The Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs applauds the Honorable Minister of Public Safety and Honorable Minister of Defense for enabling the training of 25 first responders in the Road to Mental Readiness (R2MR) Program, a program that assists in stress reduction and resilience building.
“Research shows us that the rate of mental health issues among first responders is much more prevalent than in the general population,” says Fire Chief Ken Block, President of the Association. “By making R2MR available, we all stand a much better chance of maintaining health.”
The CAFC has asked the Federal Government to facilitate resources for R2MR in all fire departments in the country. The Association was pleased to see this recommendation echoed by the Standing Committee on Finance in its Budget report. We are hopeful that funding for this purpose appears in the 2018 Budget.