For the Firefighters Archives

What to Say to Your Firefighter When He’s Had a Bad Call

by Lori Mercer | Aug 23, 2016 | Behavioral Health, Communication, Difficult Calls, Especially For The Fire Wife, Everyday, For the Firefighters, PTSD

You can feel the air turn tense before a word is even said. You know it was a bad shift. Something must have happened to make such a drastic change in your firefighter. Maybe he is angry, or silent, or sad….you just know something isn’t right. Do you ask...

When a Firefighter is Irritable, Grumpy, and Disengaged When He’s Home

by Lori Mercer | Jun 27, 2016 | Behavioral Health, Best of Fire Family Life, Communication, Difficult Calls, Everyday, From the Firefighter Perspective, Irritability, Wife Advice

This article is so important because we’ve all been there yet so few admit it and talk about it. There is no shame in relating to this or even sharing this post. You never know who is suffering and needs these words. Let’s just start with these words straight from the...

Is Alcohol Tearing Your Firefighting Family Apart?

by marklamplugh | Mar 9, 2016 | Behavioral Health, Everyday, Fire Family Life, For the Firefighters, Guest Posts, PTSD

Most of us keep a pretty regular schedule. We go to sleep and wake up at pretty much the same time every day. We have our weekday routine and our weekend routine. Our bodies are keeping track of our routines as well—physically and mentally. So many of our...

21 Days on the Path to a Sober Firefighter – Finale

by Lori Mercer | Mar 5, 2016 | Behavioral Health, Everyday, For the Firefighters

If you have been following the journey of this firefighter committing to his marriage, career, and family by getting sober, you know how powerful his story is. If you need to catch up on the previous posts, read Part 1 here and Part 2 here. DAY 14 I think I know why...

21 Days on the Path to a Sober Firefighter – Part 2

by Lori Mercer | Mar 3, 2016 | Behavioral Health, Everyday, For the Firefighters

If you have not read Part 1 of this powerful story, click here to catch up. Below is a story of one firefighter who took sobriety into his own hands for 21 days and documented his journey to a healthier firefighter, father, and husband. DAY 6 Duty Day. Normally this...

21 Days on the Path to a Sober Firefighter – Part 1

by Lori Mercer | Mar 2, 2016 | For the Firefighters

We are all familiar with the stress of not just the fire life as far as scheduling, long shifts, and difficult communication go. The firefighters are the ones facing the difficult calls and trying to figure out how to deal with them emotionally. There has to be a...