FIREFIGHTERS

While most risks of injury to firefighters occur “on the fire ground,” factors such as physical stress, being lost or trapped in a fire situation, and vehicle crashes are identified as the primary causes of death, reports the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in their RAND report, “Protecting Emergency Responders.” In fact, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) confirms that deaths in road vehicle crashes are the second most frequent cause of on-duty firefighter fatalities.

Of course, stress is another significant occupational hazard. Mental health issues such as cumulative stress, traumatic stress, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are concerns for emergency responders such as firefighters. According to the NIOSH-funded report, “The traumatic nature of major disasters can have significant effects on individual responders and on response organizations as a whole.”

Recognizing these hazards, 2 The Rescue has developed courses that can help firefighters better deal with the vehicular-related dangers they encounter on nearly every call, and manage the stress that often comes with their regular exposures to danger, trauma and adrenaline. All classes exceed the standards of courses that were previously available to the firefighters in the State of Michigan.

COURSES OFFERED

Zero to 60: Career Survival and Emotional Wellness

Through boots on the ground experiences, 2 The Rescue provides first responders a clear picture of why their profession can lead to destructive habits and unhealthy lifestyles. We will demonstrate how the inability to manage the cumulative stress from daily exposures to adrenaline and trauma can negatively affect the responder’s safety, decision-making and ability to remain ethically solid.

After attending our Career Survival and Emotional Wellness course, your first responders, their loved ones and work family will be armed with tools to manage their everyday stressors. We’ll help them recognize the warning signs for chronic and post-traumatic stress and suicidal behavior. All will leave with realistic, simple and successful methods to help rescue the rescuers!

Loss of Control: Suicide, PTS & High Risk Behavior Education

This frontline experience-based wellness training is designed for first responders, their loved ones, organizational leaders and peer support team members and will address suicide, post traumatic stresses, secondary trauma and accumulative career exposures. Whether you have been in this field 3 weeks or 30 years you will be given life changing tools to be safe, successful and healthy in your career, personal life and into retirement. You will be armed to be a more knowledgeable and effective peer for your partners.

Attendees will learn why the suicide rates are so high within first responders cultures and what must change! You will understand what post traumatic stressors are and be able to recognize high risk lifestyle behaviors so to make personal changes or intervene before it is to late.

Peer Support Team: Bringing Your Team To The Next Level!

Whether you call it a Cop to Cop Responder team or CISM Team, you may be wondering how to bring them to the next level of care for your personnel and their families. This course will help you develop and maintain a successful team, show you how to educate your organization from the top down to the front lines and teach ways to gain the support of your risk management and union leadership. Peer Support Teams is designed as an open discussion format. Two the Rescue will lead the dialogue on a range of training topics, encouraging course participants to raise specific questions on what is and isn’t working in sustaining their peer support team.

Situational Awareness, Personal Threat Assessment and De-Escalation Techniques

16 Firefighter Life Saving Initiatives: # 12 Violent Incident Response: There is a saying among first responders, there is no such thing as a routine call. But as society has changed so have the dangers facing firefighters. These dangers are ones that they have never before worried about or have been trained to recognize. Checking the scene mindset has to be more than looking for smoke, flames and environmental concerns and must include violence indicators from patients and bystanders. Going home safely now depends on the firefighters ability to read the body language of those with the intent on causing bodily harm to the rescuers. 2 The Rescue’s seminars and scenario-based trainings present proven life-saving techniques that remove firefighters from dangerous situations before the evil strikes.

Firefighters will learn the proper stance and positioning and develop their skills for interpreting verbal and non-verbal cues as well as efficient and effective de-escalation principals. Firefighters will be able to recognize the indicators of potential physical, environmental and terrorist violence as well as the proper reaction and response before it is to late.

Scene Safety & Traffic Control

A combination of classroom learnings and hands-on training, this 2 The Rescue course helps police officers learn the legal requirements for scene control according to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), OSHA and DOT regulations.

Emergency Response Liability & Advanced Driving Strategies

This advanced driver’s training program from 2 The Rescue adheres to your organization’s practices as it meets or exceeds legal statutes of the State of Michigan. The course’s training methods are designed to change your vehicle operator attitudes and modify their driving behaviors in non-emergency, emergency and pursuit operations to help ensure safe, legal and efficient responses in all situations.

TESTIMONIALS

  • “We can’t thank you enough for an outstanding night of learning for our group and our families. I have had many department and family members comment on how valuable the information was. The best comment came from our 4 time purple heart recipient. “The training was awesome. I wish the military gave us training like that!”

    Fire Chief Allen D. Sutherby, Morton Township Fire/Rescue

  • “This was absolutely eye opening and beyond informational. You guys did a fabulous job, and as part of the HR team for my Township, I could visibly see how the firefighters related to you. Thank you for your wonderful presentation and for really giving insight into the first response profession. You have definitely started meaningful conversations and have no doubt saved lives!!”

    Megan Burke, Benefits Coordinator at Chesterfield Township Municipal Offices

  • “When I first started out in the fire service my chief had you guys come out and run a class for us, I thought it was one of those it won’t happen to me things so I brushed it off. Fast forward a few years when it *was* happening to me, I found a card in my wallet and gave the number a call. You guys dropped what you were doing and spent a good hour on the phone with me… saved my life.”

    Jake Oakes, Firefighter

  • “Thank you so much for coming and talking to the firefighters and wives of Delta Township. As a mother of a firefighter, I found valuable information and wisdom in your seminar. Keep up the good work!!”

    Kenna Roberts, Delta Township, MI

  • “As both a fire wife and a full time paramedic this class was outstanding. Sometimes filling both shoes is tough, this definitely helped remind me what was important.”

    Unknown Paramedic, Oakland County, MI

  • “This is one of the best classes I have taken. It should be a requirement by the state!”

    Brian Radant, Tecumseh Fire Department, Tecumseh, MI