Drama and Trauma are Expensive, Chief.
The fire service has a love affair with drama and trauma. We often sensationalize all the worst aspects of the job. There are newsletters dedicated to the tragic stories of line-of-duty deaths, non-profits built around fallen firefighters, and a near-miss reporting system that highlights every close call on the scene.
Now, I’m not saying any of this is wrong. Of course, let’s honor the dead and provide services to the living.
My point is that maybe, just maybe, there’s too much attention given to trauma in our industry. We now associate trauma with being a part of the fire service. Even the well-meaning mantra “it’s okay to not be okay” has become a rallying cry to normalize being unwell as a firefighter.
If you’re a fire service leader, consider the true cost of buying into the dark nightmare. There is a high price tag on drama and trauma. It’s just hard to see because we assume things must be this way.
The Cost of Losing Money: As a department leader, you’ve invested a small fortune in your people. If your department funded their academy training, you’re looking at a minimum of $100k per recruit after the first year. That’s serious money for training and outfitting. And let’s face it—those recruits are your human capital. If their career with you is cut short, your investment hasn’t been wisely spent.
The Cost of Time & Energy: Volunteer departments are especially vulnerable here. Volunteers don’t just donate their time; they sacrifice their most valuable resource to the cause. Wasting that time can lead to burnout and morale plummeting. In any department, morale is a critical factor in turnover. You are a stakeholder in the safety and well-being of the people who already wear your badge and show up to be a part of your crew. Don’t waste their time by allowing melodrama to show up, too, and wreak havoc.
The Cost of Losing Lives: Those who struggle with mental fragility often care the most. But caring too much, without the right coping skills, can lead to emotional overwhelm. When a firefighter dies by suicide, the entire department feels the sting. And let’s be real—it’s a damn tragedy when it happens. We owe it to our people to equip them with the best tools to prevent it from ever reaching that point. The fire service is supposed to be in the business of saving lives, not sacrificing them.
Let’s stop magnifying the trauma, and instead, focus on personal and organizational growth. The broken hero archetype may be seductive, but stress is preventable, and it doesn’t have to be an automatic part of fire service culture.
Your organization can take steps to eliminate drama and trauma from your ranks when you decide to end its costly effects and explore the real potential of having a coolheaded, unflappable crew.