Firefighters Risk Heart Attacks

This is from the article, Seven Jobs That Will Make You Sick.  Notice that Firefighters are at high risk of heart attacks, in part, because of the psycholigcal stress they endure when fighting fires.

This caught my eye especially because when I was a teenager, my best friend’s was the Chief of Police in a small town in Washington State.  He died from a heart attack while fighting a fire.

At any rate, all first responders are at risk from stress related illnesses including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  And, of course, EMDR can help reduce the stress and stress related memories.

5. Firefighters
> Risk: heart attack
> Cause: physical and psychological stress, exposure to toxic elements
> Median annual wage: $45,520

It is not fire or smoke inhalation that is the number one irregular cause of death among firefighters, but heart attacks. When fighting a fire, the chance that a firefighter will have a heart attack increases up to 100 times the normal rate. Even when they aren’t fighting fires, firefighters are at a higher risk of heart attack, a report from Harvard School of Public Health shows. Risk of heart attack is increased for firefighters when they respond to an alarm, return from an incident, or engage in physical activity, including training. The occupation of firefighter, by nature, entails dealing with extreme heat, exposure to toxic substances, and causes high levels of psychological and physiological stress.

 

Read more: Seven Jobs That Will Make You Sick – 24/7 Wall St. http://247wallst.com/2011/09/01/seven-jobs-that-will-make-you-sick/#ixzz1XB6w7ScG

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Dr. Amber Quaranta-Leech, LPC-S

Amber holds a PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision from Regent University. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor in both Texas and Oklahoma and holds Supervisor credential for Texas. Amber is an EMDRIA consultant and trainer. She has over a decade of experience in the trauma field in work with uniformed services, domestic violence, childhood trauma and abuse, and recent mass trauma events. Amber provides consultation for EMDRIA certification, for consultants-in-training, and supervision for LPC-Associates. Amber continues to research the benefits of EMDR therapy with a variety of populations. Her goal is to help build strong clinicians who are well versed in trauma interventions to better support their clients. Amber sees a limited number of clients with a focus on trauma work, she is also a Certified Career Counselor and Certified through EAGALA to provide equine-assisted therapy. 

Dr. Jose Carbajal, LCSW

Dr. Jose Carbajal, a U.S. Army veteran, earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work and a master’s in theological studies from Baylor University, and a Ph.D. in Social Work from the University of Texas at Arlington. With over 15 years of clinical experience and extensive teaching experience, Jose specializes in trauma, sexual abuse recovery, domestic violence, and substance abuse. His research focuses on trauma interventions, neuroscience, and faith. He is EMDR Certified, an Approved Consultant, and an EMDRIA Approved Trainer, with numerous publications and professional presentations to his name.

Dr. Amanda Martin, LMFT-S, LPC, BCN

Amanda Martin holds a PhD in Family Therapy and is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Supervisor, and EMDRIA Approved Consultant. With over 14 years of experience, she specializes in trauma therapy for individuals and families in residential and outpatient settings. Amanda also provides supervision for EMDR certification, EMDR consultants-in-training, and LMFT-Associates. Her mission is to help people find a healthy, joyful, and fulfilling path in life. Her warm, supportive, and interactive counseling style incorporates Symbolic Experiential Therapy, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, EMDR, HeartMath, Animal-Assisted Therapy, Neurofeedback, and Collaborative Problem Solving.

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