Fire Fighters and First Responders are being increasingly challenged to meet operational assignment demands. Incident complexity and a rise in personnel time demands have lead to amplified stress levels. This is causing individuals to carry more and more responsibilities with fewer opportunities to recover from assignments.

Acute stress, job burn out and post traumatic stress reactions on the front line are becoming more evident in North America. We all need to become better educated in order to respond to the needs of the First Responders. Education has the power to move a negative outcome into a positive one. First Responders, both professional and volunteer, will have access to the educational tools on this website in order to grow and learn within their discipline.

N.A.F.F.V.N. is dedicated to the education of fire fighters, and first responders. We will provide up to date information as well as current Internet links to stress-related websites.

F.I.R.S.T.   S.T.E.P.   H.O.P.E

Fire Fighter
Initial
Response to
Stressful
Trauma

Sound Off
Tell a Friend or Co worker, someone you trust
Employ all available means of assistance including competent
Psychological help from someone trained in stress / asd / ptsd assesment treatment.

The following speech was delivered to over 500 guests at the Tema Conter Memorial Trusts Gala night in Vaughn Ontario on Saturday, the 9th of February 2008 by the Honorable David C. Onley Lieutenant Governor of the Province of Ontario Canada. I encourage all "Emergency First Responders" who read this to take heart and heed the message delivered by a man who himself carries physical injuries that can be seen and those that cannot be seen. As we are all aware, the work we do is often done in the dead of night or circumstances that are not witnessed by the general public. NAFFVN is pleased to have the Lt. Governors text placed on the front page of this web site so that we can see, that our work is UNDERSTOOD and appreciated by those in government who are themselves users of our services and who, not just in their service but as in ours, are willing to acknowledge our sacrifices and our woundings.

"NOT ALL WOUNDS ARE VISIBLE"

David C. Onley

The Honourable David C. Onley Lieutenant Governor of Ontario Speech delivered to the 7th annual Tema Conter Memorial Trust Gala Vaughan, Ontario Saturday, February 9, 2008 Link to his speech (PDF Format)

REAL MEN.....REAL DEPRESSION;

The following message by firefighter Jimmy Brown of F.D.N.Y. tells it like it is....Jimmy worked out of Engine 10 across from the World Trade Center in New York. He climbed to the 24th floor of the South Tower when it began to collapse. Hit with debris, he feared being buried, but he made his way to street level walking through dust so thick he couldn't see or hear anything. After a hospital stay, dogged by numbness and loss of interest in life, he spent days at home doing nothing, consumed by survivor's guilt and despair.

Jimmy took part in the "Real Men Real Depression" campaign launched by the NIMH to educate the public about depression in men. NAFFVN supports the front line firefighters of America by bringing this important message to those who may be hurting inside.....where the fire in the belly smoulders......and the flashover of events can cause you to be consumed ......

... put F.I.R.S.T. S.T.E.P. H.O.P.E. in your tool box when your on the line and listen to Jimmy speak by going to the following link:

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/videos/rmrd/mediaViewer510f.html

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A special message to members of the Armed Forces who are firefighters police or e.m.s. front line persons who have served as active duty members on callout to America in her time of need. When you return to the front lines of your community and your civilian calling it can be with the woundings of the war you have been engaged in. The war to find the peace you need is one you can overcome if you listen to this message which was developed byN.A.F.F.V.N. and senior Chaplain Kathie Costos of the International Fellowship of Chaplains out of Florida. Her contact number is area code 407-754-7526.

A military veteran once expressed that "their are no non believers in the trenches". I would encourage anybody who serves on the front lines of Americas communities to view this video but especially those who leave to fulfill a National Guard, Reserve or other temporary military posting and who must return to America and finish the transition back to the jobs they left behind. Click on to the link below. Shannon Pennington ptsd firefighterveteran