Firefighter Burnout

More Firefighters died by suicide than in the line of duty last year.  Trauma and years of service have been indicators that have shown that firefighters can suffer from exhaustion and inability to focus while in a hyper-vigilant frame of mind; the term is known as ‘burnout’.

Burnout is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.  The World Health Organization has stated that, “Burnout refers specifically to phenomena in the occupational context and should not be applied to describe experiences in other areas.”

Burnout is real, but what is it?

Burnout includes intrusive symptoms (i.e. nightmares), avoidance behaviors (like pushing away a memory), negative thoughts and mood (including inability to experience positive emotions or detachment) and physiological changes (irritability, outbursts, lack of sleep, reckless).