Firefighters face significant occupational stress due to the nature of their work, which often involves responding to emergencies, witnessing traumatic events and dealing with life-threatening situations.  

This chronic exposure can lead to mental health injuries. In addition, firefighters face physical injuries on the job from various hazards, including fire, smoke, extreme heat and hazardous materials. DNVFRS recognizes these occupational mental health and physical injuries and proactively takes steps to prevent them and promote a healthy work environment for its personnel.  

The DNVFRS Health and Wellness (H&W) Committee built a five-year well-being plan in support of staff to help ensure a positive and healthy workplace for all. We recognize the importance of having a strategy for an organized and proactive approach to injury prevention and rehabilitation and supporting the mental and physical well-being of all DNVFRS staff. 

Strategic Objectives

The H&W committee’s mission statement is "Advancing physical and mental health for the long-term resiliency and well-being of the DNVFRS." Two strategic objectives have been identified to guide activities supporting the staff’s physical and mental well-being.  

Strategic Objective #1: Support Physical Health and Wellness 

The physical demands of the fire service are immense and never-ending. DNVFRS’s ability to provide excellent service to its community is connected to our personnel’s physical health and wellness. 

DNVFRS will support its personnel’s physical health and wellness by promoting physical fitness training, a culture of ongoing health screening and assessments, education and information on health and fitness, and access to treatment and rehabilitation services. 

Strategic Objective #2: Support Mental Health and Wellness 

Our firefighters are exposed to a high level of potentially traumatic events impacting their mental health and, in turn, have a statistically higher incidence of mental health injuries than the average population. Workplace hazards include but are not limited to the cumulative effects of shift work, sleep loss, traumatic exposures, and operational and organizational stressors. These hazards can lead to adverse physiological and mental health impacts on DNVFRS personnel. 

DNVFRS will promote evidence-based mental health and wellness by raising awareness of the importance of mental health, providing employees with education and information on mental health, facilitating access to culturally competent internal and external support systems, and supporting members through mental health injury and or recovery. DNVFRS is committed to creating a safe and open environment regarding mental health issues by working to reduce the stigma associated with mental health. 

Strategies and Programs to Support Staff 

Strategies and programs to support staff that are underway include cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET), participation in the Thompson Rivers University First Responder Resiliency Program, training and support for the critical incident stress (CISM) team, training for Station Officers, Tri-Municipal Family Night, additions to and maintenance of exercise equipment, education about mental health resources, and support for the First Responder Resiliency Program (FRRP).  

Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing (CPET) 

DNVFRS engaged Sports Cardiology B.C. to provide CPET testing for all staff. Testing stations were assembled at Firehall #1 for staff to participate in the on-site test. This initiative was in conjunction with the City of North Vancouver Fire Department (CNVFD), whose members also used our site for testing during the two weeks. Staff received detailed reports of results to their private email addresses.  

Thompson Rivers University Public Safety Resilience Project 

DNVFRS is one of three fire departments and three police agencies participating in the Thompson Rivers University study on first responder resiliency. The project aims to promote resilience in fire and police organizations. DNVFRS members completed surveys and gap analysis and then participated in three resiliency courses: individual, family and workplace. Monthly meetings are held with all agencies, and a post-course follow-up meeting is scheduled for all three classes. The program will wrap up in 2024. 

Training and Support for the DNVFRS CISM Team 

The DNVFRS CISM team provides trauma debriefings to on-shift crews who respond to traumatic scenes or experience traumatic events. Any staff member can request to engage the team. We support the team by providing annual training from a clinical counsellor with intimate knowledge of firefighter mental health. 

Training for Fire Officers 

DNVFRS Fire Officers are the front-line supervisors who respond to calls and have direct contact with staff in stations and on the emergency scene. We provide training from a clinical counsellor with intimate knowledge of firefighter mental health to empower them to deliver a positive workplace and enhance workplace well-being. 

Tri-Municipal Family Night 

In 2023, DNVFRS hosted a Family Night for Mental Health and invited our partner agencies on the North Shore to attend. Dr. Duncan Shields and Mr. Eric Kussin delivered presentations to staff and their significant others for a supportive evening about identifying challenges in the workplace and solutions to support each other.  

Exercise Equipment 

Every year, we add to our inventory of exercise equipment. Staff are encouraged to participate in fitness activities to help maintain physical and mental well-being. 

Education about Well-being Resources 

Health and wellness resources are posted for staff in various locations, including the intranet, bulletin board and QR code. Making these resources available in different formats is important to allow for privacy when needed.  

Support for First Responder Resiliency Program (FRRP) 

The FFRP is an immersive program for first responders delivered by mental health professionals. DNVFRS recognizes this critical program and supports staff when they attend.  

Profile: Gillian Hicks – 2022 Fire Fighter of the Year  

In 2022, Captain Gillian Hicks earned the DNVFRS Firefighter of the Year award for her contribution to mental health and wellness initiatives.  

"Our members are regularly exposed to traumatic events that can significantly impact mental health," says Hicks. "We want to give them the support they need and reduce the stigma associated with mental health."

Since joining DNVFRS 20 years ago, Hicks has risen to the rank of Captain and is now lead on the DNVFRS’s critical incident stress team, which focuses on the mental health and wellness of district firefighters.  

"We provide debriefings where we have the crew talk about what happened at a traumatic call and offer resources that support our members through mental health injury and recovery," she says.  

Additionally, Hicks helps teach a resiliency program for recruits that raises awareness about mental health issues and offers coping skills and strategies and other resources they may need for dealing with workplace hazards that can impact their physiological and mental health.  

Hicks, the second-ever female suppression firefighter to join the DNVFRS after earning a BA in human kinetics and playing soccer at UBC and later professionally, has also joined the department’s new recruitment program to attract potential future firefighters from local high schools and universities.  

"We want to increase the diversity of our department," she says. "There are more and more women applying to become firefighters."