qathet Regional District (qRD) has received a grant award of $96,000 through Union of BC Municipalities for the volunteer and composite fire departments equipment and training funding stream of the community emergency preparedness fund. According to a qRD media release, the intent of this funding stream is to build the resiliency of volunteer and composite fire departments.
“In the last three years, the qRD has taken a number of steps to mental health,” stated qathet Regional District board chair Clay Brander. “These initiatives include developing a critical incident stress management and peer support program and related training, providing fire department members with a robust member and family assistance program, and providing proactive occupational stress injury check-ins with clinical case managers to assess our firefighters’ health and wellness and prevent mental health injuries.
“By accessing grant funding to provide these additional training resources, we can provide another injection of health and wellness knowledge and promote resiliency into our fire departments.”
The funds will be used for a health and wellness initiative designed to boost resiliency of firefighters and first responders by supporting mental and physical health and wellness, the release stated. The project will kick off in spring 2024 and will include mental health resiliency training, a holistic suite of mental and physical health and wellness training, and workshops offered to fire department members over the course of the year. These training initiatives and workshops aim to promote and bolster mental and physical health and wellness, fortify group dynamics and enhance team cohesiveness and engagement, according to the release.
qRD has approximately 120 firefighters who respond to hundreds of emergency calls each year. These individuals are routinely exposed to traumatic events in the course of their duties, the release stated. Recent research in this field shows that first responders are at a higher risk of mental health injuries, according to the release. The qRD occupational health and safety program, in conjunction with the fire chiefs and joint occupational health and safety committees from the Northside, Savary Island, Malaspina and Lasqueti Island volunteer fire departments, have recognized the unique stresses on fire department members' mental health resulting from their service, the release stated.
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