In this presentation, goal is to give firefighters and officers, along with psychologists and other mental health clinicians who work with fire department personnel, a common language as it pertains to the different levels of behavioral health services that should be available to firefighters and officers.
I’m doing this by comparing the four different levels of behavioral health knowledge/services to the four levels of hazardous materials training and certification that form a fire department’s response to a hazardous materials incident. In doing so, my goal is to inform and educate members of both disciplines (i.e., the fire service and psychology) so that their conversations surrounding improving behavioral health services for the fire service personnel are more fruitful and productive.
Just as there is no one level of a fire department’s response to a hazardous materials incident, there is no one level of behavioral health services. The level of hazmat response is based on the scope and magnitude of the problem following a good assessment of the situation. So, too, must the appropriate level of behavioral health response be based on a good assessment that effectively matches a firefighter’s need and the availabiity of mental health professiona
Most firefighters are trained & certified at the Awareness and Operations Levels.
Technician Level training & certification is required for firefighters to be a member of a formal Hazardous Materials Response Team.
A small percentage of Technicians pursue Specialist Level training & certification to advance to leadership roles on a formal Hazardous Materials Response Team.
Awareness Level Behavioral Health Training is provided by many fire departments and that training may or may not be delivered by a licensed mental health clinician.
Training of fire department personal to become members of an organized Peer Support Team is typically provided by a licensed mental health clinician.
Intervention services for firefighters or officers experiencing behavior health issues is provided by licensed mental health clinicians such as psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, licensed professional counselors, or marriage and family therapists.
In addition to providing intervention services for firefighters or officers experiencing behavior health issues, psychologists can provide services related to assessments, industrial/organizational psychology, and operations psychology (More detail on this follows).
Comparing the Two Disciplines
In the following four charts, we’ll take a look at how the scope for the four levels–Awareness, Operations, Technician, and Specialist–for the Hazardous Materials training and certification for firefighters “match up” with the scope of mental health services that mental health practitioners can provide to fire departments and their personnel.
Level
Fire Service (HazMat)
Mental Health
Awareness Level
Awareness level trained firefighters are “first on the scene” to a hazardous materials incident.
They’re be responsible for identifying the presence of a hazardous material, taking charge of the initial protective actions (isolating or evacuating the area), and calling for assistance that will minimize the impact on people and the environment.
No hand-on skills training beyond that is provided. Firefighters with Awareness Level training should NEVER come in contact with the product.
Firefighters and officers are becoming informed and educated about mental and behavioral health issues and what to look for in themselves and their peers. This training should be provided by a licensed mental health professional.
Some skills training in what to do beyond that (e.g., resistance and resilience building, yoga, meditation) is being provided by many fire departments.