Within our Defending Against Wildfires program, BCAA partners with the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Vancouver-Fraser Branch to increase access to critical mental health resilience training for volunteer firefighters in remote and rural BC communities.

Volunteer firefighters protect many BC communities during emergencies, fires and the threat of wildfires, and this work can have lasting impacts on their mental health. Partnering with CMHA, our action and support gives fire departments served by volunteer firefighters in remote locations more access to critical mental health training and resources that they might have otherwise gone without.

Resilient Minds® is a CMHA program designed to enhance the personal and collective resilience of first responders and fire services. It has already supported hundreds of firefighters to better manage occupational stress, mitigate trauma, and boost psychological strength.

Protecting the psychological wellness of BC’s volunteer firefighters better enables them to defend against the threat of wildfires when they spread into structures and homes. This support is an important part of our overall Defending Against Wildfires programming.

From Roadside Rescues to Fighting Fires

John Chapman, a BCAA Road Assist Fleet Technician, shares his experience as a volunteer firefighter and the importance of mental health resilience training.

I’ve been a volunteer firefighter in West Kelowna for 15 years, but summer 2023 was like no other as fires entered West Kelowna and Kelowna.

BCAA supported me and I headed to the firehall. I watched water bomber planes and helicopters flying in and soon after, we got the call and drove into the fire zone to fight the fire and help protect people and homes.

While I was out firefighting, I was thinking constantly about my wife, kid and dog at home. Thankfully, my home and my family stayed safe – and having a plan in place before I left did help alleviate some stress.

Through the West Kelowna fire service, I’ve had the opportunity to participate in the Resilient Minds® training and I’ve seen how beneficial it can be. It’s a bit like preparing for a possible emergency or fire – firefighters make sure that our gear’s prepped and everything is ready to go. Resilient Minds® helps us prepare in a different way – by building up our resources for dealing with very challenging situations and coming through on the other side.