For a young firefighter, the senior man with their sooted gear and burned up helmet was the ultimate symbol of experience. Trial by fire quite literally. But as firefighters learned more about cancer rates, they realized these public displays of heroism were feeding cancer cells in their bodies and cutting retirements short. They keep their gear cleaner now to avoid the deadly disease.
Like the sooty gear, trauma experiences have replaced the visual display of experiences obtained throughout the years. Speaking openly and candidly about critical incidents and associated mental trauma is becoming more commonplace.
But humans, before becoming superheroes, have a life story. Some stories are wealthy in rich experiences involving a loving, supportive family with normal attachments having achieved normal developmental milestones. While others have a darker tale.
Frequently, a professional rescuer’s trauma history does not begin on graduation day from the academy. They carry complex experiences with them which can act as a detonator to the powder keg of emotional responses that rescuers experience following traumatic scenes.
It is widely known that many counselors are drawn to the counseling profession because of life experiences that contributed to their own mental health journey. Perhaps they are wanting to be the professional they lacked or perhaps they want to emulate an impactful counselor. The same holds true of many rescuers.
A prime example of personal experiences positively impacting professional experiences is a rescuer’s connection to children. Their professional experiences with children radically change when they have a close connection with a child. They become more adept at handling children, they begin to understand children’s ways of communicating, they may develop a greater sense of calm, and they become better at evaluating the seriousness of a situation. They also fight back a profound sense of sadness because of the empathy developed for other parents, or the love they have for that special child in their lives.
Conversely, applying the impact a scene carries where a rescuer has a negative personal connection brings about complex responses to the incident. How these scenes resonate, or how a rescuer responds to an incident they have a personal negative experience to, may compound the mental trauma they experience. Overdoses are difficult scenes to manage. Overdose scenes that connect to a rescuer because of a personal history can have increased severity of traumatic responses, and the responder may be more likely symptomatic.
Discussing our “PTSD” from heroic acts is becoming a badge of courage but discussing the compounding trauma from a complex life history is not. Rescuers live and work next to people who keep their private lives out of public view. On the one hand, discussing our “PTSD” or traumatic incidents helps us process and create meaning from our experiences. But the code of silence related to their personal lives is the equivalent to allowing a cancerous tumor to fester. A young rescuer whose personal trauma history has gone undetected and who doesn’t know any better may believe their lived experience is typical.
Rescuers work as part of teams. Sharing personal life experiences with trusted others and receiving feedback is a great way to mitigate or resolve personal trauma that began before the career began. Perhaps the trusted other can relate to a shared experience and can provide comfort. Other times, a partner or teammate can be the encouragement someone needs to begin a personal counseling journey.
Before the badge is pinned, to maximize a professional rescuer’s mental resilience, personal trauma endured should be processed with a professional. Effective coping strategies for a long career in emergency services are essential.
If you, or someone you know, could benefit from the opportunity to work through past experiences that are currently impacting your work in emergency services, please consider reaching out to a professional counselor today.
Holiday
Liza Hinchey
September 30, 2025
