What can I do as a member of FSPA?

By: Robert Avsec, Battalion Chief (Ret.) and FSPA Fire Service Member

During our June 17th Kitchen Table Meeting (The next KTB will be July 17th), we had some good discussion about how FSPA members could become more involved in helping FSPA grow and help reach our vision: To create the field of fire psychology.

After the meeting concluded, I contacted Dr. Violet Rymshaw, PsyD, who’s our “pursuit of grants guru,” for her ideas on how FSPA members can get started on taking a more active role with FSPA. The good doctor graciously responded with the following ways that any FSPA member can become a more participating member, in ways big and small:

Contact and develop relationships with specific fire departments in your area. See who is interested in being part of peer support programs or have clinicians that would be interested in our Culturally Competent Clinician training (The “rollout” for that program will take place in San Francisco, October 18-19, 2024, and will be hosted by the San Francisco Fire Department).

Build up FSPA’s social media presence through creating and scheduling daily posts. Consistency is key to spreading the word. The FSPA Facebook Page is https://www.facebook.com/fireservicepsychologyassociation and our Instagram account is https://www.instagram.com/firepsychology/. Use the hashtag #firepsychology in all your posts.

Interact with those who follow you and whom you follow on social media. Two-way communication is so important to grow a following and recognition of FSPA’s work. Use that hashtag of #firepsychology.

Create a fundraising event or crowdfunding event which can enable FSPA to grant scholarships. Scholarship funds would be used to provide training for volunteer firefighters and clinicians to attend our Culturally Competent Clinician training.

Research and compile a list of blogs from the social media community where you could write a guest post related to fire psychology and/or FSPA. This would help to get the word out about FSPA on a national level. ANY type of blog will work, if you can reasonably talk about wellness, career-related wellness, or fire psychology. Use the hashtag #firepsychology

Research and compile a list of podcasts where Dr. Kristin Wheldon, our founder and CEO, could speak about fire psychology to get the word out. This is not limited to first responder podcasts but could include psychology or workforce development podcasts as well.

Make suggestion for updates to the FSPA website that would make it more user-friendly and/or donor-friendly. Direct those suggestions to me, Robert Avsec, in a message here on the FSPA website or send them by email to chiefavsec@firepsychology.org.