Firefighters do a dangerous job and face many risks. To mitigate these risks, firefighters should be in top physical condition and participate in occupational health screenings. This course discusses the importance of firefighter physicals, provides an overview of the options available to departments, and demonstrates how firefighter physicals save lives.

Obesity is prevalent in the fire and emergency services. The NVFC partnered with the HOPE Health Research Institute to study obesity in the fire service. This course outlines the findings of several research studies and provides recommendations to combat obesity and improve overall health.

This course aims to answer questions like “why don’t more women join the fire service?” and “how do we prevent sexual harassment and violence in our stations?” The Way Forward speaks directly these questions and addresses the cultural factors that perpetuate sexist norms, harassment, and violence in fire stations. This course provides education on the sexual violence continuum, what to do if someone is sexually assaulted in your fire house, how to better respond to survivors you encounter while working and how to be a trauma-informed leader.

Cancer is a serious threat facing today’s fire service, but there are easy and low-cost ways you can lower your risks. These include the 11 best practices for firefighter cancer prevention as outlined in the Lavender Ribbon Report. This course will explain how to incorporate these life-saving practices into your daily routines in order to reduce your exposure risks and protect yourself and your fellow firefighters from occupational cancer.

This course looks at all the roles a volunteer firefighter plays throughout their lives. From your role as an employee to spouse to parent to firefighter, how do you emphasize the importance, purpose, and balance of each role? This course will help you identify strategies for prioritizing each aspect of your life to help you achieve balance and time management.

​Behavioral health is just as important as physical health for firefighters and emergency service personnel. Take this course to learn more about what behavioral health means to you, its cultural progress and future potential, along with some of the many concerns first responders and their families are facing.

​Fire and emergency services members regularly respond to traumatic events and face unique challenges to their physical and emotional health. Unfortunately, these challenges can sometimes lead to behavioral health issues, including PTSD and substance abuse.

This course will help you recognize the signs and symptoms preceding suicide, understand what resources are available for departments and individuals, and navigate the healing process when coping with a firefighter suicide.