Peer Support Training

What the Training Covers

Participants learn how to approach a brother or sister of concern, establish trust and confidentiality, provide support, determine whether a crisis is developing, refer someone to available resources, and educate others about behavioral health, including PTSD and resilience.

Who Can Participate

Fire service personnel of any rank and position — active or retired — may take part, including members already providing peer support. Host sites may also invite relevant community members, such as EAP providers, workers' comp representatives, and local behavioral health providers or researchers, to help expose them to fire fighter and EMS culture.

Training Formats

The training is available in-person or virtually, taught by IAFF-certified peer instructors. Once members complete the training, they gain access to two free advanced trainings: Safety Planning Intervention for Suicide Prevention, and Disaster Response Peer Support.

How to Get Involved

Any Local, state, or provincial association — or an IAFF-affiliated department — may host a training. All requests must be approved by the IAFF Local president and are typically scheduled four to six months in advance. If your department isn't ready to host, individual members can still attend through the IAFF Division of Occupational Health, Safety, and Medicine's virtual trainings offered throughout the year, provided they get sign-off from their IAFF Local president.