A lot has been published recently about harassment and discrimination. However, much less is being said about the problems of bullying in the fire and EMS industries. Yet, these problems have equally-serious effects on their victims. I was recently at a state EMS conference and heard a speaker give a very poignant discussion on suicide in EMS. He discussed six different people from around the country who had all committed suicide as a result of their participating in fire and EMS activities. This made me realize that while we spend time talking about the importance of care and compassion of the patients and people we serve, we need to do a lot more to improve the care and compassion we show to our fire and EMS brethren.
When visiting clients, I have heard comments such as, “Suck it up, buttercup!” and “This is a fire company; we expect people to have thick skin. If you can’t handle the heat, then get out of the firehouse!”