The Fire Service Psychology Association Atlanta Conference

The Fire Service Psychology Association unites fire service professionals and psychologists in a unique way. In 2023 the conference was in Atlanta.

The day before the conference there was a live burn which always attracts attention!

We watched two living rooms, both staged with the same furniture burn. One living room has an alarm or sprinkler system, the other does not. It is a dramatic lesson on how fast things burn at home before the tones go off at the fire station.

It is a great reminder to change the batteries in the smoke alarm!

The evening before the conference the movie PTSD911 was shown to attendees. This award-winning documentary by Conrad Weaver follows three first responders suffering from PTSD for one year as they struggle to explain their symptoms, attend various treatments and fight for their families.

My friend Shannon McQuaide, of Fire Flex Yoga, was in the documentary and along with the producer Conrad Weaver, answered questions as part of a panel after the movie ended.

My colleague and good friend Robert Avsec and I gave a presentation called Give Me 5! The five domains of fire service psychology. Together, we explained psychological assessment, intervention, industrial organization, operations and consultation to a mixed audience.

The psychologists in the audience learned from (ret) Chief Robert Avsec – he explained fire lingo like V-patterns, the use of drones and fire cliché’s about risk. This is how psychologists become culturally competent – by listening to the fire service members of FSPA.

The fire service in the audience learned the difference between a psychiatrist, a neuropsychologist and the five roles or domains that a psychologist can serve in the fire service.

Psychologists can provide pre-employment psychological screenings, disability evaluations or fitness for duty evaluations. (Ret) Chief Avsec pointed out the problem with recruitment and retention in the fire service. Finding the right candidate for each department is not only about hiring for physical abilities or test taking skills.

Psychologists can design behavioral health programs or teach peer support teams. They can provide individual, couples or family therapy as part of the Employee Assistance Programs many departments offer the employees. If a firefighter is a volunteer, s/he can access the psychologist by paying privately or using medical insurance.

Industrial organizational (I/O) psychologists look at how the organization functions. Fire departments are hierarchical in nature. Running a fire department is different than running a law firm or an art studio for example. A psychologist with a background in I/O includes the impact of budget cuts, short staffing, mandatory vaccine policies, standards and the promotional process in their recommendations. Their focus is not on any one individual, but the larger view of the organization within the municipality.

A neuropsychologist understands the brain-behavior relationship. Firefighters must make split-second decisions in high heat, low visibility conditions. Psychologists who specialize in Human Factors can help departments by using science to help firefighters perform better for a better outcome. These psychologists can measure reaction time, and have tests of attention, concentration and working memory. Psychologists have been studying sleep deprivation since World War II. They can explain the biology of stress reactions.

Additional photos from the conference.