Hear SAFD firefighter’s powerful spoken poem about mental health challenges in fire service

SAN ANTONIO – A firefighter’s job is grueling, but it is not just physically perilous. Observing so a lot dying and destruction is mentally and emotionally putting on.

Nevertheless, in a profession like firefighting, vulnerability can be difficult to appear by.

Which is why the San Antonio Fire Section just held a Mental Overall health Stand-Down 7 days, to place this hard topic front and middle.

They did that with the help of one of their possess.

Firefighter Kevin Burke is also an worldwide spoken word performer, musician, and artist. He’s been with SAFD due to the fact 2016.

“Anything and almost everything that you could feel of. I signify, we’re there for healthcare operates. We’re there for psych runs, fires, auto or vehicle wrecks, all that type of things,” Burke claimed.

A handful of decades ago he was temporarily trapped in a hearth, and he described the terrifying working experience in a potent spoken phrase performance known as “Full Disclosure.”

“Full disclosure. I bought a minor blown up at work. I noticed a wall of black and orange, search up at my lieutenant and it shoved him into me, me out the doorway, the door slammed shut separating me from all of them,” his voice mentioned whilst the screen exhibits photos of the enormous hearth.

The video clip was designed by the group Publish About Now, a poetry group that includes poetry from across the planet. Their movie permitted Burke to hash out the psychological wellness obstructions that appear with being in the fireplace provider.

When Burke not too long ago figured out that far more firefighters die from suicide than fireplace, he realized he experienced to release it.

“Full disclosure,” the video continues. “My major fear is not acquiring harm or even dying, at times. It’s who I’ll be at the close of each individual shift. Will my coronary heart finally crack hard more than enough to ash?”

The release of the movie freed him to dig deep and inspire some others to chat about their most affordable instances.

“I went through a rough patch and kind of had a pretty low issue, we’ll just say, and thankfully experienced individuals close to me that stated they were concerned about me that I should really, you know, glance into acquiring assist,” Burke reported.

He’s been in remedy ever given that and is now focused to aiding his friends obtain aid also.

This thirty day period, SAFD held a Psychological Wellbeing Stand-Down 7 days.

A counselor visited every station in town, conversing about assets and techniques to assistance every other.

“We’re setting out messages each individual working day. We have set out a podcast, we have a video that’s operating. We’re in essence evaluating each individual single issue that this division does for our users and then to make absolutely sure that they are informed of all the assets for them and for their spouse and children,” said SAFD Main Charles Hood.

Chief Hood understands how deep psychological wellness problems operate in his sector.

“I get these calls that come throughout my cell phone. Boy or girl killed in a teach incident, a particular person sets himself on fire. We go on individuals runs, and then we have to go household to our people,” Hood reported.

He has observed devastating fallout from unhealed invisible wounds.

“There’s been considerably far too numerous incidents close to the state of initial responders harming by themselves, initially responders getting rid of their jobs when they shouldn’t, first responders acting out since of factors that they have seen,” Hood claimed.

Psychological overall health stigma runs deep in basic, but even deeper in the fireplace service.

“Hard to get guys to say when they have to have assistance and not see that as a indicator of weakness,” Burke explained.

“We’re in a macho business. We’re Type A people today, so we’re not generally going out seeking for help from men and women,” Hood admitted.

He’s altering the way they debrief after serious events and introducing trauma treatment pet dogs to the rosters.

“This would be a doing work canine that is skilled to deal with traumatic cases. We know medically, scientifically, animals give us hope. Animals reduce our blood strain, animals decrease our heart amount. Pets are comforting. So we’re going to start out a software listed here,” Hood said.

He acknowledges that the mental wellbeing struggle will only turn out to be extra fierce if it is not addressed out in the open.

“Our city’s obtaining even larger, connect with volumes heading up, modern society is far much more violent than it was when I commenced,” Hood mentioned.

So the energy to retain firefighters emotionally and mentally resilient must be prioritized.

It’s a aim Burke is happy to be a portion of.

“There’s been a good deal of things previously in area from our employees psychologist to peer guidance team to CIT schooling. Just make that more noticeable and then consider additional progressive matters this sort of as the, the pet dog plan and owning somewhere to go to on your cellular phone, no matter if it’s by that app or just one landing webpage,” Burke reported.

Burke’s poem ongoing: “Full disclosure. We are firefighters. We do like our position. We are trauma jugglers wading by way of a day by day flood of tragedy. We joke about each individual other’s shut calls, bloodied health care gloves, laughing invincible together. We snicker loud and hard and get real peaceful when no one’s all around.”

Burke’s online video was circulated during the psychological health and fitness 7 days.

It was a distinct exhibit of bravery, in the kind of vulnerability.

“My telephone was blowing up with men achieving out, thanking me and like I stated, telling me their tales and, you know, so it is been it’s been definitely cool,” he claimed.

“Full disclosure,” Burke mentioned towards the close of the video clip. “I am ok. Significantly, I am. I see a fantastic therapist, I inquire for aid when I want it. I just desire extra of us did.”

Proper now, Burke is acquiring his masters in medical mental health counseling. He needs to come to be a therapist, to be on the supporting finish for fellow firefighters.