Abstract
[This is an excerpt.] Creating healthy, high-performing fire/EMS departments is a shared responsibility that requires commitment from department leaders and members alike. Fire service leaders who understand the link between the well-being of their members and the performance and success of the department take comprehensive steps to create a positive environment that supports and promotes good health and optimal functioning. In short, they create a psychologically healthy fire department (PHFD). Creating a healthy, high-performing department requires more than simply promoting awareness of health issues or offering wellness activities. Done well, principles of health and well-being become ingrained in the very norms, values, and beliefs that are part of the department’s culture. Core to this approach is a multi-dimensional view of well-being that includes mental health. The PHFD: Implementation Toolkit is based on American Psychological Association’s (APA) Psychologically Healthy Workplace model and adapted to fit the unique characteristics of the fire service. [To read more, click View Resource.]
