Deputy Chief Loveland-Symmes Fire Department Loveland, Ohio, United States
The demands of the profession are impacting firefighter couples more than ever and our training doesn’t cover how to navigate these unique challenges. So what happens? Their personal issues become your issues as a supervisor. When a firefighter is experiencing strain in their homelife, it impacts the firefighters they work with, those who supervise them, and department issues (e.g. recruitment, retention, sick time, stress leave, distractions, avoided shifts). Real stories from a supervisor shared and then broken down by fire spouse and firefighter couple therapist. We're uncovering what families need so firefighters can show up, physically and mentally, exactly how you need them to.
Learning Objectives:
The participant will be able to identify 1-2 ways home stress from one firefighter can negatively impact their co-workers and the organization as a whole.
The participant will be able to identify 1-2 main needs a firefighter couple has that is unique to the firefighter family life.
The participant will learn 2-3 ways to improve the firefighter spouse’s experience at home that will directly lead to less stress for the firefighter and therefore the organization that is dependent on that firefighter’s focus and attendance.