The IAFF Podcast

This segment explores best practices for fire fighters interested in managing pain while minimizing or discontinuing the use of opioids. Dr. Alan Gonzalez-Cota, a pain management expert and medical consultant for the IAFF Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Treatment and Recovery, shares his perspective and lessons learned in treating fire fighters with pain management challenges as a result of occupational injury, overuse, and trauma.

This segment focuses exclusively on special treatment considerations for fire service personnel facing their own battle with opioid addiction, including medication alternatives, best practices in substance abuse treatment, and the unique role of peer support in a fire fighter’s recovery journey. Guest speakers include two treatment specialists who work exclusively with fire fighters in substance abuse treatment settings: Dr. Abby Morris, Medical Director of IAFF Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Treatment and Recovery, and Lt. Drew Kane, a fire fighter and credentialed alcohol and drug abuse counselor with the FDNY Counseling Service Unit.

This segment is for fire service personnel and civilians to understand how opioid addiction is treated and the life-long recovery process. Learn more about medication-assisted treatment (MAT) as a best practice in treating opioid use disorder, as well as the use of FDA-approved medications, evidence-based behavioral treatments, and the essential role of community-based support services.

This segment is for fire service personnel and civilians to get a deeper understanding of opioid addiction. Learn more about the short-term and long-term effects of this complex biological disease, as well as the physical, social, and emotional changes in someone using or abusing opioids. Understand the medical definition of opioid use disorder and the difference between opioid dependence and opioid addiction.

Firefighter Cancer Support Network (FCSN)’s Chief Operations Officer Joe Schumacher and the American Cancer Society (ACS) Senior Director of Field Corporate Strategy and Operations Kim Bruna highlight the cancer resources available for fire fighters through their partnerships with the IAFF. They highlight online resources, hotlines, and support services both organizations offer, and how those who are diagnosed with cancer or know someone who is diagnosed can access those resources.

Jason Burns (Fall River, MA Local 1314) and IAFF Chief Science Advisor Derek Urwin (Los Angeles County, CA Local 1014) discuss per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – a class of toxic chemicals fire fighters are exposed to. They highlight the concerns for fire fighters and the impact on departments.

Sam Eaton (Palm Beach County, FL Local 2928 [retired]) and Chris Bator (Metro-Broward, FL Local 3080) from the Florida Firefighters Safety and Health Collaborative discuss how cancer in the fire service has impacted their departments and how this led to the creation of Firefighters Attacking the Cancer Epidemic “FACE” Teams.

Firefighter Cancer Support Network (FCSN)’s Russ Osgood and DetecTogether’s Heather Maykel discuss how fire fighters can be their own advocate and how they can detect cancer earlier by utilizing the DetecTogether program. Russ and Heather explain some of the educational components of the training and tools to advocate for additional screenings.

Dr. Sara Janke and Bryan Frieders (FCSN) discuss issues female fire fighters face, behavioral health, stress, and relevant research that demonstrates the need for culture changes in the fire service to reduce occupational cancer.