Stress management is the responsibility of all firefighters and volunteers, New Zealand Fire Service health and safety co-ordinator Brian Reitveld says.
Looking after yourself mentally, as well as physically, and watching out for your colleagues was important to keep the rural fire service in good health, Mr Reitveld told the Forest and Rural Fire Association of New Zealand conference in Queenstown earlier this month.
In rural settings where firefighters often knew the victim of accidents it was even more important, he said.
Under the new health and safety legislation it was also the responsibility of colleagues and management to act if they believed a co-worker was under stress, as it endangered not only themselves but also those with whom they were working alongside.
''Stress in of itself is not a bad thing,'' Mr Reitveld said.
''It's a motivator. But sometimes it can have a negative effect on some people.''
When firefighters brought their stress home with them or were not able to perform their duties it needed to be addressed, he said.
The New Zealand Fire Service had systems in place for those who needed help, they just needed to speak up and that was where the problem lay.
''If we see someone acting in a way they usually don't, we need to find out what's going on,'' Mr Reitveld said.
If the problem was allowed to fester ''the very worst of it is people just quit'' and rural areas could not afford to lose firefighters, he said.
- by Timothy Brown