This past week at the annual ASFA and AFCA Fire Conference in Seward, the Alaska Fire Chiefs Association voted to provide support and “non-profit” management of the newly formed Alaska Firefighter Peer Support Group.
A posting from their facebook page describes —-
We’re official! The Alaska Fire Chief’s Association has unanimously voted to have AKFFPS managed under their 501c3. We have began building our infrastructure and the organization is starting to take shape. A lot of things will be happening in short order so like our page and stay tuned for exciting changes!
This newly formed group is dedicated to serve the fire service family by providing trained peer supporters who can give confidential, appropriate, and supportive assistance.
Some national statistics show that the suicide rate among emergency responders can be as high as 10 times the national average as compared to the average population. This includes both responders who provide services as a part of their career and those who also provide these services as a volunteer. The stress and depression often associated with the job does not care whether the person is paid to respond or not — the stress is still the same.
Please provide you support to this group as they begin their mission. Follow and like their facebook page. Their web site is presently under construction. We will post up dates on this Memorial web site from time to time as a support to their growing organization.