Master Plan Nashua Fire Rescue, NH
10.
Nashua Fire Rescue should work to formalize its mental health program to ensure that its firefighters
have the resources they need when they need them.
Our nation’s firefighters are faced with emotional needs that are very different and unique to the
occupation. The percentage of firefighters struggling with career-related stress is very high, with suicide
rates climbing each year. These issues manifest themselves through higher divorce rates and addictions
such as alcohol, drugs, or gambling. Frequently seen in recent studies and another major concern is Post
Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). As these symptoms occur, employees need a support system in place
that is readily accessible from someone who is qualified and truly understands his or her circumstances.
While the Department has provided mental health education for its firefighters, in light of the increasing
need across the nation for mental health support for firefighters, Nashua Fire Rescue may choose to use
local resources to establish a program or can draw from national resources such as those that are
available through the IAFF or the First Responder Center for Excellence (FRCE).
ESCI recommends that the joint labor management committee that reviews the current promotional
process evaluates the process in its entirety to ensure that the test components correlate to the
current job descriptions and JPRs established by the national standard as they relate to the positions
within Nashua Fire Rescue.
NFPA 1021 is the Standard for Fire Officer Professional Qualifications. This standard identifies the
minimum job performance requirements (JPRs) for the various ranks of fire officers. As the ultimate goal
should be to ensure a defensible promotion process in the event of a legal challenge, ESCI also suggests
that Nashua Fire Rescue re-evaluate the merits of including the civilian Board of Fire Commissioners
within the promotional process. It is ESCI’s suggestion that Nashua Fire Rescue may be able to improve
the current promotional process by allowing the professional human resources and fire department
personnel to conduct the entire process, thereby eliminating the potential political influence that could
be introduced by the inclusion of the elected board.
Nashua Fire Rescue should make it a priority to alert only the fire station(s) that are dispatched to
calls to reduce the constant radio traffic that is currently transmitted to all of the stations.
One issue that was repeatedly brought up to ESCI during the site visit meetings was a strong desire by
the membership to have quiet stations. Nashua Fire Rescue responded to more than 8,000 calls last
year, or an average of 21 calls per day. At the time of ESCI's site visit, firefighters in every station heard
the radio traffic for every call, whether or not the members of that station were assigned to respond.
A study published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine in 2018 found higher rates of
hypertension and high cholesterol in people who were regularly exposed to loud noises at work. Loud
noises were defined as four or more hours a day, several days a week, when individuals needed to raise
their voice or shout to be heard by someone standing a few feet away. The researchers concluded that
as many as 14% of cases of hypertension and 9% of cases of high cholesterol were potentially a result of
noise exposure—possibly due to the stress of a loud working environment.
¢ J Emergency Services
ESC) Consulting International 139
