically, mentally, and emotionally. The constant
exposure to life-threatening and traumatic events can lead to chronic (long-term) stress
which, in turn, can result in high blood pressure and an increased susceptibility to heart
disease, diabetes, and cancer. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration (SAMHSA, 1995) states that chronic stress may also cause
“psychological problems including depression, withdrawal, apathy, and relationship
problems in general.” Divorce, substance abuse, and heart attack rates in these
professions are among the highest in the nation. The lack of support and compassion by
citizens, government agencies, and business officials for the risks these professionals
endure and the occasional negative editorial coverage by the news media also adds to their
anxiety level. Furthermore, the short- and long-term aftermath of stress on the job can
eventually increase workers’ compensation costs, medical and mental health premiums,
and death benefit payments. Finally, the International Association of Fire Chiefs’
Foundation (IAFCF, 1991) has stated that
"Stress is one of
the most serious occupational hazards in the fire service, affecting health, job
performance, career decision-making, morale and family life. Emotional problems, as well
as problems with alcohol and drugs, are becoming increasingly evident. High rates of
attrition, divorce, occupational disease, and injury continue… [and] suicide is a
real and tragic alternative for some."
No longer do firefighters
just fight fires. With the advancement of fire prevention technology, such as
flame-retardant building materials, smoke detectors, and sprinkler systems, fire
departments are responding to fewer and fewer fire calls than ever before. However, these
same fire departments are now receiving more and more non-fire emergency calls. For
example, “In 1997, there were over 10 million emergency medical calls made to fire
departments in the United States” (Clark & Zak, 1999). As a result of the high
volume of non-fire emergency calls, firefighters are usually first on the scene of
accidents, suicides, homicides, and other acts of violence (assault and battery, rapes,
bombings, school shootings, etc.). Emergency service workers respond to floods,
earthquakes, and airline crashes where the death toll and property destruction is
overwhelming. They care for victims of domestic violence and child abuse. Firefighters
extricate mangled bodies from motorized vehicles and provide medical assistance to
homeless patients on the streets of inner cities. They comfort parents and family members
when a child or loved one has died. At times, they must physically restrain patients who
are combative due to mind-altering drugs. Clark & Zak (1999) state that firefighters
and emergency service professionals “are more likely than other workers to die
violently—from gunshots, vehicle accidents, and fire-related incidents. Their risk of
suffering a fatal incident is three times greater than for all workers.” Patients
under the influence of narcotics or alcohol, family members of the victim, or bystanders
may threaten them with knives, guns, or physical assault. They are constantly exposed to
the dangers of communicable diseases such as Hepatitis and AIDS. And all too often, these
men and women must cope with grief following the death of a fellow firefighter in the line
of duty. The constant, day-to-day exposure to numerous tragic events has resulted in an
increase of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among emergency service workers. The
“rate for diagnosable PTSD among firefighters was 16.5 percent, compared to a one
percent to three percent rate for the general population” (DeAngelis, 1995, p.36).
In addition to the life-threatening and job-related stress they encounter in their
professional lives, firefighters must also cope with an array of personal and family
issues as well. These factors may include, but are not limited to, a child with special
needs, the death of a loved one, “aging or invalid family members, terminal illness,
divorce, and the daily demands of raising a family” (SAMHSA, 1995). Also, "The
dangers of the job create anxiety in the firefighter's family" (Martin, 1981, p.2).
Many of these emergency service workers feel that their loved ones and friends do not
understand the magnitude of their duties nor the emotional strain they must endure on a
daily basis. The International Association of Fire Chiefs’ Foundation (1991) states
that firefighters "want to protect loved ones from what happened [on the job]."
Moreover, a firefighter's spouse must cope with the constant stress, sacrifice, and
frustration of "living with the worry of having their husbands [or wives] constantly
walking into the jaws of danger" (Burns, 1998). Even with the constant exposure to
life-threatening situations and the multitude of mentally and emotionally challenging
emergency calls, most firefighters are very reluctant to discuss the death, carnage, and
human suffering they witness on the job with their family and friends. Ultimately,
emergency service professionals struggle with thoughts of inadequacy as a spouse, parent,
or social friend.
