Firefighters’ ‘camaraderie’ helps them deal with traumatic incidents

Fire service personnel “mind each other” and camaraderie among individuals in the service is “a dominant factor” in helping them deal well with what are sometimes truly horrific and truly horrible events, a survey of 900 fire service personnel has found.

The results of the study by the Centre for Psychological Health at Trinity College Dublin, were presented to the annual Chief Fire Officers Association annual conference in Killarney.

The survey authors had not anticipated how much of a dominant role “camaraderie” and the informal cup of tea, or meal out, or going for a drink and having a relaxing conversation had among the fire service, said Dave Hevey, one of the authors.