Firefighters battle to change narrative around PTSD

Post traumatic stress disorder is a dangerous aspect of the job for firefighters. But until recently, it was rarely talked about.

"You always thought you had to be macho and not accept any responsibility for what is going on in your mind," said City ofNanaimo firefighter Captain Mike Rispin.

Rispin responded to a call a few years ago that changed his life.

"Ihad trouble concentrating, Ihad difficulty maintaining interest in anything," he said.

The team was short staffed, only he and two other firefighters were available to respond to a call of a major accident involvinga car and a motor home.

"One of the bystanders ran up to me at the very start of the call and said you have to help my buddy. He is trapped in the motor home and he is burning alive," he said.

Rispin was able to save the man inside the motor home but the driver of the car died.

He had to take fourweeks off after responding to that call.

"Ithink for all first responders,we always think that any call that we go to we could always do a little better[...]but this one continued to bother me," he said.

It took a toll on hishealth, sleep and relationship with his spouse.

"My spouse found it very difficult, Iwas very quiet Ididn't' speaktoherand Ithinkthat itis from all the catastrophic things that we do see," he said.

Rispin says too often firefighters bottle up their emotions,which leads to a tipping point for PTSD and other mental health issues.

Road to suicide

This year alone30 first responders committed suicide in Canada, two of those were firefighters from Surrey. BothKevinHegartyand ErnieDombrowskiwere struggling with PTSD.

"It hit us hard,"saidMikeMcNamara, president of theSurrey Fire Fighters Association.

But they are trying to change the narrative around mental health.

"Anemotional injury or a mental health issues are no different than any other injury in your body," said McNamara.

Firefighersin Surrey are playing ina hockey tournament for mental health todayto raise awareness.

Election issue

The issue ofsupport for first responders has even emerged as an election issue amongst fire fighters in North Vancouver.

The association is endorsing Liberal candidateJonathanWilkinson because of the party's PTSD and first responder's platform.

The Liberals pledge to create a national strategy to deal withPTSDas well as providecompensationto families of public safety officers who die or are injured on the job and reverse the cuts to theHeavy Urban Search and Rescue teams.

The NDP also promise tocompensate those who die or are injured in the line of duty.

The Conservative platform makes no mention of the issue.

To hear the full interview listen to the audio labelledFirefighters battle with post traumatic stress disorderwiththe CBC's Rick Cluff onThe Early Edition.