By Miriam Childs
In public safety, the age-old adage that 鈥渙ur people are our greatest asset鈥� is commonplace. If we really hold this to be true, it鈥檚 important for us to consider: Are we really treating our people as though they are our greatest asset?
This goes beyond good salary and benefits 鈥� it involves an integrated approach to overall health and wellness for our dedicated first responders. As Gordon Graham says, if we aren鈥檛 taking our approach to wellness seriously, 鈥渢hat鈥檚 a .鈥�
When first responders enter law enforcement, the fire service, or EMS, they are a picture of strong, , and mentally and physically healthy individuals. But, over the course of a 20- to 25-year career, these individuals experience a higher rate of heart attacks, increased instances of mental health problems and a lower life expectancy than the general population. Why is this the case? What can agency leaders and first responders do to overcome the challenges and effects of such a physically and mentally taxing career?
Experts Dr. Jon Sheinberg, Dr. Lois James and Dr. David Black answer these questions in a recent from three key perspectives: physical health, sleep health and mental health.
Physical wellness
Hypertension, obesity, diabetes and heart attacks are frequent causes of illness and even death for law enforcement professionals and firefighters. Many of these physical wellness issues are tied to physical fitness, nutrition, and more 鈥� all of which can and should be addressed within public safety agencies.
Physical wellness involves more than just tactical combat casualty care (TCCC). Effectively caring for line-of-duty injuries is crucial, but it鈥檚 not where the story of physical wellness ends.
is a critical component of physical wellness. First responders suffer from heart attacks at a younger age and higher rate than the rest of the population, but this is a detectable and treatable problem. suggests two cardiac tests to catch plaque build-up early:
These two tests are indicators of the presence of plaque where it is vulnerable to rupture. While both tests determine the same thing, most individuals present only one of these detectable abnormalities, so both are vital for public safety professionals. How can you get these tests done? 鈥淎s patients, you have to advocate for yourselves,鈥� Dr. Sheinberg explains. 鈥淎sk your personal physicians if they have the ability to offer this type of testing.鈥� Most mid-size labs will be able to conduct these tests, but your doctor may not initially suggest them to you. Many times, the responsibility will fall to you to request the tests to catch potential issues early on. Dr. Sheinberg鈥檚 company, , also offers on-site testing to public safety agencies.
Sleep hygiene
is inextricably intertwined with other aspects of wellness, including the risk of disease, mental health and performance-based metrics. Often, it can seem as though sleep is a largely ignored component of first responder wellness 鈥� feeling tired is simply a 鈥渘ormal鈥� part of the job. Shift work, long hours and the potential for overtime only contribute to an already exacerbated issue.
Fatigue limits cognitive capacity and negatively affects individuals鈥� decision-making skills. In the high-risk world of public safety, sleep deprivation creates situations that are ripe for tragedy. While it may be possible to get by on less-than-enough sleep for a short amount of time, it is not a long-term or optimal solution. With four hours of sleep, our cognitive capacity is roughly 70% of what it is when adequately rested. For many industries, this may be sufficient. 鈥淏ut is public safety a 70% profession?鈥� asks. 鈥淚s that what we expect from these people? I would argue it鈥檚 a 100% profession.鈥�
If public safety is a 100% profession, we ought to be sleeping like it is! One way to do so is to focus on having good sleep hygiene. Dr. James explains, 鈥淓veryone needs to make the most of the sleep opportunity they have, even if the sleep opportunity is not long enough.鈥� is the simple act of creating an optimal sleep environment to make the most of those opportunities. This includes ensuring your environment is dark, quiet and at a comfortable temperature.
Remember: Sleep affects virtually every part of your body and life. Take sleep seriously and don鈥檛 underestimate the power of good rest.
Mental health
The people who enter public safety are some of the strongest and most resilient people in our nation. Because they are surrounded by people who are 鈥渃ut from the same cloth,鈥� this perpetuates an overflowing culture of strength. While this can be positive, it has led to a regarding mental health support. First responders overwhelmingly say they will not seek help due to fear of appearing weak, being seen as unfit for the job, or retaliation.
Dr. Black explains that it鈥檚 important for first responders to realize 鈥測our resilience can kill you.鈥� On average, law enforcement officers experience 188 critical incidents throughout the course of their career, while an average individual sees a small fraction of that. Critical incidents, by definition, overwhelm a person鈥檚 ability to cope. Because first responders are more resilient, they will continue on under the psychological pressure of coping with these incidents. As the pressure builds over time, public safety professionals experience higher rates of PTSD, depression and suicidal ideation. But this does not have to be the case.
How can leaders work to support their personnel amidst these and other mental health struggles? Providing consistent and confidential 24/7 access to high-quality resources is critical. Peer support, vetted therapists and other mental health resources, along with working to shift the culture of public safety and help, can make a big difference in first responders鈥� wellness. 鈥淲e want people getting in earlier and earlier,鈥� Dr. Black shares. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want the nation鈥檚 heroes waiting until they鈥檙e about to break 鈥� I want them getting in as early as possible and getting help before too much suffering occurs.鈥�
An integrated approach
All aspects of wellness are intertwined, making a multifaceted approach the best option for first responders to see health, happiness and success. One of the most important things that leaders in public safety can do to support the wellness of those in their agency is to provide an integrated approach that emphasizes physical wellness, mental health support and proper sleep.
To learn more about first responder health and wellness relating to physical fitness, heart health, mental health and fatigue management, view the on-demand webinar, 鈥�.鈥�
About the author
Miriam Childs is the marketing coordinator at .