Beneath the Helmet: Navigating Mental Wellness and Leadership in Firefighting with David Wiklanski

Episode Number: 29

Publish Date: Dec 05, 2023

Host: Arjuna George

Guest: David Wiklanski

Brief Description:

📚 In these episodes of 'Beneath the Helmet', behavioural specialist and psychologist David Wiklanski discuss the intersection of psychology and firefighting, underscoring mental health's crucial role in the fire service. Serving both as a firefighter and psychologist, Wiklanski shares his unique perspectives relating to mental health stigma within the fire service, handling trauma, and suicide attempts. He also addresses his work with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, providing support to the families of firefighters. Emphasizing the importance of caring for personnel in the fire service, he discusses the need to improve the fire service culture while fostering open conversations around mental health. Listeners can gain insights into reducing line-of-duty deaths and the significance of prioritizing mental wellness in the fire service.

Resources and Links Mentioned in this Episode:

🔗 BC First Responders Mental Health https://bcfirstrespondersmentalhealth...

Recommendations:

📖 Book - Burnt Around the Edges – A Guide to Mastering Stress and Surviving Burnout - Arjuna George (Available on Amazon, Apple and Google Books)

Bio

David Wiklanski is an Engine Company Lieutenant for an urban fire department in New Jersey. He has over twenty years in Emergency Services. Wiklanski is a highly known speaker and writer, most notably for his presentations on behavioural health, in addition to Suicide Terrorism. His mission is to end the stigma associated with mental health and to connect responders with the available resources to not only survive but thrive in their careers.

His presentations have been followed at many seminars at the local, state, and national levels.

He contributes articles to Fire Engineering, Firehouse Magazine, Firehouse Tribune, and Firefighting in Canada. His first book: Suicide Bombers, Understanding Suicide Terrorism from a Cultural and Memetic perspective is available online and he is currently working on authoring his next book.

Wiklanski has an MA in Behavioral Sciences-Human Behavior and Organizational Psychology from Kean University. He is an adjunct professor at Kean University.

He holds certifications as a Fire Instructor II and EMT Instructor. He is a Behavioral Health Specialist for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) working on projects such as the Taking Care of Our Own (TCOOO) course and the Uniformed Peer Support Program. He is the owner of Alpha Omega Training Solutions.

🌐www.davidwiklanski.com

Connect with the Host:

🎙️Arjuna George – Fire Chief (ret)

Owner of Silver Arrow Coaching and Consulting, Beneath the Helmet Show, and Burnt Around the Edges author.

🌐www.silverarrowco.com

🌐www.burntaroundtheedges.com

🌐www.beneaththehelmet.ca

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