Ex-Essex firefighter says trauma of job left him with PTSD

A former firefighter stated he left the service after “horrendous” incidents left him traumatised.

Lewis, whose final identify has been withheld to guard his id, resigned from Essex County Hearth and Rescue Service (ECFRS) in 2021, having seen “the worst kind of deaths” on what he stated was an everyday foundation .

He shared his story with the BBC afterwards. revealed that 85 workers had been laid off by ECFRS as a consequence of psychological well being points over the previous 12 months.

An ECFRS spokeswoman stated it takes the psychological well being of workers “very critically.”

Warning: This text options suicide themes.

Lewis stated the general public didn’t perceive the vary of incidents the groups attended, together with suicides and deadly automotive accidents.

“Once I was telling him [my family] among the jobs I went to, they had been stunned,” Lewis stated.

“If you really see what we do, it's horrendous, truthfully, it's horrendous.

“You perceive that you simply're going to be uncovered to those issues, however the public doesn't know the way severe it may be. It actually confuses you mentally.”

Lewis, who lives in Clacton-on-Sea, stated he was identified with post-traumatic stress dysfunction (PTSD) on account of his work.

He tried to take his personal life two years in the past.

“I might have been one of many statistics,” stated Lewis, who’s in his thirties.

“I'm nonetheless so younger and but I've been by means of lots. I grew to become this individual that nobody desires to be round.”

Lewis stated that when he talked about his struggles along with his colleagues, he found that they, too, had been secretly battling demons.

He added: “You don't need to really feel affected by these jobs if you see that others aren’t affected.

“However I didn't notice that folks had been extra affected than I believed, they simply didn't present it.”

TO BBC Freedom of Info Request discovered that 85 folks at ECFRS had been made redundant for psychological well being causes within the 12 months to September.

Riccardo la Torre, nationwide officer of the Firefighters Union, stated the service was battling a “psychological well being epidemic” amongst employees.

“Too usually we see firefighters take their very own lives, and generally even within the office,” he stated.

“That’s clearly and fully unacceptable and is one thing we should deal with.”

A spokeswoman for the fireplace service stated they had been dedicated to making a “tradition of acceptance” the place employees felt free to speak about their psychological well being with out stigma.

He stated “important progress” had been made in selling psychological well being consciousness, together with entry to counseling providers and the supply of psychological well being first support.

“The rise within the variety of employees made redundant as a consequence of psychological well being points displays a rising recognition of the significance of psychological wellbeing within the office, significantly in high-pressure roles,” he added.

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