A Pacific Beach Middle School student presented his community project on firefighter wellness to the firefighters at Station 21 on Thursday, May 2. Eighth-grader Kai Clark, 14, displayed two large boards; one with facts and information about the health issues firefighters face on a daily basis and one filled with messages of gratitude and thanks for the Station 21 crew.
Clark said that he was inspired to do this project after he went on a tour of the station and did a ride along with the firefighters. It was there he learned that in addition to the life-threatening situations they’re exposed to on a regular basis, they also face high rates of cancer (65 percent) and suicide (more firefighters die by suicide than in the line of duty).
Rob Fox, a Station 21 firefighter, said projects like Clark’s help bring awareness to the unique stress of this job.