Traumatic events, including mass
casualties, injury or death of children, life-threatening situations, or a line of duty
death, have a profound impact on the mental and physical health of firefighters. Without
coping skills, emergency service professionals can experience unhealthy side effects, such
as stress, high blood pressure, and depression, as well as disabling illness including
heart attacks, substance abuse, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Personal life
issues, such as divorce, long-term illness or death of a family member, etc., can have a
negative effect on them as well. Although research has shown that there are some resources
available for firefighters and their families to cope with stress, there is a need, as
well, to have a training program that will provide information on grief, suicide and
addiction prevention, and promoting emotional wellness for everyone. The International
Association of Fire Chiefs' Foundation (1991) states that "continuing education and
training within fire departments are favored by many as tools for alleviating
stress." Furthermore, "Specific training in dealing with death, crisis and
suicide are needed, and orientation programs may help recruits better prepare for the
physical and psychological rigors of their new profession."
Floren (1984, p.43) suggests that
there is a "strong need to provide a more humanistic approach in the training of
emergency [service] personnel." Also, "we need to learn more about death and
dying, the stages of grief, what to expect from a suddenly bereaved family and how we may
most helpfully interact with family members." Furthermore, emergency service workers
must be able to talk about the pressures involved in traumatic situations, to understand
what others have experienced in similar situations, and know that they are not alone in
their feelings. Floren continues, “Our training should
emphasize the need for supportiveness and free expression of feelings… in stressful
situations to help prevent serious problems. We need to be prepared for the internal
conflicts that may surround a patient's death and know how our self-image may seem
threatened by that event.”
If fire
departments and organizations want to reduce the number of lives that are lost from
physical illness, substance abuse, and suicide in the fire service, then they must provide
firefighters with help and coping skills. Training them to deal with trauma, stress, and
grief is no less important then training them to be safe on the fire ground. No longer can
job-related stress in the fire service be ignored. It is the duty and responsibility of
every fire service officer to provide for and enhance the emotional wellness of his or her
department. Without the support and dedication of everyone, stress and grief will continue
to take a toll on firefighters and their families.
The
emotional wellness of firefighters is at risk. Stress and grief are problems that are not
easily detected or easily resolved. Severe depression, heart attacks, and the high rates
of divorce, addiction, and suicide in the fire service prove this. Although every
firefighter is provided with turnout gear, uniforms, and a badge that is proudly worn over
their heart, none of these material items protect them from the ravages of emotional
trauma. They are not robots. They are human beings. The need to be nourished and refreshed
both physically and mentally is not a sign of weakness or apathy. Every effort must be
made to save not only the lives of firefighters, but their emotional health as well.
There has been a call to action and HUGS Training has answered that
call. HUGS Training is the solution to these problems. The Grieving
Behind the Badge training program is proven to address these problems
and to help resolve them for the men and women in the fire service
family. Grieving Behind the Badge should be made available to all
firefighters, their families, recruits, and fire department chaplains.
References
American
Psychological Association. (1997). Stress: How and when to get help.
Washington, D.C.: Author.
City of Los Angeles Fire Department.
2000.
Annual report: Fiscal
year 1998-1999.
Author: Operations Control Division.
Clarke, C. & Zak, M. (1999). Fatalities
to law enforcement officers and firefighters, 1992-97. Washington, D.C.: United State
Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
DeAngelis, (1995, February).
Firefighters' PTSD at dangerous levels. Monitor, pp. 36-37.
Floren, T. (1984, March/April).
Impact of death and dying on emergency care personnel. Emergency Medical Services, 13
(2), pp.43-47.
International Association of Fire
Chiefs Foundation. (1991). Stress management: Model program for maintaining firefighter
well-being. Washington, D.C.: Federal Emergency Management Agency and The U.S. Fire
Administration.
Martin, S. (June, 1981). Stress and
the fire service. The Minnesota Fire Chief, Vol. 47(6),
Smith, J. (2000, July 30). Stress
study finds overwork hampers paramedics’ decision, care [20 paragraphs]. Dailynews.com
[On-line serial]. Available FTP: Hostname: dailynews.com Directory:
archives/2000/07/30/new01.asp
Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (1995). Disaster work and mental
health: Prevention and control of stress among workers. Washington, D.C.: Author.
Copyright 2000 Peggy Sweeney.
All right reserved.
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