Overview
This book explores the critical role of psychology in enhancing the health, safety, and longevity of fire service professionals. Despite advancements in equipment and training, high rates of injury and fatality persist, underscoring the urgent need to address cultural and human factors. The book examines safety challenges in the fire service and highlights the importance of psychological insights, including their application in standards, legal frameworks, and organizational practices. It discusses fire service culture, organizational stress, mental health challenges, and issues related to diversity and inclusion. The book details strategies for overcoming resistance to psychological support, early detection, and intervention. It examines the role of psychologists in the fire service, human factors analysis, and suicide intervention through psychological autopsies and trauma risk management strategies. Finally, it presents a Fire Service Cultural Competency Training Program. It is essential reading for psychologists, occupational health professionals, and emergency service practitioners committed to firefighter well-being.
Full Product Details
Author: Kristen Wheldon
Publisher: Springer Nature Switzerland AG
Imprint: Springer Nature Switzerland AG
ISBN: 9783032021250
ISBN 10: 3032021251
Pages: 339
Publication Date: 29 October 2025
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
College/higher education
,
Professional & Vocational
,
Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming
Availability: Not yet available
This item is yet to be released. You can pre-order this item and we will dispatch it to you upon its release.
Author Information
Dr. Kristen Wheldon is the Board Chair and Founder of the Fire Service Psychology Association (FSPA), a nonprofit organization created to bridge the gap between professional psychology and the fire service, aiming to establish a specialized discipline of fire service psychology. As a licensed psychologist, her career has included work in correctional settings, military and law enforcement environments, and the court system. Dr. Wheldon also served as the Director of Behavioral Health for the Los Angeles Fire Department, where she provided psychological services to firefighters and their families, managed peer support and critical incident response teams, conducted behavioral health training, and supervised two doctoral psychology students. Recognizing the lack of specialized psychological care for firefighters, she founded FSPA. Additionally, Dr. Wheldon has contributed to the development of the Executive Fire Officer Program curriculum for the United States Fire Administration and is an active instructor. She is a member of the National Fire Protection Association’s Standard for Emergency Responder Occupational Health and Wellness committee and served on the Public Safety Sector Council for the National Occupational Research Agenda at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She currently serves as a Consulting Psychologist for the California Department of Public Health, where she also leads as the Trauma Mitigation and Response Initiative Coach and Consultant. In this role, she is responsible for delivering trauma-informed professional development, training programs, evidence-based interventions, and critical incident response strategies to support the Department and its diverse workforce.
