Firefighters are exposed to stresses on the job that few can contemplate. Sometimes, the job can take its toll. Nationally, firefighter suicides now consistently exceed the number killed in traumatic incidents.

As part of the joint fire service Suicide Prevention and Awareness Stand Down in May, CPF President Brian Rice reconnects with Oxnard Fire Chief Alex Hamilton.

A former Oxnard Firefighters board member, Chief Hamilton has developed groundbreaking peer-to-peer suicide awareness training for firefighters. He was first interviewed on Fire Wire in 2019.

Among the subjects discussed are the impact the past four years, including the pandemic and increase in catastrophic wildland fires, have had in firefighters' mental wellness and what individuals can do to help themselves and others at risk of suicide.