With 16-hour days for weeks straight, long separation from friends and family, and regular exposure to serious immediate and long-term risks, wildland fire pushes people to both their physical and mental limits. But the recently launched federal Wildland Fire Therapy Service is now available to help those workers ease the mental strain of battling wildfires.
“It’s truly a first of its kind service to support firefighters and dispatchers,” said Commander Dana Lee, director of the Wildland Firefighter Behavioral Health and Wellbeing Program.
The service offers all federal wildland firefighters, including dispatchers and seasonal workers, up to 16 free therapy sessions annually with licensed therapists…