Managing Stress in Uncertain Times

March 31, 2020

COVID-19 has brought uncertainty as well as changes to lifestyle and fire/EMS operations that can have an emotional impact. There are many webinars and resources available to help firefighters, EMS providers, and their families during these stressful times. These include the following.

Reset and Recharge: Taking Care of Our Mental Health in Uncertain Times – The NVFC and Ali Rothrock, founder of On the Job and Off, held a webinar on how being a first responder during a pandemic can impact our mental health. The recorded webinar is now available on-demand.

Reset and Recharge: How to Manage Stress in Uncertain Times – The NVFC and Jeff Dill of the Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance teamed up to provide this webinar to discuss strategies responders can use to manage stress and anxiety and to be there for each other during these uncertain times. The recorded webinar is now available on-demand.

Free Courses – The NVFC has made six of its Virtual Classroom courses free to all firefighters and EMS providers for a limited time, including:

  • Putting Out the Fire: Stress Resilience Strategies
  • Behavioral Health in the Fire Service
  • Addressing Substance Abuse, PTSD, and Other Concerns in the Fire Service

Getting a Handle on Stress – This article by David Ballard for the NVFC Helpletter provides tips and strategies to help emergency responders manage stress.

Warning Signs to Know – This NVFC video helps first responders and family members recognize the symptoms of five common behavioral health issues.

First Responders, Stress Management, and Coronavirus – This webinar from Lexipol focuses on helping responders take care of themselves and their family during this crisis.

Stress and Coping During COVID-19 – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides tips for reducing stress and coping with the current situation. The page includes a section specifically for responders.

Protecting the Mental Health of First Responders During a Pandemic – This article from FireRescue1 discusses how to take care of yourself during this time so you can keep taking care of others.

10 Tips for Managing Stress – This resource from the International Public Safety Association provides 10 simple tips to help emergency responders and healthcare providers manage stress during the COVID-19 crisis.

Health and Wellness Apps – USA Today released an article noting a few mindfulness and meditation apps that are offering free memberships during this time.