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Mental Health

In this episode, we speak with anthropologist <a href="https://www.lindseyraisa.com/">Dr. Lindsey Raisa Feldman</a> about her research on incarcerated fire crews in Arizona. Lindsey actually worked on the ground with these crews—and despite her assertion that she wasn&#8217;t a very good firefighter, she did come away with some important insights about the nature of incarcerated firefighting, as well as a few profound experiences of her own. Lindsey&#8217;s work can be found on <a href="https://www.lindseyraisa.com">her website</a>.

Exploitation, Transformation and the Paradox of Incarcerated Firefighting With Dr. Lindsey Feldman

Wildland firefighters are disproportionately affected by depression, anxiety, PTSD, suicide and other mental health struggles. There are a number of reasons for this, but the biggest are quite simple: wildland firefighting is a high-stress job that takes firefighters away from their families for months at a time and often doesn&#8217;t come with appropriate pay or benefits given the sacrifices that these folks make every summer. With that lack of benefits comes a severe lack of mental health resources and care for laid-off firefighters, resulting in something of a mental health epidemic for a seasonal workforce that grows more essential—and more exhausted—by the year.



This episode dives into what these struggles look like from the perspective of currently laid-off seasonal firefighters, who each spoke about their individual challenges with mental health and wellness in their off seasons. Firefighters included in this episode: Ben McLane (hotshot), Coleman Wilson (handcrew member), Gabby Casper (rappeller), Eddie Klemencic (hotshot), Kat Sullivan (hotshot) and Livi Hughes (British Columbia Fire Service crewmember).



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Links and Shownotes</h2>



As promised in the episode, here are a few resources for wildland firefighters who are struggling with mental health challenges this off-season.



<ol>
<li><a href="https://wffoundation.org/resources/reference/">Wildland Firefighter Foundation</a>. This organization provides emotional and financial support and assistance for wildland firefighters injured on the line, and also facilitates mental health support. The website above is a landing page for a variety of other mental health resources for firefighters. <a href="https://ericmarshfoundation.org/">Eric Marsh Foundation</a> also offers support for wildland firefighters.</li>



<li>Your crew! Call up your crewmembers from last summer and check in on them. It&#8217;s nice to talk to people who know the business and who understand what you&#8217;re going through on a more personal level.</li>



<li><a href="https://www.wfgi.org/mental-health-resources">Wildland Firefighter Guardian Institute</a>. This organization covers mental health resources (including therapy and counseling!) at no cost to wildland firefighters.</li>



<li>Online therapy—lots of options, but <a href="https://betterhelp.com">BetterHelp </a>is a highly recommended (and decently affordable) one.</li>



<li>For military veterans: You local VA Center (not hospital) can provide mental health treatment. More info <a href="https://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/index.asp">here</a>.</li>
</ol>

Off-Season Struggles—Understanding Wildland Firefighter Mental Health

Mando Perez spent around six years fighting fire while incarcerated as a young man. Upon his release in 2010, he began the arduous transition into a position with a federal firefighting agency, and now works as a senior firefighter for the El Dorado Hotshots. In this episode, he shares his experiences of working on an inmate fire crew and details how he transitioned to a full-time fire career after his release. He also talks about why he continues to pursue fire as a career, what he loves about the job, and offers some suggestions for people who may be on a path similar to his.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Links and Shownotes</h2>



<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6T9R-cjXc0&amp;t=312s">Vice News documentary on the El Dorado Hotshots</a>



To learn more about California Assembly Bill 2147—which allows formerly incarcerated firefighters to have their records expunged in order to gain employment more easily after their release—check out this <a href="https://www.politico.com/states/california/story/2020/09/11/california-clears-way-for-inmate-firefighters-to-enter-profession-upon-release-9424131">piece in Politico</a> from September.



Finally, here are a few resources for anyone interested in getting a job as a wildland firefighter, regardless of their background:



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.nafri.gov/wfap/">Wildland Fire Apprenticeship Program</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.riohondofire.com/wildland-fire-academy">Rio Hondo Fire Academy</a>
<ul>
<li>Mando attended Rio Hondo Fire Academy and mentions it in the episode.</li>
</ul>
</li>



<li><a href="https://ccc.ca.gov/">California Conservation Corps</a>
<ul>
<li>A particularly good choice for college-aged people who have an interest in fire, trail work or other federal natural resource jobs.</li>
</ul>
</li>



<li><a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/working-with-us/opportunities-for-young-people/youth-conservation-corps-opportunities">Youth Conservation Corps</a>
<ul>
<li>A program is for high schoolers who have an interest in natural resources work in general.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>

From Incarcerated Firefighter to Full-Time Hotshot With Mando Perez

The practice of cultural burning hinges on one critical truth: healthy land means healthy people. Margo Robbins, who is a <a href="https://www.yuroktribe.org/">Yurok tribal member</a>, basket weaver and the executive director of the <a href="https://www.culturalfire.org/">Cultural Fire Management Council</a>, explains the importance of cultural burning on Yurok tribal lands—located in Northern California— as well as why she has a vested interest in reintegrating cultural burns on her ancestral lands. Listen in to learn more about indigenous burning, the ecological and cultural benefits of fire and how cultural burning has helped renew the art and practice of basket weaving for Margo and other members of the Yurok Tribe.

Restoring the Land, Restoring the People—Cultural Burning With Margo Robbins

In this episode, we talk to <a href="https://fireadaptednetwork.org/?s=Annie+Schmidt">Annie Schmidt</a>, who works for the <a href="https://fireadaptednetwork.org/">Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network</a>. Through her position at the Fire Adapted network, Annie has committed herself to helping communities build their fire-resiliency and, quite literally, learn to better live with fire. Annie offers some great perspective on how and why fire prevention work should be prioritized just as much as fire suppression, while also providing a few suggestions for other people who want to improve fire resiliency in their communities. One of the most interesting parts of Annie’s work is her commitment to bringing different voices to the table and empowering people with a variety of backgrounds to take greater authority over their land.

Building Fire-Resilient Communities With Annie Schmidt

Life with Fire Podcast

Life with Fire Podcast

Episodes

Ep. 11—Exploitation, Transformation and the Paradox of Incarcerated Firefighting With Dr. Lindsey Feldman

Ep. 10—Off-Season Struggles—Understanding Wildland Firefighter Mental Health

Ep. 9—From Incarcerated Firefighter to Full-Time Hotshot With Mando Perez

Ep. 8—Restoring the Land, Restoring the People—Cultural Burning With Margo Robbins

Ep. 7—Building Fire-Resilient Communities With Annie Schmidt

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