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July 22, 2025

Mental Health: The Rocks in a Firefighter’s Backpack? – Steve Baker

1 hour 4 minutes

Peter Matthews sits down with Assistant Chief Steve Baker to discuss the mental health challenges firefighters face, and the life-changing events of a single day in 2019 that reshaped his journey.

With two decades in emergency services, Baker shares how he reached a breaking point, what he discovered when he took a hard look at the “rocks” weighing down his backpack, and how he began shedding those rocks while rebuilding himself. He outlines five key steps that everyone can use to take care of themselves and his reflection offers valuable lessons for anyone in the fire service who is carrying more than just their gear.

Mental Health: The Rocks in a Firefighter’s Backpack? – Steve Baker

1 hour 4 minutes

Peter Matthews sits down with Assistant Chief Steve Baker to discuss the mental health challenges firefighters face, and the life-changing events of a single day in 2019 that reshaped his journey.