In 2009, I hung up my turnout gear and left my position as a fire chief after serving 30-plus years. Shortly thereafter I wrote an article for Firehouse.com about the challenges first responders can face as we transition from being a public safety provider to civilian life.
The feedback to that article was so overwhelmingly positive that I developed a program that I presented at a national conference bearing the same title as the article. To my surprise, many of the session attendees brought their spouses along with them. During the session we laughed, we cried and we connected in very meaningful and personal ways. I realized there are many, many responders both afraid and unprepared for what to expect when they climb down the ladder.
Over the past year, this issue has resurfaced in a significant way. During my programs on situational awareness, I often ask those in attendance with more than 30 years of service to raise their hands and then I ask them some questions related to the class topic. I take note of who these people are and then when we are on break or at lunch I asked them some different questions—questions about their planning and preparation for their climb down the ladder.