An increase in fire calls in recent months is creating fatigue—both physical and mental—for the firefighters of an Illinois department.
“We’re spread more thin than we have been in the past,” Peoria Assistant Fire Chief Jim Bachman told WMBD-TV. “When we have 14 pieces of fire apparatus to operate in the city and 6 of them, seven of them are on a working fire, it can get pretty hectic.”
According to Battalion Chief Ralph Phillips, sleep deprivation can be a big issue for members of the department. And it's something that doesn't necessarily hit a firefighter immediately.
“Sleep deprivation is a real thing, and it takes a toll on your body over time,” Phillips, a 27-year veteran of the fire service, told WMBD.
Especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the department has prioritized maintaining good mental health among its members. Bachman said the department works with a group to provide critical incident debriefing for firefighters.
“We’ve been very mindful of that, I think, this year," Bachman told WMBD. "Trying to get that point across to take care of yourself not only physically but mentally. We do, and have, especially with everything in the last year going on, been talking to our firefighters about, you know, mental health.”
