With the number of firefighter suicides on the rise nationwide, Las Vegas Fire and Rescue is taking a pro-active approach.
Across Nevada, the number has fluctuated, LVFR’s Behavioral Health Administrator Jeff Dill told 8 News Now.
Recruit Wade Jacobs said of the yoga session offered to his class: “It allows us to decompress, to get stress off our shoulders and go into our finals with a level mind and body."
The yoga class for recruits is part of a larger effort toward addressing and de-stigmatizing mental health, Dill explained, adding that there are myriad support services available.
Juggling emergency calls and home life “becomes very difficult and many struggle with the stress and anxiety.”
Firefighter Morgan Yuhas agrees, saying the career is a labor of love, but it comes with a lot of stress.
“The reason why we are seeing that trend in high suicide rates is that there is a lot more work put on us. We love our job, but it can be a lot if we aren’t coping the right ways.” she said.
Yoga also helps with flexibility and agility.
