Released Today: Mental Health Mayday
A Firefighter’s Survival Guide From Recruit
Through Retirement
An inspiring reflection
back on the journey of a firefighter, and a look toward the future of mental
health care for emergency service professionals.
“These
are the real horrors brought on by the trade that so many of us revere…Some
firefighters will not be fazed by these atrocities. They will simply go on with
life and continue to be quite well adjusted. Others will act out in various
ways…Our goal as counselors is to rest assured that all members go home to
their families and have a happy, healthy, well-adjusted life. But, it needs to
be recognized that the amount of horrors that firefighters see every day is
astronomical. It is they that must harbor these scenes and simply move on to
the next call.”
-excerpt from Mental
Health Mayday
When you envision a firefighter, you may picture the perfectly
chiseled men and stunning women you see on programs like Chicago Fire.
Firefighters are everyday heroes in our society, but what most people never do,
is look under the surface of what these heroes have to face every day: the pain
and trauma they witness, the grief and regret they experience when there is
nothing more they can do.
Gregg Bagdade began his career as a paramedic before completing
his training to become a firefighter on Chicago’s West Side. After seeing
innumerable tragedies on the job, and losing a colleague and friend, he began
to notice a glaring need for better mental health care in the fire service.
He decided to take charge. While he kept up his grueling schedule of
24-hours on, 48-hours off in the service, he began attending a university to
become a licensed counselor, specializing in care for those in emergency
services.
Today, Bagdade often acts as counselor to his own colleagues,
establishing and maintaining strict confidentiality. His goal was to be someone
firefighters could talk to who they knew could truly relate. Now, it is to
inspire wide-sweeping change in the mental health support systems in place in
firehouses across the country.
This powerful book is part memoir and part call to action. Through
the tales of his own journey from recruitment through his pending plans for
retirement, he reveals the humanity behind the heroic archetype of the American
firefighter.
A fascinating and inspiring look
behind the scenes of the career of a firefighter.
# # #
Gregg Bagdade has had a dual career as a firefighter and licensed professional counselor on Chicago’s West Side. His mission is to change the culture in firehouses to better support the mental health of the heroes in emergency service positions.
Book is available at all major online stores, available through retail stores, and at 25% discount with code FF25 from the MSI Press webstore.
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