WASHINGTON — The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) is producing a series of volunteer firefighter testimonial videos focused on mental health to raise awareness about the emotional and psychological challenges firefighters face and to encourage both individuals and departments to take proactive steps to support wellness.
The NVFC is looking for volunteer firefighters in the following categories:
- Volunteer firefighters who have experienced mental health challenges related to their service, such as stress, anxiety, depression, PTSD or burnout.
- Volunteer firefighters who have lost a member of their department to mental health-related struggles.
- Volunteer firefighters who used their own experience, or the experience of a fellow firefighter, as the catalyst to create positive change within their department to better support mental health.
Participants should be willing to share their mental health journey and the steps they took to seek support or promote change, whether through counseling, peer conversations, the NVFC’s Share The Load Program, the First Responder Helpline or department wellness efforts.
After the submission deadline, organizers will conduct 10-minute Zoom interviews with applicants whose stories are seen as especially compelling and relevant to the audience. Selected participants will then be invited to take part in a half-day or full-day video shoot in early April at an agreed-upon location, with travel costs covered by the NVFC.
If interested, please fill out the online form by March 12.
First Responder Wellness Week is dedicated to providing resources, support and community to help public safety personnel better understand the mental and physical health risks that come with the job.
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