OGDEN, Utah — Firefighters risk their lives every day to save others, but many fight their own battles once the sirens stop, with Utah Fire and Rescue Academy leaders saying more firefighters die by suicide than in the line of duty.
“Firefighters are meant to be brave, they’re meant to be the hero," retired Ogden City fire captain Rich King said. "They can’t show their weaknesses, so they take that point with them and they don’t share it with anybody — over time it builds up.”
This month, the South Davis Metro Fire and Cedar City Fire departments shared online that they had each lost a firefighter while off-duty. It's unclear how the two died, but both departments offered resources for anyone who might be struggling, with a crisis hotline specifically for local firefighters.
King spent more than four decades in the fire service before recently retiring. He said when he started, mental health wasn't something people talked about.
"Back when I started firefighting, it was one of those things, 'Hey, you know, put your boots on and go back to work,'" King remembered. "We weren't having these kinds of conversations."
According to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, suicide rates are higher on average among firefighters than in the general public. The Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Studies showed that about 46.8% of firefighters report lifetime suicidal ideation compared to 13.5 % of the general U.S. population.
Joy Montoya, a program manager with the Utah Fire and Rescue Academy, said they train and educate firefighters on how to care for their personal health and well-being.
“It can be very overwhelming when you constantly see people during their worst days and their hardest times," Montoya said. "So, it’s recognizing that, one part of it is having that protective shield and being able to approach things with the training that you have and be able to provide that care, but also know when to take that shield down and take care of yourself.”
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or call the Firefighter Crisis Support Hotline at 801-587-1800. Utah's SafeUT Frontline app also offers confidential support for firefighters, police officers, and other first responders.
