John Crockett

We all know that wildland firefighting is a tough and physically dangerous job. But what often doesn’t get talked about enough is the mental toll it takes. Evidence suggests many wildland fire personnel face higher risks of anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress and even suicide. The key to reducing these risks is prevention, early intervention and building long-term resiliency. Recognizing this, we’ve worked to build a program that meets the unique needs of wildland firefighters by hiring key staff and hosting a planning summit. We’ve created the Joint Wildland Firefighter Health and Wellbeing program with the U.S. Department of the Interior to offer expanded health and well-being resources and support. Now we’ve partnered with the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service to enhance our efforts.