Putting their best paws forward: Raising awareness about first responders' mental health
When the alarm sounds and firefighters head out on a call, they never really know what's waiting for them.
“A lot of times we end up in a situation that we didn’t guess or bargain for and the effect that it has over a period of time,” says firefighter Michael Sears.
That toll was too much for Claudia Currie's son Kyle. He took his own life in 2018.
So together with Sears, they started Fight 4 Life, a program to support the mental health of firefighters and first responders in the Halifax Regional Municipality.
“I named it Fight 4 Life because there’s a fight going on. Firefighters fight fires, they fight to stay mentally stable and we now have to fight to get funding to help them go to the next level,” Currie says.
To fund the program, a calendar featuring firefighters and their pets was created. Andrew Younger was one of the photographers involved.
“They see things that many of us as civilians just can never imagine and they take that home with them. This is just a small way of trying to get back and support them,” says Younger.
Deputy Fire Chief Dave Meldrum is already seeing the benefits of the program.
“The work that Fight 4 Life is doing is critical to ensure (it) is there when it’s needed and very importantly … (when) firefighters are ready to receive it,” Meldrum says.
“It’s such an asset. Having these resources is just crucial for your success in this career and any first responder career,” says firefighter Emma Roberts.
This is the third year for the calendar which was shot over two days at the Fall River fire station.
All of the proceeds from the sale of the calendar goes to the Fight 4 Life charity in support of the 450 career firefighters in the HRM who risk it all on the job.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
BREAKING Manitoba government tables bill to end ban on homegrown recreational cannabis
Manitoba is planning to lift its ban on the home growing of recreational cannabis.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.