Letter to the Editor

Changes of shift are essential to firefighter well being

Posted 5/31/18

To the editor: Firefighting is routinely ranked as one of the most physically and emotionally demanding occupations. A COS (Change of Shift) is a simple action taken that has no impact on taxpayer fiscal liability...

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Letter to the Editor

Changes of shift are essential to firefighter well being

Posted

The following letter was submitted by leadership from the Warwick Firefighters Union. It has been edited for formatting purposes.

Firefighting is routinely ranked as one of the most physically and emotionally demanding occupations.

A COS (Change of Shift) is a simple action taken that has no impact on taxpayer fiscal liability, and in return greatly improves a firefighter’s physical and emotional well being.

It’s an honest, sensible, professional and mutually respectful agreement between two firefighters that is an equal exchange for time worked. It all boils down to one person simply helping another in a profession rooted in that fundamental principle.

The increased physical and emotional stressors that firefighters routinely deal with lead to many life challenges.

The Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance estimates that 30 percent of the nation's 1.3 million firefighters have some level of PTSD. 132 firefighter suicides were reported last year with firefighters 3-4 times more likely to harm themselves as opposed to experiencing fatality in an on-duty incident.

USFA.FEMA.GOV detailed a May 2017 Brigham and Women’s sleep/health study of more than 6,000 firefighters. They wrote, “Firefighters who respond to emergency calls around the clock and routinely work 24-hour shifts, often experience acute sleep deprivation, chronic sleep deficiency, and a chronic misalignment of the natural body clock.”

In addition to increased physical injuries, higher rates of cancer for firefighters are annually reported by OSHA and NIOSH.

All of this, added with missed family time on nights, weekends, and holidays equals the perfect equation for the decades long physical and emotional breakdown of a firefighter.

It is for these reasons that firefighters exchange their time for each other, in the form of a change of shift. This occurs when a fellow firefighter is dealing with challenges associated with the normal fluidity of daily family life such as when a firefighter NEEDS a shift off to go to his daughter's Saturday afternoon graduation or his son's Wednesday night baseball game.

It all comes down to one firefighter trying to help improve another firefighters quality of life, and to, in a small way, help that firefighter to avoid the many physical and emotional pitfalls of a long firefighting career. Again, we would like to reiterate that there is zero negative fiscal impact to the department, or the members of the community.

A strong bond with the community is essential to what we do and we want the people we serve to know we do so with integrity and will always be there when called.

Comments

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  • Thecaptain

    BULL

    Monday, June 4, 2018 Report this

  • davebarry109

    Exchanging time off with one another is fine once in a while. The system is out of control. Limit it to one swap per month per FF. That's it. And that's generous considering the number of vacation and sick days you get. People in the military cannot get such a deal. If the job is too tough for you, move along.

    Tuesday, June 5, 2018 Report this

  • richardcorrente

    Rob Cote, under the fake name of "Thecaptain" just used the foulest four-letter word I have ever seen printed in this newspaper.

    I think we can all agree that the system needs to be improved upon but to use that horrible word in the same sentence with the Warwick firefighters that risk their lives and their health every time the alarm goes off is the most disgusting comment I have ever heard him say or print.

    Cote, you should be ashamed of yourself. The rest of us certainly are.

    I'm sorry I ever met you. You're much worse than everyone told me. Please keep the promise you made 6 years ago and move out of Warwick. I'll even help you pack. I've got some off-duty friends that will help too.

    Rick Corrente

    The Taxpayers Mayor

    Tuesday, June 5, 2018 Report this

  • CrickeeRaven

    Once again the make-believe mayor seems intent on humiliating himself through his behavior:

    "'Thecaptain' just used the foulest four-letter word I have ever seen printed in this newspaper."

    First, this is a website, not a newspaper.

    Second, this statement is by a failed candidate who recently wrote "Damn it" in a comment on this website, so he has no right to criticize others for what words they use: http://warwickonline.com/stories/free-beach-is-just-what-people-like,134373?#comments

    Third, he has frequently called other commenters "cowards," accused the school department of "extortion" and engaged in other types of juvenile behavior, meaning he is trying to impose rules for using this site that he does not, himself, follow.

    Lastly, he has previously told other commenters that they don't have to read his comments -- and yet he appoints himself the moderator of other peoples' comments.

    "[Y]ou should be ashamed of yourself. The rest of us certainly are."

    Honest, taxpaying voters are ashamed of the make-believe mayor and his lies, his refusal to answer for his tax delinquency, his repeated attempts to mislead them. and his disgraceful, hypocritical, and pathetic behavior on this website, all of which has only served to prove his complete unfitness for office and justify another overwhelming rejection by voters again this year.

    Wednesday, June 6, 2018 Report this