Firefighters traumatised by tragedy to get counselling service

FIREFIGHTERS traumatised by road accidents and fires are to benefit from a new national counselling service.

Known as critical incident stress management, the system will help combat stress-related problems before they escalate into Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Chief fire officer with South Tipperary Con Murphy said it was high time the service was introduced.

“PTSD has been around for the last 40 years and before that it used to be called shell shock. Every other profession in the emergency services has it, so why should the fire service be any different?” he asked.

Most of the approximately 3,000 people employed in the fire service, including 1,000 part time (retained) firefighters, already have access to some form of counselling, but a committee of the Local Government Management Services Board is preparing to introduce a more modern system across the country within the next year.

Firefighters involved in traumatic incidents will be given ‘peer support’ immediately afterwards from other colleagues and will be offered counselling services.

Firefighters who do not want to request counselling through their station management can call a hotline.Awareness seminars at fire stations where firefighters will be told of some of the signs of PTSD will form part of the programme. Signs include interrupted sleeping patterns, irritability with friends and family and changes in drinking behaviour.

The system has been used successfully in the US for the last 15 years and is already in operation in at least five counties here. Mr Murphy, who is a member of the implementation committee, said it would be rolled out across all 37 fire authority areas.

“We’re trying to progress this on a national basis. It is part of the benchmarking process and I believe there is a commitment from the local authority management to fund it,” said Mr Murphy.

He said there had been a shift in attitudes towards counselling in the fire service. “Twenty years ago, you would go to the pub, have six pints and deal with it that way. People expect more now.”The National Firefighters Committee said its members were entitled to counselling under health and safety legislation.

Chairman Brian Murray warned that, if it was proven that local authorities had not taken action, they could face compensation cases on the scale of the Army Deafness claims.