Firefighter Mental Health and Psychological Wellbeing at Work: A Mixed Methods Protocol

Abstract

The opioid overdose and drug poisoning crisis has created a drastic shift in the work of firefighters in North America. With record high death rates among people who use drugs, all municipal services have been mobilized to respond to a complex social challenge. Firefighters provide essential services that include responding to overdoses and drug poisonings, particularly when Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel are not available. In Alberta, EMS faces significant call volumes, and calls relating to drug poisonings and mental health issues are being increasingly diverted to firefighters. While firefighters are trained as first responders to provide basic life support, mental health and addiction issues are outside their traditional remit. Learning more about how to support firefighters as they respond to mental health and addiction calls can prevent mental injuries among firefighters, reduce job-related stress, and promote retention across the firefighter workforce.