With 16-hour days for weeks straight, long separation from friends and family, and regular exposure to serious immediate and long-term risks, wildland fire pushes people to both their physical and mental limits. But the recently launched federal Wildland Fire Therapy Service is now available to help those workers ease the mental strain of battling wildfires.
“It's truly a first of its kind service to support firefighters and dispatchers,” said Commander Dana Lee, director of the Wildland Firefighter Behavioral Health and Wellbeing Program.
The service offers all federal wildland firefighters, including dispatchers and seasonal workers, up to 16 free therapy sessions annually with licensed therapists.
Surveys have shown that wildland firefighters report symptoms of mental health disorders at significantly higher rates than the general population. The field is heavily male-dominated, and has a reputation for being resistant to therapy, but Lee said that the culture has recently been shifting on that front.
“I know people have been waiting for something like this for quite some time, and it is coming to fruition now,” Lee said. “I hope that people do utilize the service.”
Being able to do a job as tough as wildland fire for years, she argues, means using all the tools available.
“It's okay to get help,” she added. “It's okay to get therapy, right?”
If you are a qualifying federal employee and interested in taking advantage of this program, you can call 1-800-424-4051 24/7 or go to www.magellanfederal.com/wildlandfire.
This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNR in Nevada, KUNC in Colorado and KANW in New Mexico, with support from affiliate stations across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
