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Firefighters Face Rising Suicide Calls: Urgent Training Needed
24 Apr
Summary
- Suicide-related incidents attended by England's fire services have tripled in a decade.
- Samaritans advocate for mandatory suicide prevention training for firefighters.
- Firefighters report increased stress from attending more suicide-related incidents.
Suicide-related incidents attended by fire and rescue services in England have seen a significant increase, tripling over the past decade. In the year ending September 2025, fire services responded to 3,250 such incidents, averaging 62 calls weekly. This marks a substantial rise from 997 incidents recorded in 2009-10.
Samaritans highlights that firefighters, frequently the initial responders in critical situations, often lack formal mandatory training to effectively intervene during a suicide crisis. The charity has penned an open letter to the fire minister, advocating for training parity with police colleagues who now receive protected time for such preparation.
Firefighters like Mark, with nearly two decades of service, report a noticeable increase in these callouts, noting the emotional and psychological impact. He emphasized that while fire incidents are declining due to prevention efforts, specialist calls such as suicides are rising, stressing the importance of investing in prevention and mental well-being support for responders.
