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death? IDK
I dont know what to title this. I am a newbie vollie. Live in a small community (less than 1000). I have only been on 2 structre fires so far. No injuries and no deaths. Just wondering how you deal with a death espc. if it is a small child. I have 3 kids under the age of 6 and just cannot imagine carring my "babies" out of a fire and loose them. Please any advice is greatly appriciated. I would like to have a plan in place before it happens. I pray to god it never does but we all know it can and does happen. Just read the new art. on here.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by PFC Harmon on
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I'm sorry to say but it will happen if you stick with this business. As for as how to handle it I don't know if you can "prepare" for it. The best thing to do when it happens is to talk to your other members or pastor. Do not keep it inside that is the worst thing possible (a lesson I learned the hard way). Just stay safe and know that you can only do what you can do. Sometimes no matter what you do people still pass. Stay safe.
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Permalink Reply by Chad Furr on
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Thanks I will do that and might start talking to them now about it so have a kind of a head start so to speak on it if it ever happens.
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Permalink Reply by John on
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Exactly what Lt. Harmon said if it happens and more than likely it will in this business, talk to someone ofther memebers, Pastor, or check and see if someone in your Dept. has already benn through it and ask them if they could talk to you about it, if they don't mind.
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As far as I know no one on our dept has ran into this in a fire sit. MVA yes but no fires. will ask around. Thank you to all who reply for the advice. I would belive not to be human not to let it bother me to some degree.
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Every firefighter/EMT I have ever met has had a problem with death espeacially children.
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Chad, I will tell you one more thing. In April of 99 I was at a forest fire where two of my friends died, it was a large fire and we heard them explaining their situation and then nothing. That was the worst day of my life, a lot of CISD and talking. I will say that losing a brother/sister is worse thing you can face in this business.
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I'm not saying major issues, but your not bothered at all by a childs death?
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Permalink Reply by Tony P on
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Do you mean not talk to anybody, not to your crew, your partner at home? Nobody?
Or do you mean not have to talk to anyone from CIS?
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I think your's is a very good question for someone new to the job Chad. Ask at your FD, ask if they have any Critical Incident Stress plans in place for when there are serious injuries or deaths at incidents. You may well be one of the lucky ones that never experiences a death on the job - but don't count on it. What you must never do is say I'm tough, I can take it, and bottle feelings up inside.
We always debrief after a nasty job. Always. It may go no further than a chat back at the Station with the people who were there. It may be that we call for one of the CIS Peers we have in our Service. It may be that things go further, to trained counsellors. Whatever is needed. We also provide this sort of assistance to the families of members. What effects us as FF's can easily efect those we live with.
We've just been through hell here. I think most people on FFN would know of our hell. Over 200 fatalities with maybe 30 more people still unaccounted for. This 'incident' has had us have two CIS sessions at the Station. CIS is real, it has to be looked after.
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West Philly, you said "Nobody. It's just one of those things - we move on and get ready for the next fire.", but I can't add a reply under it. So:
I think that sort of thinking is why a lot of soldiers were shot for cowardice in WWI, they broke under stress. Nobody would talk about things that affected them deeply, men were not supposed to have feelings, they were supposed to simply get on with the job. The existence of Critical Incident Stress Disorder is pretty widely accepted now, accepted in the military as well as the fire fighting worlds. How many people came home from Vietnam to shattered lives because of what they experienced? How many are coming home now from Iraq and Afghanistan? Please be careful mate, these things can and do build up inside a person often with disastrous results. Remember the saying about the last straw, the one that broke the camel's back.
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Permalink Reply by Paul Kerp on
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Chad, The first call I responded to was a suicide by shot gun, I talked to other members of our dept. especially this one guy, he was every ones best friend. The best way to deal with this is to remember that the patient was better off because of your efforts and that you did everything you could to help.
Find a person on your dept. that you feel comfortable with, sit down and talk about the call ( in detail ) talk about the part that is most bothering you, it will help. If you still can’t get it out of your mind, talk to your chief and request a debriefing session.
I have become the person that people come to, I have experienced both sides and talking about it helps.
Be Safe!
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Permalink Reply by anne potter on
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Just pray it does not happen and when it does no good sound advise helps .. you must find your way thru,be it with councling ,help thru friends at the dept, Taking a break then getting back on the sadle when ready... Tons ans tons of advise to go around ,but until it happens no advise from me except pray it never happens
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