Mandaue City Fire Office personnel and firefighters undergo mental health training. | Photo from Mandaue City Fire Station
MANDAUE CITY, Cebu — The local fire office is scaling up mental health support by training Mandaue City firefighters to help their colleagues cope with high stress and other challenges associated with emergency response work.
Seventeen personnel from the Mandaue City Fire Station (MCFS) are undergoing a three-day training to become peer facilitators, with sessions running from Wednesday to Friday, Sept. 4.
Fire Inspector Roy Kentilitisca, the Mandaue station’s deputy fire marshal, said the activity is the second phase of the Mental Health Awareness Program. The first phase was conducted during the third week of August.
17 Mandaue firefighters
Seventeen of the 83 personnel were selected based on their previous training and experience, with some having backgrounds in psychology.
The participants will form a core group of peer facilitators who can provide initial support to fellow firefighters facing personal or work-related difficulties.
Kentilitisca said the peer facilitators are not mental health professionals but will be equipped with basic psychological first aid skills.
He noted that firefighters face different challenges during emergency responses, making mental health support an important part of their work.
Colleagues can play an important role in providing support because fellow firefighters can better understand the demands and experiences of the job, he added.
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“Sa makita man sa tanan as firefighters, we are seen in the community nga strong, but ang physical and mental [are] very different. Naay makita nga physically fit, but somehow we can never judge nga naa siyay gipagdaanan, which needs support especially sa atoang kauban. That’s why we are having this program to help our firefighters recover from different challenges sa life not necessarily sa family but especially sa work,” said Kentilitisca.
(Firefighters are see in the community as strong, but the physical and mental strain are very different. There are those who look physically fit, but somehow we can never judge if they are going through something, which needs support especially among our peers. That’s why we are having this program to help our firefighters recover from different challenges in life, not necessarily just in the family but especially at work.)
Mental wellness hub at Mandaue Fire Station
The Mandaue City Fire Station has also established a mental wellness hub where personnel can rest, decompress, and spend time with colleagues.
Kentilitisca said the facility is intended to provide firefighters with a space where they can take care of their well-being.
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Peer facilitator training
Clinical psychologist Glenn Glarino, who is involved in the training, said the program aims to build a support group among firefighters similar to peer facilitator systems used in schools.
Glarino said participants received lectures on basic listening skills. They are also taught how to recognize red flags and provide psychological support to their colleagues.
The training includes second-response skills, which involve providing psychological first aid to people affected by emergencies.
Glarino said firefighters are already trained as first responders to incidents such as fires, but they can also be equipped to respond to the psychological needs of affected communities.
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He said mental health concerns do not depend on whether a person appears tough or resilient.
Glarino noted that people may appear unaffected by stressful experiences while still carrying emotional difficulties internally.
“We think that when you’re tough, you won’t be affected, but sometimes we may not be crying but tears deep inside. That’s why we need to open it up. We need to take care of that too. How did they say that? Even runners stumble. [That is sort of the point],” said Glarino.
He said taking care of firefighters’ mental health could help them provide better service, remain focused at work, and become more fulfilled in their duties.///
Caption: Mandaue City Fire Office personnel undergo mental health training.| 📷: Mandaue City Fire Station
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