Taylor firefighters to benefit from greater mental health support through new partnership

TAYLOR, B.C. — A new partnership will provide Taylor Fire Rescue firefighters and their families with enhanced mental health support. 

In a recent Facebook post uploaded to the District of Taylor’s page, Taylor Fire Rescue partnered with Wounded Warriors Canada. 

John Hicks, deputy fire chief and protective services specialist for Taylor Fire Rescue, told Energeticcity.ca: “The Northwest Territories Fire Chiefs Association created a partnership with Wounded Warriors Canada to support all departments across the [Northwest Territories] NWT. 

“I chase that partnership so that our members and their families have dedicated mental health support tailored to emergency services work.” 

Hicks, who spearheaded this program, shared that about one third of first responders are at risk of developing mental health conditions over the course of their careers.

“The Wounded Warrior program means that our firefighters and other first responders are going to get support and their families gain access as well to a suite of evidence-informed programs,” said Hicks. 

These programs include trauma-focused group training, counselling family and couples programs, spousal supports and services for children in first-responder families as well.

Lieutenant-Colonel Steven Boychyn, director of training at Wounded Warriors Canada, talked about the resources available to firefighters and their families. 

He said: “There is an online portal all across Canada called warrior health which is completely anonymous. 

“There are free resources for members and their families that span from articles and information about mental health to very specific online tools and articles.” 

In addition to this, Wounded Warriors have trauma rehabilitation programs, programs for spouses and also children. 

“It is an age-appropriate in person or virtual program for kids from seven to 17 that uses age-appropriate language and teaches them about mental health trauma,” said Boychyn. 

Talking about how these services will be provided, Hicks said: “We provide mental resiliency training through the department using established programs.

“There’s also going to be training coming in the new year called the Strength Warrior program that has been funded through Wounded Warriors.” 

The treatment is covered by member benefits, while Wounded Warriors funds travel and accommodations through donations. 

Boychyn says a number of people at Taylor Fire Rescue have signed up for the Strength Warrior resiliency training. 

“It provides them information about what trauma is, why it may become an injury and tools that they are able to employ so that it can be processed as a bad memory as opposed to becoming an injury,” he said. 

Hicks says the reception has been positive. 

“We rolled it out last week to the membership, and we put up a nice board of information at the fire hall, and reception has been very positive, because this has been a support that has been lacking before this.”

Hicks shared that the department relied on provincial mental health support, which is more reactive than proactive.

“The nice thing about the Wounded Warriors, it’s very proactive in building what we call mental resiliency, so giving our members the tools to deal with traumatic situations before they encounter them,” he said.

Boychyn shared that it has funding from sponsors to provide free resiliency training for trauma-exposed professionals.

Anybody who is interested in accessing the free resiliency training can contact Boychyn on 888-706-4808.