By Emma Nichols
The Point Pleasant Fire Department is like a second home to me. My dad has been a volunteer there for my whole life. I remember going to fundraisers and holiday parties they'd throw for the firefighters’ kids. For Easter, they would bring in iguanas, turtles, and even a chinchilla — which I was obsessed with. All the kids would sit in a circle and watch how the animals moved and ate – we even got to pet them. After that, we’d run around and play tag and bother our parents about wanting to blow the horns on the trucks. Firefighting isn't just a job for many. It’s their life and their firefighter family is just as important as their immediate family. I was drawn to do my college internship there.
How do this internship connect to what you're studying?
As a psych major, I thought this experience would provide insight on firefighters' psychological perspectives and mental health.
I started to connect what I was learning about psychology to what my family members and other firefighters I knew were struggling with.
I was drawn to study psychology after some challenges regarding anxiety and mental health. The mental health professionals who were there to help me changed the trajectory of my success in life, especially in school. I am proud of the person I am today, thanks to their help. Seeing how much I benefited from mental health counseling made me passionate about someday being able to help others. I am also super curious about how the human mind works. There is still so much research to be done on it.
To bridge my experience and interests. I reached out to my career coach, Cameron, and explained my passion for psychology. As she began to list some options, I suggested interning at the firehouse. I reached out to the commissioner of the firehouse and got the approval. I was very excited for this opportunity because this internship is the first step in my career path – to figure out how I can work with first responders and help them with their mental health.
What does a typical day look like?
From the end of May through July, I normally went in and my supervisors presented a day-to-day topic. Such as gear inventory or fire department budgeting. I interacted with my two supervisors, the district administrator/treasurer and the director of fire and life safety. I then worked on my tasks for that day such as organizing or typing documents. If a call came in, I got to ride along to witness the experience.
What did you learn?
I was very grateful to learn a lot about the daily lives of lifesavers. It takes a lot of work to run a fire department. But what stuck with me most is the switch that happens. We would be hanging out with the firemen talking about life and other miscellaneous things and a call would come in. I saw how quickly their demeanor changed and switched into help mode. They would rush to the trucks grabbing their gear. Once we were on-site, it was all seriousness and all the attention was on who needed help. It threw me for a loop the first few calls. It was astonishing work to witness and I gained all the more respect for them. It definitely raised questions: How does the brain do this? How do we switch back and forth? How do people acclimate to this? I’d love to continue to explore these interesting questions in my next couple of years at Nazareth.
Each day, the lives of first responders are risked. Yet not much help is given to our helpers. I recently experienced a devastating loss in my family. Someone like a brother to me passed very unexpectedly. He was an active duty volunteer firefighter, and someone whom our department and I cherished. He joined at a very young age due to his father’s involvement in the department, and his goal was to save lives like his father. Early in life, he struggled with drug and alcohol abuse, which eventually led to his premature death. I cannot help but ask who was there to really help him? His brotherhood was always there for support obviously but what specializations do they have in reforming drug abuse? A specialist was needed. Someone should have been there for him to talk to. This responsibility, and regret shouldn't fall upon his firefighting brothers who ask, “Could I have done more?”. The answer is no; they have no training to talk to people suffering from PTSD and drug use. Emotional support helps but it doesn't save lives. This experience has only strengthened my desire to give the help that is needed to those who give their lives for others.
What are your future goals?
This internship has helped me shift my perspective on the job as a whole. It showed me that I can help in little ways, too. I plan on continuing my education at Nazareth, earn my bachelor’s degree, and possibly continue to a master’s in psychology.
My goal is to eventually become a counselor for first responders. What I will be doing career-wise will not always be huge breakthroughs but will be smaller things that first responders are faced with. Such as daily struggles to get out of a “lifesaver” mindset. How to deal with past traumas experienced in the field. I plan on helping to destigmatize psychology and mental health among first responders. I have realized I would love to help those who struggle with mental health in this field who feel like they don’t have someone to talk to. I have learned more about what a Certified First Responder Counselor does and how I can help those like my friends and family members who have struggled with mental health issues due to the field they are in. I believe it should be lifted up more as an option in psychology. I want to be the person to fill that need. For first responders who are suffering in silence. Seeing the day-to-day lives of those in this first responder community has been very insightful and made me more confident in my desire to continue my studies, to gain expertise and do the most I can to help.
